Kelam Publishing: Prophet's Last Sermon in 9 Languages

From the Editor

Kelam Yayinlari (Kelam Publishing House) has just republished the Prophet's Farewell Sermon in nine languages. The cover page describes the book as "All Humanity's Prophet: Hz Mohammed's Farewell Khutbe - Human Rights Declared Fifteen Centuries Ago: Hz. Mohammad Adresses All Humanity"

The translations are handled by numerous professors and scholars, and the English translation by Professor Dr Bulent Menteş. The other languages are German, Russian, French, Spanish, Serbian, Albanian, Turkish and Arabic. The English translation is adequate, although this reviewer has some caveats about the editing and certain choices. One example is that when the Prophet says that he has left them the Qur'an and Sunnah, the translation says "I have left Allah's Book Quran that encompasses openly religious, scientific, administrative, political principles and the Sunna of the Prophet". While one can describe the Quran as having principles and advice for the believing Muslims in all of these areas, the insertion of the text ascribing these words to the Prophet is questionable. 

All the same, the effort to offer the Prophet's teachings in many languages is admirable, and should be commended. More Muslims need to remember the teachings of the Prophet, and the last sermon - which, along with the Hilye, decorates the homes of many Muslims, ancient and modern - is a good place to start with distributing the teachings of the final Prophet, God's seal of Messengers, Muhammad - Sal Allahu alayhi wa Salaam (God's Peace and Blessings be upon him). As the Prophet said in the Farewell Sermon: "Perhaps those who receive these words will understand them better than those who heard them."