Translation of the Qur’ān in Malayalam: A Diachronic Approach

Ubaid VPC
Research Scholar
Department of Linguistics
University of Kerala
Trivandrum

The Qur’ān

The Qur’ān pronounces about itself almost in the beginning of its text is that all of its words,
phrases, and sentences are the Word of God. It makes clear that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was not its
author; rather the Prophet only related whatever was revealed to him through the agency of Angel Gabriel
with the permission of Allah. At the beginning of Sūrah Baqarah, Allah says:
This is the Book of God. There is no doubt in it. It is guidance for those who fear God. (Al
Baqarah 2:2)

The Qur’ān is free of any doubtful material because it is based on Allah's personal, eternal,
absolute, and perfect knowledge. It does not contain any theory, guesswork, estimation, speculation, or
conjecture. There is no doubt about this book being from Allah. The evidence for this claim is the Book
itself.

The full statement, ‘This is the Book, there is no doubt in it’ has been made so that the reader
knows from the outset that he is not about to read something human, but Divine. This is to set the attitude
and expectations aright immediately at the beginning. It notifies the reader not to read it superficially,
cursorily, or merely in order to kill time. Even if the reader is not ready to accept its claim, at least it
should be taken seriously, and studied attentively and reflectively so that he can draw his own conclusions
in a responsible manner.

This is a book of guidance to teach human beings how to live in this world. It is not a book of
history, science, or philosophy, though it may use these sciences for making points for the guidance of
people. It provides guidance in terms of defining the goals and objectives that people should strive for and
enunciating the values and principles that will make the achievement of those objectives possible. It sets
the goals for people to develop a superb human personality characterized with excellence and establishes
the best possible human society characterized with peace, balance, moderation, justice and kindness; and
it imparts teachings that will help people achieve these goals efficiently and effectively. In this way, it is
an operating manual sent by the Creator for human individuals and human society.

The Qur’ān describes its main mission as delivering humanity from darkness and leading it
towards light. For example, Allah says:
God has sent this Book to you (O Prophet) so that you may lead with God’s permission people
out of darkness into light. You thus guide them to the way of the Almighty, Most Praiseworthy.
(Ibrahīm 14: 1)

The Contents of the Qur’ān

 The Qur’ān contains the foundations for an entire system of life, covering a whole spectrum of
topics, which range from specific articles of faith and commandments to general moral teachings, rights
and obligations, crimes and punishment, personal and public law, and a host of other private and social
concerns. These topics are discussed in a variety of ways, such as direct stipulations, reminders of Allah's
favors on His creation, admonitions and rebukes. Stories of past communities are narrated, followed by
the lessons to be learned from their actions and subsequent fates.

The Qur’ān was revealed in a gradual manner during 23 years. Depending on the needs of the
time of revelation, the revelations were made up of fiery oratories, royal decrees, scholarly teachings,
reformatory analyses, affectionate coaching, terse warnings, and inspirational discourses. They cover: the
principles on which to build a social structure; the ways to construct a society and a state; the guidance on
how to deal with the hypocrites, the disbelievers, and the People of the Book (the Jews and Christians);
the rules of war and peace; international law and external relations; the guidelines for establishing and
keeping treaties; the social and economic policies; the penal code and family law; etc. In addition,
Muslims were coached to excel in personal behavior, and trained to become the leaders of the world.
They were given reviews of their strengths and weaknesses; they were encouraged to put down their
wealth and lives in the way of Allah; and they were coached in excellence whether winning, losing,
failing, succeeding, prospering, suffering, in peace, or in war. The admonition to all non-Muslims, be it
the Jews, Christians, hypocrites, or idolaters continue throughout. Every opportunity and every style was
availed to invite them to Islam: softly and tersely; through anecdotes and warnings; and with rational as
well as emotional appeals.

The Qur’ān is the constant reminder (Dhikr) of human beings' true nature and destiny, of their
station, their duties, their rewards, and their perils. The Qur’ān is the way for human beings to properly
recognize their Creator and to come nearer/closer to Him. It tells them of Him, of His attributes, of how
He rules over the cosmos and history, of how He relates Himself to humanity, and how humanity should
relate to Him, to each other, and to every other existence. The Qur’ān is the eternal contemporary of the
believers. Each generation of Muslims has found new sources of strength, courage and inspiration in it.

The directives and instructions, by which the Qur’ān provides guidance for human beings, are of
a universal nature. They apply for all times to come and in all situations. This revelation corresponds to
humanity's position on earth and in history. By the time of revelation of the Qur’ān, human beings had
reached, in their development, the stage when universal principles needed to be applied to safeguard their
purposeful existence.

The Language of the Qur’ān

The Qur’ān is the Word of Almighty God that was revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) in wording and
meaning in Arabic language and has been preserved and reached us by continuous oral and written
transmissions. The Arabic language of the Qur’ān has unique characteristics and style. Its eloquence and
rationale, idiom and metaphor, symbols and parables, and moments and events are all unique. The
excellent and most appropriate wording of the Qur’ān, are its clarity, well-balanced verses, impressive
and inimitable eloquence, and gentle and majestic style penetrate deep into a person's heart, stimulating
human values and wisdom. Its innate melody, beauty, and grace provide a spiritually soothing therapy
and ensure tranquility and peace of mind. Allah says:
God has send it (the Qurān) down, the Qurān in Arabic so that you may understand. (Yūsuf 12:2)

The unique and miraculous nature (i'jāz) of some of the literary aspects of the Qur’ān include the
selection of the particular words over their synonyms in its perfect context, the unique sentence structure
and syntax not following any pattern, the use of different tenses for the verbs to give deeper meaning to a
passage, the selection of easier and more melodious words in expressing encouraging topics and glad
tidings versus its opposite, the striking clarity of its text to even the least learned Arabic speaking person,
the perfect balance between conciseness and detail, between the linguistic softness of urban people and
the vigor of sophisticated one, between the heavy patterns of the rhythms/syllables in poetry and their
looseness in a prose, and between the powers of reason and emotions.

The Qur’ān is the oldest and the most unique book of the Arabic language. All schools of Muslim
thought throughout the ages have been unanimous in their acceptance and veneration of its revealed
Arabic text. It is the most renowned masterpiece of the Arabic language and a classic the world over. The
eloquence and beauty of the Qur’ān is so great that it is considered to be the ultimate authority and
reference work for the Arabic rhetoric, grammar, and syntax, even by non-Muslim Arabs.

The Qur’ān is the fountainhead of numerous branches of Arabic literature, and its decisive
influence over the origin and development of Arabic literature is limitless. The Qur’ānic text has been and
remains the standard of excellence in literary Arabic, and its authority continues to be decisive for many
linguistic disputes. Throughout the course of fourteen centuries, this standard of excellence has never
permitted any deviation in literary Arabic at any time. As a result of this unique consistency literary
Arabic has been closely associated with the Qur’ānic standard.

Indeed, the idol worshippers of Makkah, who were extremely hostile to the mission of the
Qur’ān, loved and respected the Arabic language and its eloquence, and regarded it as the criterion for the
supremacy of one tribe over another. They were, however, helpless in the face of the unique style and
teachings of this Qur’ānic Arabic, unable to produce anything to match it despite their joint efforts and
repeated invitations.

Allah first challenged them in Verses 52:33-34 to come up with a similar book if they claim that
Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) has fogged it. When they could not, then the challenge was made lighter with
another verse, as in the following:
Do they say: “He (The Prophet) has invented it.” Tell them: “Produce ten Surahs like this, and
call (to your help) any one besides God, if you speak the truth. (Ḥūd 11:13)

And again the challenge was further reduced to:

Do they say: “He (the Prophet) has invented it”? Ask them: “Bring just one Surah like it. And call
(to your help) any one you can besides God, if you are true (in your claim).” (Yūnus 10:38)

Then, in a defiant and authoritative affirmation, Allah says conclusively that:

 Say: “Even if all the human beings and the Jinn were to join together to produce something like
the Qur’ān, they will not be able to do so. This even after they help and support one another. (Al
Isrā’ 17: 88)

And in a later passage, Allah further asserted that skeptical opponents would definitely never be
able to produce even a single Surah similar to any of its Surahs, and warned them to dread its resulting
punishment in the following words:
But if you cannot do so, and surly you cannot do this, then fear the Hellfire, of which men and
stones (false gods in the form of idols) are fuel, It is prepared for the unbelievers. (Al-Baqarah 2:
24)

The challenge is related to the fact that the Qur’ān was composed of the very same letters the
Arabs were familiar with in their language. If they were in any doubt as to its truth or veracity, they were
free to produce anything, even one Surah, comparable to it, and they could call any witnesses they wished
to testify in their favor. The Prophet's claim had already been supported by God.

This challenge remained valid throughout the Prophet's life, and has been so ever since. The
Qur’ānic argument stands just as firmly today as it has through the centuries. The Qur’ān remains today
the unique work it was on the first day it was revealed, clearly distinguished from anything a human being
can ever produce.

This challenge also relates to the enormity of the task of translation of the Qur’ān; when the best
of Arab poets, rhetoricians, and linguists of a linguistically homogeneous community of the time failed,
one wonders how a bilingual or multilingual individual can succeed in reproducing an equivalent Qur’ān
in another language, especially the English language, which is both culturally and linguistically
incongruous to Arabic language.

Translation of the Qur’ān

The Qur’ān is translated to almost all the languages of the world. The first fully attested complete
translation of the Holy Qur’ān was published in 884 in Alwar (currently known as Sindh, Pakistan) by
the orders of Abdullah bin Umar bin Abdul Azeez on the request of the Hindu Raja Mahruk. In India, the
first complete translation of the Qur’ān was in Persian by Shah Waliullah. His sons Shah Rafiudin and
Shah Abdul Qadar translated the Qur’ān into the Urdu language.

Among the famous translators of the Qur’ān into English, Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872-1953) and
Margude Pikthal (1875 - 1936) occupy high rank. Abdullah Yusuf Ali wrote in the preface of his
interpretation: “gentle and discerning reader, what I wish to present to you is an interpretation side by side
with the Arabic text. The English shall not be a mere substitution of one word or another..!”. Pikthal
wrote “The Qur’ān cannot be translated... The book is here rendered almost literally and every effort has
been made to choose befitting language. But the result is not the glorious Qur’ān. It can never take the
place of the Qur’ān in Arabic nor is it mean to do so.”

Translations of the Qur’ān in Malayalam

 The number of the Qur’ān translations in Malayalam is around twenty-five. It includes
translations by both Muslims and non-Muslims and both in prosaic and poetic style of narration. Muslims
in Kerala regularly recite the Qur’ān in its original language and one who has no mastery of the Arabic
language makes use of the translations for understanding the meaning of the Qur’ān.

The first translation of the Qur’ān in Malayalam language was published in the last decade of 19 th
century. A scholar named Muhiyudheen-ibnu Abdul Khader (Mayin Kutty Elaya) of the Arakkal Palace,
Kannur began the work of a Malayalam translation of the Qur’ān in 1855 (Hijara 1272) which was named
‘Tharjamathu-thafseeril Qur’ān’. The work was based on Thafseer Jalalaini. It took 20 years for him to
complete the work and it was published in Hijara 1294. It was in Arabi- Malayalam script and had six
volumes.

Some early attempts at the Qur’ān translation were taken by Vakkam Abdul Khader Moulavy and
K M Moulavy. In 1918 Vakkam Abdul Khader Moulavy, one of the leading social reformers of Kerala
Muslims, published the translation of the first Juzu’ of the Qur’ān in Deepika. In 1930, a Qur’ān
translation project was initiated by KM Moulavi, Seethi Sahib and Uppi Sahib and the first Juzu’ was
published by the Islamic Research Society.

Mulavi C.N Ahammed was the first to translate and interpret the Qur’ān into Malayalam using
modern words and phrases. He translated and interpreted the Qur’ān in attractive Malayalam language
and it had four volumes, the first of which published in 1953 by Ansari Publication Perumbavor. When it
appeared, the translation was subjected to warm discussion among the scholars of the community and
even the common people. He tried in his translation to make it in accordance with the discoveries of
modern science and in as form that could be accepted by logic. At the time of hot discussion on this
translation, in 1954 a portion of a Malayalam translation of the Qur’ān by Moulavi P. Muhammed
Edasseri was published by an Islamic literature publisher based in Bangalore.

Some scholars of Kerala thought of having a translation which states the interpretation given by
worthy ancestors and the prophet’s companions. In this context many translations have appeared in
Malayalam with or without interpretations. The first translation of this group was that of K.Umer
Moulavi, which was named “Tharjumanul Qur’ān” and published in 1955. He pointed out the mistakes
that had occurred in the translation of Moulavi C.N Ahammed. M Koyakkutty Moulavi, Muttanisseri’s
translation of the Qur’ān came out in the year 1960 with a long and grand introduction by A M Uthman
Sahib. It was a translation without mentioning any contradictory topic among Muslims.

One of the accepted Malayalam translations of the Qur’ān is‘Translation of Amani Moulavi’. The
work started on 7th September 1960 under the leadership of K.M. Moulavi and finished on 27 th September
1977. Scholars who worked on the project were P.K.Moosa Moulavi (1886-1990), A. Alavi Moulavi
(1911--1976) and Muhammed Amani Moulavi (1909- 1987). From the first chapter to the 17 th chapter
Amani Moulavi himself worked on the translation and he was helped by Moosa Moulavi for the
translation of chapters 18 to 27 and by Alavi Moulavi for chapters 18 to 114. With its acute carefulness
this work is considered to be the most accepted Malayalam Qur’ān translation and is republished in four
volumes by the publishing division of Kerala Najvathul Mujahideen. What is more special about this
work is that along with the Arabic root, it has the word meaning and sentence meaning, thus enabling
everyone who knows Arabic to learn the Qur’ān without another’s help. The introduction to this
Malayalam Qur’ān translation is an genuine preface to the Qur’ān study.

From another group of scholars, in 1970 K V Muhammed Musliyar published a portion of

Malayalam Qur’ān translation named ‘Fathahu-rahman Fee Thafseeril Qur’ān. T.K Abdullah Moulavi
decided to write an abridged translation named “Thafseerul Qur’ān” and he published it in 1975. He
pointed out that the translation of KV Muhammed Musliyar would take a long time and he himself
therefore prepared this abridged version to quench the thirst of people eager to understand the Qur’ān and
to keep them away from the errors in the interpretations available at the time.

At that time, translation and interpretation of the Qur’ānfrom Urdu to Malayalam, along with an
interpretation was brought out by Sayyid Abul Aala Moudoodi. It was named “Thafheemul Qur’ān”.
This translation was noteworthy for its language and style. Later it was abridged and edited without the
interpretation by T.K Ubaid in beautiful language. In 1988, IPH published a synopsis of Thafheemul
Qur’ān in a single volume under the name ‘Qur’ān Bhashyam’. In this sequence, a translation named
“Qur’ān Lalitha Saram” was written by Sheik Muhammed Karakunnu and Vanidas Elayavur and
published by the Dialogue Centre, Kerala in 2003.

In 1991, Abdul Hameed Madani, Cheriyamundam and Kunji Muhammed Parappur brought out a
Malayalam Qur’ān translation in a single volume which is named ‘Vishudha Qur’ān Sampoornna
Malayala Paribhasha.’ It was proofread by K. P. Muhammed Moulavi and this book is being officially
published by the King Fahad Qur’ān Printing Complex, Saudi Arabia for free distribution.

Then a number of scholars like, M P Musthafal Faisy, KVM   Panthavoor, Sayyid Ahmed
Shihabuddeen Imbichikkoya Thangal, Rahmathulla Qasimy and Abdu Rahman Maqdoomi attempted to
translate and interpret the Qur’ān. In 1994, first part of the translation ‘Vishudha Qur’ān Vyakhyanam’
written by M P Musthafal Faisy was published by the Dubai Islamic Centre. After him, KVM  
Panthavoor produced a translation by the name ‘Qur’ānte Ulsara Vyakhyanam’ which is a Sufi
translation work. It is the translation of the book ‘Thafseerul Qur’ān’ by Sheikh Muhyudheen-ibnuArabi.
A Malayalam Qur’ān translation named ‘Albayan Fee Ma’anil Qur’ān’ was produced by Sayyid Ahmed
Shihabuddeen Imbichikkoya Thangal(1972-1999) who was the senior Kozhikkodu Qali. Ashrafi Book
Stall, Thiroorangadi was the publisher.

Manas Foundation published a translation named “Qur’ānte Thanalil”, which is a translation of

‘Fee Lilalil Qur’ān” by Sayyid Qutub. It is translated jointly by V. S. Salim and Kunji Muhammed
Pulavathu. Manas Foundation published another one by the same translators named “Qur’ān Malayala
Saram”. It was brought out without Arabic text. Another one without the Arabic text was published by
D C Books by the name ‘Al Qur’ān’. Its language is better and beautiful. It was translated by K. Abdu
Rahman, P. A. Kareem and K. K. Rahoof under the supervision of C. N. Ahmed Moulavi. D C Books,
again, published a Malayalam translation named ‘Al Qur’ān’ translated by Hafis P. H. Abdul Gaffar
Moulavi Al Kousari. For those who are totally illiterate in Arabic, a translation with the transliteration of
every Aya into Malayalam was published from Kottayam.
 There are also two poetic translations of the Qur’ān brought out in Malayalam. One is written by
Konniyur Raghavan Nair, a native of Konni, Pathanamthitta District and is named as ‘Divya Deepthi’. He
started its works in 1964. Samanwayam Books, Kozhikkodu is the publisher. The next poetic translation
of Malayalam Qur’ān named ‘Amrutha Vani’ is written by K G Raghavan Nair, a native of Ottappalam,
Palakkadu District. It was brought out by IPH.

SISO books published a translation, which is edited by U.C.K Thangal, Al-Hafees and Abdul
Muneer, published in 2006 with transliteration of every Aya. Dr. Bahauddin Muhammad Nadvi recently
published a translation in 2015.

References
Abdulla T.K, Thafheemul Qur’ān, Kozhikode: Islamic Publishing House, 1972.
Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. The Holy Qur’ān, Text, Translation and Commentary. Brentwood, U.S.A: Amana
Corporation, 1989.
Bakshi Hazarat Ali Ahamed, (ed) Glimpses of the Holy Qur’ān, New Delhi: Adam Publishers, 2013.
Cheriyamundam, Abdul Hameed, Visuda Qur’ān Sampoorna paribhasa, Calicut: Kithab Mahal, 1991.
Kidwai, A.R. What is in the Qur’ān? Message of the Qur’ān in Simple English. New Delhi: Viva Books,
2013.
Moulavi Muhammed Amani, Vishida Qur’ān Vivaranam, Kozhikode: Kerala Nadvathul Mujahideen,
1987.
Moulavy, Umer,. Tharjumanul Qur’ān, Tirurangadi: CH Press, 1955.
Nassimi, Daoud Mohammad A Thematic Comparative Review of Some English Translations of the
Qur’ān, PhD. Thesis, The University of Birningham, U.K: University of Birmingham Research
Archive, 2008.
Nizarudin, Shanavas, S. A, (ed) The Language, Interpretation and Science of Qur’ān, Trivandrum:
Department of Arabic, University of Kerala, 2010.
Shanavas, S. A, “Quran Vivarthanam Malayalathil” in Vivarthana Chindakal (ed), Prabhodachandran,
VR, Kottayam: DC Books, 1994.
Surty, Ibrahim Qur’ānic Arabic, Birmingham, U.K: Qaf Foundation, 2003.

Ubaid, T.K., Qur’ān Bashyam, Kozhikode: Islamic Publishing house, 1988.