ABSTRACT
T he linguistic features we highlighted in the previous chapter constitute part of the translation problems which we face in the translation of the Qur'an. The other major part which is of a
similar challenging nature to Qur'an translators is Qur'anic texture where we have to fight our way through the interlocking defences of syntax and rhetoric. These constitute unique textural components which are the bedrock of the Qur'an. It is these intricate components which form the raison d'etre for cases of untranslatability or inimitability of Qur'anic discourse. Our focus in the present chapter is on the concept of Qur'anic texture and whether it can be preserved when translated into a language which is both linguistically and culturally distinct like English. In this discourse-based account of Qur'anic texture, we need to look at micro-level elements as they occur within the textual environment and see how they contribute to conceiving a given text.
