Events

This lecture is organised by the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore; supported by the Malay Heritage Centre, The Malay Heritage Foundation, and National Heritage Board.

CHAIRPERSON

Assoc Prof Michael Feener, Asia Research Institute, and Department of History, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

How does one make a meta-commentary on Koran translation? Is it possible to survey all the extant translations of the Noble Book into English? How well, or badly, does each translator, or group of translators, “produce a work which can be orally arresting and eliciting an aroma of the original Arabic” (Cleary 1993)? In this lecture I will discuss the range of available English translations of the Holy Qur’an. Not only are they disparate in source location and projected audience but also in literary style and actual content. There are two major problems:  1) The Protestantization of the Qur’an, to wit, the notion that translation is, above all, about da‘wa, or conversion, but also that you can only convert through giving the ordinary believer direct access to scripture. Too often neglected is the central issue: What is the surplus of meaning in the Noble Book beyond the singular, often narrow goal of conversion? And also, what is the impact that Qur’an translations have had on Protestant proponents of evangelical Christianity? 2) The mediazation of Qur’an translations, that is, the instant accessibility to lists of translation online, none of them ranked or evaluated. The number of websites is staggering, but even more is their opacity to common sense, or even expert, interpretation. During the past century there have been almost 60 English translations of the Holy Qur’an into English, and beyond assessing their merit or demerit, one needs to ask: Why are so many from South Asia, and why are they increasing at an exponential rate in the new millennium? I will try to answer these queries and also offer guidelines about how one evaluates and uses, or decides not to use, particular translations.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Bruce Lawrence is Professor of Islamic Studies Emeritus at Duke University and adjunct Professor at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Vakf University, Istanbul.  His research interests include: Institutional Islam, especially in Asia; the Religious Masks of Violence; Contemporary Islam as Abrahamic Faith and Religious Ideology; Islamicate Cosmopolitanism; the Unique Role of the Qur’an as Arabic Text, Divine Revelation and Cultural Marker. Among his nineteen authored, co-authored, and edited books are: the The Qur’an – a Biography (Grove/Atlantic, 2006); Chain of Violence – an Anthology (with Aisha Karim; Duke University Press, 2007); New Faiths, Old Fears (Columbia University Press, 2002); and Sufi Martyrs to Love (with Carl Ernst; Palgrave, 2002). Soon to be published are two other monographs, The Koran in English (Princeton University Press) and Who is Allah? (UNC Press). Also forthcoming from Wiley–Blackwell will be a manifesto on Islamicate Cosmopolitanism and the Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Islamic Spirituality, co-edited with Vincent J. Cornell.

REGISTRATION

Admission is free, however, registration is required. Kindly register early as seats are available on a first come, first served basis. Please email Minghua at minghua.tay@nus.edu.sg to indicate your interest to attend the event.