Comments are required from seniors on the type of Surah translation. Whether simple words translation gains excellent marks or we have to adopt literary style. I am posting here some examples and suggestions are solicited from the experienced intellectuals of this forum.
Please suggest which one is the best from the following three translation versions.
1) Pickthal
2) Shakir
3) Yusuf Ali


Surah Al-Feel (the elephant)In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Total Verses : 5
Ayah: 1
Arabic: أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَابِ الْفِيلِ
Pickthal: Hast thou not seen how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant?
Shakir: Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant?
Yusuf Ali: Seest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Companions of the Elephant?

Ayah: 2
Arabic: أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِي تَضْلِيلٍ
Pickthal: Did He not bring their stratagem to naught,
Shakir: Did He not cause their war to end in confusion,
Yusuf Ali: Did He not make their treacherous plan go astray?

Ayah: 3
Arabic: وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ
Pickthal: And send against them swarms of flying creatures,
Shakir: And send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks,
Yusuf Ali: And He sent against them Flights of Birds,

Ayah: 4
Arabic: تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ Pickthal: Which pelted them with stones of baked clay,
Shakir: Casting against them stones of baked clay,
Yusuf Ali: Striking them with stones of baked clay.

Ayah: 5
Arabic: فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولٍ
Pickthal: And made them like green crops devoured (by cattle)?
Shakir: So He rendered them like straw eaten up?
Yusuf Ali: Then did He make them like an empty field of stalks and straw, (of which the corn) has been eaten up.

i feel any of them is ok. the imp thing is that the translation must be correct

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Pray as everything depends on God, work as everything depends on you

Dear Ihs :

I believe that when you are given with three choices definitely only one of them can be the best. There is always difference among various alternatives all can not be 100 percent equal in bringing marks.

My purpose to ask this question was to decide which one translation should be adopted, as this question is always there in the paper and one must not loose even a single mark in this question.

Please come up with sound suggestions and strong arguments with past experience. Those who have secured 70+ marks in Islamiat can give fine views on this question

Seeking some more suggestions.......................

as said by ihs,any of them is ok provided it is correct.
Its an islamiat paper,literary touch is not effective for the purpose of marks gaining.

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"A man can be as great as he wants to be. If you believe in yourself and have the courage, the determination, the dedication, the competitive drive and if you are willing to sacrifice the little things in life and pay the price for the things that are worthwhile, it can be done."

Dear Omer do literary sense contradict Islamic sense?

Please explain.

Let me tell you my experience, I had a course of Quranic translation back there in my Cadet College during my Fsc. It was sort of a compulsory in our times. Our Prof. made remember plentiful of Quranic words in those days. While preparing for CSS, I throughly read Ayahs knowing meaning of every word and its essence. This helped me alot and translated them myself in Exam in my own word.

Now, you can infere that there is need of correct translation only, no preference of translator. Don't try to follow my recipe since there are chances of failure for those who couldn't translate correctly (b/w I have experience of a professional translator).

Good luck!

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Dr Farrukh Raza

Persistence is Victory!

Thanks Drfarrukhmalik.

Can you please make me aware about your Islamiat Score? Actually I am not so expert at its translation that is why I have to select the best translation from the prominent translators. I need your suggestion which one should I adopt?

@Raz: I haven't got my DMS so cant tell you my score.

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Dr Farrukh Raza

Persistence is Victory!