Could we drop this thread?

Besides being off-topic, we are arguing apples and oranges.

Peter didn't say that the Koran could not be translated. Any
piece of text can be translated. He said that in Muslim theology
only the Arabic Koran is the word of Allah. In any other language,
it's just a paraphrase, an interpretation. It's a religious viewpoint,
just as Roman Catholic theology says that the wine of the
Eucharist turns into the blood of Christ, but any chemist can tell
you that it doesn't really do that.

--Ph. D.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kumazuki" <kumazuki@...>
To: <qalam@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 31, 2004 2:52 AM
Subject: Re: Tr.: L'alphabet latin serait-il d'origine berbère?

> > It happens to be a cornerstone of Muslim faith that the Qur'an is
> > untranslatable and inimitable. You cannot use an interpretation in any
> > other language in a religious context.
>
> So Peter, are you saying that to be a practicing Muslim you must be
fluent
> in classic Arabic?
> Does that also mean that to be a religious Christian you must be able to
> understand the bible as it was written in Aramaic and Greek?
> I can only guess that if a religion is to thrive and conquer, as the
Muslims
> and Christians have, it's message must be translated.
> Maybe I'm wrong, but, if a Philippine Muslim and a Turkish Muslim meet,
they
> may both pray and recite the Qur'an in Arabic but they understand the
> concepts in their own native languages. how can that be if it is
> untranslatable?
>
> Scott