Challenges of Translating Qur’an’s Rhetorical Features:

Abstract

Due to the specific nature and sophisticated style of the holy Qur'an, its translation to other languages constitutes a tremendous task. This study attempts to examine the challenges faced by translators in accurately conveying the meanings of the holy Qur'an into English, with a specific focus on the translation of its rhetorical features. The works included in this research are: Abdullah Yusef Ali: The Holy Qur'an (1989), Al-Hilali Muhammad Taquiudin and Muhammad Muhsin Khan: Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an (1992), and Abdel Haleem M.A.S: The Qur'an, A New Translation (2004), and PickthallMarmaduke: The Meaning of the holly Qur’an (2010). Through a comparative, descriptive, and analytical methodology, the study explores the strategies and approaches utilized by these translators to deal with the stylistic aspects, and rhetorical devices of the holy Qur’an. The findings reveal that despite their efforts to capture the rhetorical richness of the Qur'anic Arabic text, and even with the different strategies they used, there exists a notable loss in accurately translating the true meaning of the holy Qur’an. The study confirms that the inherent complexities and the intricacies of the Qur'anic rhetoric pose significant challenges for translation. This research sheds light on some of these challenges, analyzes, compares, and evaluates the procedures undertaken and contributes to this sacred field by providing modest suggestions that can help improving the quality of translating the meanings of the holy Qur'an, as well as enhancing the accuracy of transmitting its divine message.