EQ Persian Translation Project پروژة ترجمة ايکيو به زبان فارسي

By Mehrdad Abbasi *

مهرداد عباسي

The Encyclopaedia of the Qur’ān (EQ) is a major academic reference for Qur’anic studies in the English language, compiled under the editorship of Jane Dammen McAuliffe and published in five volumes (plus index) (Brill Academic Publishers, 2001-2006). Upon the completion of EQ, my fellows and I initiated its translation into Persian. The first translated volume appeared in Spring 2013 by Hekmat Publication Ins. in Tehran, and the second volume has recently appeared in this Spring 2014. We hope this translation project will be complete by 2016.طرح ج1

دائرةالمعارف قرآن (اي‌کيو) اثری مرجع در حوزة مطالعات قرآنی است که با رويکردي آکادميک و مطابق با معيارهاي بين‌المللي به سرويراستاري جين دمن مک‌اوليف تدوين شد و در نخستين سالهاي قرن بيست‌ويکم (2001-2006) در پنج جلد (به‌علاوة جلد ضميمه) در انتشارات بريل منتشر شد. بلافاصله پس از پايان يافتن کار انتشار نسخة انگليسي اين مجموعه، من و گروهي از دوستان و همکارانم به فکر ترجمة اين دائرةالمعارف به زبان فارسي افتاديم و پس از چند سال کار مداوم، سرانجام جلد نخست ترجمة فارسي اين مجموعه در بهار 1392/2013 در مؤسسة انتشارات حکمت در تهران به چاپ رسيد. جلد دوم اين مجموعه نيز در بهار سال جاري منتشر شد. اميدوارم کار انتشار مجلدات باقيمانده تا سال 1395/2016 پايان يابد

In 2003, Iranian journals initially publicized EQ with some informative essays and translations of short entries. Later, I translated into Persian the full entry, ‘Exegesis of the Qur’ān: Early Modern and Contemporary,’ by Rotraud Wielandt, published in Āyene-ye Pazhūesh 86 (1383/2004). Readers’ attention to this translation, the popularity of EQ among scholars, and their encouragement altogether instigated our present translation of the entirety of EQ.

نام اي‌کيو نخستين بار در نوشته‌هاي فارسي حدود سال 1381/2003 در برخي نشريه‌هاي ايران مطرح شد. پاره‌اي از اين نوشته‌ها صرفاً جنبة اطلاع‌رساني داشتند و برخي ديگر به ترجمة کامل و خلاصه از برخي مقالات کوتاه آن اختصاص يافتند. دو سال بعد، يکي از مقاله‌هاي مهم و بلند اي‌کيو يعني «تفسير در دورة جديد» (به قلم رتراود ويلانت) را نگارندة اين سطور به فارسي برگرداند و در نشرية آينة پژوهش (قم، شمارة 86، 1383) منتشر کرد. اقبال‌ها به آن مقاله، شناخته‌تر شدن اي‌کيو در ميان محققان و تشويق و دلگرمي‌هاي آنها رفته‌رفته ايدة ترجمة کل دايرةالمعارف را به ذهن من و برخي دوستانم متبادر کرد

Initial discussions about the compilation process took place with the scientific manager of Hekmat Publication in 2006, which led to the formation of our four-member ‘Planning and Compilation Team’: Hossein Khandaqabadi (Encyclopaedia Islamica Foundation, Tehran), Masoud Sadeghi (University of Tehran), Amir Maziar (Tehran University of Art), and myself. Our main responsibilities were to (a) codify the Persian list of entries; (b) set the general policies for manuscript preparation and editing guidelines; and (c) identify translators and advisers for the project. Upon receiving solicited translations, the ‘Planning and Compilation’ team, now called the ‘Editorial Board,’ reviews the scientific and technical aspects of each translation. Twenty translators familiar with Islamic studies have translated the entries of the two initial EQ Persian volumes, with about thirty professors and scholars providing editorial suggestions for quality improvements, all with the ongoing support of our friends at Hekmat Publication.

نخستين گام در آغاز پروژة ترجمة اي‌کيو گفتگويي بود که در سال 1385 ميان من و مدير علمي انتشارات حکمت دربارة فرآيند تدوين مجموعه انجام گرفت. پس از مدتي کوتاه جمعي چهارنفره با عنوان «گروه برنامه‌ريزي و تدوين» شامل حسين خندق‌آبادي (بنياد دائرةالمعارف اسلامي)، مسعود صادقي (دانشگاه تهران)، امير مازيار (دانشگاه هنر) و من شکل گرفت. اين گروه در جلسات متعدد به اين وظايف عمده پرداختند: تدوين مدخلنامة فارسي، تنظيم خط‌مشي کلي براي تهية شيوه‌نامة ترجمه و ويرايش مقاله‌ها، و تعيين مترجمان و مشاوران. پس از آن به‌تدريج کار سفارش مقاله‌ها به مترجمان آغاز شد. پس از دريافت ترجمه‌هاي مربوط به جلد نخست، کار مقابله، بازبيني و ويرايش علمي و فني مدخلها را نيز همان اعضاي «گروه برنامه‌ريزي و تدوين» به انجام رساندند که از اين پس «گروه ويراستاران ترجمة فارسي» نام گرفتند. حدود بيست مترجم از دوستان و همکاران فعال در حوزة مطالعات اسلامي کار ترجمة مدخلهاي جلد اول و دوم را بر عهده داشته‌اند؛ قريب به سي تن از استادان و محققان بزرگوار نيز در مراحل گوناگونِ ترجمه و ويرايش متن مقالات طرف مشورت ويراستاران بوده‌اند؛ و جمعي از همکاران انتشارات حکمت نيز در امور پشتيباني علمي و فني گروه ويراستاران را در به‌سامان رساندن اين مجموعه ياري کرده‌اند

Prior to the start of this project, Western scholarship on the Qur’an had not been seriously taken into account in academic and research forums in Iran. Our main interest in translating the EQ into Persian is to present the efforts of non-Muslim scholars in Qur’anic studies and to show a real image of a great Qur’anic project in the West. Although members of the translation project perceived some errors or deficiencies in some original entries, they do not endeavor to critique, revise, or change the authors’ viewpoints; this project intends to render a faithful and authentic translation of entries to Persian readers.

واقعيت آن است که مطالعات قرآني غرب تقريباً در هيچ دوره‌اي آن‌گونه که بايد در محافل علمي و پژوهشي ايران جدي گرفته نشده و در جاي خود قرار نگرفته است. يکي از مهم‌ترين انگيزه‌هاي متوليان پروژة ترجمة اي‌کيو نماياندن تلاشها و پژوهشهاي غربيان و غيرمسلمانان دربارة قرآن و عرضة تصويري درست و حتي‌الامکان مطابق با واقع از اثري معيار متعلق به حوزة مطالعات قرآني در غرب بوده است. ويراستاران مجموعه با وجود آگاهي از برخي نقايص در پاره‌اي از مقالات اي‌کيو، تصميم‌شان بر آن بوده است تا ترجمه‌اي منقح و دقيق و امانت‌دارانه از اين اثر به خوانندة فارسي‌زبان عرضه کنند و هرگز مدعي تکميل و ترميم مقاله‌ها يا در پي نقد و رد نظريات و ديدگاههاي نويسندگان اي‌کيو يا به دنبال پاسخ‌گويي به اشکالات و ايرادات آنها نبوده‌اند

The major objective of our members is to introduce Iranian readers to the advancing global academic discourses on Qur’anic studies. We believe that the questions, methods, data, and viewpoints declared in the EQ entries, along with their references, will encourage interested Iranian scholars to pave the way toward reviving Persian academic discourses on Qur’anic studies with well-written and systematic works.

هدف محوري من و همکارانم در گروه ويراستاري از انجام اين پروژه آن بوده است که گفتمان آکادمیک مطالعات قرآنی را، آن گونه که در طراز بين‌المللي در جريان است، به خوانندة ايراني معرفی کنيم و گامي در مسير تثبيت اين گفتمان و رويکرد تحقيقي و انتقادي به مطالعات قرآني برداريم. به باور ما، مسأله‌ها، روش‌ها، ابزارها، داده‌ها، و ديدگاههاي مطرح‌شده در مدخلهاي اين دائرةالمعارف، منابع معرفي‌شده در هر مقاله و نوع نگرش و رهيافت نويسندگان آنها، همگي، مي‌توانند بصيرتهايي نوين در ذهن دانشجويان و پژوهشگران ايراني ايجاد کنند تا با تحقيقاتي بنيادي و تأليفاتي روشمند زمينه‌ساز رونق و طراوت مطالعات قرآني به زبان فارسي شوند

*Mehrdad Abbasi is Assistant Professor of Qur’anic Studies at Islamic Azad University in Tehran. Correspondence is welcome to abbasimehrdad@yahoo.com.

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2014. All rights reserved.

Recent Updates and Plans

Dear Friends of IQSA,

On May 29 the inaugural board of the International Qur’anic Studies Association held their first spring meeting. At the meeting the executive director reported to council the achievements of IQSA thus far, and plans for the future. Furthermore, the quorum of council members reviewed and ratified the articles of incorporation as well as bylaws, thereby officially establishing IQSA as a learned society. We are soon to file for non-profit status.

From left to right: Hamza Zafer, Fred Donner, Andrew Rippin, Emran El-Badawi, Gabriel Reynolds, Jane McAuliffe, John Kutsko

From left to right: Hamza Zafer, Fred Donner, Andrew Rippin, Emran El-Badawi, Gabriel Reynolds, Jane McAuliffe, John Kutsko

Thanks to the progress we have made thus far, we are continuing to make important updates to our website. If you have not done so already, I invite you to become members of IQSA here, which is free for 2014. Our first membership drive was a huge success and we received even more membership requests than originally anticipated. (members are still eligible to register for the San Diego meeting this November here) I also invite you to explore who our members of council, officers and committee members are here. Over the next several months, website changes will include publicizing editorial board members; bringing on line and integrating publishing resources; a new membership form; and more Arabic translation to accommodate international interest overall. Finally, online visitors can expect to have access to the 2014 San Diego program book this fall.

I hope you share our joy and excitement during this time, and that you become members (for free!) and consider joining us in San Diego this November. On behalf of members of council and all those serving with IQSA, I thank you for your support and friendship.

Yours,

Emran El-Badawi, Executive Director

IQSA’s New Blog Coordinator Invites Submissions

VDG profile with tafsirGreetings! My name is Vanessa De Gifis, and I pleased to introduce myself as the new blog coordinator for IQSA. I earned my Ph.D. in Islamic thought from the University of Chicago, and I am presently Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where I teach (among other things) a course on the Qur’an and tafsir. My own research takes place at the interface between thematic study of the Qur’an text and study of Qur’anic themes in later Islamic thought. My recent book, Shaping a Qur’anic Worldview (Routledge, 2014), is the first sustained analysis of Qur’anic referencing in the political rhetoric of the classical Caliphate. Currently my research digs deeper into the scriptural underpinnings of Muslim moral thought by taking a closer look at one of the most pervasive motifs in the Qur’an and Muslim socio-political discourse, that of divine “favor,” with an eye to better understanding the dynamics of its interpretation and ideological use.

The IQSA blog has become a popular and authoritative venue for showcasing new developments in Qur’anic studies, and I am excited to support its ongoing vitality. With that in mind, I welcome blog submissions from all members of our scholarly community. If you are interested in sharing an aspect of your current research, reviewing a new publication, or reporting on an event in Qur’anic studies, please feel free to email me at vdegifis@wayne.edu. Blog entries are typically about 500 words, and the blog format is flexible. I hope to hear from you!

If you have not already become an IQSA member, please join us! Membership is free for 2014. Simply submit a Membership Form herehttp://membership.iqsaweb.org/Join.aspx.

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2014. All rights reserved.

CFP: International Conference on “Renewal in Qur’anic Studies,” Kuala Lumpur, 18-19 November 2014

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نداء للمؤتمر الدولي التجديد في الدراسات القرآنية
قسم القرآن و الحديث، أكاديمية الدراسات الإسلامية، جامعة مالايا
١٨-١٩ نوفمبر ٢٠١٤ م/٢٥-٢٦ محرم ١٤٣٦ ه

The Department of Qur’an and Hadith at the University of Malaya invites proposal abstracts of original research for an upcoming international conference aiming to bring together scholars from around the world to address current issues, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration in Qur’anic studies. Conference themes include:

Qur’anic Studies and Allied Fields in the Humanities and Sciences
Qur’anic Studies and Contemporary Social Issues
The Qur’an and Arabic Language and Linguistics
New Pedagogical Approaches to the Qur’an and Qur’anic Sciences
Advancing Qur’anic Studies Research in Higher Education
Evolving Roles of International Institutions for Qur’anic Studies

Image by Aboomanha, via Wikimedia Commons

Qur’an with Arabi Malayalam translation; Image by Aboomanha, via Wikimedia Commons

The conference accommodates research in three languages: Arabic, English, and Malay. For more details, including proposal and paper guidelines, registration terms, publication prospects, and language-specific contacts, please see the attached CFP (in Arabic). The deadline for submission of proposals is 15 July 2014.

Conference Renewal of Qur’anic studies مؤتمر التجديد في الدراسات القرآنية

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2014. All rights reserved.