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Multilingualism, Translation, and Religion in the Premodern Islamic World(s): Texts,...
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Multilingualism, Translation, and Religion in the Premodern Islamic World(s): Texts, Contexts, and Crossroads

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2025) | Viewed by 4193

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hany Rashwan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Arabic Language & Literature, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
Interests: comparative literature; history of rhetoric; translation and reception studies; postcolonial studies; philosophies of language; visual poetics; word and image; Islamic literature
Prof. Dr. Ross Brann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Interests: Jews and the classical age of Islam; Maimonides; Islamic Spain: culture and society; Judeo-Arabic poetics; medieval Hebrew and Arabic literature

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between multilingualism, translation, and religion in premodern Islamic cultures remains an understudied topic. While premodern Islamic scholarship thrived in a multilingual environment, with scholars engaging in Arabic, Persian, Greek, Syriac, Hebrew, and other languages, the role of multilingualism in shaping religious thoughts and practices is often overlooked. Multilingual translators not only facilitated the transmission of sacred texts, but also adapted theological, philosophical, and legal concepts across linguistic and cultural boundaries. This process influenced interpretations of sacred texts, the development of religious discourse, and even the articulation of premodern Islamic identity in diverse regions. A deeper exploration of these dynamics can reveal how multilingual interactions shaped religious scholarship and the lived experiences of Muslim communities. This Special Issue investigates the overlooked role of premodern Islamic multilingualism and aims to develop new theoretical and methodological approaches drawn from the social sciences and the humanities. These methodologies should reflect the diverse and multifaceted nature of the languages of the Islamic empires and their significance in cultural and religious contexts. By fostering discussions at the intersection of religion, language, and textual transmission, Religions offers an opportunity to highlight the ways in which linguistic diversity shaped religious identities and intellectual traditions in premodern Islamic cultures.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–300 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editor, or to the Assistant Editor of Religions, Loretta Chen <loretta.chen@mdpi.com>. Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Hany Rashwan
Prof. Dr. Ross Brann
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • premodern Islamic multilingualism
  • multiculturism
  • translation
  • Islamic lingua franca

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 514 KB  
Article
Orality, Liturgy, and Transcendence in Ḥafṣ Ibn Albar’s Kitāb al-Zabūr (889 CE)
by Jason Busic
Religions 2026, 17(5), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17050541 - 30 Apr 2026
Viewed by 307
Abstract
Perhaps the most well-known figure from among the Arabized Christians of al-Andalus, the theologian and scholar Ḥafṣ Ibn Albar of Cordoba (fl. late ninth/early tenth century CE) has attracted considerable scholarly attention. The work that has drawn the most attention, extant in its [...] Read more.
Perhaps the most well-known figure from among the Arabized Christians of al-Andalus, the theologian and scholar Ḥafṣ Ibn Albar of Cordoba (fl. late ninth/early tenth century CE) has attracted considerable scholarly attention. The work that has drawn the most attention, extant in its entirety, is Ibn Albar’s translation into the classical Arabic meter of rajaz of Jerome’s Latin Psalter, rendered from the Hebrew. Most scholars have focused on this text as a lens into Arabization and Islamization among Iberian Christians and the impact of acculturation on Christian doctrine. However, the relationship between poetic form and liturgical practice in Ibn Albar’s translation has received less attention. In the present article, I explore this relationship. I offer a close reading of Kitāb al-Zabūr in dialogue with its Vorlagen, the Old Hispanic liturgy, and Qurʾānic recitation. I argue that Ibn Albar’s translation exploits and amplifies the characteristic orality of its sources and communicates the Psalms principally as liturgical practice, ad intra and ad extra. I conclude that Ibn Albar’s Psalter reinforces Latin Christian tradition while also transcending it. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multilingualism, Translation, and Religion in the Premodern Islamic World(s): Texts, Contexts, and Crossroads)
20 pages, 413 KB  
Article
From Polemics to Peacebuilding: Tracing Interfaith Ideologies in Premodern and Contemporary Qur’ān Translations
by Najlaa Aldeeb
Religions 2026, 17(5), 512; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17050512 - 23 Apr 2026
Viewed by 410
Abstract
This paper argues that English translations of the Qur’ān play a pivotal role in shaping interfaith dialogue, either fostering mutual understanding or reinforcing religious division, depending on the translator’s ideological stance. While interreligious relations have historically been marred by conflict, the 1893 Parliament [...] Read more.
This paper argues that English translations of the Qur’ān play a pivotal role in shaping interfaith dialogue, either fostering mutual understanding or reinforcing religious division, depending on the translator’s ideological stance. While interreligious relations have historically been marred by conflict, the 1893 Parliament of the World’s Religions marked a turning point toward more inclusive and dialogical engagement. In this context, translating the Qur’ān emerged as a crucial medium through which Islamic teachings could be made accessible to non-Muslim audiences. Several scholars, including Kidwai and Elmarsafy, have explored the Orientalist framing of Qur’ān translation; however, few researchers have examined how modern renderings consciously reposition the text as a site of interfaith ethics. This study critically examines whether George Sale’s influential translation of the Qur’ān—reprinted nearly 200 times—contributes to or hinders interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians. It compares Sale’s Qur’ān rendition into English with five contemporary translations. The paper analyzes the translations of five Qur’ānic verses promoting coexistence, with particular attention to key terms such as إِكْرَاهَ ikrah (compulsion), الدِّينِ ad-dīn (religion), تَّقْوَىٰ taqwā (piety), and مُسْلِمُونَ muslimūn (submitters). Guided by Munday’s theory of ideology in translation, the analysis demonstrates that Sale’s rendering adopts a distinctly polemical tone intended to assert Christian superiority. The findings indicate a clear shift from polemical to dialogical translation strategies. Sale’s Orientalist approach—evident in his footnote on Q.4:157, where he characterizes Muslim exegesis as intellectually deficient—ultimately constrains meaningful interfaith engagement. In contrast, Khattab employs an inclusive and ethically grounded approach that actively fosters interreligious dialogue. By positioning Qur’ān translation at the intersection of theology, linguistics, and interfaith relations, this paper demonstrates that translation choices hold significant power: they can either bridge divides or exacerbate tensions between religious communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multilingualism, Translation, and Religion in the Premodern Islamic World(s): Texts, Contexts, and Crossroads)

Other

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12 pages, 296 KB  
Essay
Hodgson’s Error or the Proliferation of Terminology
by Kees Versteegh
Religions 2026, 17(2), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17020199 - 6 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1246
Abstract
In his Venture of Islam, posthumously published in 1975, Marshall Hodgson presented a grandiose scheme of his view of the history of the Islamic world, in which he opposed the Eurocentric view of history in most contemporary studies of Islam. To support [...] Read more.
In his Venture of Islam, posthumously published in 1975, Marshall Hodgson presented a grandiose scheme of his view of the history of the Islamic world, in which he opposed the Eurocentric view of history in most contemporary studies of Islam. To support his novel approach he introduced a number of neologisms as technical terms, of which ‘Islamicate’ and ‘Persianate’ became widely known. In the present essay I investigate critically the provenance of this terminology and I take to issue the growing use and popularity of these and similar terms in contemporary studies of Islam. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multilingualism, Translation, and Religion in the Premodern Islamic World(s): Texts, Contexts, and Crossroads)
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