Jurnal At-Tibyan: Jurnal Ilmu Alqur’an dan Tafsir
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): Volume 11 No. 1 June 2026

NEGOTIATING SACREDNESS AND ACCESSIBILITY: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY OF QUR'ANIC TRANSLATION INTO SASAK

Mafadhillah Paoziah Suhaedi (Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Muhamad Fathi (Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Ahmad Wildanul Fawwaz (Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt)



Article Info

Publish Date
26 Jun 2026

Abstract

This study examines the translation of the Qur’an into Sasak through Al-Qur’an dan Terjemahnya Bahasa Sasak (2014), with particular attention to the selection of linguistic registers and their theological as well as communicative implications. Drawing on Talal Asad’s concept of sacred discourse and Janet Holmes’ sociolinguistic theory of register, the study investigates how translators negotiate the tension between preserving the sacred authority of the Qur’anic text and ensuring its accessibility for local readers. Employing a qualitative approach, five purposively selected verses—QS. al-Naml: 27, QS. al-Isrāʾ: 63, QS. al-Isrāʾ: 66, QS. al-Nisāʾ: 1, and QS. al-Ikhlāṣ: 1—were analyzed through semantic, pragmatic, and register-based examination. The findings reveal three distinct patterns of negotiation. First, sacred authority is partially compromised when linguistic constraints intersect with sociolinguistic realities, as reflected in the rendering of qul as gelis muni. Second, sacredness and accessibility are balanced when culturally appropriate honorific registers remain available, as illustrated by the use of bemaniq. Third, sacred authority is preserved without compromise when the doctrinal core of the text is involved, exemplified by the translation of Aḥad as Maha Esa. Based on these findings, the study proposes the Qur’anic Translation Negotiation Model, consisting of four interrelated components—Sacred Authority, Linguistic Constraint, Sociolinguistic Reality, and Communicative Goal—which operate dialectically in the translation process. The model offers a theoretically grounded framework for understanding vernacular Qur’anic translations and contributes to broader discussions on the relationship between language, religion, and translation beyond normative debates on the translatability of sacred texts.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

tibyan

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities

Description

JURNAL AT-TIBYAN adalah Jurnal Ilmu Alquran dan Tafsir yang diterbitkan oleh Jur/Prodi Ilmu Alquran dan Tafsir Fakultas Ushuluddin, Adab, dan Dakwah IAIN Langsa. Jurnal ini diterbitkan dua kali dalam setahun yaitu pada bulan Juli dan Desember. Jurnal ini memiliki spesifikasi keilmiahan dan publikasi ...