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ALIGARH JOURNAL OF QURANIC STUDIES • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 1 MARCH 2023
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An Analysis of Euphemism Translation Strategies:
A Case Study of The Holy Quran
Talal Musaed Alghizzi1
Tariq Elyas2
Anwar Salah Alharbi3
1College of Languages and Translation,
Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University,
Saudi Arabia. Email: Tmalghizzi@imamu.edu.sa
2King Abdulaziz University,
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Email: telyas@kau.edu.sa
3College of Languages.
Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,
Saudi Arabia. Email: AnwarAlharbi.sa@gmail.com
Abstract
Few studies have investigated translation of euphemism in the Holy Quran.
Hence, the aim of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of strategies
used by translators when translating euphemistic expressions found in the Holy
Quran. This study has analyzed and classified strategies proposed by Sahih
International, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohsin Khan, Pickthall, Muhammad Sarwar and
Arberry when translating Quranic euphemism. To perform this analysis, all
euphemized Quranic verses related to the selected topics – blindness, mutism,
deafness, and vitiligo – have been collected and then run through the Quranic
Arabic Corpus (corpus.quran.com) to determine the incongruities of the
translations. The study has revealed that strategies used can be categorized into four
types: 1) literal translation, 2) substitution, 3) plain language, and 4) a combination
of two strategies. It has been found that Quranic euphemism was not accurately
rendered in the English language, as the most used strategy was plain language, and
this was followed by literal translation in most cases.
Keywords: Quranic Arabic Corpus, Euphemism, Holy Quran, Translation, Translation Strategies.
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Introduction
Recently, researchers have shown increased interest in translation studies. In
general, translation is a difficult task since it involves not only the substitution of
words from one language into another but also the transfer of meaning and sense
that the author wishes to transmit in the most natural way. Newmark (2003) states
that "there will be no global communication without translation" (p.55). Instead of
working with communicators directly, translation works with texts and, in doing so,
relocates the text within the parameters of another literary tradition, with its own
esthetic values and assumptions that influence the reception of the text (Brower,
1959). Liddicoat (2015) argues that "the translator as mediator stands between the
reader and writer and rewrites the text for an audience that is not the audience
imagined by the writer and does not share the language, knowledge, assumptions,
etc." (p. 3). Linguistic and cultural differences between languages complicate the
translation of phenomena such as metaphors (e.g., Al-Zoubi, 2009; Mohammad et
al., 2007; Samaniego Fernández, 2011; Schäffner & Shuttleworth, 2015; Shehab et
al., 2022; Vegara Fabregat, 2015), culture-bound terms (e.g., Nedergaard‐Larsen,
1993; Scrimgeour, 2016; Shormani, 2020; Turzynski-Azimi, 2020), idioms (e.g.,
Hastürkoğlu, 2018; Min, 2007; Qassem & Vijayasarathi, 2015), and religious terms
(e.g., López-Alcalá, 2020; Nijhawan, 2012; O'Connor, 2021). However, one of the
main challenges faced by many translators is dealing with sacred texts due to the
fact that they combine both linguistic and cultural restrictions. One of the common
linguistic characteristics among many languages is the ability to allude to taboo
words, phrases, and perhaps sentences indirectly and politely because of these
cultural restrictions in language. The term used to describe the process of
substituting impolite words with polite ones is euphemism. This linguistic
phenomenon represents a serious challenge for translators of different languages
(Thawabteh, 2012), and the challenge increases if these translators are addressing
religious texts such as the Holy Quran. There is continuing debate on the best
strategies used for dealing with this linguistic phenomenon in translation.
Consequently, the questions that still need to be addressed are: What are the
strategies that translators used when translating Quranic verses that include
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euphemism from Arabic into English? Would they remain consistent in applying
particular strategies? Therefore, based on this research gap, this study attempts to
determine the strategies of seven well-known translators when translating selected
topics of euphemism in the Holy Quran.
Problem statement
It has been argued that the process of translation is considered a difficult
task for many translators. However, the process becomes more complicated in
translation of important texts such as the Holy Quran as a sacred text. Cultural
diversity, linguistic systems variations, and differences in social norms play a
significant role in making translation of such a linguistic phenomenon a challenge
for translators. Therefore, translators should be aware of those major factors to
assure the application of the appropriate strategies when translating.
Significance of the study
The significance of this study is derived from three reasons. We aim to
contribute to this growing body of empirical work on euphemism and translation
studies. First, it attempts to explore, analyze, and describe accordingly an area that
still requires further investigation. Second, it performs a comprehensive analysis of
Quranic euphemism and translation strategies adopted by translators. Finally it
provides an exciting opportunity to advance our knowledge of the importance of the
use of euphemism in the Holy Quran. In turn, this study aims to investigate and
classify the strategies adopted by Sahih International, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohsin
Khan, Pickthall, Muhammad Sarwar and Arberry in translating euphemistic
expressions in the Holy Quran from Arabic into English.
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Research question
This study aims to answer the following question:
What are the strategies used in the translation of euphemistic expressions in the
Holy Quran?
Literature Review
Definitions of euphemism
Euphemism is generally considered as a shared linguistic phenomenon
across all languages. However, languages have differences in terms of defining
euphemism yet agree upon the notion of the concept described. According to
Burchfield (1985), any language “that lacks euphemism would be a malfunctioning
instrument of communication” (p.29). However, based on intensive readings of the
literature on linguistics in general and translation in particular, there seems to be the
lack of a universal consensus on the definition of the term euphemism despite its
emergence in English in the early 1790s. According to Online Etymology
Dictionary (2021), the term is from the:
1650s, from Greek euphemismos 'use of a favorable word in place of an inauspicious one,
superstitious avoidance of words of ill-omen during religious ceremonies,' also of
substitutions such as Eymenides for the Furies. This is from euphemizein 'speak with fair
words, use words of good omen,' from eu- 'good, well' (see eu-) + phēmē 'speech, voice,
utterance, a speaking, from phanai ‘speak’ (from PIE root * bha- (2) ‘to speak, tell, say’).
See also Euxine, and compare Greek aristeros 'the better one,' a euphemism for 'the left
(hand).' In English, a rhetorical term at first; broader sense of 'choosing a less distasteful
word or phrase than the one meant' is first attested 1793.
The various proposed definitions, which will be discussed below, could be
attributed to the fact that specialists observed the term from different angles. For
example, Rawson (1981) provided a general vague definition of euphemism, stating
that euphemisms are powerful linguistic tools that are profoundly embedded in the
language and used on a regular basis by everyone. Conversely, Allan and Burridge
(1991) emphasized that euphemisms are alternative expressions used to avoid
ALIGARH JOURNAL OF QURANIC STUDIES • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 1 MARCH 2023
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losing face. Semantically, Wilson (2001) suggested that euphemisms are words
with meanings or sounds that are considered nicer, cleaner, or more elegant. They
are, therefore, substituted for words that are negatively perceived as unpleasant,
crude, or ugly. Leech (1981) maintained that euphemism is "the practice of
referring to something offensive or delicate in terms that make it sound more
pleasant or becoming than it really is" (p.45). In addition, English dictionaries
provided more accurate, simple, succinct definitions of the term. According to
Lexico (2021), euphemism means ‘A mild or indirect word or expression
substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something
unpleasant or embarrassing.’ Similarly, Longman Dictionary (2021) defined it as "a
polite word or expression that you use instead of a more direct one to avoid
shocking or upsetting someone".
Translation Strategies
According to House (1997), translation can be defined as "a process that
consists of replacing a text in a source language with a semantically and
pragmatically equivalent text in a target language. A good translation is thus one
that is pragmatically and semantically equivalent." (p.105). Due to the marked
discrepancy between languages, translators need to use tactics and apply strategies
that facilitate the translation process. Accordingly, translation theorists have
proposed various translation models to be followed for dealing with different types
of texts. For instance, Vinay and Darbelnet (1995) identified two general translation
strategies and seven procedures. The first strategy is direct translation, which
encompasses three procedures: borrowing, calque, and literal translation. The
second strategy is oblique translation, which includes transposition, modulation,
equivalence, and adaptation. In addition, Baker (1992) listed eight strategies for
dealing with different stylistic, semantic, and syntactic challenges faced in
translation. These strategies are translation by a more general word, translation by a
more neutral/less expressive word, translation by cultural substitution, translation
using a loan word or loan word plus explanation, translation by paraphrase using a
related word, translation by paraphrase using unrelated words, translation by
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omission, and translation by illustration. Other strategies and procedures were
proposed by theorists such as Newmark (1981), Chesterman (1997), and Doorslear
(2007). Using general translation strategies helps translators overcome most
linguistic and cultural problems. However, some linguistic phenomena and
challenges require the application of unique strategies to overcome these barriers.
Abdelaal (2018) suggested four strategies for tackling the loss in connotative
meaning in the translation of the Holy Quran. The strategies are footnoting,
transliteration, periphrastic translation, and accuracy of selecting the proper
equivalent. Likewise, Moradi (2014) suggested the use of Ivir’s (1987) model for
dealing with culture-bound terms in the Holy Quran. The model includes seven
procedures: definition, literal translation, substitution, lexical creation, omission,
addition, and borrowing. Unseth (2006) suggested four strategies for dealing with
euphemism in translation. The first strategy is literal translation, which refers to
rendering the euphemistic expressions literally in other languages. The second
strategy is substitution, which means substituting the expression by another that is
understandable by the target readers. The third strategy is plain language, which is,
as its name suggests, a process of rendering the euphemistic expression in plain
language that is non-euphemistic. The fourth strategy is a combination of two
strategies.
Related Studies
Despite the importance of euphemism in the Holy Quran, there is a lack of
evidence on how it has been translated into English. The previous studies have
several shortcomings. First, they did not investigate the different euphemism topics
comprehensively. Instead, some studies examined more than one topic but did not
investigate all the related verses (cf. Al-Hamad & Salman, 2013; Khadra & Hadjer,
2017), which undoubtedly affected the accuracy of the results. Second, no study has
examined euphemism in the most popular and authorized translations of the Holy
Quran, and some studies only focused on one or two published translations (cf.
Harley, 2020), neglecting the most significant ones in the field. Third, although
euphemism is found in the Holy Quran in different topics, no studies have
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examined all the translations of a single topic. It seems that some investigations did
not succeed in studying one of the topics in a precise and accurate manner (cf. Alahj
& Omer, 2017). Even though several research studies have been conducted on this
issue, they do not seem to provide a holistic and comprehensive view of the
problem and how it can be handled. Therefore, the aim of this study is to
compensate for the shortcomings of previous studies and fill the research gap by
investigating the most popular English translations of the Holy Quran, which
include those of Sahih International, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohsin Khan, Pickthall,
Muhammad Sarwar, and Arberry, and examine all the euphemized topics under the
umbrella of disease. Below, we review some studies to illustrate the background of
the problem in question.
Al-Hamad and Salman (2013) investigated how some topics that require
euphemism have been expressed in the Holy Quran and how they have been
translated into English in the works of Ali, Hilali and Khan, Pickthal, and Arberry.
The sample of the study was 23 euphemistic expressions used in different Surahs of
the Holy Quran. The expressions were classified based on mechanisms of lexical
euphemism, namely, substitution and deletion, and on the topics that require
euphemism. The study analyzed the contradictions in translating Quranic
euphemisms into English and suggested, if needed, new translations for a better
rendition of the Holy Quran. According to Al-Hamad and Salman (2013), diversity
of cultures, social norms, stocks of vocabulary, and writing styles played a crucial
role in complicating the process of translation of those expressions into other
languages. The study revealed that many harsh topics, such as sex, genitals,
excretory functions, divorce, disability, and death, are euphemized by the
substitution of milder expressions in some instances and by the deletion of the
expressions in others. The study also revealed that euphemistic expressions were
not accurately translated into English. In the four works examined, the translators
often sacrificed euphemism for the sake of conveying direct meanings. It was
apparent that those four translations of the Holy Quran tended to transfer the core
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meaning of those expressions directly without considering the significance of using
euphemism in the Holy Quran.
Another study that investigated this linguistic phenomenon in the Holy
Quran is ‘The Translatability of Euphemism from Arabic into English: Case Study
The Holy Quran’ conducted by Khadra and Hadjer (2017). The study examined
how Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Arthur John Arberry have dealt with Quranic
euphemism in their translations into English. It examined how four topics – sex,
genitals, women, and divorce – underlying euphemism have been translated into
English and the strategies that used by translators. Based on the sample examined,
the study revealed that euphemistic expressions in the Holy Quran have not been
rendered accurately in English. This was attributed to the extensive use of the literal
translation strategy by the two translators. It was also found that the difficulties
translators face when dealing with Quranic euphemism are closely related to the
variations in cultural, social, and religious factors between the two languages.
In their work titled ‘Problems of Translating Qur'anic Euphemisms: A
Comparative Socio-pragmatic Study (2017)’, Alahj and Omer examined the
incongruities of meaning and style in translating the Quranic euphemistic
expressions into English in the work of Mohammed A.S. Abdel Haleem,
Mohammed M. Pickthall and Mohammed Khan and Mohammed Taj Al-Din Al-
Hilali. The study investigated how the three translators have dealt with euphemism
in the Holy Quran and to what extent they were accurate in rendering these
expressions in English. It was found that euphemism could be seen as an apparent
phenomenon in the Holy Quran. Another result was related to the fact that
translating Quranic euphemistic expressions into English is considered challenging
mainly due to the linguistic and cultural differences between the two languages. The
study also found that transliteration and literal translation were the most used
strategies when translating cultural expressions in the Holy Quran.
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Harley’s (2020) paper titled The Use of Euphemism in English Translation of Holy
Quran by Saheeh International stated:
“This study was aimed for identifying the types of euphemism proposed by Kaosa-Ad
(Shortening; Circumlocution; Remodeling; Semantic Change; Borrowing) which were used
in English Translation of Holy Qur’an by Saheeh International in Surah (chapter) Yusuf and
describing the referents of each euphemism (Harley, 2020, p. 7)”.
The sample of the study was the 111 verses of Surah Yusuf. The study
revealed that in Surah Yusuf, there are three types of euphemism: semantic change,
borrowing, and circumlocution. The most used of these euphemism types is
semantic change. It was also found that the majority of topics euphemized in Surah
Yusuf are related to sexual act, disability, and aging.
Mohammed and Abed (2020) investigated the strategies used by students of
translation when translating euphemistic expressions from English into Arabic and
vice vera. The sample of the study was 55 students in the Department of Translation
at Mustansiriyah University. The students were given eight paragraphs from
different texts containing euphemistic expressions to translate into both English and
Arabic. The expressions were chosen from three specific areas: death, work
impairment, and lavatory. The study revealed that students mainly used four
strategies: substitution, literal translation, combination of strategies, and non-
euphemistic expressions. The findings also showed that literal translation was the
most used strategy with 36.6%, followed by substitution with 25.7%.
Methodology
Research design
The authors adopted an ontological positivism approach to their study.
Positivism embraces any approach which applies scientific method to human affairs
(Grix, 2010). The strengths of positivism are its clarity, precision, rigour,
standardisation and generalizability (Ernest, 1994) which authors were seeking in
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their study. This study employed a corpus-based quantitative descriptive research
design to investigate and classify the strategies adopted by Sahih International,
Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohsin Khan, Pickthall, Muhammad Sarwar, and Arberry when
translating euphemistic expressions in the Holy Quran. In doing so, we can study a
large corpus of texts, and thus obtain a broader view of the argumentative
landscape in on euphemism in the Holy Quran using corpus analysis (Sytsma et al.,
2019) applying a cross-cultural corpus study (Thabet, 2018)
Sample
The authors have used targeted snowball approach (Creswell, 2003; Dusek, et
al., 2015).). The sample chosen for this study was all ten Quranic verses chosen
from the pool of disease topics: blindness, mutism, deafness, and vitiligo.
Data collection procedure
The data collection procedure in this study comprised two phases. The first phase
was choosing topics of euphemism in the Holy Quran. The selected topics were
four types of disease: blindness, mutism, deafness, and vitiligo. In the second phase,
all verses of these topics were chosen and then run through the Quranic Arabic
Corpus (available at https://corpus.quran.com) to determine the incongruities of the
translations.
Data analysis
To answer the research question, three steps were taken. First, all euphemized
verses related to blindness, mutism, deafness, and vitiligo in the Holy Quran were
collected. Second, seven different translations of these verses were analyzed by four
specialists in translation studies who have a PhD and an MA in translation and more
than ten years of experience in this field. Third, the strategies were categorized
according to the classification proposed by Unseth (2006). In this section, the
interpretation of the selected verses is taken from Tafsir Al-Jalalayn translated by
Feras Hamza (available at https://www.altafsir.com).
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Results
1. Verses related to blindness
A. Verse:
Interpretation:
And his eyes turned white their dark colour was effaced and became white on
account of his tears with grief for him such that he was filled with suppressed agony
anguished and grief-stricken but not manifesting his grief.
Table 1. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(12:84)
B. Verse:
Interpretation:
And had We willed We would have obliterated their eyesight. We would have
rendered them blind by obliterating them then they would have tried to advance
towards the path to be on their way as usual but how would they have seen? then. In
other words they would not have been to see.
Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih International
and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor.
Literal translation
Pickthall
And his eyes were whitened with the sorrow that he was suppressing.
Literal translation
Yusuf Ali
And his eyes became white with sorrow, and he fell into silent melancholy.
Literal translation
Shakir
and his eyes became white on account of the grief, and he was a repressor (of grief).
Literal translation
Muhammad Sarwar
He wept continuously in his grief until, in suppressing his anger, his eyes turned white.
Literal translation
Mohsin Khan
And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing.
Plain language
Arberry
And his eyes turned white because of the sorrow that he choked within him.
Literal translation
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Table 2. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(36:66)
Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
And if We willed, We could have obliterated their eyes, and they would
race to [find] the path, and how could they see?
Literal translation
Pickthall
And had We willed, We verily could have quenched their eyesight so that
they should struggle for the way. Then how could they have seen?
Substitution
Yusuf Ali
If it had been our Will, We could surely have blotted out their eyes; then
should they have run about groping for the Path, but how could they have
seen?
Substitution
Shakir
And if We please We would certainly put out their eyes, then they would
run about groping for the way, but how should they see?
Substitution
Muhammad
Sarwar
We could have blinded them had We wanted. Then they would have raced
along to cross the Bridge but how could they have seen (their way)?
Plain language
Mohsin Khan
And if it had been Our Will, We would surely have wiped out (blinded)
their eyes, so that they would struggle for the Path, how then would they
see?
Combination of two
strategies: literal translation
and substitution
Arberry
Did We will, We would have obliterated their eyes, then they would race
to the path, but how would they see?
Literal translation
C. Verse:
}
Interpretation:
And they had even solicited of him his guests that he should let them have their
own way with those who had come to him as guests that they may do wicked things
with them — and these guests were angels. So We blotted out their eyes We
blinded them and made them without slits so that they were continuous folds of skin
like the rest of the face by having Gabriel smack them with his wing. ‘So taste now
so We said to them taste My chastisement and My warnings’ that is to say taste the
effects and the substance of My warning and My threat.
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Table 3. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(54:37)
Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
And they had demanded from him his guests, but We
obliterated their eyes, [saying], "Taste My punishment
and warning."
Literal translation
Pickthall
They even asked of him his guests for an ill purpose.
Then We blinded their eyes (and said): Taste now My
punishment after My warnings!
Plain language
Yusuf Ali
And they even sought to snatch away his guests from
him, but We blinded their eyes. (They heard:) "Now
taste ye My Wrath and My Warning."
Plain language
Shakir
And certainly they endeavored to turn him from his
guests, but We blinded their eyes; so taste My
chastisement and My warning.
Plain language
Muhammad
Sarwar
They demanded that he turn over his guests to
them. We struck their faces, blinded them and said,
"Suffer Our torment of which you were warned."
Plain language
Mohsin Khan
And they indeed sought to shame his guest (by asking
to commit sodomy with them). So We blinded their
eyes, "Then taste you My Torment and My Warnings."
Plain language
Arberry
Even his guests they had solicited of him; so We
obliterated their eyes, saying, 'Taste now My
chastisement and My warnings!'
Literal translation
D. Verse:
}
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Interpretation:
I will also heal the blind akmah is one that is blind from birth and the leper.
Table 4. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no. (3:49)
Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to
the dead – by permission of Allah.
Plain language
Pickthall
I heal him who was born blind, and the leper, and I
raise the dead, by Allah's leave.
Plain language
Yusuf Ali
And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I
quicken the dead, by Allah's leave.
Plain language
Shakir
And I heal the blind and the leprous, and bring the
dead to life with Allah's permission.
Plain language
Muhammad
Sarwar
I can heal the blind and the lepers and bring the dead
back to life, by the permission of God.
Plain language
Mohsin Khan
And I heal him who was born blind, and the leper,
and I bring the dead to life by Allah's Leave.
Plain language
Arberry
I will also heal the blind and the leper, and bring to
life the dead, by the leave of God.
Plain language
E. Verse:
}
Interpretation:
and you heal the blind and the leper by My permission.
Table 5. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(5:110)
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Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
And you healed the blind and the leper with My permission.
Plain language
Pickthall
And thou didst heal him who was born blind and the leper by
My permission.
Plain language
Yusuf Ali
And thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave.
Plain language
Shakir
And you healed the blind and the leprous by My permission.
Plain language
Muhammad
Sarwar
By My will, you healed the deaf, the lepers.
Mistake
Mohsin Khan
And you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My
Permission.
Plain language
Arberry
And thou healest the blind and the leper by My leave.
Plain language
2. Verses related to mutism
A. Verse:
}
Interpretation:
And God strikes a similitude mathalan this is substituted by the following rajulayn
two men one of whom is dumb from birth having no power over anything as he
cannot understand nor be understood.
Table 6. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(16:76)
Translator
Translation
Strategy
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Sahih
International
And Allah presents an example of two men, one of
them dumb and unable to do a thing.
Plain language
Pickthall
And Allah coineth a similitude: Two men, one of
them dumb, having control of nothing.
Plain language
Yusuf Ali
Allah sets forth (another) Parable of two men: one of
them dumb, with no power of any sort.
Plain language
Shakir
And Allah sets forth a parable of two men; one of
them is dumb, not able to do anything.
Plain language
Muhammad
Sarwar
God tells a parable about two men. One of them is
dumb and useless.
Plain language
Mohsin Khan
And Allah puts forward (another) example of two
men, one of them dumb, who has no power over
anything (disbeliever).
Plain language
Arberry
God has struck a similitude: two men, one of them
dumb, having no power over anything.
Plain language
3. Verses related to deafness
A. Verse:
}
Interpretation:
And they thought they presumed that there would be no read as an lā takūnu where
an has been softened; or read an lā takūna where it an requires a following
subjunctive that is to say 'that there would not befall them' trial a punishment
against them for their denial of the messengers and their slaying of them; and so
they were wilfully blind to the truth and could not see it and deaf unable to hear it.
Then God relented to them when they repented then they were wilfully blind and
deaf a second time many of them kathīrun minhum substitutes for the third person
'they'; and God sees what they do and will requite them for it.
Table 7. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no. (5:71)
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Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
And they thought there would be no [resulting]
punishment, so they became blind and deaf. Then Allah
turned to them in forgiveness; then [again] many of them
became blind and deaf. And Allah is Seeing of what they
do.
Plain language
Pickthall
They thought no harm would come of it, so they were
wilfully blind and deaf. And afterward Allah turned (in
mercy) toward them. Now (even after that) are many of
them wilfully blind and deaf. Allah is Seer of what they
do.
Plain language
Yusuf Ali
They thought there would be no trial (or punishment); so
they became blind and deaf; yet Allah (in mercy) turned to
them; yet again many of them became blind and deaf. But
Allah sees well all that they do.
Plain language
Shakir
And they thought that there would be no affliction, so they
became blind and deaf; then Allah turned to them
mercifully, but many of them became blind and deaf; and
Allah is well seeing what they do.
Plain language
Muhammad
Sarwar
They were blind and deaf in their pride, thinking
themselves (to be the chosen nation of God) and thus safe
from calamities. God forgave them but many of them out,
of pride, again became blind and deaf. God is Well Aware
of what they do.
Plain language
Mohsin Khan
They thought there will be no Fitnah (trial or punishment),
so they became blind and deaf; after that Allah turned to
them (with Forgiveness); yet again many of them became
blind and deaf. And Allah is the AllSeer of what they do.
Plain language
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Arberry
And they supposed there should be no trial; but blind they
were, and deaf. Then God turned towards them; then again
blind they were, many of them, and deaf; and God sees the
things they do.
Plain language
4. Verse related to vitiligo
A. Verse:
Interpretation:
And insert your hand into your bosom into the collar of your shirt and it will
emerge not in its usual skin colour but white without any blemish any vestige of
leprosy with a glare that dazzles the eyes.
Table 8. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(27:12)
Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
And put your hand into the opening of your garment
[at the breast]; it will come out white without disease.
Plain language
Pickthall
And put thy hand into the bosom of thy robe, it will
come forth white but unhurt.
Literal translation
Yusuf Ali
Now put thy hand into thy bosom, and it will come
forth white without stain (or harm).
Substitution
Shakir
And enter your hand into the opening of your bosom, it
shall come forth white without evil.
Literal translation
Muhammad
Sarwar
Put your hand into your pocket. It will come out sheer
white but unharmed.
Literal translation
Mohsin Khan
"And put your hand into your bosom, it will come
forth white without hurt.
Literal translation
Arberry
Thrust thy hand in thy bosom and it will come forth
white without evil.
Literal translation
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B. Verse:
Interpretation:
And thrust your hand the right one meaning the palm into your flank — that is your
left side below the arm into the armpit and then take it out — it will emerge white
in contrast to the skin-colour that it was without any fault that is without any sign of
leprosy radiating like the rays of the sun blinding to the eyes of onlookers. That is
yet another sign āyatan ukhrā this together with baydā'a 'white' constitute two
circumstantial qualifiers referring to the subject of the verb takhruj 'it will emerge.'
Table 9. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(20:22)
Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
And draw in your hand to your side; it will come out white
without disease – another sign
Plain language
Pickthall
And thrust thy hand within thine armpit, it will come forth
white without hurt. (That will be) another token.
Literal translation
Yusuf Ali
Now draw thy hand close to thy side: It shall come forth
white (and shining), without harm (or stain), – as another
Sign, –
Substitution
Shakir
And press your hand to your side, it shall come out white
without evil: another sign:
Literal translation
Muhammad
Sarwar
Now - as another Sign - place your hand under your arm
and it will come out sheer white without harm (or stain).
Substitution
Mohsin Khan
And press your (right) hand to your (left) side, it will come
forth white (and shining), without any disease as another
sign,
Plain language
Arberry
Now clasp thy hand to thy arm-pit; it shall come forth
white, without evil. That is a second sign.
Literal translation
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C. Verse:
Interpretation:
Insert your right hand meaning the palm into your bosom jayb is the neck area of
the shirt and then take it out and it will emerge not in its usual skin colour but white
without any blemish any vestige of leprosy. So he inserted it and took it out and it
shone as bright as the sun blinding the eyes.
Table 10. The Translations and Translation Strategies Applied on Verse no.
(28:32)
Translator
Translation
Strategy
Sahih
International
Insert your hand into the opening of your garment; it
will come out white, without disease.
Plain language
Pickthall
Thrust thy hand into the bosom of thy robe it will
come forth white without hurt.
Literal translation
Yusuf Ali
Move thy hand into thy bosom, and it will come
forth white without stain (or harm).
Substitution
Shakir
Enter your hand into the opening of your bosom, it
will come forth white without evil,
Literal translation
Muhammad
Sarwar
Place your hand in your pocket; it will come out
sheer white but not sick.
Plain language
Mohsin Khan
"Put your hand in your bosom, it will come forth
white without a disease.
Plain language
Arberry
Insert thy hand into thy bosom, and it will come forth
white without evil.
Literal translation
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Figure 1. Strategies Adopted by Sahih International, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohsin
Khan, Pickthall, Muhammad Sarwar and Arberry When Translating Euphemistic
Expressions in the Holy Quran
Figure 2. Euphemism Translation Strategies Used by Each Translator
30%
10%
2%
58%
Literal Substitution Combination of two strategies Plain language
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sahih InternationalPickthallYusuf Ali1ShakirMuhammad SarwarMohsin KhanArberry
Substitution
Plain langauge
Literal
combination of
two strategies
Mistake
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Discussion
The main research question in this study aimed to identify strategies adopted by
Sahih International, Yusuf Ali, Shakir, Mohsin Khan, Pickthall, Muhammad Sarwar
and Arberry when translating euphemistic expressions mentioned in the Holy
Quran. The strategies were categorized according to the classification of
euphemism translation strategies proposed by Unseth (2006). The strategy used the
most by those translators was plain language with 58%. This finding revealed that
the euphemism style has not been reflected in the translation. Therefore, the
meaning was transferred directly without being euphemized. This shows that
translators are not aware of the importance of this style in the Holy Quran. They
consider meaning as the top priority and therefore neglect this linguistic style. The
second most used strategy was literal translation. Using literal translation can be the
result of translators' awareness that the Holy Quran is a sacred text that is
distinguished from any other text and in which it is never acceptable to distort any
of its meanings. Therefore, the translators used this strategy to preserve the spirit
and meaning of this sacred text. The translators also used the substitution strategy.
Even though the percentage was not high, this can be an indicator that translators
know the reason for using euphemism but failed to reflect it in their translations due
to the linguistic, cultural, and religious differences between English and Arabic. As
it is widely believed by Islamic scholars, words of the Holy Quran cannot be
translated into other languages but rather explained. This is the result of the special
linguistic styles, characteristics, and hidden meanings found in the Holy Quran.
This is also attributed to the fact that the language of the Holy Quran is a special
language that is not poetry nor prose but a unique language, and no one can write a
single similar verse to it but Allah, as Allah Almighty said in SurahAl-Isra verse
no. 88:
)
translated by Yusuf Ali as: 'Say: "If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather
together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof,
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even if they backed up each other with help and support," and the other verseno. 13
in Surah Hud:
)
which Yusuf Ali translated as: "Or they may say, 'He forged it,"Say, "Bring ye then
ten suras forged, like unto it, and call (to your aid) whomsoever ye can, other than
Allah! - If ye speak the truth!" This emphasized the importance of using different
translation strategies when dealing with such linguistic phenomena and styles in the
Holy Quran, as seen in the findings of the investigation into euphemism carried out
by Al-Hamad and Salman (2013).
Conclusion
After analyzing the data and discussing the findings, we can conclude that the
question of this research has been answered. The analysis of the translation of the
disease-related euphemism verses showed that the most used strategies were plain
language and literal translation. The findings also revealed that this unique
linguistic style has not been reflected in the examined translations into English. This
was mainly attributed to the difficulties translators face in translation between two
completely different cultural and linguistic systems. The results of this study
partially contradicted the findings of several studies yet closely corresponded with
the results of others (e.g., Alahj & Omer, 2017; Khadra & Hadjer, 2017). Using
corpus-based methods in this study was helpful in several respects, including the
collection of data in a restricted period of time, easy and free accessibility to data,
and most importantly, the dependence on one source that is reliable and contains all
the data needed. This investigation provided us with an overview that expands our
knowledge of the significance of using euphemism in the Holy Quran and how it
has been dealt with in the translations into English.
Limitations and Recommendations for Future Studies
A limitation of this study is that it investigated seven translations of the Holy Quran
into English. However, it was beyond the scope of this study to examine the other
ALIGARH JOURNAL OF QURANIC STUDIES • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 1 MARCH 2023
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translations. Therefore, it is recommended that future research should examine a
larger number of other English translations. It is hoped that this will contribute to
improvement in the accuracy of existing translations of the Holy Quran. However,
due to practical constraints, this paper cannot provide a comprehensive view of
euphemism topics in the Holy Quran. Therefore, it is recommended that further
research should investigate other topics of euphemism in the Holy Quran that
include, for example, sex, genitals, excretory functions, and death. To the
researcher, this analysis would reveal different and valuable insights if applied on a
larger scale. Consequently, further research is also needed to investigate this
linguistic phenomenon in the translations of the Holy Quran into other languages.
Acknowledgment: This study was funded by the Literature, Publishing and
Translation Commission, Ministry of Culture, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under
[29/2022] as part of the Arabic Observatory
of Translation.
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