Introduction

This selective bibliography has been collected from a long array of sources. It constitutes a carefully selected list of articles, books, and specialist bibliographies that address various aspects of the translation of the Qur’an: its rulings, problems, history, and extant translations in different languages. The list also includes a number of translations for their introductions are of some value for the history and problems involved in translating the Qur’an.

1. Background

This bibliography is the fruit of a series of studies on the translation of the Qur’an conducted by its author. The most recent of these studies is still in progress and thus the bibliography is liable to extend as long as this research (MA thesis) is still in progress. I personally consulted all the sources I quoted in this bibliography. Believing that selective or specialist bibliographies are of great importance in providing researches with direct access to references in specific fields of study, I hope it will be of some academic benefit.

I personally benefited from a selective bibliography published in the biannual journal Tarjuman-e Wahy[1] which guided me to some important references in the field. Due to the difficulties and shortcomings involved in general bibliographic references as well as the gabs they contain, the bibliographies made by specialists may prove to be of much benefit due to its scope and value. Since European bibliographies rarely mention Arabic references I tried to mention as much as I can of the most valuable of these in this field. As for European sources, apart from my own experience, I depended also on Index Islamicus. Of European sources, English are the most quoted ones not only due to their abundance but also because of my limited knowledge of other European languages, which I regret. This may be a shortcoming of this bibliography.

Though I mentioned here only the references I quoted in my studies, I tried my best to conduct the most important references in other European languages. Another shortcoming may be related to the disappearance of some Oriental languages namely Turkish, Urdu, and Farsi for I mentioned only the sources I consulted. However, the sources I mentioned here can mostly refer the reader to such not-mentioned references; for example, Tarjuman-e Wahy includes an extensive bibliography[2] of Farsi articles, etc.

2. The Bibliography

Abbott, Nabia, “Arabic-Persian Koran of the Late Fifteenth or Early Sixteenth Century” in Ars Islamica, vol. VI, 1939, pp. 91-94.

Abdel Rahman, Ai’sha, “The Problem of Synonyms in the Light of Quran”, in Proceedings of Twenty-sixth Congress of Orientalists, vol. IV, 1970, pp. 185-86.

Abou Sheishaa, Mohamed Ali Mohamed, The Translation of the Qur’an: A Study of a Fatwa by Rashid Rida and Other Relevant Fatwas and Issues, Unpublished paper submitted to the Seminar “Islam and the West: Their Mutual Relations as Reflected in Fatwa Literature”, Leiden, 2001.

Abu Daqiqah, Mahmud, “Kalimah fi Tarjamat al-Qur’an al-Karim” in Nur al-Islam, vol. 3, 1351, 29-35.

Abu Dhuma, Mahmud, “The Glorious Qur’an: Spring of Islamic Thought and Orientalism”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Ahmad, ‘Abdelhamid Muhammad, Die Auseinandersetzung zwischen Al-Azhar und der modernistischen Bewgung in Ägypten von Muhammad ‘Abduh bis Gegenwart, Unpublished Ph.D thesis, University of Hamburg, 1963.

Ali, S. A., “Translating the Untranslatable”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Ali, Salah Salim, “Misrepresentation of Some Ellipted Structures in the Translation of the Qur’an by A. Y. Ali and M. M. Pickthall” in Hamdard Islamicus, vol. XVII, 1994, pp. 27-33.

Anonymous, “Al-Qawa‘id al-‘Amma li-Tafsir al-Qur’an al-Karim” in Majallat al-Azhar, vol. 7, 1355, pp. 648-49.

Asad, Muhammad, Kann der Koran übersetzet werden?, Islamisches Centrum, Genef, 1384/11964.

Asad, Muhammad, The Message of the Qur’an, Dar al-Andalus, Gibraltar, 1980, i-viii.

Ayoub, Mahmud, “Translating the Meanings of the Qur’an: Traditional Opinions and Modern Debates”, Inquiry, 1986, pp. 34-39.

Ayyub, Hasan, Al-Hadith fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an wal-Hadith, Dar al-Tawzi‘ wal-Nashr al-Islamiyya, Cairo, 1999.

Babalola, E. O., “The Observance of the Al-Salat in Yoruba Language and the Indigenisation of Islam in Yorubaland” in Islam in the Modern Age, vol. 27, 1996, pp. 256-263.

Badawi, ‘Abd al-Rahman, Mawsu‘at al-Mustashriqin, Dar al-‘Ilm lil-Malayin, Beirut, 1984.

Bausani, A., “On Some Recent Translations of the Qur’an” in Numen, vol. IV, 1957, pp. 75-81.

Bell, Richard, The Qur’an translated, with a critical re-arrangement of the Surahs, Edinburgh, 1937-39.

Ben-Shemesh, A., “Some Suggestions to Qur’an Translators” in Arabica, vol. 16, 1969, pp. 81-83 & vol. 17, 1970, pp.199-204.

Binark, Ismet, Hlit Eren, & ed. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, World Bibliography of the Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, Istanbul, OIC Research Centre, 1986.

Birnbaum, Eleazar, “On Some Turkish Interlinear Translations of the Koran” in Journal of Turkish Studies, vol. 14, 1990, pp. 113-38.

Blachére, Régis, Le Coran Traduction Nouvelle, vol. III, Librairie Orientale et Americaine, Paris, 1950.

Bobzin, Hartmut, “Latin Translations of the Koran: A Short Overview” in Der Islam, band 70, 1993, pp. 193-206.

Bodrogligeti, A., “”The Persian Translation of the Koran in Latin Letters” in Acta Orientalia, vol. XIII, 1961, pp. 261-276.

Bucaille, Maurice, “Al-Afkar al-Khati’ah al-lati yanshuruha al-Mustashriqun khilal tarjamatihim lil-Qur’an al-Karim”, trans. Muhammad Husam al-Din, in Majallat al-Azhar, 1406/1986, pp. 1368-75.

Bucaille, Maurice, “On Translation of the Holy Qur’an”, in The Muslim World League Journal, vol. 13, 1406/1986, pp. 10-13.

Bucaille, Maurice, “Reflections on Mistaken Ideas Spread by Orientalists through Mistranslations of the Qur’an”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Çetiner, Bedereddin, “The Translation of Qur’anic Interpretations in Turkey: an Outline”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Chang, Fadlullah Abu-Bakr, “The Translations of the Holy Qur’an in Japanese language”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Chinniah, T. I., “The Holy Quran in Telugu” in Islam in India, 1982, pp. 143-154.

Dale, Godfrey, “A Swahili Translation of the Koran” in The Moslem World, vol. 14, 1924, pp. 5-9.

Dawood, N.J., The Koran, 4^th rev. ed., Allen Lane, London, 1978.

Duwaysh, Ahmad b. ‘Abd al-Raziq al-, Fatawa al-Lajna al-Da’ima lil-Buhuth al-‘Ilmiyya wal-Ifta’, Maktabat al-Ma‘arif, Riyadh, 1412.

Eren, Halit, “The Reason in Translating the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an and purposeful Translations”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Guillaume, Alfred, “The Koran Interpreted [Review]” in The Muslim World, vol. 48, 1957, pp. 248-49.

Hajawi, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-, “Tarjamat al-Qur’an al-Karim” in Majallat al-Azhar, vol. 7, 1355/1936, pp. 190-198.

Hamidullah, Muhammad, Le Coran, Le Club Français du Livre 1995.

Harun, Muhammad, “Al-Fatihah and its Translators” in Islamic Quarterly, vol. 40, 1996, pp. 69-84.

Hassanein, Ali, “A Brief History of the Translation of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Husayn, Muhammad al-Khidr, “Naql Ma‘ani al-Qur’an” in Nur al-Islam, vol. 2, 1350 AH, pp. 122-32.

Husine, Mir Mahmood, “The Rendering of the Holy Quran into Kannada” in Islam in India, 1982, pp. 155-160.

Ibn Yahya, ‘Uthman b. ‘Abdullah b. ‘Aqil, Hukm al-Rahman bin-Nahy ‘an Tarjamat al-Qur’an, n.d.

Ihsanoglu, Ekmeleddin, “A Study on the Manuscript Translations of the Holy Qur’an”, in John Cooper (ed.), The Significance of Islamic Manuscripts: Proceedings of the Inaugural Conference of al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, London, 1992, pp. 79-105.

Ihsanoglu, Ekmeleddin, “The Origin and History of Quran Translations and a Call for the Compilation of a Comprehensive Bibliography” unpublished paper presented to the Second Qur’an Congress, New Delhi, Dec. 1982.

Iqbal, Muzaffar, “Towards Understanding the Qur’an: A New Translation of the Glorious Qur’an”, in Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs, vol. 19, 1999, pp.131-33.

Irving, T. B., “Introduction to the Noble reading” in Hamdard Islamicus, vol. III, 1980, pp. 3-33.

Irving, T. B., “Terms and Concepts: Problems in Translating the Qur’an” in Khurshid Ahmad & Zafar Ishaq Ansari (eds.), Islamic Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Mawlana Abul A‘la Mawdudi, The Islamic Foundation, U. K., 1979/1399, pp. 121-134.

Isma‘il, ‘Izz al-Din, “Jamal al-Uslub al-Qur’ani” in Majallat al-Azhar, vol. 25, Cairo, 1373/1954, pp. 545-550.

Isma‘il, Sha‘ban Muhammad, Al-Madkhal li-Dirasat al-Qur’an was-Sunna wal-‘Ulum al-Islamiyya, vol. 1, 1^st ed., Dar al-Ansar, Cairo, 1980, pp. 337-76.

Jibali, Ibrahim al-, “Al-Kalam fi Tarjamat al-Qur’an”, in Nur al-Islam, vol. 3, 1351, pp. 57-65.

Khan, Mofakhar Hussain, “English Translations of the Holy Qur’an: A Bio-Bibliographic Study”, in Islamic Quarterly, vol. 30, 1986, pp. 82-108.

Khan, Mofakhkhar Hussain, “A History of Bengali Translations of the Holy Qur’an” in The Muslim World, vol. LXXII, 1982, pp. 129-136.

Khan, Mofakhkhar Hussain, “Translations of the Holy Qur’an in the African Languages” in The Muslim World, vol. LXXVII, 1987, pp. 250-258.

Khatib, Muhibb al-Din al-, “Limadha Lam Nutarjim al-Qur’an” in Majallat al-Azhar, vol. 26, 1374/1955, pp. 259-262.

Khinn, Mustafa Sa‘id al-, Athar al-Ikhtilaf fi al-Qawa‘id al-Usuliyya fi Ikhtilaf al-Fuqaha’, 2nd ed., Mu’assasat al-Risala, Beirut, 1421/2000, pp. 380-388.

Kidawi, A. R., “Arberry’s ‘The Koran Interpreted’: A Note” in Hamdard Islamicus, vol. XI, 1988, pp. 71-75.

Kidawi, A. R., “English Translation of the Holy Qur’an: An Annotated Bibliography” in Hamdard Islamicus, vol. XI, 1988, pp. 47-55.

Kidawi, A. R., “Translating the Untranslatable: A Survey of English Translations of the Quran” in The Muslim World Book Review, Vol. 7, No. 4 Summer 1987, pp. 66-71. [Internet Site]: http://www.soundvision.com/quran/english.shtml

Kister, M. J., “‘An Yadin’ (Qur’an, IX/29): An Attempt at Interpretation” in Arabica, vol. 11, 1964, pp. 272-78.

Kokan, Muhammad Yousuf, “The Holy Quran in Tamil Translation” in Islam in India, 1982, pp. 135-142.

Koningsveld, P. S. van & G. A. Wiegers, “The Islamic Statute of the Mudejars in the Light of a New Source” in Al-Qantara, vol. XVII, 1996, pp. 19-58.

Leemhuis, Fred, “Tarjamat al-Qur’an: Hal hiya Muhimma Mustahila” Unpublished article wrote by Leemhuis to introduce his Dutch translation of the Qur’an to the Arab Language Academy.

Leemhuis, Fred, “Translating the Koran: an ‘impossible’ Task?” Unpublished article wrote by Leemhuis to introduce his Dutch translation of the Qur’an to the Arab Language Academy.

López-Morillas, Consuelo, “‘Trilingual’ Marginal Notes (Arabic, Aljamiado and Spanish) in a Morisco Manuscript from Toledo” in Journal of the American Orientalist Society, vol. 103, 1983, pp. 495-503.

López-Morillas, Consuelo, “Lost and Found? Yça of Segovia and the Qur’an among the Mudejars and Moriscos” in Journal of Islamic Studies, vol. 10, 1999, pp. 277-92.

López-Morillas, Consuelo, The Qur’an in Sixteenth-Century Spain: Six Morisco Versions of Sura 79, Tamesis Books Limited, London, 1982.

Ma’ayergi, Hassan, “An Academy for Translating the Exegesis of the Holy Quran” in Journal Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs, vol. 5, 1984. pp. 441-45.

Ma’ayergi, Hassan, “History of the Works of Qur’anic Interpretation (Tafsir) in the Kurdish Language” in Journal Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs, vol. 7, 1986. pp. 268-74.

Ma’ayergi, Hassan, “History of Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an into the Polish Language” in Journal Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs, vol. 7, 1986. pp. 538-46

Ma’ayergi, Hassan, “Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an into Minority Languages: The Case of Africa” in Journal Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs, vol. 14, 1994. pp. 156-80

Makhluf, Muhammad Hasanayn, Risala fi Hukm Tarjamat al-Qur’an al-Karim wa-Qira’atihi wa-Kitabatihi bi-ghayr al-Lughati al-‘Arabiyya, Matba‘at Matar, Cairo, 1343/1925.

Manun, ‘Isa, “Hawl Tarjamat al-Qur’an al-Karim” in Majallat al-Azhar, vol. 27, Cairo, 1375/1956, pp. 778-786.

Manzoor, S. Parvez, “The Swedish Translations of the Holy Qur’an”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Maraghi, Muhammad Mustafa al-, Bahth fi Tarjamat al-Qur’an al-Karim wa-’Ahkamuha, Matba‘at al-Ragha’ib, Cairo, 1355/1936.

Meredith-Owens, G. M., “Notes on an Old Ottoman Translation of the Kur’an” in Oriens, vol. 10, 1957, pp. 258-276.

Mingana, A., “An Ancient Syriac Translation of the Kur’an Exhibiting New Verses and Variations”, in Bulletin of the John Rylands Library, vol. 9, 1925, pp. 188-235.

Mingana, A., “An Old Turki Manuscript of the Koran”, in The Moslem World, vol. V., 1915, pp. 391-98.

Moreno, Martino Mario, “É lecito ai musulmani tradurre il Corano?” in Oriente Moderno, vol. V, 1925, pp. 532-43.

Munajjid, Salah al-Din al- and Khuri Yusuf, Fatawa al-Imam Muhammad Rashid Rida, vol. 2, Dar al-Kitab al-Jadid, Beirut, Lebanon, 1970, pp. 642-650.

Nadawi, ‘Abdullah ‘Abbas al-, Tarjamat Ma‘ani al-Qur’an al-Karim wa-Tatawwur Fahmihi ‘inda al-Gharb, Rabitat al-‘Alam al-Islami, Makkah al-Mukarramah, Saudi Arabia, 1417 AH.

Naqdi, Muhammad (ed.), Tarjuman-e Wahy, A Biannual Journal of the Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur’an, Qum.

Naqdi, Muhammad, The Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur’an: An Introduction, A Pamphlet distributed on the Occasion of the 7th Exhibition of the Holy Qur’an, The Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur’an, Qum, 1420/1999.

Nazifoff, Natanial, “The Bulgarian Koran”, in The Muslim World, vol. 23, 1933, pp. 187-90.

Nur Ichwan, M., Response of the Reformist Muslims to Muhammad Ali’s Translation and Commentary of the Qur’an in Egypt and Indonesia: A study of Muhammad Rashid Rida’s Fatwa, Unpublished paper submitted to the Seminar “Islam and the West: Their Mutual Relation as Reflected in Fatwa Literature, Leiden, 1998.

Pearson, J.D., “Bibliography of translations of the Qur’an into European languages” in The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature: Arabic literature to the end of the Umayyad period, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1983

Pearson, J.D., “Translation of the Kur’an”, in The Encyclopaedia of Islam, New Edition, E. J. Brill, Leiden, 1995, pp.429-32.

Qattan, Manna‘ al-, Mabahith fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an, Maktabat Wahba, Cairo, 2000.

Qureshi, M. G., “The Gujarati Editions of the Quran” in Islam in India, 1982, pp. 161-167.

Rahbur, Daud, “Aspects of the Qur’an Translation” in Babel, vol. IX, 1963, pp. 60-68.

Rida Muhammad Rashid, Tarjamat al-Qur’an wa-ma fiha min al-Mafasid wa-Munafat al-Islam, 1st ed., Matba‘at al-Manar, Cairo, 1344/1926.

Robinson, Neal, “Sectarian and Ideological Bias in Muslim Translations of the Qur’an” in Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, vol. 8, 1997, pp. 261-278.

Rodwell, J.M. The Koran: translated from the Arabic, the suras arranged in a chronological order with notes and index, Williams & Norgate, Edinburgh, 1861.

Ross, Alexander, The Alcoran of Mahomet translated out of Arabique into French, by the Sieur Du Ryer, Lord of Malezair, and Resident of the King of France, at Alexandria. And newly Englished, for the satisfaction of all the desire to look into the Turkish vanities, London, 1649.

Sabri, Mustafa, Mas’alat Tarjamat al-Qur’an, al-Matba‘a al-Salafiyya, Cairo, 1351/1933.

Sadak, Bekir, “Translation of the Holy Qur’an in Yugoslavia”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Sale, George, The Koran: commonly called The Alcoran of Mohammed, Translated from the Original Arabic with explanatory notes, taken from the most approved commentators, to which is prefixed a preliminary discourse, London, 1836.

Sardar, Ziauddin, “What Do We Look for in a Translation of the Qur’an”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Schimmel, Annemarie, “A New Czech Translation of the Qur’an” in Studies in Islam, vol. 15, 1978, pp. 171-176.

Schimmel, Annemarie, “Translations and Commentaries of the Qur’an in Sindhi Languages” in Oriens, vol. 16, 1963, pp. 224-43.

Sefercioglu, Mustafa Nejat & (ed.) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, World Bibliography of the Translations of the Holy Qur’an in Manuscript Form, vol. I, Istanbul, 2000.

Shakir, Muhammad, “On the Translation of the Koran into Foreign Languages”, trans. T. W. Arnold, in The Moslem World, vol. XVI, 1926, pp. 161-65.

Shakir, Muhammad, Al-Qawl al-Fasl fi Tarjamat al-Qur’an al-Karim ila al-Lughat al-A‘jamiyya, Matba‘at al-Nahda, Cairo, 1343/1925.

Shaltut, Mahmud, “Tarjamat al-Qur’an wa-Nusus al-‘Ulama’ fiha” in Majallat al-Azhar, vol. 7, 1355, pp. 123-34.

Shatir, Muhammad Mustafa al-, Al-Qawl al-Sadid fi hukm tarjamat al-Qur’an al-Majid, Matba‘at Hijazi, Cairo, 1355/1936.

Shihata, ‘Abdullah, Tarjamat al-Qur’an, Dar al-I‘tisam, Cairo, 1980.

Shurunbulali, Hasan al-, Al-Nafha al-Qudsiyya fi Ahkam Qira’at al-Qur’an wa-Kitabatihi bil-Farisiyya, 1^st ed., al-Matba‘a al-Rahmaniyya, Cairo, 1355/1936.

Sulayman, Muhammad, Hadath al-Ahdath fil-Islam al-Iqdam ‘ala Tarjamat al-Qur’an, 2nd ed., Matba‘at Jaridat Misr al-Hurra Cairo, 1355.

Suyuti, Jalal al-Din ‘Abd al-Rahman al-, Al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an, ed. Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim, 1st ed., vol. 4, Maktabat wa Matba‘at al-Mashhad al-Husayni, Cairo, 1387/1967.

Tabibi, Abdul Hakim, “Tafsir and Translation of the Holy Qur’an”, in Proceedings of the Symposium on Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, IRCICA, Istanbul, 21 March 1986.

Tibawi, A. L., “Is the Qur’an Translatable?” in The Muslim World, vol. LII, 1962, pp. 4-16.

Togan, Zeki Velidi, “The Earliest Translation of the Qur’an into Turkish” in Islam Tetkikleri Enstitüsü Dergisi, vol. IV, 1964, pp. 1-19.

Versteegh, Kees, “Greek Translations of the Qur’an in Christian Polemics (9th century A. D.)” in Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, band 141, 1991, pp. 52-68.

Wajdi, Muhammad Farid, Al-Adilla al-‘Ilmiyya ‘ala Jawaz Tarjamat Ma‘ani al-Qur’an ila al-Lughat al-Ajnabiyya, Matba‘at al-Ragha’ib, Cairo, 1355/1936.

Watt, W. Montgomery, Bell’s Introduction to the Qur’an, T. & A. Constable ltd., Edinburgh, 1970, pp. 173-181.

Weinstein, Myron M., “A Hebrew Qur’an Manuscript” in Studies in Bibliography and Booklore, Winter, 1971/72, vol. X, pp. 19-52.

Wiegers, Gerard, “Language and Identity: Pluralism and the Use of Non-Arabic Languages in the Muslim West” in Jan Platvoet & Karel van der Toorn, Pluralism and Identity: Studies in Ritual Behaviour, E.J. Brill, Leiden, New York & Köln, 1995, pp. 303-326.

Woolworth, Wm. Sage, “A Bibliography of Koran Texts and Translations”, in The Moslem World, vol. XVII, 1927, pp. 279-89.

Zarqani, Muhammad ‘Abd al-‘Azim al-, Manahil al-‘Irfan fi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an, vol. 2, Cairo, n.d.

Zetterstéen, K. V., “Some chapters of the Koran in Spanish transliteration” in Le Monde Oriental, vol. V. 1911, pp. 39-41.

Zwemer, S. M., “Translations of the Koran”, in The Moslem World, vol. 5, 1915, pp. 244-61.

[1] Murtada Karimi-Niya, “A Bibliography of European Scholarship on Translating the Quran”, in Tarjuman-e Wahy, vol. 2, no. 2, 1419/1999, pp. 107-125.