An Analysis of Translation Choices for Ambiguous Quranic Verses Related to Divine Negative Attributes in Contemporary Persian Translations

Abstract

One of the key challenges for Qur'an translators is rendering verses about God's attributes, which sometimes seem to suggest corporeality or spatiality for the Almighty. To ensure a precise and accurate understanding of such verses, the Qur'an itself, along with the teachings of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) and subsequent commentators, emphasizes the principle of "referring ambiguous verses to definitive ones." This study examines how these verses have been translated, drawing on exegetical and narrational studies. While many works discuss the description, interpretation, and reasoning behind ambiguous verses in the Qur'an, there is a notable lack of independent studies focusing on how these verses are translated from this perspective. For this reason, the present research focuses on ambiguous Quranic verses related to God’s negative attributes, whose literal interpretations might imply corporeality. These verses were examined through exegetical, narrational, and Quranic lexical analyses. The selection of these verses is based on their conceptual significance and the difficulties translators face in accurately conveying their meanings. For the analysis, ten contemporary Persian translations of the Qur’an, reflecting different approaches to equivalence, were selected and reviewed. The study applies Eugene Nida’s theoretical framework, which distinguishes between two types of equivalence: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. The findings reveal that some contemporary translators, by employing dynamic equivalence and adhering to interpretative principles, have successfully produced translations consistent with the Quran’s definitive verses. In contrast, others have relied on formal equivalence, leaving the verses in an ambiguous state.