Shah Waliullah Dehlavi and his Qur’an Translation

Fath ar-Rahmān bi Tarjamati Ma’āni al-Qur’ān

Misbahullāh ‘Abdul-Baqi

Department of Exegesis and Qur’anic Studies, College of Usul ad-Din,

International Islamic University, Pakistan

In this paper the researcher attempted to find out the distinctive characteristics of Shah Waliullah’s Persian Quran translation, which first appeared in full in 1151 AH (ca. 1730), that insured its longevity and immense popularity. Since the beginning numerous editions have appeared and it has undergone many revisions and updates.

The driving factor behind this phenomenal success was that Shah Waliullah, in his own right, was a hugely accomplished scholar who exercised good common sense much to the benefit of the final product of his work. Right from the beginning he had a clear view of his target readership and everything else fell in place. His own knowledge of Qur’anic issues and subtleties also favourably reflected on his translation. All in all, this article provides a catalogue of good Qur’an translation practice.

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