imam ahmed rida's works in arabic

Discussion in 'Bibliophile's Corner' started by Aqdas, Jul 23, 2005.

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  1. Aqdas

    Aqdas Staff Member

    Imam Ahmad Rida's book on the issue of Sajda.e.Ta'zeemi (prostration of respect), which is so good it was even praised by the Wahabi Abul Hasan 'Ali Nadwi, has been translated into arabic. The book was entitled al-Zubdat al-Zakiya li tahreemi sujud al-Tahiya by the Imam.

    As for its quality, Allah knows best, but the Sunni magazine Jahan.e.Raza publicised it, hence, I feel it will be of a decent standard.
     
  2. Aqdas

    Aqdas Staff Member

    I may be totally off the mark but I think I can remember reading that Imam Ahmad Rida has written about 200 works in arabic.

    Whatever the number, I think before translating his urdu works into arabic, his arabic books should be published. This way the arabs will know of this genius from his own writings. Then, later, his urdu/non-arabic works can be translated, clearly stating, as Sidi abu Hasan said, that they are translations and not original works of the Imam.

    By the way, Sidi Asif mentioned that Shaykh GF Haddad is working on ad-Daulah al-Makkiya. I was at the Sunni Dawate Islami event in Walthamstow and the Shaykh was also there. The compere introduced the Shaykh and said the Shaykh was very impressed with Imam Ahmad Rida and is currently reading/studying ad-Daulah. He did not mention translating but the Shaykh is such that when he studies, he does something with his research, he does not keep it to himself. This is why he is one of the most well known and best Sunni writers.
     
  3. :s1:

    Yes, we need quality control--unfortunately Sunnis have so many other problems (mostly of our own making) that we tend to rush things out and not take time over them...

    what we need is for those people with access to Ala Hazrat's original manuscripts to perhaps scan them in; at the very least at least we'll have something to work from which can then be typeset using some arabic fonts and published in quality editions, even privately...
     
  4. abu Hasan

    abu Hasan Administrator

    assalamu alaykum.

    i recently came across a few books of imam ahmed rida khan which were in arabic. inspite of my little knowledge of arabic, i could sense that there was something wrong - the prose was bland and lacked lustre. the sentences were mechanical and were unlike the flamboyant style of the master. unfortunately, there were grammar mistakes too. and this is a comment coming from a novice! imagine what the native arabic speakers or the masters of the language might think!

    on looking closer i realized that it was the imam's urdu work that has been translated to arabic by a scholar of our own. it was this thing that was alarming. one need not doubt the sincerety of the translator; but a little more care is needed.

    anybody who is unaquainted with the style of alaHazrat or his language or encountering his work for the first time, would not think much of him. this should be highlighted to the publishers that if any of imam ahmed rida's work is translated to arabic at all, it should be clearly mentioned on the cover that it is a translation from the original urdu/persian.

    also, there are books in arabic being circulated which are a mix of both original poetry of alaHazrat and a translation to arabic from his diwan. it is difficult to tell which is which unless one knows his urdu diwan well. one may be easily misled into thinking that alaHazrat wrote a particular poem whereas he did not ... atleast in arabic.

    i wish our overenthusiastic sunnis would keep this in mind when they 'represent' alaHazrat.

    Allah knows best.
     

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