Abstract:

This study seeks to examine the first translations of the Qur’an in the middle ages, in terms of its historical dimension and of the translation strategies adopted by the translators. When the influence of spread of Islam came to be felt in Europe, the first translations of the Qur’an were initiated there. The historical developments of the period under discussion and the constitutional state of the Church then had a profound impact on the translations. The translations of the Qur’an were, thus, not aimed towards understanding Islam, but towards refuting it in translating the Qur’an, a wide range of events and historical factors played a key role in the decisions taken by the translators. This study investigates to what extent the Qur’an translations and the translators were affected by the developments of the events.

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