who have read the Holy Qur’ān in the original recognize that its translation can convey neither the elements of music in its recitation, nor yet the full significance of the original. The opening chapter of the Holy Qur’ān can be taken as an example. This chapter, the Fātiḥah, is the most essential part of the Islāmic prayer. The seven verses of this chapter must be recited in every rak‘ah of every prayer, whether private or public. Take the recitation first. A reference to the transliteration and translation, given further on, will show that the translation has in it nothing of the musical cadence of the original, and the effect upon the ear of the mere recitation of words is quite lost in the translation. But even more important than this is the inability of any language to convey the exact significance of the short words of the original, even in long sentences. Take, for instance, the word Rabb which occurs here first of all as an attribute of the Divine Being, and is the most frequently repeated of attributes in the whole of the Holy Qur’ān. In English it is generally translated as Lord, but that word does not at all convey the real significance of the Arabic word Rabb, which, as already pointed out, carries with it the idea of the fostering of a thing in such a manner as to make it attain one condition after another until it reaches its goal of completion. It is a word composed of but two letters, ra and ba, yet the significance which it carries is so vast that a whole sentence would be required in other languages to convey its meaning fully. The word Lord or Father does not express that idea at all. The same is the case with the next following attributes, Raḥmān and Raḥīm, which are both derived from the same root raḥmah signifying tenderness requiring the exercise of beneficence, and are closely related in meaning; the former indicating that quality of love and mercy which comes into operation, even before the creation of man, by providing for him things which are necessary for his life; and the latter that which comes into operation when man makes use of these things and has thus done something to deserve it. No words in any other language can fully express these great ideas and this fine distinction. Similar is the case with ibādah, used in the middle verse, which is rendered in English by worshipping, but which really carries the meaning of obedience coupled with the utmost submissiveness.7 The word ihdi, occurring in the fourth verse, is rendered guide, but hidāyah, the root from which it is derived, means guiding and leading on
7 Al-‘ibādah al-ṭā‘ah ma‘-al-khudz‘ūi (TA.).