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P r o c e d i a - S o c i a l a n d B e h a v i o r a l S c i e n c e s 1 1 8 ( 2 0 1 4 ) 4 2 – 5 0
Avai lab le on li ne at www.s cie nc edire ct .com
1877-0428 © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.02.006
ScienceDirect
SoLLs.INTEC.13: International Conference on Knowledge-Innovation-Excellence: Synergy in Language
Research and Practice
Dualism of Soul–Person in English Translated Texts of the Qur’an
Mohammad Ali Al-Saggafa,
*
, Mohamad Subakir Mohd Yasinb, Imran Ho Abdullahc
abc School of Language Studies and Linguistics, Universiti Kebangs aan Ma laysia , 43600 Ban gi Selangor, Malaysia
Abstract
Translated Texts of the Qur’an (especially in English) have the benefit of being a major access source into the meanings of the
Noble Qur’an especially for non-Arabic speakers. The focus of surveys and other studies conducted on this genre used to
address issues related to the translators’ method, style, strategies and techniques aiming at evaluating and assessing the
translation process itself (see for example Kidwai, 1987, Khan 1997, Abdul-Raof 2001, Khalil 2005, to name but a few).
Despite their crucial role in shaping human perception, cognitive meanings - resulted in the process of translating the Noble
Qur’an - were not given enough attention. This study is devoted to investigating the construal of ‘Soul-Person’ dualism in
three English Translated Texts of the Noble Qur’an (ETTQs); Pickthall (1930), Ali (1982) and the Reformists group
(2007/2010). Based on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson 1980), with the support of Corpus Linguistics, a
mixture of qualitative and quantitative method is utilized to analyze the data. The study shows two major different
conceptualizations for ‘soul-person’ dualism. One construal emphasizes on the dualism of the (material) physical part of a
person with its abstract (immaterial) counterpart ‘soul’ as ‘SOUL IS A PERSON’ with 116 instances in Pickthall and 176
instances in Ali ETTQs. Neglecting its counterpart ‘soul’, the other construal o f PERSON IS A PHYSICAL ENTITY puts more
emphasis on the physical portion of the ‘soul-person’ dualism in all instances in the Reformist ETTQ.
© 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Keywords: Construal; qur’an; translation; soul; person
1. Introduction
In the current era of English as a lingua franca, the genre of English translated texts of the Noble Qur’an
(ETTQs hence forth) is flourishing. Speakers of languages other than Arabic - both Muslims and Non-Muslims -
find an easy access to the meanings of the noble Qur’an via the translations offered by this genre. As the number
of Arabic speakers does not exceed 20% of the total number of Muslims around the world (Khalil, Mohamad,
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +0-000-000-0000 ; fax: +0-000-000-0000
E-mail address: mas2002ye@yahoo.com
© 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
43
Mohammad Ali Al-Saggaf et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 118 ( 2014 ) 42 – 50
2005), a debate of whether or not the Qur’an can be translated is still ongoing. Traditional Muslim scholars were
much aware of the linguistic barrier for producing a legitimate interpretation of the Noble Qur’an in languages
other than Arabic as it was originally revealed. This paper attempts at investigating the rendering of the concept
/nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in three ETTQs to find out if they contain any significant difference(s). The basic hypothesis of this
study is that the Noble Qur’an is untranslatable. In their recent study, Al-Saggaf et. al. (2013), highlight few
differences between two ETTQs in terms of the conceptual metaphors found in chapter two (2) –Albaqarah, and
that one major difference found is in the conceptualization of soul and person as the salient renderings for the
original /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in the original Holy Qur’an. The current study builds on their findings and investigates all
instances of the original /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in the original Holy Qur’an with their renderings in three ETTQs (Pickthall’s,
Ali, and Reformists’).
2. Literature review
Traditionally, The focus of surveys and other studies conducted on this genre used to address issues related to
the translators’ method, style, strategies and techniques aiming at evaluating and assessing the translation process
itself (see for example Kidwai, 1987, Khan 1997, Abdul-Raof 2001, Khalil 2005, to name but a few). As the
cognitive linguistics prospective assumes the focus on the product rather than the process, the current study goes
beyond the traditional fashion of research in the field of Qur’anic translations as it addresses the construal
associated with the renderings of the concept /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in three ETTQs. There are few studies that touched on
this issue. A significant related study was conducted by Jonathan Charteris-Black (2004). He provided an initial
account of the metaphoric conceptualization in the Qur’an. Although his study was based on a selection of
merely one version of the English translations of the Holy Qur’an, he tried to generalize his statement and further
imposed these results on the original Holy Qur’an which can never be taken for granted. Results obtained from a
translated text do not necessarily apply to the original. The crucial part of his study was to initiate the interest in
finding more about metaphor in the ETTQs and he highlights that his study can be “seen as initial and
exploratory” (Charteris – Black, 2004: 219). Another related study on the meanings of the Quranic English
translations was done by Sara Ewaida (2007). She precisely examined the metaphor of time and its realizations in
three versions of Qur’anic English translations and their cultural implications. However, although such a study
appears interesting, the results found in the translation of the holy Qur’an are “transposed” into the original
Qur’an (The original Arabic Qur’an). There should have been a clear cut distinction between the analysis of an
original text and its translation. In this regard Mohamed Shokr (2006) analyzed the metaphorical concept of “life
is a journey” in the Quranic English translation. Utilizing the development of the metaphor theory that has been
originally created by Lakoff and Johnson, Shokr could reveal how this metaphor is used creatively in the Quran
to widen its use in covering a broader aspect of life. This metaphor is employed to conceptualize the “after
physical death”.
2.1. Theoretical framework
This paper is a further attempt to explicate the construal of soul and person in three ETTQs using Cognitive
Semantics framework. In cognitive semantics, there are four major concepts that distinguish it from traditional
semantics; these, according to Clausner & Croft (1999), include concept, domain (frame), construal
(conceptualization) and organization of categories. If concept refers to the basic unit of mental representation;
and domain refers to its background knowledge structure (frame); and categorization refers to its prototypical and
taxonomic relation structure, the construal is then the mental operation of encoding conceptualizations (semantic
representations in the mind) of experiences (in real life) and constructing concepts (Lakoff, 1980, 1987;
Langacker, 1987; Fillmore, 1977, 1982; and Clausner & Croft, 1999). The conceptualization or construal process,
according to Lakoff, can be found in various forms of conceptual encoding like metaphor, metonymy and image
schema transformation. However, conceptual metaphor reserves central attention in this Lakoffian’s perspective.
Metaphor, according to Lakoff (1980), is central in our daily life. Before it is linguistically articulated, metaphor
44 Mohammad Ali Al-Saggaf et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 118 ( 2014 ) 42 – 50
is essentially formed in our thinking system. Abstract concepts are mapped and are thus understood with the
image schemata of concrete concepts that are unconsciously structured in our minds through our sensory-motor
experience.
3.Method
A mixture of qualitative and quantitative aspects of research is employed in this investigation for achieving a
higher level of validity and reliability in the results obtained. The qualitative part of this research is reflected in
the thorough qualitative analysis of the instances identified by the concordance tools. The application of corpus
linguistics tools, namely WordSmith 5 Concordance Tools provide a quantitative ground for this research.
Instances of the words under investigation along with their concordance and numbers are identified via the aid of
corpus linguistics.
3.1. Data source
The renderings of the concept /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ were investigated using three ETTQs, namely, Ali’s, Pickthall’s and
Reformists’ renderings. These three ETTQs formed the primary data for the current study and the original Arabic
Qur’an was used as a point of reference. The following is a brief account of the primary data:
‚
‚
ETTQ (1): Pickthall’s rendering (1930) entitled ‘Meaning of the Glorious Quran' by Muhammad
Marmaduke Pickthall. A digitalized copy of this ETTQ was downloaded from http://tanzil.net/trans/.
‚
ETTQ (2): Ali’s rendering (1987) entitled “The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary” by Abdullah
Yusuf Ali. A digitalized copy of this ETTQ was downloaded from http://tanzil.net/trans/.
‚
ETTQ (3): The Reformists’ rendering of the Qur’an (2007). The Reformist group is headed by Edip
Yuksil and co-authored by Laith Saleh Al- Shaiabn and Martha Schulte-Nafeh. A (revised 2010 version)
PDF copy of this ETTQ was received directly from the author via personal email request.
3.2. Data generation
The WordSmith5 was utilized in this study where the three corpora were run into the concordance tool
separately. Initially, the search entry was the word (soul*) as it matched the word /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in Arabic. However,
when the initial results indicated the total absence of the word (soul*) in one of the three ETTQs and that it was
replaced with its counterpart (person*), the data were re-processed to include instances of both words (soul*) and
(person*). Yet again, as the results had shown the number of instances for these two entries had exceeded the
number of instances of their original Arabic Qur’an word /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ. The decision then was to refer to the original
Arabic instances of /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ and to build a parallel corpus of the verses (ayas) that contain instances of the
Arabic word /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ with its two English entries in the original Arabic Qur’an and the three selected ETTQs.
4.Analysis and discussion
This section will look at the analysis of the data gathered and the discussion of findings will be supported by
relevant excerpts from the selected renderings in order to illuminate the analysis.
4.1. Soul
Ali and Pickthall agree in the renderings of over a hundred instances in ninety three (93) verses and differ in
ninety one (91) verses. The agreement in the construal of soul appears in key contexts when it is addressing
human being in general, or addressing issues related to the hereafter life, or when the word /nafs/ is not attached
to a pronoun. This can be shown clearly in the following examples.
45
Mohammad Ali Al-Saggaf et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 118 ( 2014 ) 42 – 50
Example
Ali’s ETTQ
Pickthall’s ETTQ
1.
2|48|Then guard yourselves against a day when one soul
shall not avail another nor shall intercession be accepted
for her, nor shall compensation be taken from her, ...
2|48|And guard yourselves against a day when
no soul will in aught avail another, nor will
intercession be accepted from it, nor will
compensation be received from it, ...
2.
2|110|And be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity:
And whatever good ye send forth for your souls before
you, ye shall find it with Allah: for Allah sees Well all
that ye do.
2|110|Establish worship, and pay the poor-due;
and whatever of good ye send before (you) for
your souls, ye will find it with Allah. Lo! Allah
is Seer of what ye do.
3.
3|145|Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave, the term
being fixed as by writing...
3|145|No soul can ever die except by Allah's
leave and at a term appointed...
In examples 1 and 2, the renderings illustrate the use of soul construal within a context that mainly highlights
awareness of the hereafter and the benefit of good deeds for that day. With the concepts of the “day when”, “send
forth’ and “send before” for that day, the renderings of both translators tend to construct the meaning of the
original /nafs/ as soul construal. Moreover, and apart from the contextual influence, soul construal is found in
both renderings when the original /nafs/ is not attached to pronoun as it can be seen in example 3. Despite the
pervasive use of the soul construal in Ali’s rendering, a key difference between Ali and Pickthall in their
rendering for the concept of soul/person is the context of the origin of humanity (creation). However, the
Reformists had never used the word SOUL in any instance.
4.2. Extrapolation as SOUL
Extrapolation in this context refers to the translator’s own intuitive as to use the construal of soul in instances
where /nafs/ is originally not used in the source. As the notion of soul is a corner stone in the message of the
Noble Qur’an that talks about the existence of a metaphysical life after the worldly one, emphasis on the soul
construal is found beyond the rendering of /nafs/. Soul construal is found in instances of extrapolation for certain
contexts in the two ETTQs of Ali and Pickthall (but no single instance in the Reformists rendering), especially
for some pronouns in particular cases. Ali seems to support the preference of extrapolating some contexts and
associate these contexts with the construal of ‘soul’ in twenty three (23) verses. One key context of extrapolation
as soul is when it handles issues pertaining to death, as in the following examples:
Example
Ali’s ETTQ
4.
2|200|So when ye have accomplished your holy rites, celebrate the praises of Allah, as ye used to celebrate
the praises of your fathers,- yea, with far more Heart and soul. There are men who say: "Our Lord! Give us
(Thy bounties) in this world!" ...
5.
3|193|"Our Lord! we have heard the call of one calling (Us) to Faith, 'Believe ye in the Lord,' and we have
believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the
company of the righteous
On the other hand, Pickthall, with only a few verses, extrapolates the original context using soul construal.
The key context for Pickthall to establish soul construal is that which talks about hereafter life; as he attempts to
keep on emphasizing the soul construal associated to the day of resurrection. Some examples are shown below.
Example
Pickthall’s ETTQ
6.
3|91|Lo! those who disbelieve, and die in disbelief, the (whole) earth full of gold would not be accepted
from such an one if it were offered as a ransom (for his soul). Theirs will be a painful doom and they will
have no helpers.
7.
35|18|And no burdened soul can bear another's burden, and if one heavy laden crieth for (help with) his
load, naught of it will be lifted even though he (unto whom he crieth) be of kin. ...
46 Mohammad Ali Al-Saggaf et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 118 ( 2014 ) 42 – 50
4.3. Person
The person construal that gives more physical sense to the meaning is found more prominent in the
Reformists’ ETTQ. Yet, Ali and Pickthall use this construal in more reserved manner, especially Pickthall as he
uses this construal in six (instances only). Ali uses person in forty seven (47) instances and in two cases where
the context is talking about the origin of humanity or about a physical issue. Nonetheless, the Reformists use it
unreservedly in almost all instances with the exception of a few. Ali uses person (in 47 instances) when the
context is addressing a physical worldly issues and also when talking about the origin of human being as
mentioned earlier. This is shown in the following examples.
Example
Ali’s ETTQ
8.
4|1|O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like
nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence Allah,
...
9.
32|17|Now no person knows what delights of the eye are kept hidden (in reserve) for them - as a reward for
their (good) deeds.
Example 8 illustrates the use of person construal as the context is revolving around the philosophy of
creation. And this point has been illustrated before in line with the distinction between Ali and Pickthall.
Example 9 demonstrates the other context where Ali prefers to construct the person construal. When it comes to
Pickthall, we find him use person in three instances as renderings for the concept /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ , and in three
extrapolation instances only. All of these six instances, Pickthall constructs person construal when the context is
perfectly addressing a worldly physical issue as shown in the following examples.
Example
Pickthall’s ETTQ
10.
12|54|And the king said: Bring him unto me that I may attach him to my person. And when he had talked
with him he said: Lo! thou art to-day in our presence established and trusted.
11.
27|48|And there were in the city nine persons who made mischief in the land and reformed not.
12.
28|19|And when he would have fallen upon the man who was an enemy unto them both, he said: O Moses!
Wouldst thou kill me as thou didst kill a person yesterday.Thou wouldst be nothing but a tyrant in the land,
thou wouldst not be of the reformers.
The Reformists use it almost in all instances except as reflexive pronouns and few other construal that
are discussed later in this section. Limiting their rendering for /nafs/ as a person, the Reformists seem to neglect a
major concept in the Holy Qur’an. This concept is soul, which is the corner stone for the rationale of the entire
message of the Qur’an. If there is no soul, then there would be no reasoning for the existence of the hereafter life
itself. Examples of person construal are shown below.
Example
Reformists’ ETTQ
13.
2:48 Beware of a day where no person can avail another person, nor will any intercession be accepted from
it, nor will any ransom be taken, nor will they have supporters.
14.
2:123 Beware of a day when no person can avail another person, nor will any amendment be accepted from
it, nor will any intercession help it; they will not be supported.
4.4.Reflexivity
Reflexive pronouns are used when the original Arabic /nafs/ is attached to a pronoun. However, this is not
the ultimate rule adopted in the translations under study, as we can see differences in the instances of each.
Rather, the context in which the word appears seems to play a major role in determining its rendering. For
instance, Ali uses the reflexive construal (as a rendering for /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ) only in three verses: (5/70), (17/7) and
(18/6), where in all these instances we find the word /nafs/ is attached to a pronoun /hum/ (ﻢﻫ), /kum/ (ﻢﻛ) for
plural reflexive and /uk/ (ﻙ) for singular. However, we find also that Ali does not systematically adopt this
47
Mohammad Ali Al-Saggaf et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 118 ( 2014 ) 42 – 50
strategy of rendering for the source /nafs/ in all cases where it is attached to a reflexive pronoun, i.e. Ali
constructs reflexivity in three verses only and there is no clear rationale as to why in these particular instances he
chooses the reflexivity construal while in other similar instances he does not. These verses are illustrated below.
Example
Ali’s ETTQ
15.
5|70|We took the covenant of the Children of Israel and sent them messengers, every time, there came to them
a messenger with what they themselves desired not - some (of these) they called impostors, and some they (go
so far as to) slay.
16.
18|6|Thou wouldst only, perchance, fret thyself to death, following after them, in grief, if they believe not in
this Message.
For Pickthall’s rendering, we found the use of the reflexivity construal for the original /nafs/ in many verses,
unlike Ali’s rendering. It appears that Ali is more systematic in following the strategy of constructing the source
/nafs/ in reflexivity whenever the original (source) is attached to a pronoun and gives the sense of reflexivity. The
following are few examples of this case.
Example
Pickthall’s ETTQ
17.
2|57|And We caused the white cloud to overshadow you and sent down on you the manna and the quails,
(saying): Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you - they wronged Us not, but they did wrong
themselves.
18.
2|130|And who forsaketh the religion of Abraham save him who befooleth himself? Verily We chose him in
the world, and lo! in the Hereafter he is among the righteous.
Like Pickthall, the Reformists use it in many verses and this can be understood with this ETTQ as it appears to
avoid any metaphysical construal for the source /nafs/ and this has been discussed earlier pertaining to the
absence of soul construal and the focus on the physical materialistic construal of person. Thus the vast amount of
implementation for the reflexivity in this rendering can be attributed to the notion of tendency towards physical
construal over the immaterial one as shown in the following examples.
Example
Reformists’ ETTQ
19.
2:57 We shaded you with clouds, and sent down to you manna and quails, "Eat from the goodness of the
provisions We have provided you." They did not wrong Us, but it was themselves that they wronged.
20
2:90 Miserable indeed is with what they traded themselves by not appreciating what God has sent down. They
did so ...
4.5. Ownership
The ownership construal is shared by the three ETTQs. The analysis of the three ETTQs has shown that this
construal is found to be shared by the three ETTQs, though not necessarily the same. For example, Ali construes
the ownership meaning only in one instance and that is in verse (17/15). The ownership construal here is doubly
emphasized as Ali uses both the possessive pronoun (his) followed by the literal sense of ownership (own). This
is shown in the example below.
Example
Ali’s ETTQ
21.
17|15|Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No
bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an
messenger (to give warning).
In Pickthall’s rendering, systematicity is observed again with the construal of ownership in instances
where the context is addressing the responsibility of making the choice on the individual. This case appears in
four verses and examples are given below.
48 Mohammad Ali Al-Saggaf et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 118 ( 2014 ) 42 – 50
Example
Pickthall’s ETTQ
22.
6|104|Proofs have come unto you from your Lord, so who so seeth, it is for his own good, and whoso is blind
is blind to his own hurt. And I am not a keeper over you.
23.
34|50|Say: If I err, I err only to my own loss, and if I am rightly guided it is because of that which my Lord
hath revealed unto me. Lo! He is Hearer, Nigh.
The Reformists use the construal ownership in four instances also but not in a systematic way as the case is
with Pickthall. These instances have something to do with the responsibility of making the choice. In example 25,
the context is about committing wickedness and doing wrong and this construal manifests the responsibility of
the consequences of such actions as they are committed by the individual’s own choice. However, example 24
tackles the sense of having a hidden theme or a purpose and that is owned by the individual who has it. The
following are examples of these cases.
Example
Reformists’ ETTQ
24.
12:68 When they entered from where their father had commanded them, it would not have availed them in the least
against God, but it was out of a concern in Jacob's person. Since We have taught him, he had certain knowledge;
...
25.
16:33 Are they waiting for the angels to come for them, or a command from your Lord? It was exactly the same as
what those before them did. God did not wrong them, but it was their own selves that they wronged.
There are other construal associated to /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in the three ETTQs but with less significant frequencies. A
list of all construal found and their distribution is provided in Table 1.
Table 1. Construal distribution among the three ETTQs
Table 1 shows an overall account of the construal in the three ETTQs and provides a summary of their
distribution. It can be observed here that there are only three (3) construal shared by the three ETTQs out of the
total number of fourteen (14). These include /nafs/ as a person construal; /nafs/ as reflexivity construal; and /nafs/
as ownership construal. A clear distinction can be drawn between Ali’s and Pickthall’s renderings on one hand
and the Reformists’ rendering on the other is that, five (5) construal for /nafs/ are shared between Ali’s and
Pickthall’s renderings including the three construal shared by all renderings (mentioned above) as well as /nafs/
as soul construal; Extrapolation as soul; and /nafs/ as one (Indefiniteness) construal. Thus, Ali and Pickthall are
closer to each other in their construal renderings for the concept of /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in the original Holy Qur’an. Above
all, the major construal of soul and person are notably catered for in these two ETTQs (Ali’s and Pickthall’s),
which emphasize the dualism of soul and person and the immaterial concept is found clearly. The Reformists’
rendering appears to have more construal for the concept of /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in the original Holy Qur’an. Besides the
Construal
Ali’s ETTQ
(No. of instances)
%
Pickthall’s ETTQ
(No. of Instances)
%
Reformists’ ETTQ
(No. of Instances)
%
Person
47
18.7
6
3.3
111
56.1
Reflexivity
3
1.2
47
26.0
76
38.4
Ownership
1
0.4
4
2.2
4
2.0
Soul
176
69.8
116
64.1
0
0.0
Extrapolation as soul
23
9.1
4
2.2
0
0.0
Mind
0
0.0
2
1.1
1
0.5
Heart
0
0.0
2
1.1
0
0.0
Oneness (Indefinite)
1
0.4
0
0.0
0
0.0
Spirit
1
0.4
0
0.0
0
0.0
You
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
0.5
Lives
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
0.5
Breath
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
0.5
Wishful Thinking
0
0.0
0
0.0
2
1.0
Zero construal
0
0.0
0
0.0
1
0.5
49
Mohammad Ali Al-Saggaf et al. / Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 118 ( 2014 ) 42 – 50
number of construal found in the Reformists’ ETTQ (nine (9) construal), the direct replacement for the soul
construal by the person construal resulted in attaching more physical sense to the rendering of /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in the
original Holy Qur’an. It also caused a complete omission for the soul construal which is one of the basic themes
in the message of the Qur’an itself. Furthermore, construal like wishful thinking; lives; you; breath; and zero
construal are found in the Reformists’ rendering only, the matter that takes the concept /nafs/ in the original Holy
Qur’an into a variety of meanings that emphasize the physical construal and establish person construal as a
physical entity.
5. Conclusion
In this paper we have examined the construal of soul and person in three English Translated Texts of the
Noble Qur’an, by Ali, Pickthall and the Reformists. The study adopted cognitive perspective to identify and
categorize construal in the three ETTQs renderings for the concept of /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ with the aid of corpus linguistics
tools to provide quantitative evidence. The study has shown that for only one concept in the original Holy Qur’an
there are fourteen different categories of construal in the three ETTQs examined. Besides, these fourteen
categories of construal are not agreed upon either in terms of instances (verses) or in number. The difference goes
significantly beyond instances and their numbers to the omission of one basic construal, that is traditionally,
attached to the source /nafs/ ﺲﻔﻧ in the original Qur’an which is the construal of soul in the Reformists’ ETTQ.
Thus, the dualism of soul-person in the Reformists’ ETTQ (the immaterial aspect) is totally removed and more
emphasis is given to the physical materialistic aspect where person is conceptualized as a mere physical entity.
Notwithstanding, more emphasis is given to the immaterial aspect in Ali’s and Pickthall’s ETTQs as the dualism
of soul-person is clearly schematized and well-established. Such discrepancy in the renderings of one concept
illustrates the richness of the language of the original Arabic Holy Qur’an and demonstrates further support to the
hypothesis of the untranslatability of the noble Qur’an. In a holistic view of soul-person construal, the renderings
of /nafs/ in Pickthall’s ETTQ shows more consistency based on the context compared to Ali’s. Ali’s
inconsistency can be attributed to his tendency towards establishing the metaphysical immaterial construal of
soul in his rendering for /nafs/. Less consistency is shown in the Reformists’ rendering for /nafs/ as it supplies
nine (9) different construal representations, and once more the emphasis on establishing the physical construal for
the renderings of /nafs/ instances might be the reason behind such inconsistency. To conclude, this study had
scrutinized the dualism of soul-person in three renderings of the Noble Qur’an with reference to the source /nafs/
in the Holy Qur’an itself. Results indicated the presence of this dualism pervasively in Ali’s ETTQ with 176
instances (69%) followed by Pickthall’s ETTQ with 116 (64.1%), where soul is conceptualized as a person.
Notwithstanding, the dualism of soul-person is not found in the Reformists ETTQ, rather, a direct replacement
for soul with more physical construal to establish person as a mere physical entity. The findings clearly implied
that the original Arabic language of the Noble Qur’an is very rich as the rendering of only one concept retains
over a dozen of construal with significant disagreement both in the distribution of the instances and their
numbers. Thus, these significant discrepancies provide new evidence of the miraculous language of the Holy
Qur’an, and offer a solid ground in favour of the hypothesis that the Holy Qur’an is untranslatable.
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