❀ An Unbiased Review of Ahmad Raza Khan's Qur’anic Translation “Kanz-ul-Iman” ❀
Compiled by: Tauheed.com
ٱلْـحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَحْدَهٗ، وَٱلصَّلَاةُ وَٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَىٰ مَنْ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهٗ، أَمَّا بَعْدُ:
The Qur'an is the final, preserved revelation from Allah ﷻ. Understanding it correctly is obligatory upon every Muslim. Among the signs of the Last Hour is that true knowledge will be lifted, and people will appoint ignorant leaders, who will issue misleading fatwas, leading both themselves and others astray. The Prophet ﷺ said:
➊ “Near the Hour, knowledge will be taken away and ignorance will spread.”
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-ʿIlm; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-ʿIlmAn example of such distortion is observed in “Kanz-ul-Iman”, the Urdu translation of the Qur'an by Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi (also known as A‘la Hazrat). In several places, he altered the apparent meaning of Qur’anic verses in order to preserve personal theological beliefs, often through unjustified insertions and interpretive modifications.
Even Barelvi sources state that Ahmad Raza Khan dictated this translation during his midday rest (qaylūlah) without consulting classical tafāsīr.
Anwār-e-Razā, Anwār Kanz-ul-Imān, Barāhīn-e-Ṣādiq◈ Key Examples of Alterations in Kanz-ul-Iman
➊ Attribution of ʿIlm al-Ghayb (Knowledge of the Unseen)
Verse:
﴿قُلْ لَآ أَقُوْلُ لَكُمْ عِندِیْ خَزَآىٕنُ اللّٰهِ وَلَآ أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ﴾
Surah al-Anʿām: 50
Kanz-ul-Iman Translation:
"Say: I do not say to you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor that I (myself) know the unseen."
(Original Urdu: ’’اور نہ یہ کہوں کہ میں آپ غیب جان لیتا ہوں۔‘‘)
Issue: The phrase "آپ غیب جان لیتا ہوں" (I myself know the unseen) is an interpolated addition. The Arabic text clearly says: “I do not know the unseen”. The insertion shifts the meaning, leaving room for indirect affirmation of knowledge of the unseen.➋ Distortion Regarding the Humanity of Prophets
Verse:
﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ﴾
Surah al-Kahf: 110
Kanz-ul-Iman Translation:
"Say: In outward appearance of being human, I am like you..."
(Original Urdu: ’’ظاہرِ صورت بشری میں تو میں تم جیسا ہوں…‘‘)
Issue: The Arabic text says nothing about “outward appearance”. The phrase was inserted to promote the belief that the Prophet ﷺ is no ordinary human but made of Nūr (light), hence "only outwardly human."➌ The Belief in Total Authority (Ikhtiyār-e-Kull)
Verse:
﴿قُلْ لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِیْ نَفْعًا وَّلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ اللّٰهُ﴾
Surah Yūnus: 49
Kanz-ul-Iman Translation:
"Say: I do not possess for myself any benefit or harm (personally) except what Allah wills."
(Original Urdu: ’’(ذاتی) اختیار نہیں رکھتا…‘‘)
Issue: The word “ذاتی” (personal/intrinsic) does not exist in the original Arabic text. This addition is used to imply that the Prophet ﷺ has granted (ʿAtā’ī) power, if not intrinsic, which aligns with certain Barelvi theological positions.➍ Concept of Ḥāḍir o Nāẓir (Ever-Present and All-Witnessing)
Verse:
﴿یَا أَیُّهَا النَّبِیُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَّمُبَشِّرًا وَّنَذِیْرًا﴾
Surah al-Aḥzāb: 45
Kanz-ul-Iman Translation:
"O Prophet! Indeed, We have sent you as present and seeing, and as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner."
(Original Urdu: ’’حاضر و ناظر اور خوشخبری دینے والا اور ڈر سنانے والا‘‘)
Issue: The word “شَاهِدًا” means “witness”, not “present and observing”. The addition of “حاضر و ناظر” is not supported by classical tafāsīr and is considered a clear distortion to validate a doctrinal belief not grounded in the Arabic text.◈ Summary and Final Remarks
Across many such instances, Ahmad Raza Khan modified Qur’anic translations to align with his theological interpretations. These alterations not only contradict the consensus of earlier tafsīr works but also violate Arabic linguistic norms and the established principles of Qur'anic translation.
Such subjective additions undermine the neutral integrity required in translating the Qur’an, leading to misinterpretations and sectarian divisions.
❀ Supplication:
May Allah ﷻ grant us true understanding of the Qur'an and protect us from distortions of its meaning. Āmīn.
وَصَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى نَبِيِّنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلٰى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ
◈ References and Sources:
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-ʿIlm, Ḥadīth 178; Kitāb al-Fitan, Ḥadīth 13
- Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim – Kitāb al-ʿIlm, Ḥadīth 16
- Anwār-e-Razā, Anwār Kanz-ul-Imān, Barāhīn-e-Ṣādiq
- Classical Tafāsīr and Arabic grammar references
