ABSTRACT
Although many translation studies scholars have examined the role of ‘paratexts’—verbal or visual fragments that accompany or surround the text—in legitimising or resisting networks of power in translation, few have studied this aspect in the context of sacred texts. This chapter examines the relevance of paratexts for the study and reception of sacred texts. It looks, in particular, into the functions of paratexts in the ‘official’ English translation of the Qur’an adopted by Saudi Arabia (al-Hilālī and Khān 1989). Focusing on a range of paratextual features, the chapter maintains that paratexts can offer valuable insights into the production, circulation, and reception of sacred texts. It draws attention to the use of paratexts as ideological mechanisms and demonstrates that critical analyses of paratexts can be instrumental in bringing to light divergent ways in which the (un)translatability of the Qur’an is presented to readers.
