Jul 2026· ALLAIS Journal of Arabic Language and Literature· Vol 5, pp. 97-110· 0 citations
Abstract
The translation of Islamic texts requires careful negotiation between theological accuracy and readability. This study examines how that negotiation is realized in the Arabic-Indonesian translation practices of Pustaka Yasin. Using a descriptive qualitative approach with a single-case study design, this research analyzes translated Islamic texts supported by in-depth interviews with the main translator. The data focus on ambiguous terms, culture-bound expressions, and Islamic terminologies, as well as the use of paratextual elements such as footnotes, glosses, and interpolations. The findings show that Pustaka Yasin consistently balances doctrinal precision and reader accessibility through a combination of micro-level translation techniques, selective retention of Arabic terms, and systematic use of paratexts. This pattern indicates a managed foreignization strategy in which foreign elements are preserved while readability is maintained through guided explanation. The study contributes to Arabic-Indonesian translation studies by showing that paratext functions not merely as an editorial supplement but as a central mechanism for negotiating meaning in the translation of Islamic texts.
This study demonstrates that the primary challenge in translating Indonesian literary works into Arabic lies in the cultural elements embedded in metaphors, proverbs, and local expressions. Employing a qualitative textual analysis of Hamka’s Di Bawah Lindungan Kaʿbah, the research reveals that differences in worldview between Indonesian and Arab societies influence lexical choices and stylistic expressions, making literal translation insufficient. The findings highlight the necessity for translators to grasp the cultural context of the source text to ensure comprehensive meaning transfer. The study contributes to translation studies by formulating strategies that integrate semantic and stylistic approaches, including transliteration with explanatory notes, functional equivalence in the target culture, and the preservation of social metaphors. These strategies prove effective in maintaining cultural authenticity while ensuring readability for Arabic audiences. Overall, the research reinforces the view that literary translation is an act of intercultural mediation, synthesizing linguistic, semantic, and cultural dimensions to preserve meaning, aesthetic nuance, and cultural resonance in the target language.
The study concludes that, in postcolonial Arabic literary translation, human mediation remains essential for preserving figurative meaning and narrative positioning, while AI tools may serve only as preliminary support rather than as a replacement for human judgment.
Haitham M. K. AlYousef· International Journal of Tra...· 0 citations
Recent research in translation studies has emphasised the function of the text as the
focus of translation analysis. The implication of this for legal translation is that the
expected effects of the target text determine the strategies adopted in the translation
process. Given that legal terminology presents various levels of challenges to
translators, it would be advantageous for legal translation analysis to adopt a more
specific approach, and for translator training to incorporate more specialised
knowledge. It is within this context that this study sought to investigate the
terminological challenges of legal translation and provide a platform to further
investigate the implications for legal translation and social justice in general,
particularly in a country such as South Africa where the field of legal translation is
‘under-researched’ and ‘has received little, if any, attention in translation theory and at
tertiary institutions’ (Cornelius 2011: 123). The study draws from the Descriptive
Translation Studies’ (DTS) sub-branches, namely, the process-oriented approach,
product-oriented approach and function-oriented approach. This is because of the
relations that exist between these approaches in translation. In this regard, Toury
(1995) argues that there is no point in conducting a product-oriented study if questions
relating to the determining force of its intended function, and to the choices made by
the translator governed by the norms of establishing a product, are not considered. In
advancing his argument, Toury contends that it is the function of the translation
through its linguistic make-up and/or relationships that connect it to the original, which
yield and govern the strategies which are adopted during the production of the
translation that would result in a translation process as a whole. The study adopted a
qualitative case study design approach to gain a deeper understanding of the
translation decisions made by translators within a particular context, in light of the
translation challenges that they encounter when translating legal texts. The study used
a thematic analysis method to analyse translation styles employed by translators in
the translation of eThekwini Municipality By-Laws. The translation styles were
identified and exemplified in the framework of three broad categories: legal terms -
technical terms, polysemous words and word strings/legal synonyms; linguistic terms - modal verbs, archaic adverbs, collocations, ambiguous/vague words, long sentences
and passive voice, and culture-specific terms/expressions. Norms were also identified that are at play during the translation act. Data was accessed from the eThekwini
Municipality website. It consisted of eight pieces of legislation in English and their
translations. The findings of the study reveal that the main challenges encountered by
the translators of the selected legal texts were both linguistic and socio-cultural in
nature. As a result, the translators adopt various translation styles such as borrowing,
adaptation, naturalisation, paraphrasing, and functional equivalents to render the
source texts in the target language. These styles produced translations are generally
acceptable in the isiZulu language and culture, even though a few of the translations
led to meaning shifts in the target language. The norms that were operational during
the translation process shaped translators’ decision-making with respect to the
translation styles they adopted in the translation. This is consistent with Toury’s (1995)
assertion that norms determine the translation strategies that a translator adopts. In
other words, they serve as a guide in the translation process regarding strategies
used.
This paper focuses on the analysis of the linguistics of Islamic moderation in Al-Azhar's official digital discourse in Arabic and how this construction functions as a support for the religious authority of Al-Azhar in the contemporary mediated environment. The current study adopted a qualitative design based on the socio-cognitive Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and Arabic micro-linguistic analysis, such that it analysed thirty tweets posted between 2019 and 2025 on Al-Azhar's verified Platform X account. The results indicate that the modulation happens through recurrent lexical patterns, nominal sentence structure (jumlah ismiyyah), masdar nominalization, definiteness marking by the prefix al-, performative institutional verb sequencing, lexical oppositions and patterned embedding of the citation of the Qur’anic text and Hadiths. There are also linguistic mechanisms which reinforce moderation as an institutional normative Islamic perspective and which highlight Al-Azhar's institutional authority in formal Arabic digital communication. The study reveals that Arabic digital religious discourse is a patterned institutional positioning that relies on grammatical form, scriptural intertextuality, and institutional register as mechanisms of authority. What is original about it is the unique combination of socio-cognitive Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) with a close Arabic micro-grammatical analysis of the original source texts, providing a language-centred framework that brings together the fields of study on Islamic moderation, digital religion and discourse analysis.
This study aims to examine how Pakistani newspapers present the boycott of Israeli products, identify the language ideologies in this coverage, and explore how text and visuals work together to construct meanings of digital resistance. This research uses a qualitative multimodal discourse analysis approach. It combines Systemic Functional Linguistics (Halliday & Matthiessen, 2014) with the visual analysis framework of Kress and van Leeuwen (2006). A selection of English-language Pakistani newspaper articles was analyzed. The study focuses on linguistic features such as transitivity, lexicalization, modality, and nominalization, along with visual elements like images, layout, and design. The findings show that newspapers present boycott through different perspectives, including economic, moral, religion and political viewpoints. Language is used to assign responsibility, express opinions, and influence readers understanding. At the same time, images support and strengthen these meanings by showing protests, products, and everyday consumer practices. The study also finds that different ideas such as moral responsibility, religion obligations and economic concerns exist together in the same discourse. The study concludes that Pakistani newspapers play an important role in shaping digital resistance by presenting boycott as a social, moral and political act. It also shows that meaning is created through the combination of language and visuals. This research contributes to the fields of discourse analysis and media studies by explaining how media influences public opinion and turns everyday consumer choices into forms of resistance.
Amina Mahmood, Farah Kashif· Social Sciences Spectrum· 0 citations
Background and Purpose: The translation of Prophetic Hadith involves mediating meaning across linguistic, cultural, and religious boundaries, where lexical choices significantly influence interpretation. A persistent challenge concerns how translators adjust the level of specificity when rendering culturally embedded Arabic expressions into Malay. Despite increasing attention to religious translation, limited research has examined how generalization and specification, as semantic strategies, reshape meaning and affect interpretive accuracy. This study investigates the occurrence and function of these strategies, as proposed by Chesterman (1997), in selected Malay translations of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (TSB) published by the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia (JPM).
Methodology: Adopting a qualitative approach, the study employs componential and descriptive analyses to examine shifts in conceptual specificity between the source and target texts. Through componential decomposition, it identifies how core semantic features of Arabic cultural items are either generalized or specified within Malay interpretations. The study analysed seven material cultural items extracted from selected hadiths in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, namely burd, al-tharīd, al-qiththāʾ, al-utrujjah, al-raiḥānah, al-ḥanẓalah, and al-bitʿu.
Findings: The findings indicate that generalization enhances accessibility but often reduces culture-specific semantic detail, while specification narrows meaning to dominant Malay conceptualizations, potentially limiting semantic richness. These shifts reflect deliberate translational choices shaped by linguistic, cultural, and pragmatic factors.
Contributions: This study highlights the importance of semantic sensitivity and demonstrates the value of componential analysis in evaluating meaning shifts, advocating balanced strategies that preserve interpretive depth while ensuring clarity.
Keywords: Generalization, specification, cultural items, prophetic hadith, Sahih Bukhari.
Cite as: Abd Rahman, L., A. Bakar, A., Ramli, S., Doll Kawaid, A. I. S., Abu Bakar, A. I., Harun, H., & Mat Zaki, M. A. A. (2026). Generalization and specification in translating prophetic hadith: A componential analysis of cultural items in the Malay translation of Saḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 11(2), 401-420. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp401-420
Lubna Abd. Rahman, Arnida A. Bakar, Sulhah Ramli et al.· Journal of Nusantara Studies...· 0 citations
