Laleh Bakhtiar
Encyclopedia
Laleh Mehree Bakhtiar is an Iranian-American
Muslim author, translator and clinical psychologist.
, Bakhtiar grew up in Los Angeles
and Washington, D.C.
, as a Catholic
. At the age of 24, moved to Iran
with her Iranian husband, an architect, and their three children, where she began to study Islam under her teacher and mentor, Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr
at Tehran University, studying Quranic Arabic, eventually converting in 1964. She divorced her husband in 1976 and returned to the U.S. in 1988. She holds a BA in History from Chatham College in Pennsylvania, an MA in Philosophy, an MA in Counseling Psychology and a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations. She is also a Nationally Certified Counselor. As of 2007 Bakhtiar lives in Chicago, where she is president of the Institute of Traditional Psychology and Scholar-in Residence at Kazi Publications.
. She has also authored or co-authored a number of biographical works. Her translation of the Qur'an
, first published in 2007 and called The Sublime Quran, is the first translation of the Qur'an by an American woman; while the first translation of the Qur'an into English by a woman was done in 2001 by an Iranian woman, Tahereh Saffarzadeh
. Laleh Bakhtiar's translation attempts to take a female perspective, and to admit alternative meanings to many Arabic terms that are ambiguous or whose meaning scholars have had to guess because of the antiquity of the language. Qur'an
. Her work seeks to create understanding between non-Muslims and Muslims.
In her Quran translation, she translates kāfirūn as "those who are ungrateful" instead of the common translations "unbelievers" or "infidels." She also translates the Arabic word ḍaraba in Chapter 4, Verse 34
, concerning treatment of a husband towards a rebellious wife, as "go away" instead of the common "beat" or "hit." The English words "God" and "Mary" are used instead of the Arabic Allāh and Maryam. Bakhtiar believes these translations will not push non-Muslims away from Islam.
Bakhtiar has stopped wearing the headscarf, worn by many Muslim women, after the September 11 attacks, as she came to believe that in America it does not promote its goal of modesty and attracts excessive attention.
nor speaks Arabic as a first language. Khaled Abou El Fadl, Islamic law professor from UCLA, says she is qualified as an editor, not an Islamic scholar and that three years of Classical Arabic
is not enough. He also criticized the extent she relies on Arabic to English dictionaries.
The head of one of Canada's leading Muslim organizations, Islamic Society of North America (Canada), ISNA
, Mohammad Ashraf, said he would not permit Bahktiar's book, The Sublime Quran, to be sold in the bookstore of ISNA
and that their bookstore would not allow this kind of "woman-friendly translation", and that he will consider banning it.
Bakhtiar disagrees with such criticism saying, "The criticism is [there] because I'm a woman." She also says that some other well-known translators were not considered Islamic scholars.
Iranian-American
Iranian-Americans are Americans of Iranian ancestry or people possessing Iranian and American dual citizenship.Iranian-Americans are amongst the most highly educated groups in the United States...
Muslim author, translator and clinical psychologist.
Biography
Born to an American mother and Iranian father in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Bakhtiar grew up in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, as a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
. At the age of 24, moved to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
with her Iranian husband, an architect, and their three children, where she began to study Islam under her teacher and mentor, Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is an Iranian University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, and a prominent Islamic philosopher...
at Tehran University, studying Quranic Arabic, eventually converting in 1964. She divorced her husband in 1976 and returned to the U.S. in 1988. She holds a BA in History from Chatham College in Pennsylvania, an MA in Philosophy, an MA in Counseling Psychology and a Ph.D. in Educational Foundations. She is also a Nationally Certified Counselor. As of 2007 Bakhtiar lives in Chicago, where she is president of the Institute of Traditional Psychology and Scholar-in Residence at Kazi Publications.
Works
She has translated and written a combination of 25 books about Islam, many dealing with SufismSufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
. She has also authored or co-authored a number of biographical works. Her translation of the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, first published in 2007 and called The Sublime Quran, is the first translation of the Qur'an by an American woman; while the first translation of the Qur'an into English by a woman was done in 2001 by an Iranian woman, Tahereh Saffarzadeh
Tahereh Saffarzadeh
Tahereh Saffarzadeh was an Iranian poet, writer, translator and prominent university professor.-Studies:She received her BA in English language and literature in 1960. Several years later she left Iran for England and then to the United States. Upon being accepted as a member of International...
. Laleh Bakhtiar's translation attempts to take a female perspective, and to admit alternative meanings to many Arabic terms that are ambiguous or whose meaning scholars have had to guess because of the antiquity of the language. Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. Her work seeks to create understanding between non-Muslims and Muslims.
In her Quran translation, she translates kāfirūn as "those who are ungrateful" instead of the common translations "unbelievers" or "infidels." She also translates the Arabic word ḍaraba in Chapter 4, Verse 34
An-Nisa, 34
In the Qur'an, verse 34 of Surah an-Nisa concerns the issue of marital relations in Islam. This verse is interpreted by some Muslims as giving women complete control over their own income and property, while obliging men to be responsible for maintaining their female relatives...
, concerning treatment of a husband towards a rebellious wife, as "go away" instead of the common "beat" or "hit." The English words "God" and "Mary" are used instead of the Arabic Allāh and Maryam. Bakhtiar believes these translations will not push non-Muslims away from Islam.
Bakhtiar has stopped wearing the headscarf, worn by many Muslim women, after the September 11 attacks, as she came to believe that in America it does not promote its goal of modesty and attracts excessive attention.
Criticism
Her ability to translate Arabic accurately has been criticized by conservative scholars who claim that she neither knows modern ArabicVarieties of Arabic
The Arabic language is a Semitic language characterized by a wide number of linguistic varieties within its five regional forms. The largest divisions occur between the spoken languages of different regions. The Arabic of North Africa, for example, is often incomprehensible to an Arabic speaker...
nor speaks Arabic as a first language. Khaled Abou El Fadl, Islamic law professor from UCLA, says she is qualified as an editor, not an Islamic scholar and that three years of Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic
Classical Arabic , also known as Qur'anic or Koranic Arabic, is the form of the Arabic language used in literary texts from Umayyad and Abbasid times . It is based on the Medieval dialects of Arab tribes...
is not enough. He also criticized the extent she relies on Arabic to English dictionaries.
The head of one of Canada's leading Muslim organizations, Islamic Society of North America (Canada), ISNA
ISNA
ISNA can refer to:Abbreviations/acronyms* Iranian Students' News Agency* Intersex Society of North America* Islamic Society of North America* Indigenous Sovereign Nation Assembly, an assembly of indigenous nations in New Zealand and vicinityPlaces...
, Mohammad Ashraf, said he would not permit Bahktiar's book, The Sublime Quran, to be sold in the bookstore of ISNA
ISNA
ISNA can refer to:Abbreviations/acronyms* Iranian Students' News Agency* Intersex Society of North America* Islamic Society of North America* Indigenous Sovereign Nation Assembly, an assembly of indigenous nations in New Zealand and vicinityPlaces...
and that their bookstore would not allow this kind of "woman-friendly translation", and that he will consider banning it.
Bakhtiar disagrees with such criticism saying, "The criticism is [there] because I'm a woman." She also says that some other well-known translators were not considered Islamic scholars.