Tafsir Translations in the Republican Era
This study deals with tafsirs translated into Turkish after the foundation of the Turkish Republic. The first tafsir translation, Sayyid Qutb's Fî Zilâl al-Qur'ân, is analyzed with reference to its particular aspects. Subsequent fifty-two tafsir translations in the Republican period have also been identified and introduced. Then, a comparison between the number of original tafsirs written in the Republican period and the number of tafsirs translated in the Ottoman period is drawn to understand their quantitative value. This comparison reflects that the number of tafsirs translated in the Republican period considerably outnumbers both the original tafsirs written in the Republican period and the translated tafsirs in the Ottoman period. In this study, the translated tafsirs are discussed not only according to their date of publication, number of volumes and their original language, but also according to the arrangement of surahs in tafsirs (the order of revelation or today's surah sequence) and their denominational approaches. As a result, it is observed that almost all tafsirs translated into Turkish were in accordance with Ahl al Sunnah and their origin lay in Central Asia, Iran, Anatolia, Middle East, North Africa or Andulasia. On the other hand, despite the multitude of tafsirs written in the Indian subcontinent, none was translated into Turkish with the exception of Mavdudi. Also, among two-hundred translators contributing to this translation movement, only two were found to be women. This study further demonstrates that none of the original tafsirs written by Turkish scholars in Turkish and deemed significant for the scholars of tafsir were translated into other languages. Hence this study treats tafsirs translated into Turkish from various angles.
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