Reformed Thomist
Puritan Board Sophomore
How important is it to know/cite the original? I have heard so many things about the way Muslims often look down on all translational efforts.
From the Muslim perspective, very important. A few Muslims have told me that I have not read the Qur'an until I have read the Qur'an in Arabic. Most Muslims seem to be of the view that it cannot be 'translated' (as any other book can be), the Arabic language and its stunning use here being such an important component of the experience of reading the Qur'an.
In a way, though, that's just a 'realist' view of translation, which any Classics professor might have regarding the Greek and Latin classics -- the best English translations of Homer and Seneca that the Greekless and Latinless student has are really just creative interpretations of the texts. You haven't really experienced Homer unless, etc...