Translation Qur'an Parables in Surat alkahf : Contrastive Cultural analysis of figurative language in the Novle Qur'an

Abstract

Given the sacred and sensitive nature of the Qur'an, this study is designed to provide a thorough contrastive cultural analysis of the figurative language found in four reputable Qur'an translations (Asad's, Ali's, Hilali-Khan's and Abdel-Haleem's translations) of the four parables mentioned in Surat al-Kahf. The study highlights the challenges encountered and the strategies adopted to surmount the Qur'an-specific and culture-specific figurative language. In addition, the study proposes the adoption of communicative exegetic translation (or facilitative interpretive approach) through lexical expansion procedures as the ideal strategy to be applied particularly in translating Qur'an parables. The eclectic methodology utilized for data collection is quantitatively conducted to examine the reader's understanding of the translated Qur'an figurative language, and qualitatively conducted to contrastively analyze the cultural strategies employed in the selected translations of the aforesaid Surah, thus enhancing the study's findings and results.