April 2003: Page 1, 2, 3, 4

Submitters Perspective

Page 2

God’s Message

Cont’d from page 1

English Translation of the Quran

There are many translations of the Quran into English. One of these translations is by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, which he calls the Authorized Translation of the Quran. People who read this translation agree that this is the clearest translation to English, as compared to the works of other translators.

Some people scoff at Dr. Khalifa’s assertion that it was an authorized translation. They ask the question as to whom he was authorized by. The answer is in the Quran given in 81:19-20 which states that he was authorized by the Possessor of the Throne, fully supported. We know that God supported him with the discovery of the Quran’s mathematical composition. A proof that the Quran is God’s unaltered words to humanity. Thus his translation into English reflects the truth, guidance and inspiration he has received from the Most Gracious.

Did he make any mistakes or changes in his translation? Of course he did; no human being is perfect. He had two complete translations published in his lifetime, one in 1982, the other in 1989. He kept updating his translation as he went over the verses, and as God inspired him with more knowledge and information, until it was time for him to return to His Lord. The major question is whether there are mistakes in his translation to the point of misleading people. Is there a blasphemy to God in it? Are there mistranslated verses critical to our salvation? The answer is no.

It is an unarguable fact that Dr. Khalifa’s translation is the clearest and most modern English translation of all. Therefore, for an English speaker who does not know Arabic, his translation is a blessing from God. Even some submitters whose

mother tongue is Arabic admit that they greatly benefit from the translation. In fact English is now becoming a universal language taught and spoken on all continents of this world, the language used by people all over the world to communicate across borders. Therefore, it becomes more obvious why God blessed the world with a clear English translation of the Quran in this era.

God is the Teacher of the Quran

God’s own words in the Quran are in Arabic. It is the truth from God. People who do not understand Arabic rely on the translation of the Quran to understand its meaning. But ultimately it is God who teaches us the Quran (55:2). Whether we are experts in Arabic language, or we have the clearest translation in front us, we will not be able to get the true meaning of the verses unless we are sincere (56:79). God controls our hearts and minds; He knows our innermost thoughts, and whether we are sincere or not. If we are sincere, He leads us to find the

whether we are sincere or not. If we are sincere, He leads us to find the truth regardless of our circumstances.

Appendices and Footnotes

Since God is the teacher of the Quran, He can guide a sincere person to the truth with or without a translation; with a good translation or a lousy translation. It does not matter. God has His own ways to guide people. On the other hand, if a person is not sincere, God will put an invisible barrier around him so that he will not be able to understand a word of the Quran even if he is a master of the Arabic language (17:45). That is God’s system. God Almighty knows our innermost thoughts and what kind of decision we made in submitting to Him. This is something we, ourselves, may not even be aware of. Therefore, He guides us or sends us astray in accordance with this knowledge.

Cont’d on page 3