Marmaduke Pickthall
Encyclopedia
Marmaduke Pickthall (7 April 1875 – 19 May 1936) was a Western Islamic scholar, noted as an English translator of the Qur'an
into English
. A convert from Christianity
, Pickthall was a novelist, esteemed by D. H. Lawrence
, H. G. Wells
, and E. M. Forster
, as well as a journalist, headmaster, and political and religious leader
. He declared his Islam in dramatic fashion after delivering a talk on ‘Islam and Progress' on November 29, 1917, to the Muslim Literary Society
in Notting Hill
, West London. He was also involved with the services of the Woking Muslim Mission
in the absence of Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din
, its founder.
but left after just six terms.
Pickthall travelled across many Eastern countries, gaining reputation as a Middle-Eastern scholar. A strong advocate of the Ottoman Empire
even prior to declaring his faith as a Muslim
, Pickthall studied the Orient
, and published articles and novels on the subject, e.g. The Meaning of the Glorious Koran
. While under the service of the Nizam of Hyderabad
, Pickthall published his translation of the Qur'an
, authorized by the Al-Azhar University
and referred to by the Times Literary Supplement as "a great literary achievement."
When a propaganda campaign was launched in the UK in 1915 over the massacres of Armenians, Pickthall rose to challenge it and argued that all the blame could not be placed on the Turkish government. At a time when many Indian Muslims in London had been co-opted by the Foreign Office to provide propaganda services in support of Britain's war against Turkey, Pickthall's stand was considered courageous given the war climate. When British Muslims were asked to decide whether they were loyal to the Allies (Britain and France) or the Central Powers
(Germany and Turkey), Pickthall said he was ready to be a combatant for his country so long as he did not have to fight the Turks. He was conscripted in the last months of the war and became corporal in charge of an influenza isolation hospital. The Foreign Office would have dearly liked to have used his talents as a linguist, but instead decided to regard him as a security risk.
In 1920 he went to India with his wife to serve as editor of the Bombay Chronicle, returning to England only in 1935, a year before his death at St Ives, Cornwall. It was in India that he completed his famous translation, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran.
His translation of the Holy Qur'an can be found online on www.altafsir.com.
Pickthall was buried in the Muslim cemetery at Brookwood
in Surrey, England, where Abdullah Yusuf Ali
was later buried.
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...
into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. A convert from Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, Pickthall was a novelist, esteemed by D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence
David Herbert Richards Lawrence was an English novelist, poet, playwright, essayist, literary critic and painter who published as D. H. Lawrence. His collected works represent an extended reflection upon the dehumanising effects of modernity and industrialisation...
, H. G. Wells
H. G. Wells
Herbert George Wells was an English author, now best known for his work in the science fiction genre. He was also a prolific writer in many other genres, including contemporary novels, history, politics and social commentary, even writing text books and rules for war games...
, and E. M. Forster
E. M. Forster
Edward Morgan Forster OM, CH was an English novelist, short story writer, essayist and librettist. He is known best for his ironic and well-plotted novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society...
, as well as a journalist, headmaster, and political and religious leader
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
. He declared his Islam in dramatic fashion after delivering a talk on ‘Islam and Progress' on November 29, 1917, to the Muslim Literary Society
Muslim Literary Society
The Muslim Literary Society, London was founded in 1916 and was based in Notting Hill, West London, with Koranic translator Abdullah Yusuf Ali as its president...
in Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
, West London. He was also involved with the services of the Woking Muslim Mission
Woking Muslim Mission
The Woking Muslim Mission was founded in 1913 by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din at the Mosque in Woking, 30 miles southwest of London and was managed by members of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement . It was run by Lahore Ahmadiyya missionaries until the mid-1960s.- Woking Mosque :The Woking Mosque was built by...
in the absence of Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din
Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din
Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din , a lawyer by profession, was a member of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement and the author of numerous publications about Islam and the Ahmadiyya movement.- Life :...
, its founder.
Biography
Marmaduke was born in 1875 to Mary O'Brien and the Reverend Charles Grayson Pickthall, a comfortable middle class English family, whose roots trace back to a knight of William the Conqueror. He was born near Woodbridge in Suffolk, as his father, Charles, was an Anglican Parson in this region.. On the death of his father, when Marmaduke was five, the family moved to London. He was a shy and sickly child, suffering from bronchitis. He attended Harrow SchoolHarrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
but left after just six terms.
Pickthall travelled across many Eastern countries, gaining reputation as a Middle-Eastern scholar. A strong advocate of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
even prior to declaring his faith as a Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
, Pickthall studied the Orient
Orient
The Orient means "the East." It is a traditional designation for anything that belongs to the Eastern world or the Far East, in relation to Europe. In English it is a metonym that means various parts of Asia.- Derivation :...
, and published articles and novels on the subject, e.g. The Meaning of the Glorious Koran
The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (book)
The meaning of the Glorious Qur'an is an explanatory translation of the Qur'an by Marmaduke Pickthall. In 1928, Pickthall took a two-year sabbatical to complete his translation of the meaning of the Qur’an, a work that he considered the summit of his achievement...
. While under the service of the Nizam of Hyderabad
Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah VII
Sir Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqi MP, GCSI, GBE Asaf Jah VII , born Mir Osman Ali Khan Siddiqi Bahadur , was the last Nizam of the Princely State of Hyderabad and of Berar. He ruled Hyderabad between 1911 and 1948, until it was merged into India...
, Pickthall published his 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...
, authorized by the Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University
Al-Azhar University is an educational institute in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 970~972 as a madrasa, it is the chief centre of Arabic literature and Islamic learning in the world. It is the oldest degree-granting university in Egypt. In 1961 non-religious subjects were added to its curriculum.It is...
and referred to by the Times Literary Supplement as "a great literary achievement."
When a propaganda campaign was launched in the UK in 1915 over the massacres of Armenians, Pickthall rose to challenge it and argued that all the blame could not be placed on the Turkish government. At a time when many Indian Muslims in London had been co-opted by the Foreign Office to provide propaganda services in support of Britain's war against Turkey, Pickthall's stand was considered courageous given the war climate. When British Muslims were asked to decide whether they were loyal to the Allies (Britain and France) or the Central Powers
Central Powers
The Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
(Germany and Turkey), Pickthall said he was ready to be a combatant for his country so long as he did not have to fight the Turks. He was conscripted in the last months of the war and became corporal in charge of an influenza isolation hospital. The Foreign Office would have dearly liked to have used his talents as a linguist, but instead decided to regard him as a security risk.
In 1920 he went to India with his wife to serve as editor of the Bombay Chronicle, returning to England only in 1935, a year before his death at St Ives, Cornwall. It was in India that he completed his famous translation, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran.
His translation of the Holy Qur'an can be found online on www.altafsir.com.
Pickthall was buried in the Muslim cemetery at Brookwood
Brookwood Cemetery
Brookwood Cemetery is a burial ground in Brookwood, Surrey, England. It is the largest cemetery in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in western Europe.-History:...
in Surrey, England, where Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Hafiz Abdullah Yusuf Ali, CBE, FRSL was an Indian Islamic scholar who translated the Qur'an into English. His translation of the Qur'an is one of the most widely-known and used in the English-speaking world....
was later buried.
See also
- Abdullah Yusuf AliAbdullah Yusuf AliHafiz Abdullah Yusuf Ali, CBE, FRSL was an Indian Islamic scholar who translated the Qur'an into English. His translation of the Qur'an is one of the most widely-known and used in the English-speaking world....
- Ali ÜnalAli ÜnalAli Ünal is a Turkish author born on 19 January 1955 in Uşak province of Turkey.He often associated with the Gülen Movement, a modernist Islamic group in Turkey...
- Ahmed Raza Khan
- Rowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron HeadleyRowland Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headleythumb|Lord Headley with [[Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din]]Rowland George Allanson Allanson-Winn, 5th Baron Headley , also known as Shaikh Rahmatullah al-Farooq, was an Irish peer and a prominent convert to Islam, who was also one of the leading members of the Woking Muslim Mission alongside Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din...
- Henry Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of AlderleyHenry Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of AlderleyHenry Edward John Stanley, 3rd Baron Stanley of Alderley and 2nd Baron Eddisbury was a historian who translated The first voyage round the world by Magellan and other works from the Age of Discovery...
- Sir Charles Edward Archibald Watkin Hamilton, 5th Baronet
- William Abdullah QuilliamWilliam Abdullah QuilliamWilliam Henry Quilliam , who changed his name to Abdullah Quilliam and later Henri Marcel Leon or Haroun Mustapha Leon, was a 19th century convert from Christianity to Islam, noted for founding England's first mosque and Islamic centre.-Background:William Quilliam was born in Liverpool to a...
- Timothy WinterTimothy WinterTimothy John "Tim" Winter , also known as Abdal Hakim Murad, is a British Sufi Muslim researcher, writer and teacher. His profile and work have attracted media coverage both in the Muslim World and the West...
- Faris GlubbFaris GlubbFaris Glubb born was a British writer, journalist, translator and publisher.-Family and childhood conversion to Islam:...
- Ahmad ThomsonAhmad ThomsonAhmad Thomson is a British barrister and writer and a member of the Murabitun movement.-Career:He was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1979. He was a co-founder of the Association of Muslim Lawyers in 1993. He has been the head of Wynne Chambers since 1994...
- Islam in the United KingdomIslam in the United KingdomIslam has been present in the United Kingdom since its formation in 1707, though it was not legally recognised until the Trinitarian Act in 1812. Today it is the second largest religion in the country with estimates suggesting that by 2010 the total Muslim population had reached 2.869 million.The...
External links
- Online Quran Project includes the Qur'anQur'anThe 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...
translation by Marmaduke Pickthall. - Web based Quran Search application Based on the translation from Marmaduke Pickthall.
- A biography of Marmaduke William Pickthall
- The English translation of the Qur'an by Marmaduke William Pickthall
- Pickthall, the Woking Muslim Mission, and his views about Lahore Ahmadiyya leaders
- ODNB article by Mohammad Shaheen, ‘Pickthall, Marmaduke William (1875–1936)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, May 2007 accessed 21 Oct 2010