Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

MessageI do not understand the Arabic language. I need someone to translate the word of the almighty so that I my understand his wishes. I have some options.

1.   I can give up Islam since all religions teach the same thing by your logic, so whatever I do following my conscience will be agreeable to Allah anyway.

2.  I choose to maintain Islam and go out and pick anyone who knows arabic to translate it for me.

Maybe I pick Mr Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Maybe I pick Dr Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin, Maybe I pick some Wahabi Arab,like Osama Bin Laden. It really wouldn't matter. Then I wouldn't have to call myself a Dawoodi Bohra anymore. By the way, why do you call ourself that?? That would be an insult to yourself, would'nt it?? I would not like to be a hypocrite like that. That would be against my conscience. Let me pick my translator. You go ahead and pick yours. As it stands, my translator allows me to call myself a Dawoodi Bohra. You have no such basis. Kindly keep me OUT of your discussions in future. I do NOT welcome it, I do NOT appreciate it and I do NOT need it.

Abde Syedna (TUS)

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Let me pick my own translator

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Statement: Let me pick my translator. You go ahead and pick yours. As it stands, my translator allows me to call myself a Dawoodi Bohra. You have no such basis.

By all means, brother, pick and choose your own translator of the Holy Quran. Whatever you do, and whichever translator you choose; our only invitation to you is to read and understand the Glorious Quran, so that you can be guided aright. What is important is that you read, understand, follow and obey the clear guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran; not the translator! Pick the translator that you are comfortable with; and do yourself a favor and read the Holy Quran with understanding. That way, at least, you will know what Allah calls guidance and what He terms error.

But if you do not read the very Book which Allah has revealed for the guidance of mankind, and follow your leaders unconditionally; how would you possibly know if they are guiding from the Holy Quran or from themselves? It is only by understanding the clear guidance of the Quran, that you will be able to differentiate the Truth from the falsehood. And after you read the Holy Quran with understanding, you still think that the way you were born into, and the way that was followed by your father and fore-fathers, and the way that is being preached by your leaders is in conformity with the guidance of the Holy Quran; by all means… follow that way! But please, please read the Holy Quran once with understanding! At least you will have the confirmation that the way you are following is the Right Way.

The truth of the matter is that there is no translation of the Quran available from the leadership, nor has the leader himself translated the Quran, nor has he endorsed an existing one! They may quote one aayah here and one aayah there, but never will you ever hear about a class or group where you are taught the meanings from the beginning of the Quran to the end! Understanding of the Holy Quran is just not in the agenda of the sect; and that is the reason most of their followers are ignorant of the clear guidance of the Holy Quran.

May Allah guide you and every believer to read and understand the Holy Quran.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan