A Concubine Translator of the Holy Quran: Fatma Zaida (d. after 1861) and Her Work “L’Alkoran Le Livre Par Excellence”

Abstract

This study focuses on the life of Fatma Zaida, a concubine, and her translation of
the Qur’an. After analyzing Fatma Zaida’s identity and personality, the study examines
why she felt the need to translate the Qur’an, what motivated or encouraged her to do so,
and in what state of mind she made her translation. The study also focuses on who and
what kind of message Fatma Zaida wanted to convey through her translation. Did Fatma
Zaida realize what she intended with her translation of the Qur’an? Did she achieve her
goal with this translation? The answers to these questions are also tried to be investigated.
Then Fatma Zaida’s translation of the Qur’an is analyzed in terms of form and content.
The characteristics of Fatma Zaida’s translation, whether the translation covers the whole
Qur’an or a certain part of it, and what kind of translation method is applied in the work
are also discussed. Fatma Zaida’s translation is compared with the original Qur’an in terms
of form and content, and the similarities and differences between them are revealed.
Fatma Zaida did not give any names to the suras in her translation and gave very different
information within the suras. By making a comparison with the surahs in the Qur’anic
text, it is tried to determine which surahs they correspond to. Through comparisons, the
excesses and deficiencies in Fatma Zaida’s translation are identified. The issues that stand
out in her translation and the issues that she emphasized more are also discussed and the
reasons why she attached more importance to these issues are examined. Thus, it is also
evaluated whether Fatma Zaida’s translation is a successful translation or not.