Analysis and Evaluation of the Translation of Qur’anic Terms: Hajj as a Case Study

This paper investigates the Qur’anic term Hajj and assesses its common English equivalent “pilgrimage” through three analytical phases: lexical, conceptual, and contrastive. These phases move from basic lexical meanings to conceptual representations and finally to a comparison with the English equivalent. Classical Arabic lexicons provide the term’s lexical foundation prior to its terminologization. Conceptual analysis then delineates the complex concept of Hajj through an exegetical analysis based on intratextual, intertextual, and contextual references. This analysis draws upon established sources of Qur’anic exegesis: the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the context. The final phase is a contrastive analysis between the conceptually delineated term Hajj and its prevalent English equivalent “pilgrimage.” The study assesses the degree of equivalence by investigating whether the conceptual representation of the SL term is well reflected in its English equivalent. The paper argues that the conceptual richness of the SL term is not conveyed by the TL term. The findings indicate that “pilgrimage” does not fully capture the conceptual and ritual specificity of Hajj, and the paper recommends a foreignization strategy for translating such Qur’anic terms to preserve their distinctive features.