LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature, 13(1) October 2018 

 

 

 

Literary Traces of the Qur‟an 

    in Its English Translation 
 

Taufiqurrohman 

Islamic University of Nahdlatul Ulama Jepara 

Email. ufiq@unisnu.ac.id 

 

 

ABSTRACT 

Based on many researches have been done, the Qur‘an uses literary methods in conveying the 

messages. This research uses different perspective in proving such conclusion by using English 

translations of the Qur‘an written by four authorized Qur‘an translators. The researcher uses 

Hermeneutics and Aesthetics to find the literary substantiations of English translations of the 

Qur‘an. Of course there will be random verses of the Qur‘an that would be choosen to be analyzed. 

Both analysis devices say that English translations of the Qur‘an have literary traces that signify the 

Qur‘an as a literary masterpiece, such as not only in owning different dictions and layers of meaning 

but also in owning aesthetic process and poetic texts.  

 

Keywords:  English translation of the Qur‘an, Hermeneutics, Aesthetics, literary substantiations 

 

INTRODUCTION 
There is a lack of comprehensive studies in 

literary perspective of the Qur‘an. It is noted 

that there are well-research on it, but other 

researchers use partial part of literature. There 

are, at least, which are found by this study, 

results of literary researches on it that were 

published in journals and thesis actually, such 

as the finding on the Qur‘an as literature (Mir, 

2000) and researching the using of God‘s 

names in Afsar‘s and Azmat‘s From the Word 

of Allah to the Words of Men: The Qur‘ān and 

the Poetics of Translation in 2012. There was 

also research on Qur‘an as literature in Iqbal‘s 

thesis entitled The Quran as a Literary 

Masterpiece within its Historical and Religious 

Milieus in 2013. Besides, a research in the same 

year on translation‘s ideology of the Qur‘an 

also existed in Mohaghegh‘s and 

Pirnajmuddin‘s The trace of translator‘s 

ideology: A case study of English translations 

of the Qur‘an. Then in 2014 the writer of this 

article also had got conclusion that God uses 

literary method in conveying messages through 

the Qur‘an. Poem is in every part of its surahs. 

Prose also exists in many part of it 

(Taufiqurrohman, 2014).  

Those researches actually had similarities 

with others in couple journals. But there has 

been no research on literary studies that are 

based on the translations of the Qur‘an that next 

it can be related with the Qur‘an itself as the 

real source. In view of the importance of 

translating the Qur‘an, many eminent scholars 

of Islam say that it is obligatory. Among these 

scholars are Imam Al-Bukhary, Ibn Hajar, Ibn 

Taimiyya, Abdul Azeez Ibn Baz and 

Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen (Saudi, 

2010). Of course the duty for many translators, 

in relation to translations of religion documents, 

is to write a functional and accurate English 

rendition (Mohammed, 2005). Thus, this study 

tries to reveal the literary traces of the Qur‘an 

based on its English translations. Although the 

previous research can be used as the references 

for this study, still this study can be a new 

perspective that is offered by the researcher. 

 

METHODOLOGY 
This study is categorized as Qualitative 

Descriptive study because the objects of 

analysis are in textual forms, namely literary 

text. The distinguished object here is that it 

states approach to the Qur‘an as a literary text. 

mailto:ufiq@unisnu.ac.id


LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature, 13(1) October 2018 
  

  

 

So in this case, the approaches of analysis to 

answer the aims are two methods that are 

related to literary theories. The writer here 

chose Hermeneutics and Aesthetics. Both 

theories function as the devices to answer the 

literary indications. Hermeneutics would 

analyze the socio-cultural and symbolic reading 

of the verses of the Qur‘an in this study later 

(Riffaterre, 1978). Meanwhile, based on Eaton 

(1999), analyzing aesthetics of something is a 

matter of being smart in explaining its 

keywords so that someone else can see where 

the beauty is. Aesthetics here is used by 

conveying the logics why the verses of the 

Qur‘an are inferred beautiful.     

Since the writer would use the English 

translations to analyze the Qur‘an‘s literary 

substantiations, of course there will be sample 

of words, phrases and sentences of the verses of 

the Qur‘an that would be used in analysis. In 

this case, the writer used random sampling. 

Beside for having legal analysis, this random 

sampling is also aimed at checking the previous 

references on the conclusion that the Qur‘an 

uses literary ways in conveying messages.   

Then for having comprehensive results of 

analysis, the verses are compared between four 

authorized translations. The decision on 

choosing four translations here is based on an 

authorized research result by Muhammad 

(2005). The authorized four of more are 

Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall‘s The 

Meaning of the Glorious Koran, Abdullah 

Yusuf ‗Ali‘s The Holy Qur‘an: Translation and 

Commentary –which here is referred to Al-

Qur‘an Terjemah Indonesia Inggris (2008), 

Muhammad Taqi al-Din al-Hilali‘s and 

Muhammad Muhsin Khan‘s The Noble Qur‘an 

in the English Language, and Muhammad 

Asad‘s The Message of the Qur‘an. Then the 

sample verses in the four translations would be 

compared as well by using both theories above 

so that the conclusion would be got after that. 

 

DISCUSSION 
Below is some samples of verses of English 

translations of the Qur‘an that are quoted by the 

writer randomly. Those are directly followed by 

the analysis on using Hermeneutics then 

Aesthetics respectively.  

The first sample is surah Al-Baqarah verse 

152 in which in:  

1. Pikhtal‘s translation is:  
―Therefore remember Me, I will remember 

you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me‖;  

2. Asad‘s is: 
―so remember Me, and I shall remember 

you; and be grateful unto Me, and deny Me 

not‖;  

3. Ali‘s is:  
―Then do ye remember Me; I will remember 

you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith‖; 

and  

4. al-Hilali and Khan‘s is ―Therefore remember 
Me (by praying, glorifying), I will remember 

you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless 

Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to 

Me‖. 

Pickthall‘s translation means that human 

as God‘s humble must remember their creator, 

feel thank to Him and not to rebuff. This verse 

has different situation of words and meanings 

with other translations. For instance Asad‘s 

translation uses ―shall‖ instead of ―will‖. The 

social meaning has stronger impression in 

―shall‖ rather than ―will‖. Word ―reject‖ also is 

different from ―deny‖ although it can be called 

synonym. Then Ali‘s translation has very 

different one in the last verse, namely ―.. reject 

not Faith‖, by focusing not in God Himself but 

Faith one. The religious meaning is that what 

focuses on God is deeper because the 

destination is God directly, not faith. The fourth 

translation, Al-Hilali and Khan‘s, gave 

limitation by explaining ―remember‖ only with 

praying and glorifying and ―be grateful to me‖ 

with countless favor. Actually if there is no 

such limitations of meaning, the reader and the 

translators have possibility to get layers of 

meaning and to interpret more.  

Those differences of translation results 

infer that the Qur‘an is a literary text. They 

remind us on diamond; it has many angles in 

portraying the side and light. This is the theory 



LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature, 13(1) October 2018 

 

 

 

of literary works; once they come to readers, 

interpretants would be so multi-dimensional 

that many interpretations and layers of meaning 

happen (Riffaterre, 1978).   

Such diamond illustration on translating the 

Qur‘an in English above indicates aesthetical 

thing too. One verse in sentence can make 

various meaning in which all meanings can be 

true and advantageous may be called artistic. It 

can be proved again in an example of the verse 

below. Take surah Hud verse 6:  

1. In Ali‘s translation:  
―There is no moving creature on earth but its 

sustenance dependeth on Allah: He knoweth the 

time and place of its definite abode (home) and 

its temporary deposit (safekeeping): All is in a 

clear Record‖;  

2. In Al-Hilali and Khan‘s: 
―And no moving (living) creature is there on 

earth but its provision is due from Allah. And 

He knows its dwelling place and its deposit (in 

the uterus, grave). All is in Clear Book (Al-

Lauh-al-Mahfuz-the Book of Decrees with 

Allah)‖;  

3. In Pickthall‘s:  
―And there is not a beast in the earth but the 

sustenance thereof dependeth on Allah. He 

knoweth its habitation and its repository. All is 

in a clear record‖;  

4. In Asad‘s:  
―And there is no living creature on earth but 

depends for its sustenance on God; and He 

knows its time-limit [on earth] and its resting-

place [after death]: all [this] is laid down in 

[His] clear decree.‖   

Ali‘s translation above has different diction 

that makes different hermeneutical reading. It is 

like ―beast‖ in Pikhtal‘s translation. ―Moving 

creature‖ is larger than ―beast‖ actually so that 

here Ali‘s diction has more consequences of 

interpretation than Pikhtal‘s. There is difference 

again in Asad‘s translation which uses ―time 

limit‖ and ―resting place‖. Both indicates 

convergence in interpretation. Being different 

from those anymore, Al-Hilali and Khan‘s 

translation uses special information on ―uterus 

and grave‖ in understanding the last word. All 

different and true interpretations can make 

artistic fact like diamond. It is literary work.  

Such conclusion can be seen too from the 

translations of sura Ar-Rahman verse 4 as 

follows: 

1. Pickthall‘s is:  
―He hath taught him utterance‖;  

2. Asad‘s is:  
―He has imparted unto him articulate 

thought and speech‖;  

3. Ali‘s is:  
―He has taught him speech [intelligence]‖;  

4. Al-Hilali & Khan is:  
―He taught him eloquent speech‖.  

Each translation has different word in 

signifying word ―al-Bayan‖. Based on 

Webster‘s New World Dictionary, Third 

College Edition (1986), ―utterance‖ (in 

Pickthall‘s translation) means the power of 

speaking, in Asad‘s is widened with two words 

(thought and speech) which means ideas and 

the act of speaking, in Ali‘s is only ―speech‖ 

but being informed by ―intelligence‖ in bracket 

which means the ability to understand. While 

al-Hilali and Khan‘s is ―speech‖ too but added 

by ―eloquent‖ before it in which it means 

persuasive and expressive. In conclusion, 

although the translations seem similar in 

domain of context, still the distribution and 

application of meaning is different.     

Meanwhile, being seen from the 

characteristics of words used, some translations 

uses such literary words. In those verses, they 

are like ―knoweth‖ and ―dependeth‖ in surah 

Hud verse 6, and ―hath‖ in surah Ar-Rahman 

verse 4. There are also ―Thou‖, ―Thee‖ and 

―Thine‖ in the following two paragraph, 

namely in sura Al-Fatihah.  

The words can be categorized as 

Elizabethan English. It used to be used in 

literary works, especially by Shakespeare 

(https://patricianowacky.weebly.com/uploads/5/

7/4/8/57483233 /mine_thine_and_-eth.pdf). 

They are like ―knoweth‖ was instead of ―know‖ 

in contemporary language, and ―thou‖ for 

―you‖ subject as ―thee‖ for ―you‖ object and 

―thy‖ for ―you‖ possessive in contemporary 

https://patricianowacky.weebly.com/uploads/5/7/4/8/57483233%20/mine_thine_and_-eth.pdf
https://patricianowacky.weebly.com/uploads/5/7/4/8/57483233%20/mine_thine_and_-eth.pdf


LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature, 13(1) October 2018 
  

  

 

language 

(www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson

_images/lesson1031/terms.pdf). Such words 

signify that the Qur‘an is considered by the 

translators and by the readers as having so 

beautiful language that they used such archaic 

literary language. In conclusion, this one 

characteristic emphasizes the Qur‘an as a 

literary masterpiece too.    

Furthermore, the Qur‘an‘s status, in 

religious position, as God‘s literary work also 

can be seen from many verses around stories 

had been conveyed. It is like in surah Al Kahfi 

verse 60 to 82 that are translated into English 

by four Qur‘anic translators above. It tells 

around the unique life learning process between 

Khidr as the source of learning to Musa as the 

target of learning. There are many lessons of 

life that can be taken. There are also many 

characters got involved in the story. The 

settings were clear too. The plot is forward and 

flashback. Those are the proofs that the verse 

has what a text can be called a literary work, 

namely prose or Narrative text. There are more 

on that in the Qur‘an‘s text. That conclusion of 

the Qur‘an as a literary work in this paragraph 

also indicates aesthetic too. It is because in one 

whole text, there enclosed many stories inside 

among other types of literary characteristics. 

The next hermeneutic and aesthetic 

perspective also can be inferred from poems in 

all verses starts from the first surah to the last. 

Take for example a surah that is recited 

repetitiously daily for Moslems. It is Al-

Fatihah. Below is the translation of surah Al-

Fatihah by Pickthall. 

 

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the 

Merciful  

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, 

The Beneficent, the Merciful. 

Owner of the Day of Judgement, 

Thee (alone) we worship; Thee alone we ask 

for help. 

Show us the straight path,  

The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; 

Not (the path) of those who earn Thine 

anger nor of those who astray. 

The verse has concise and poetic way in 

conveying comprehensive meaning as a verse. 

The first makes the readers get involved in 

believing they are before Allah in everything 

they do, feel and think. This is also followed by 

illustrating Allah as the Beneficent to everyone 

and everything in all Worlds and the Merciful 

to all believers. That‘s why praise be to Him as 

Lord of all Worlds. The characters then are 

emphasized again. It is important to emphasize 

things just like Sujud in Salats. Then the Day of 

Judgement is also enclosed which refers to 

Allah as the Owner. In relation to the men, they 

are taught to focus to Allah either in 

worshipping or in asking for help. Then they 

are taught to pray to Allah to be showed and 

guided for being on the true life. There are also 

layers in meanings in interpreting this surah as 

what has been showed by many exegesis 

experts in interpreting other verses too.  

In case such findings above reflect the 

multi-interpretations and layers of meaning, the 

impossibility of Qur‘anic translations into 

perfect ones seems happen (Afsar and Azmat, 

2012). Instead, this phenomenon can have big 

lesson. It is that God has revealed the Qur‘an in 

the literary type. Beside being based on the 

multi-interpretation and layers of meaning, it is 

also based on poetic types of all verses and the 

existence of proses. 

Then the results of analysis above show that 

there are many traces of literary characteristics 

of the Qur‘an. This conclusion is also based on 

the literary indications that has been got from 

the analysis. The table below can show such 

conclusion above. 

  
 Table 1. Literary Traces of the Qur‘an Based on Literary Indications  

No Literary Indications 
Fact of Literary 

Traces (Yes/No) 

1 The using of different dictions in Yes 

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1031/terms.pdf
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1031/terms.pdf


LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature, 13(1) October 2018 

 

 

 

different translation  

2 The facts of layers of meaning Yes 

3 The facts of multi-interpretations  Yes 

4 The using of literary words  Yes 

5 The existence of aesthetic prose Yes 

6 The using of concise words Yes 

7 The existence of poetic texts Yes 

   

Table 1 above has parsed the findings of 

this research. There are seven literary 

indications that have been found by using 

Hermeneutics and Aesthetics. Those seven 

indications are stated positive. In other words, 

those seven can signify literary traces of the 

Qur‘an through its English translations. So this 

finding can  substantiate the previous findings 

that stated the Qur‘an as a literary masterpiece. 

 

CONCLUSION 
The researcher finds that English translations of 

Qur‘an are indeed able to prove that the Qur‘an 

is a literary masterpiece. The substantiations of 

this can be seen from the inside-out analysis by 

using Hermeneutics and Aesthetics. 

Furthermore, both analysis say that English 

translations of Qur‘an meet the requirements 

(literary indications) as a kind of literary work 

such as in owning different dictions in different 

translations, layers of meaning, multi-

interpretations for the readers or translators, 

literary words, aesthetic proses, concise words 

and poetic texts. Since the translations are 

literary works, the Qur‘an itself must be a 

literary work too. It can be concluded finally 

that the Qur‘an has left traces of its using 

literary types on its English translations. 

 

 

REFERENCES 

Afsar, A., & Azmat, M. (2012). From the Word of Allah to the Words of Men: The Qur‘an and the 

Poetics of Translation. Islamic Studies. 51(2), 193-211.   

Al-Hilali, M. T., & Khan, M.M. The Noble Qur‘an English Translation of the meanings and 

commentary. Madinah: King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur‘an. Online 

http://islamtomorrow.com/downloads/Quran_Khan.pdf [accessed 17/04/2017]. 

Al-Qur‘an Indonesian-English Translation. (2008). Solo: Qomari.  

Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Quran. Online http://muhammad-asad.com/Message-of-

Quran.pdf [accessed 17/04/2017]. 

Eaton, M. (1999). Basic issues in Aesthetics. USA: Waveland Press.  

Elizabethan Language Terms Contemporary → Elizabethan. Online 

www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1031/terms.pdf [accessed 

16/09/2017].  

Iqbal, M.O. (2013). The Qur‘an as literary masterpiece within its historical and religious milieus. 

Thesis: University of Washington. Online  https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks 

/bitstream/handle/1773/22766/Iqbal_washington_0250O_11526.pdf?sequence=1 [accessed 

15/09/2017]. 

Mir, M. (2000). The Qur‘an As Literature. Renaissance, 10(5), 1-13.  

Mohammed, K. (2005). Assessing English Translations of the Qur‘an. Middle East Quarterly, 

Spring, 1-13.   

Pickthall, M. Meanings of the Holy Qur‘an. Online  http://islamtomorrow.com/downloads/ 

QuranPikhtal.pdf [accessed 17/04/2017] 

Riffaterre, M. (1978). Semiotics of Poetry. Bloomington and London: Indiana University Press.  

http://islamtomorrow.com/downloads/Quran_Khan.pdf
http://muhammad-asad.com/Message-of-Quran.pdf
http://muhammad-asad.com/Message-of-Quran.pdf
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson1031/terms.pdf
https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks%20/bitstream/handle/1773/22766/Iqbal_washington_0250O_11526.pdf?sequence=1
https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks%20/bitstream/handle/1773/22766/Iqbal_washington_0250O_11526.pdf?sequence=1
http://islamtomorrow.com/downloads/%20QuranPikhtal.pdf
http://islamtomorrow.com/downloads/%20QuranPikhtal.pdf


LANGUAGE CIRCLE: Journal of Language and Literature, 13(1) October 2018 
  

  

 

Sadiq, S. (2010). A Comparative Study of Four English Translations of Sûrat Ad-Dukhân on the 

Semantic Level. United Kingdom: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 

Shakespeare‘s Language. Online https://patricianowacky.weebly.com/uploads/5/7/4/8/ 

57483233/mine_thine_and_-eth.pdf [accessed 16/09/2017].    

Taufiqurrohman. (2014). Transcendental Urgency of Literature. Tarbawi, 11(2), 111-121. 

Webster‘s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition. (1986). New York: Simon & Schuster, 

Inc. 

https://patricianowacky.weebly.com/uploads/5/7/4/8/%2057483233/mine_thine_and_-eth.pdf
https://patricianowacky.weebly.com/uploads/5/7/4/8/%2057483233/mine_thine_and_-eth.pdf