Under the able guidance and supervision of a renowned Islamic scholar Late Maulana Abdul Kareem Parekh of Nagpur and his son Abdul Ghafoor Parekh and subsequently by the Qirat expert Late Moulana Hafiz Qari Qasim Ansari, Md Imran Latheef Sait of Chennai mastered the technique of translating the Qur’ān word-for-word in 2004 and since then has come a long way in teaching this concept to several Muslims belonging to different walks of life, and also those pursuing different careers and professions.
The Qur’ān was revealed in Arabic – in a language which is neither prose nor poetry but an ideal combination of both. Given the depth and sublimity of the Qur’ānic text, a faithful translation of it into any language is rather impossible. The message of the Qur’ān is so powerful that it will have some effect on the reader even if he or she goes through the translation. But, to feel the real charm of its originality by one’s heart, mind, reason and ultimately by the soul, one should necessarily understand the Qur’ān directly through the Arabic text. Therefore, it is utmost essential to learn the language of the Qur’ān for its understanding. This creates a revolutionary impact on the reader’s heart and soul. It can only be felt and cannot be expressed.
It is in this context that the concept of the word-for-word translation of the Qur’ān emerged. This approach has proved to be very easy as well as interesting even for the students who had no exposure at all to the Arabic language. The challenge is to groom the students for the word-for-word study of the Qur’ān in a smooth way. This course is therefore an attempt to meet this challenge.
Imran Sait took up this challenge and has so far been successful in teaching and supervising the completion of several batches of the Qur’ān classes. Acknowledging the popularity of these classes, several Muslim institutions have incorporated this concept in their Deeniyat and B.A. Islamic Studies curriculum. Many of his students include professionals, businessmen, working women, homemakers and university and high school students. The students, who complete the course and aspire to become teachers, are selected and further trained and after ascertaining their efficiency are provided with opportunities to handle classes independently. Through these students this concept has become quite popular in several countries. In Chennai alone there are 15 centres.
In the recent past these Qur’ān classes, in a slightly modified manner, have also commenced for non-Muslims. About 25 non-Muslims attend these classes regularly.
The word-for-word Qur’ān classes have basically developed within the students the love for the Divine Book. Noticeable, positive and encouraging changes have been observed in the lives of the students and their perception of Islam has undergone a paradigm shift. It has instilled in them God-consciousness, moral values, love for the Prophet and his mission, brotherliness, tolerance, moderation and more importantly it has created in them a deep sense of unity and love and a zeal to propagate Islam.