مولانا محمد جوناگڑھیؒ کے ترجمہ قرآن کا ایک تحقیقی وتنقیدی جائزہ: A Research-Based and Critical Review of Maulana Muhammad Junagarhi’s Translation of the Qur’an.

Dr. Kaleem Ullah

doi:10.5281/zenodo.17780900

Authors

Dr. Kaleem Ullah Lecturer, Department of Islamic Studies, University of Balochistan, Quetta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17780900

Keywords:

Junagadhi Translation, Urdu Qur’an Studies, Translation Methodology, Comparative Analysis, Critical Evaluation

Abstract

This article presents a comprehensive analytical and critical study of Tarjumān al-Qur’ān by Maulana Muhammad Junagadhi, one of the most widely read and influential Urdu translations of the Qur’an. The paper begins with a historical overview of Qur’anic translation efforts in the Indian subcontinent, tracing their development from Shah Waliullah’s pioneering Persian translation to the emergence of major Urdu translations by Shah Rafiuddin, Shah Abdul Qadir, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Abul Kalam Azad, Abul A‘la Maududi, and others. It then introduces Maulana Junagadhi’s life, educational background, scholarly contributions, and prolific literary legacy, situating him within the intellectual and reformist milieu of early twentieth-century India. The core of the study is devoted to an in-depth examination of Junagadhi’s translation methodology and style, highlighting key features such as his use of simple and fluent Urdu, avoidance of heavy Persian and Arabic constructions, preference for conceptual over literal rendering, and judicious use of parenthetical clarifications to make meanings explicit. Several examples are provided to illustrate his choices in handling complex syntactic structures, verb forms, and theological terms. A critical evaluation follows, identifying certain shortcomings and inconsistencies in Junagadhi’s work. These include occasional neglect of grammatical subtleties, misinterpretation of morphological forms, unnecessary departure from literal meanings in well-known terms, and issues of tense consistency and syntactic precision. The paper also undertakes a comparative analysis of selected verses, placing Junagadhi’s translation alongside other major Urdu versions to assess its strengths, limitations, and relative reliability. Overall, the study concludes that while Tarjumān al-Qur’ān remains an important milestone in Urdu Qur’anic translation for its accessibility, elegance, and impact, it also exemplifies the challenges inherent in rendering the Qur’an into another language. This research aims to contribute to the broader discourse on Qur’anic translation studies, particularly regarding fidelity to the original text, linguistic clarity, and theological nuance in the South Asian context.

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