Equivalence and translatability of Qur'anic Discourse A comparative and Analytical Evaluation

Translation theory has recently witnessed a considerable degree of improvement, however, translation of the meaning of Qur'änic discourse still poses a severe challenge for translators. The present study investigates the notion of equivalence and probes the difficulties caused by the distinctiveness of the Qur'an in terms of linguistics, semantics and stylistics. The study looks into translation theory as a framework against which several translations of the meaning of the Qur'an have been analytically evaluated. Then the study puts forward for the first time the Qur'änic
Cognitive Model as a general theoretical framework or model for the purpose of understanding Qur'änic discourse better. The study looks over the notion of nagrn (order system) and the impact of `ilm al-baläghah (the science of rhetoric) on the degree of equivalence in translation of the meaning of the Qur'än. Then an elaborated exemplary detail of the problems of translating the Qur'än has been discussed and
several selected translations of the meaning of the Qur'an have been assessed. The study presents evidence to the effect that translation of the meaning of the Qur'an
constitutes a major area of difficulty for translators and interpreters. It has also arrived at a conclusion that substantiates the failure of the notion of equivalence.