al-Nashr al-Elektroni li-Tarjamat Maani al-Quran al-Karim fi Khidmat al-Dawa
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- al-Nashr al-Elektroni li-Tarjamat Maani al-Quran al-Karim fi Khidmat al-Dawa
al-Nashr al-Elektroni li-Tarjamat Maani al-Quran al-Karim fi Khidmat al-Dawa (Electronic Publishing of Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Quran in the Service of Da'wah) is an academic research treatise by the Saudi scholar Fahd bin Muhammad al-Malik, examining the role and strategic potential of digital publishing technologies in disseminating Quranic translations globally for Islamic outreach (da'wah) .
Background and Context
The study was prepared for a specialized symposium organized by the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran devoted to the subject of translating the meanings of the Quran . Al-Malik was invited by the symposium's organizing committee to address its fifth thematic track, dedicated to the da'wah dimension, specifically under the title of this treatise . In his introduction, the author highlights the pressing need for Islamic institutions to actively engage with Quranic translation, noting that historically a large proportion of translation efforts and Orientalist research in Western universities were conducted outside of an Islamic religious framework .
Structure and Content
The work consists of an introduction and three core chapters (mabahith):
- Introduction: Discusses the historical context and legal permissibility of translating the meanings of the Quran into foreign languages, emphasizing translation as an essential avenue for conveying Islam worldwide .
- Chapter One (al-Mabhath al-Awwal): Defines electronic publishing, desktop publishing (DTP), hypertext, and the World Wide Web . It categorizes electronic publishing into forms such as non-interactive broadcasts (e.g., teletext), interactive services (e.g., videotex, online search), standalone digital products (e.g., CDs, video discs, software), and electronic newspapers . It also outlines key technical characteristics, including interactivity (al-tafauliyyah), demassification (al-lajamahiriyyah), asynchronicity (al-latazamuniyyah), mobility (al-harakiyyah), and convertibility (al-qabiliyyah li-l-tahwil) .
- Chapter Two (al-Mabhath al-Thani): Explores practical applications and benefits of electronic publishing in Islamic da'wah . It establishes the legal framework for using modern communication media in outreach based on legal maxims of means and ends, noting that the Prophet ﷺ utilized all permissible communication channels available in his time . It emphasizes the substantial savings in financial cost and physical shipping logistics, the unprecedented speed and breadth of distribution, the ability to reach remote populations lacking mosques or Islamic centers, and the decentralized nature of digital mediums such as websites and compact discs .
- Chapter Three (al-Mabhath al-Thalith): Presents the summary, findings, and recommendations drawn from the study .
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