Why is a translation of the Quran called an interpretation?

Many Quran translations carry a quiet disclaimer: they present themselves as a translation of the "meaning". The reason is a theological one. According to Islamic theology, the Quran is a revelation in Arabic, and so it should only be recited in Arabic. Translations are human work and, Muslims say, lose its unique impact and character. Because translations subtly change the meaning, they are often called "interpretations" or "translations of the meanings". Pickthall called his version The Meaning of the Glorious Koran rather than simply The Koran.

There is a practical difficulty too. Many argue that the Quranic text cannot be reproduced in another language, and an Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on context. Historically, most Muslims believed the Quran should be read only in Classical Arabic and saw no need for translation, and the early question was not whether translation was allowed but whether translations could be used in prayer.

Translations have still been made for a long time. By tradition the first was by Salman the Persian, who translated Surah al-Fatiha into Persian in the early seventh century. The first complete, well-attested ones were into Persian between the 10th and 12th centuries. In Europe, the first Latin version was made in 1143 for Peter the Venerable under the title "The law of Mahomet the pseudo prophet".