Stylistic Dimensions in Translations of the Holy Quran into English with Special Reference of Sūrah Al-Fatiha

Abstract

The universal Message of the Holy Quran is a matter of great deal that could not be successfully communicated in the whole world through English translations. This taxing task has been treated lightly. The present study tries a blending of linguistics and the Quranic translations into English, relatively an unnoticed area of research. Linguistic stylistic analysis of the Quranic translations’ is the subject matter of the study. The relations between the two are very essential for better translations of the Quran, contradictory from the traditional literal and dictionary translations. A linguistic study of the Quranic translations seems extremely mesmerizing for the translators may reap its fruit in the form of effective communication and better understanding of the Quranic Message. The present study attempts to relate the two disciplines on the ground of the translations of the Holy Quran, by analyzing linguistically various translations of Sūrah Al-Fatiha into English as a nutshell. The work will certainly encourage further studies in the field of the Quranic translations and comparative linguistics. It may however, be pointed out that it is almost impossible to translate in entirety the thematic, stylistic and rhetorical standards of a Divine revelation. Hence the study will go to the extent that it can.