Translating the Connotations of Allah's 'Makr' in the Noble Quran

Abstract

The present study explores the mistranslation of the original connotations of ‘Makr’ in the Noble Quran. Although it currently tends to carry a negative sense, the word is connected to Almighty Allah in six verses and misinterpreted by some non-native speakers of Arabic as plotting or, even, deception. Therefore, several relevant factors are investigated, such as semantic change, the attributes of Allah in the Noble Quran, the contextual meaning and, most importantly, the Arabic style of Mushakala. Finally, choices by ten translators are subject to dictionary analysis to guide to those with the appropriate connotations.