THE INFLUENCE OF NONNATIVE SPEAKERS ON THE TRANSLATIONS OF THE HOLLY QUR’AN
Nonnative speakers of Arabic all through the history of the language have great contributions in setting up basics of codification for the language in terms of its linguistics in general and grammar in particular such as Sibawayh (Persian) on whose concepts, Abu al-Aswad al-Duʾali put the principles of Arabic Grammar. However, in the current ages of the development of the Islamic culture and the wide spread of Islam, the Nonnative speakers of Arabic beside the other Arab scholars have led an active endeavor of translating the meanings of the Holly Qur’an as a noticeable movement to help spreading the meanings and concepts of the Holly Qur’an. This movement, of course, has its advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, this study will primarily be concerned with these advantages and disadvantages . This study will adopt a qualitative research approach for data collection, analysis, discussion and interpretation of findings. For that end the previous related studies and literature will be collected, discussed and interpreted together with the content analysis of some selected verses translations of Surah Al – Rahman by four nonnative Arabic speakers; on one side to apply a kind of comparison and contrast between the translations of these four translators, and on the other hand to correlate these translations with the findings of some selected previous studies which tackle the issue of translating the meanings of the Holly Qur’an in general, and in particular the translations of the nonnative speakers as our matter of concern in this present study. The preliminary assumptions will be that the translations will never be of the Holly Qur’an itself because the Holly Qur’an is Divinely preserved by Allah for the Muslims to behold and follow its concepts through their different religious performances either verbally by reciting its verses correctly and fluently, and do their religiously ascribed movements and practices. The prime aim of the translations will only be attempts to explain some of the meanings of the Holly Qur’an, and they will never be for any religious performance or practice. The study will follow up all the required scientific research techniques and methods in terms of the statement of the research problem, its importance and significance, methodology, discussion, interpretations, findings and recommendations and suggestions for future replicable research efforts
Keywords: Nonnative, Speakers, Translation, Verses, Holly, Qur’an, Rhetoric, Verse Style