In 1999, after a brilliant academic career, Zeinab Abdulaziz gave up her job to translate the Qur'an into French.
Over the years she had become increasingly frustrated with the Western attitude toward Islam: "I specialize in both French literature and the history of civilization. In the course of my research, I noticed that there was hardly a French author who hadn't criticized Islam or the Muslims, and I have always wondered about the reasons behind such hatred and biased views." Dr. Zeinab told Arab News.
The first translation of the Qur'an in French by Robert de Retines at the beginning of the 12th century was undertaken with a clear political aim laid down by Pierre le Venerable in a letter addressed to Saint Bernard. The idea was simply to undermine Islam through the teachings of the Qur'an.
Subsequent translations were made by Orientalists in the same spirit and betrayed a lack of respect for the Qur'an as well as a lack of scientific integrity.
Furthermore the introductions and notes gave the Orientalists an opportunity to further undermine Islam. Most of them refused to accept the revealed nature of the Qur'an and the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was illiterate. They also frequently mistranslated it. An Arabic word has a variety of meanings which correspond to different words in French. Translators have tended to choose a meaning which is either out of context or which defaces Islam. The translation by the famous Orientalist J. Berque is a case in point. The numerous serious mistranslations found in this translation were the subject of a report commissioned by Sheikh Gad El Haq, the Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar, in 1995.
The Muslims who translated the Qur'an attempted to rectify the biased image of Islam previous translations had created but stumbled on language problems inherent to the French language.
"My greatest chore was the discovery of the limitations of the French language compared to Arabic, which is flexible and rich. In French, there are only two words derived from the word "lion", whereas in Arabic there are 120 - the same goes for the sheep, camels or horses. In fact the difference between Arabic and a European language lies in the richness of the Arabic language thanks to its versatile syntax and flexible grammar," explains Dr. Zeinab.
One of the main problems in translating the Qur'an into French lies in the lack of equivalences. According to Dr. Zeinab, "a rigorously correct translation requires the use of neologism. I invented eight words in French not for pedantic reasons but with the sole purpose of translating the true meaning of the Qur'an and to avoid the use of pleonasms."
Translating is only one part of her continuous effort to defend Islam. The author of 20 books, she has just published in French a book on Jihad and Terrorism.
The concept of jihad is widely misunderstood in the West and often surreptitiously linked to that of terrorism. Zeinab Abdulaziz clarifies the various shades derived from the word.
Jihad is a keyword in the sense that it constantly reminds the believer of the choices he has to make between good and evil to remain on the right path and thus help to create a perfect community (ummah).
"Even when the word 'jihad' is understood as 'holy war', it follows strict rules," explains Dr. Zeinab said.
The author deplores the loss of the true spirit of Islam: "The Islamic character is synonymous with generosity, probity, equity and justice, but nowadays people are more concerned with taking from others; the end now justifies the means. Giving in the past was a gift. One gave one's time, one's knowledge and one's life. Today, one is judged by one's financial status, and many consider money to be the ultimate gift. Egoism permeates all spheres of our life and this is a direct outcome of the pseudo liberty people long for."
Zeinab Abdulaziz, the first woman to have ever translated the Qur'an, is respected for her intellectual integrity and her knowledge of French. Yet besides this task, which she sees as her life's mission, she has never stopped painting. An accomplished painter, she confesses that she cannot live without her art: "Through painting, I learn how to love God. I am drawn toward God's light."
