QURAN-E-KARIM

WITH “MEMONI” TRANSLATION & TAFSEER

                                                           Review by Abdur Razzaq Thaplawala

The Quyran-e-Karim has been translated in almost every language of the world. It was unfortunate that no translation of the Holy book  has ever been made in “Memoni”. It is no wonder because “Memoni” has not been a language. It is only a dilect or “Boli”. There is no script for this boli. I have been advocating the adoption of Roman Script for writing “Memoni” mainly to maintain future identity of this great community since last few years. I have distributed free booklets, brought it on my website www.memon-world.net but there has been no positive response except for the allocation of two pages every month for Memoni language in Memon Alam  by its Editor Mr. Umer A. Rehman and a letter of encouragement from Late Mr. Muhammas Hussain Allana. Our community in South Africa has reprinted my booklet “Memoni – A New Language is Born” and the credit goes to Mr. A. Razzak Moti the President of Memon Association of South Africa.

Now there is a great news. Master Arts – a firm engaged in graphic arts and publication has published first nine ‘Surahs’ from Surah-e-Al-Fateha to Surah-e-Anfaal with translation and tafseer in “Memoni” language in Gujrati script b y Late Mr.  Ebrahim Shahbaz, the Ex-editor of Dawn Gujrati, Karachi . It has been beautifully bound with a colourful title and 490 pages of offset paper. The publication has been sponsored by Mr. Qasim Haji Suleman Patel of Texas U.S.A.

In the preface to the translation, Mr.  Shahbaz has said that in writing the translation and the tafseer he has drawn from the readings of translation and tafseer by Maulana Ahmed Raza Khan Brelvi, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi, well-known Memoni Aalim Maulana Muhammad Junagadhi, Maulana Syed Abul-Al-Maududi, Dr. Asrar Ahmed and Fatehmuhammad Jalandhri.

According to Mr. Shahbaz, the first attempt for “Memoni” translation was done by the Late Kasim Umer Ghazi Aliabadiwala by translating and publishing Surah-e-Yaseen. Another attempt was translation of last para of the Quran-e-Majid by Late Mr. Noor Muhamamd A. Latif Rangoonwala and published by Dr. Ahmed Noor Muhammad Rangoonwala.

The translation and Tafseer of Nine Suraahs by Mr. Ebrahim Shahbaz has been published on 490 pages and each Ayat ends at the end of the page. No Ayat is carried forward to next page. Each Ayat and its translation has been numbered for the convenience of the readers except for Surah-e-Fateha. In short it is a remarkable achievement of Mr. R.V. Master of Master Arts and Mr. Kasim Haji Suleman Patel, the printer and publisher respectively.

It is a great step forward of my wish to transform “Memoni”  boli into a full fledged language. I hope that somebody will come forward to convert Gujrati script into Roman script to make it useful to entire Memon World. The present translation is useful for members of community who know Gujrati. in India & Pakistan . In Pakistan , they only consist of older generation. In other countries, there are very few people who know Gujrati.

In order to give an idea of the publication, the title page, the Surah-e-Fateha and two pages from Tafseer of first paara is being reproduced at the end of this article. The translation of Suraah-e-Fateha in Roman Script is by this writer. I will end this article with prayers that may Allah (S.W.T.) bless the writer, the printer and the publisher.