Answer: A hard copy of this translation has been under my
study for almost twelve years. It does suffer from the flaws you have pointed
out -- but do not forget that it is not from a Muslim. He wrote what he found to
be correct in his opinion.
From what I know of the Arabic language, Dawood’s grasp of
Qur’ānic Arabic is exquisite and so is his command on English. So the correct
way is to ignore the flaws and benefit from the qualities. I am afraid that the
general attitude of Muslims is of total rejection or acceptance in religious
issues. This I think is not the correct approach. Human endeavours can never be
perfect. Even efforts based on the best of intentions can result in mistakes. So
instead of rejection, selective acceptance is perhaps the right way in such
matters.
Consequently, I do not think that Muslims should press the
webmaster of the site to remove this translation. |