HYDERABAD: An eminent Islamic scholar on Wednesday highlighted the importance of preserving true essence of Arabic terms in their translation into English and called for preserving Arabic terms in their original form to avoid unintended connotations in English usage.

For example, ‘God’ was frequently used as a substitute for ‘Allah’ — a proper name in Arabic that denotes unicity of the Creator — but ‘Allah’ should not be translated into English as it held a unique meaning that differed significantly from ‘God’, a term that could also refer to idols in various cultures, said Dr Sajid Hussain.

He was addressing a seminar on misuse of Arabic names and expressions in English language organised by the Institute of Languages (Arabic & Persian) at Sindh University’s Jamshoro campus on Wednesday.

He spoke at length on correct usage of pure Arabic words and expressions, particularly focusing on words like ‘Allah’ and ‘Nabi’ and pointed out that using “Allah” instead of “God” in English maintained sanctity of the term and brought it into line with its intended significance.

Similarly, he argued that English translation of “Prophet” for “Nabi or Rasool” was also inaccurate as the English term “prophet” historically implied meanings such as “soothsayer” or “oracle,” which did not capture Islamic understanding of the role of a messenger.

He called for preserving Arabic terms in their original form within English usage to avoid unintended connotations and said that efforts had been made to correct these terms in educational textbooks through Punjab Textbook Board and that proposals had been submitted to Council of Islamic Ideology to draw government’s attention to this issue.

He expressed hope that Sindh would implement proper Arabic terminology in educational materials to maintain religious identity and significance of these words.

Director of the Institute of Languages, Dr Mufti Mohammad Sahibdad Sikandari, faculty mem­bers, including Mohammad Abdul Samad, Ahmed Raza Chan­dio and Jamshed Ahmed Chinjni and students from various departments attended the seminar.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2024