The Importance of Semantics Equivalence in Translating Islamic Terms into The Malay Language

Abstract

The research aims to highlight the phenomenon of challenges in translating terms related to religious discourse in the Holy Qur’an into the Malay language, especially with regards to the accuracy and adequacy of linguistic equivalence. This is because it is regarded as one of the most important semantic indicators that can be relied upon in the process of conveying the meaning of the text from the source language to the target language, especially in issues related to the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, Malay translators must specifically pay attention when translating this type of Islamic text because it has a role in shaping religious terminological concepts. By accurately conveying the linguistic comprehension of the Qur'an, individuals can shape their behaviour in accordance with religious principles, leading to a harmonious relationship with oneself, the environment, and society. Focusing on this aspect, it is regarded as an important step to create a healthy religious personality within a religious socio-cultural practice. The research in this sense represents a preliminary attempt to analytically describe some examples of Qur’anic idiomatic terms translated into the Malay language based on the contrastive method from the perspective of linguistic structural equivalence as a step towards answering the question of the relationship between a term and its users, and how that relationship occurs, in addition to the result of its absence. Together with the assumption that linguistic conformity in the translation of an idiomatic term constitutes a system in which effective communication is formed together with a pattern of smooth engagement between linguistic communities. However, a counterexample to this would be if the idiomatic terms in the Qur'an cannot be accurately translated into the Malay language due to cultural and linguistic differences, resulting in a loss of meaning and misinterpretation of the text. In the case of translating idiomatic terms from the Qur'an into Malay, linguistic equivalence may not always be achievable. For example, if a specific idiom in the Qur'an holds cultural or historical significance unique to Arabic-speaking communities, it may be challenging to find an equivalent idiom that carries the same meaning and connotation in Malay. This could lead to a loss of meaning and potentially misinterpretation of the text for Malay-speaking readers.