The Travels of Ibn Battutah
by Ibn Battutah
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ibn BattutahEditor: Tim Mackintosh-Smith
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-06-01
ISBN: 0330418793
Number of pages: 400
Publisher: Macmillan UK
Book Reviews of The Travels of Ibn Battutah
Book Review: Lost in translation....
Summary: 1 Stars
Having grown up in Arabia, and being fluent in Arabic, I never read any Arab/Muslim history in English, I usually read them in Arabic- in order to be able to recommend books for my students (and to officers of the US military working in the Middle East), I have started reading translations of old works in English. This translation is exactly why I shy away from recommending English books on the Middle East to my students. I am at a loss for words on this translation. There are no saints in Islam, nor are there 'convents'- I am not sure if the translator translated Shaikh or Wali as 'Saint' but in Islam, especially Sunni Islam, no one other than God is considered holy. No wonder the western world is so confused about Islam and Arabs- it has been a free for all, everyone adds 'their interpretations' as facts.
There are many mistakes in translation, "endowment money is given to poor girls so they can marry"- no, in the Muslim world, the man must come up with the dowry, not the woman or her family.
In addition, the author adds his own input that is completely not true- no where do Muslims add ones 'sect' to the end of their name, just because Ibn Batutta is of the Maliki sect, that does not mean one would add that to his name. etc, etc
Sadly, this is a beautiful book in Arabic, and although the English is elaborate, the mistakes have been at the root of many of the misunderstandings between the west and the Muslim world.
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