Over the course of the past two centuries, the central text of Islam has undergone twin revolutions. Around the globe, Muslim communities have embraced the printing and translating of the Qur'an, transforming the scribal text into a modern book that can be read in virtually any language. What began with the sparse and often contentious publication of vernacular commentaries and translations in South Asia and the Ottoman Empire evolved, by the late twentieth century, into widespread Qur'anic translation and publishing efforts in all quarters of the Muslim world, including Arabic speaking countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. This is remarkable given that at the dawn of the twentieth century many Muslims considered Qur'an translations to be impermissible and unviable. Nevertheless, printed and translated versions of the Qur'an have gained widespread acceptance by Muslim communities, and now play a central, and in some quarters, a leading role in how the Qur'an is read and understood in the modern world. Focusing on the Ottoman Empire and Turkey, and following the debates to Russia, Egypt, Indonesia, and India, this book tries to answer the question of how this revolution in Qur'anic book culture occurred, considering both intellectual history as well the processes by which the Qur'an became a modern book that could be mechanically reproduced and widely owned.

About the Author
Brett Wilson is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Macalester College. He holds a PhD in Religion with a specialization in Islamic Studies from Duke University. His scholarship has appeared in the International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Comparative Islamic Studies, and The Encyclopaedia of Women in Islamic Cultures.

Reviews
Wilson's book is a rare example of scholarship in which the fields of Islamic Studies and Ottoman/Turkish intellectual history converge together. His use of archival sources, publications, and texts in Turkish and Arabic enables the author to link Ottoman/Turkish intellectual history with that of the larger Islamic world...Translating the Qur'an is a must-read for those who want to explore the issue of the 'Turkish Qur'an' in its wider context, as well as related debates about the need for Islamic reform as a necessary element of modernisation and progress in the Muslim world in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. * Umut Azak, Journal of Qur'anic Studies *
Translating the Qur'an is a rich book offering vivid accounts of Muslims' engagement with the Qur'an in modern times. It is a major accomplishment that provides a compelling perspective on how the theological, literary, social and economic aspects of Qur'an translation come into play in modernity. Wilson also offers a wide array of suggestions for further research and thinking, demonstrating that the question of translation offers unique and important tools for thinking about local and translocal manifestations of Islam in global world. * Yunus Dogan Telliel, The Journal of Ottoman Studies *
Translating the Qur'an is a fascinating addition to the study of Islam in late Ottoman and early republican Turkey. * Guy Burak, Journal of Islamic Studies *
The research is impeccable and the presentation excellent. This book wonderfully addresses one of the most important religious and cultural issues of the time. * Ali Abd al-Malik, The Islamic Quarterly *
Brett Wilson's book is a timely contribution to a field that is only just starting to emerge ... highly recommended. * Johanna Pink, Review of Qur'anic Research *
Translating the Qur?an takes the reader through the intricate debates, historical moments, and personages centrally involved in the production of the Turkish Qur?an. * Micah Hughes, Marginalia *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198719434
Author M. Brett Wilson
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 580g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 148mm * 32mm