Translating Islamic Religious Terms for Non-Muslim Audience: A Comparative Study of Three Translator Groups

The translation of Islamic religious terms is of critical importance, as these terms play a vital role in conveying Islamic concepts. Errors in translating such sensitive content may lead to distortions in meaning. This study investigates the strategies employed by three distinct groups of translators when rendering Islamic religious texts for non-Muslim audiences: ۱) experienced translators with seminary knowledge, ۲) experienced translators without seminary knowledge, and ۳) inexperienced translators. Employing a descriptive research design, data were collected through a task-based method and a questionnaire. Participants were asked to translate ten Persian sentences containing key religious terms into English. The translated outputs were analyzed using Larson’s (۱۹۸۴) classification for translating non-equivalent terms. Statistical evaluation, including Mean, ANOVA, and LSD tests, was conducted to assess the findings. The results indicate that experienced translators with seminary knowledge predominantly utilized loanwords with explanatory additions. Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between this group and the other two in terms of translation strategies.

Keywords:

Religious terms , seminary knowledge , Translation Strategies , non-muslim audience