Journal of Textual and Translation Analysis in Islamic Studies (TTAIS)

This study examines a recent letter by Ayatollah Khamenei addressed to university students in the United States who are actively participating in protests against U.S. foreign policy and its support for the Zionist regime. The central research objective is to analyze the discourse structures within the letter to determine how they function in advancing specific messages within a defined ideological framework. Additionally, the study explores how the letter constructs notions of power and identity, and how these constructions may influence public perception. Employing James Paul Gee’s discourse analysis methodology (2014, 2018), the study investigates both the textual and ideological dimensions of the letter. The findings highlight several key themes: the dichotomy between political entities (e.g., the Zionist regime versus Palestine), the praise of American students for supporting the people of Gaza, and the advocacy for Palestinian human rights in the pursuit of peace and independence. These themes are embedded within the broader context of global political conflict. The analysis also identifies multiple identity constructs, including the U.S. government and its political allies, American youth and student activists, Muslims, the Axis of Resistance, and the oppressed, particularly women and children, in occupied Palestine. Through this discourse, the letter seeks to persuade, commend, and galvanize American students, urging them to remain on what is portrayed as “the right side of history”.

This study aimed to explore the role of context in the selection of equivalents by translators with diverse worldviews, following the framework of Lotfi Gaskaree et al. (2023). A qualitative research design was employed, and verses were selected using purposive sampling. Five widely known English translations of the Holy Qur’ān were analyzed. The data encompassed nine Surahs, which were semantically analyzed to investigate the variation in lexical equivalents across the selected versions. The study focused on understanding the translators’ perspectives in selecting English equivalents for Qur’ānic vocabulary. Specifically, translations of Surah Al-Baqarah were examined, as rendered by Arberry, Shakir, Pickthall, and Yusuf Ali. Selected excerpts from each version were analyzed to explore differences in the Arabic-to-English lexical choices. Findings revealed notable differences in the translators’ degrees of familiarity and intimacy with Islamic and religious concepts. Translators influenced by Western worldviews tended to favor literal translations at the morphemic level, while those with Eastern perspectives leaned toward more meaningful or communicative translations. These variations highlight that English lexical choices in Qur’ānic translations are heavily context-bound and influenced by the translators’ cultural and ideological affiliations. The study acknowledges a limitation in the sample size, noting that a broader dataset exceeding nine Surahs could yield more comprehensive insights. Nonetheless, the findings offer valuable implications for cross-cultural translation theory, demonstrating that translators from different cultural backgrounds select lexical equivalents based on their worldviews. This study serves as a preliminary contribution to further semantic and contextual research in Qur’ānic translation.

The present comparative-descriptive study aimed to investigate two English translations of Qur’ānic allusions in Hafiz’s poems based on Leppihalme’s (1997) model. To this end, 50 ghazals from The Divan of Hafiz and two corresponding English translations by Clarke (2005) and Salami (2016), were selected through random sampling. After data collection, comparisons were made and analyzed according to Leppihalme’s (1997) translation procedures to identify which strategies were used more or less frequently by the two translators and to examine any differences between the translated and original texts, as well as between the translations themselves. Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts and percentages, along with inferential statistics such as the Chi-square test, were applied. The results of the descriptive analysis showed that the most frequently used strategies in both translations were Literal Translation, Replacement by Target-Language Equivalent, and Replacement by Source-Language Equivalent, respectively. The inferential analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the translators’ use of translation procedures based on Leppihalme’s model when compared with the original text. Moreover, there were no notable differences between the two English translations of Qur’ānic allusions when compared with each other

This study analyzes the similarities and differences between the story of Prophet Solomon (AS) and the ant in Surah An-Naml and the global folktale type known as The Language of Animals (Type 670 in the Aarne–Thompson classification). The findings suggest that, although the Qur’ānic account shares certain surface features with folkloric animal tales, it exhibits distinct characteristics that set it apart. These include its use as a vehicle for theological instruction rather than entertainment; its seamless integration into the surrounding verses of Surah An-Naml; its alignment with the prophetic biography and the socio-historical context of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); the blending of revelatory and literary language; and its unique structural design, which supports the thematic objectives of the Surah. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the Qur’ān’s narrative features and may help address doubts regarding its authenticity and reliability

Situational context plays a crucial role in translation studies. In Qur’ān translation, understanding Asbāb al-Nuzūl (occasions of revelation) is essential, as misinterpretations may arise without it. This qualitative study explores the impact of situational context explicitation on the quality of English translations of the Qur’ān. Four Shia translations, Nasr, Shakir, Saffarzadeh, and Mir, were selected due to their shared exegetical sources. Klaudy’s (2008) explicitation typology provided the framework for classifying types of explicitation. Analysis of 100 randomly selected verses revealed that explicitation of situational context, particularly the occasions of revelation, is present in all four translations. Pragmatic explicitation was the predominant type observed. The findings suggest that incorporating situational context into translations enhances readers’ comprehension of the Qur’ān’s meaning.

Throughout Islamic history, translation has served not merely as a linguistic bridge but as a civilizational instrument, shaping scientific, philosophical, and cultural trajectories. This study explores the role of three major translation movements, the Sassanid, Abbasid, and Qajar periods, in constructing and transmitting the knowledge foundational to the development of Islamic civilization. Grounded in the cultural turn framework of translation studies and informed by the theory of modern Islamic civilization as articulated by Imam Khamenei, the research identifies six core factors: the role of translators as cultural mediators, the strategic selection of texts, the establishment of translation institutions, resistance to overreliance on translation, and the influence of ideological and policy-driven support structures. A qualitative, descriptive-analytical method was employed, with data analyzed through thematic coding and comparative historical analysis. The findings suggest that revitalizing these key elements in the present context could enable the global dissemination of Islamic civilizational values, positioning translation as a strategic, future-oriented tool.