Al Amal Translation Companyhas been first incorporated back in 2005, with its head office located in Qatar, next to Al-Jazeera Channel, as a partnership between Mr. Ahmed Saleem Ahmed Abu-el-Saud, Egyptian national, and Mr. Omar Mohamed Ali Al-Shahri, Qatari national.

 

Its main objective is to offer translation services around the clock. MSE Company adopts a new concept of translation companies. It is not just a translation company, but it is distinguished for its specialization into legal, commercial, and financial translation. The company had also long been offering technical and medical translations. It recruits a team of the most able and qualified translators holding BA, MA and PhD degrees in translation from internationallyaccredited universities.

 

Al Amal Translation Company is specialized in linguistic services and we aim at providing a full package of linguistic services, including written translation, simultaneous interpreting, conferences services, writing and editing texts, websites contents, and software localization. From the very beginning, it cares for conveying the true meaning of customers’ message. This has helped us, in fact, build up strong and lasting relations enabling us provide our customers with distinguished translation and localization services.

 

Legal & Technical Translation

 

We provide several technical & legal translation services.

 

Commercial Translation

 

We provide several commercial translation services, including translation of the financial statements and business reports.

 

Editing & Proofreading

 

Well-reviewed and accurately proofread documents no doubt contribute to the success of your company, since the customers’first impression forms once you submit your documents neatly and accurately prepared.

 

Websites Localization

 

Our localization services supports companies operating into various activities, such software developers and telecommunication companies.

 

TRANSLATION – the Most Ancient Human Activity

 

Translation has first occurred as a human activity to keep pace with the human social advancements. It had been and still is the communicative tool between nations and peoples of different tongues. Thus, translation had first occurred thanks to such human activities, including religious, economic and military activities. Thanks to translation, peoples managed to overpass their geographical boundaries to interact with their neighbors. The first form of translation was oral translation due to the simplicity of language systems with no writing systems invented. It was the sole means of communication between tribal and human gatherings, whether during business activities at peace times, or truces and accords reached at war times. During the ancient eras, translation played a vital role in disseminatingreligious teachings as well as art and literature productions. It helped intra-interaction between the ancient Babel, Assyrian, Phoenician, Pharaonic and Greekcivilizations.

 

Human history seems to never have witnessed a series of conquests as those during Alexander the Great era. The most important achievement of such conquests was the dissemination of Greek civilization to the outside world. It outreached vast areas, where inhabitants began to learn about the cultures and sciences of each otherthrough interaction between the people who had never been linked, except for very few commercial ties. But, having all such nations been subject to the sovereignty of Alexander the Great, this helped originate the unified link that put together such cultures. Hence, a civilization affected by the Greek Civilization began to form in such areas conquered.Thus, translation was undoubtedly been there for a period of time as a means for communication and knowledge dissemination. Once Alexander the Great died, Hellenistic Civilization emerged on 323 B.C, and lasted up to the seventh century A.D. Such a period lasting for almost one thousand years witnessed a civilizational interaction between the civilized centers emerged during the conquests of Alexander the Great in Alexandria, Antioch, Nusaybin, and Gendisapur. Assyrians strived to disseminate the Greek knowledge and sciences to the Assyrian Language, especially after closing the Priests Schoolin the year 489 A.D. and having its scholars shifting to Nusaybintransforming the Greek philosophy and medicine sciences. Besides, many of the Greek scholars emigrated from their lands fearing religious persecution. When Athens School had been closed back in 528 A.D., its scholars headed east to the Persian country where Assyrians stabilized in Gendisapur, and a new stage of human knowledge translation began.

 

Many western translatorshad been knownthroughout the ancient and contemporary eras, the most prominent of which was Cicero (106-43 B.C), the Roman orator, to whom the most ancient translation school is attributed, where it allowed freedom of transplantation while sticking to rhetoric and aesthetical features of expression. Also, Jerome Sophronius (340-430 A.D.), who translated the Bible from Greek into Latin, and he was the originator of the idea of separation between religious texts translations and those of everyday contexts. He explained that any sound translation should be based on the translator’s understanding of the original text and ability to use his/her mother language tools, or those of the target language. The Italian Leonardo Artino (1374-1444 A.D.) is another example. He stressed the importance of transplanting features of the source text and attachment of words and context indicating that if context refers to meaning, then words refer to text rhetoric. EtinDoulier (1509-1586 A.D.)were to follow with his reformatory approachon translation calling for the importance that a translator should first understand the source text properly in order to define the exact meaning and objective of the text author.

 

Arabic Translation History

 

Arabs did not live in solitude from their neighboring nations. They instead intermingled with their neighbors from Persia, Rome, and others. They interacted with them, affected them and got affected by them. Commercial activity of the Arabs contributed to broaden their interaction with their neighbors. Thus, close ties have originated, which we can trace now in the linguistic and cultural content of such nations. Such impact would not have undoubtedly been reach such a level without translating from such nations languages into Arabic. There are imported foreign words Arabs used in their speech. Also,the language of the Persians and Romans could not be void of Arabic words, structures, and expressions, which appeared in what they translated of Arabic literature and sciences contributing to building up and advancing their civilization.

 

Arabs showed great interest in translation since early Islamic era, and became more active throughout the course of Calling to Islam outside the Arab Peninsula boundaries and Islamic conquests during the reign of the righteous caliphs and Umayyadera. Khaled Bon YazidBin Mu’awiya Bin AbiSufianhad been much interested in translating and Arabizing departments in an attempt to Arabizeruling system. Such interest had intensified by the advent of the Abbasid era, where conquests outreached the east and west, which required permanent interaction with other nations and study their cultures, sciences, and literature. Thus, several translations from Persian literature and Greek sciences emerged. Arabs’ interest in translation reached its prime flourish during the era of Caliph Haroun Al-Rasheed and his son Al-Maamoun, who were generous to translators in compensation for their efforts in translating non-Arabic books into Arabic. The most famous translators at that era were Hunain Bin Ishaq and his son Ishaq Bin Hunain Bin Ishaq, Thabet Bin Qurrah, Jonah Bin Al-Batriq, Bin Al-Homosi, Abu Bishr Bin Matta Bin Younus, Yahia Bin Uday, and Ibn Al-Muqafaa. All these translators were famous for mastering Arabic language ans Assyrian language as well as their knowledge of science and fields from which they used to translate. Besides, some of them lived for a while at the countries speaking the source language. It is traced out that Hunain Bin Ishaq has travelled to Greece and lived there until he mastered the Greek language. It is also noteworthy that translation during the Abbasid era had never been limited to translation into Arabic language, but many Arabic manuscripts had been translated into foreign languages.

 

Translation during Prophetic Era:

 

There are several indicators that the days of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had witnessed special translation activitiesbeing necessary for disseminating Islamamongst non-Arabic speaking nations. It is reported that Suleiman Al-Farisi had pioneered the translation of the meanings of Surat Al-Fatihah (Opening Chapter)into Persian during the days of the Prophet(PBUH). Zayd Bin Thabet Al-Ansari Al-Khazragihad also been knownto be the first translator in Islam. He was reported to be writing to kings and reply to them in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH). He had been mastering Assyrian, Persian and Greek languages. Also, the oldest Islamic papyrus yet discovered dates back to the year 22 A.H., including some text in the name of Amr Ibn Al-Aas with three lines in Greek accompanied with their translation into Arabic.

 

Translation during Umayyad Era:

 

Despite Umayyad Dynasty had been interested in conquests and expansion of their kingdom, their interest in translation had never been inferior to their interest in expanding their kingdom. This had only been to strengthen their kingdom and shift it into modernity. They translated into Arabic old science manuscripts from Latin and Greek as well as what had been translated from these languages into Assyrian language on medicine, astronomy, architecture and chemistry, which Khaled Bin Yazidshowed much interest therein as was attempting to convert minerals into gold. During his reign, the first book had been translated from Greek into Arabic was “Secrets of the Stars”by the sage Hermes. Meanwhile, the first book on medicine had been translated during the reign of Marawan Bin Al-Hakam, which was authored by Ahran Bin Aayan the Physician, who lived during the days of Hercules in Alexandria around the year 610 A.D., and was translated from Assyrian into Arabic by the physician Masergieu from Basra. Yacoub Al-Rahawi was the most famous translator during the Umayyad Era, who translated many Greek books on theology into Arabic.

 

As for the magistrate books during the Umayyad era, all had been translated from Greek into Arabic during the days of Caliph Abdul Malek Bin Marawan in Syria.They had been also translated from Persian into Arabic by Al-Haggag Bin Youssef Al-Thaqafi in Iraq. In Egypt, many Coptic books had been translated into Arabic during the reign of Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Malek – Egypt’s ruler.

 

Khaled Bin Yazid Bin Mu’awiya, known as the sage of Marawan family, delegated his messenger to Alexandria requesting some books on medicine and chemistry for translation into Arabic. In his “El-Fehrest” book, Ibn An-Nadeem said: “Khaled used to be known as the sage of Marawan family. He was meritorious and had great interest in sciences. He ordered to outsource a group of Greek philosophers, who came to Egypt and learned standard Arabic, and this was the first form of citation from one language to another in Islam. Meanwhile, Al-Jahizreported that he was the first to show such interest in translation and philosophy and seek intimacy with the sages and artisans.

 

Omar Bin Abdul Aziz (99-101 A.H.) followed the traits of Khaled Bin Yazid. On moving to Medina, he accompanied one of the scholars at Alexandria School after convincing him to adopt Islamand alsoshifted the scholars of Alexandria School to Antioch School in the year 100 A.H.

 

Translation during Abbasid Era:

 

Translation had flourished during the Abbasid era to a great extent as they managed to wield power and enforce their sovereignty. Starting from Abu Gaafar Al-Mansour reign, one may divide history of the translation movement during the Abbasid era to two stages:

 

FIRST STAGE –Commencing as of the emergence of Abbasid Caliphate up to Al-Maamoun’s era (i.e., 750 – 815 A.D.).

 

SECOND STAGE –Commencing as of Al-Maamoun era up to his death (i.e., 815 – 833 A.D.).

 

Translation into Arabic flourishing during the Abbasid era could be attributed to the Abbasid Caliphs and their collective care of translators; however, the translation movement during the Umayyad era was individual attempts attributed to individual activities but not the successive caliphate rule, as Abbasid caliphs considered translation as one of the main pillars of their caliphate.

 

The prominent landmarks of translation movement during the Abbasid era, was the achievements traced back to the era of Abu Gaafar Al-Mansour (136 – 158 A.H.), as it had been interested in translating books from Greek and Persian into Arabic. During such era, books authored by Hippocrates and Galen on medicine, as well as the book of “Tales of Kalila and Dimna” by Ibn al-Muqaffa’. During his reign, translation movement flourished due to showing great interest in translating books on Greek sciences of Discourse, Argument and Logic. This were sought to assist them in their arguments with other sects, which compelled them to learn principles of argumentation and evidence finding as well as arguments rebuttal.

 

Haroun Al-Rasheed (170 – 194 A.H.): He had been interested in translation and outsourced translators from Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria, from amongst Muslims or non-Muslims, who had been mastering a foreign language plus Arabic, and founded Dar Al-Hikmain Baghdad and cared for providing it with books brought from Asia and Constantinople.

 

Al-Maamoun (198 – 218 A.H.): He had been generous to translators and sent missions to Constantinople to fetch whatsoever they find of Greek manuscripts on all fields of knowledge. Amongst the missions he delegated were Al-Haggag Bin Matar and Ibn Al-Batriq. Ibn An-Nadeem said that Al-Maamoun and Constantinople Emperorhad been exchangingcorrespondences in this regard.

 

Translation movement flourished with the rise of the Abbasid Dynasty is considered to be the first dedicated and organized movement throughout history, thanks to its multiple sources. Arabs translated books from Greek, Persian, Hindi, Assyrian, and Coptic languages. It is also distinguished for being varied as covering all domains, including philosophy, logic, medicine, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry, physics, and literature.

 

Al-Jahiz& Translation:

 

Translation theorists focus on modern and western theories, which studies translation as a science from all perspectives; however, they overlooked Al-Jahiz’srole, being the first to theorize on translation and speak of it as a science, and further set the prerequisites for translations and qualifications of translators.

 

His full name is AbūʿUthmanʿAmr ibn Baḥr al-Kinānī al-Baṣrī.He was born in Basrain 159 A.H., during the reign of Al-Mahdi, the 3^rdAbbasid Caliph, and died in 255 A.H. during the reign of Al-Muhtadi-bi-Allah. So, he survived several caliphs of Bani Al-Abbas, where Arabic Islamic culture and civilization at its prime flourish. In his book “Al-Hayawan (The Animal)”, Al-Jahiz introduced what could be considered the most ancient translation theory; thus, he preceded our contemporary translation theorists by at least one thousand years.

 

Translation in Andalusia:

 

Andalusia marked a new launching base for translation from Arabic, where it witnessed the first attempt of translating the Holy Quran—being the holy book and greatest law for Muslims. The first translation appeared in 1130 A.D. upon the command and instructions of Peter the Venerable, Chief Monk of Cluny Monastery. Robert de Kettontackled such translation.Then, it had been followed with a translation offered by a group priestsof Cluny Monastery in 1143 A.H. During the thirteenth and fourteenth centuriesseveral translations of the Quran had been offered into Castellano instead of Latin upon the directions of King Alfonso Xof Castile. There is also a translation offered by the archbishop John of Seville Church to the Quran into Spanish then Latin, in cooperation with the able jurisprudent Essa Ibn Jaber of Seville.

 

Modern Age:

 

Most of translation works into Arabic after the 6^th Calendar Century focused on religious books and authorships, which had been translatedmainly from Latin, Greek and Italian languages. Examples of such translations was the “Book of Psalms”, which had been translated into Arabic back in 1610 A.D., “Christian Dogma” by the Cardinal Bellarmine, which was translated by Jonah Al-Hasrouni in Rome back in 1613 A.D., “Christ History” translated by PotrusMakhlouf, and printed in Rome back in 1674 A.D., “Jadaliyat Al-Saif-ul-Qatea”, translated by Christodoulos–Gaza Patriarch, and the Archbishop Yuwasaf Bin SuweidanAl-Omrani, printed in 1696 A.D., “Book of Psalms”, translated by Abdelillah Bin Al-Fadhl of Antioch, printed in 1735 A.D., “Christian Teachnig” translated from Greek into Arabic by the deacon Safranius, Aleppo, 1740 A.D., “Communion” by EfstratiosArgentis, and translated by MusadNisso, Bucharest, 1747 A.D., and “Priest Guide” authored by Father Senery, and translated by Peter Fromaj, printed in 1760 A.D.

 

Translation during Mohamed Ali’s Era:

 

Such era marked the shift to encyclopedic translation in fields other than religion. It witnessed the foundation of Al-Alsun(School of Languages) in Egypt, with Refaa Al-Tahtawi appointed as its president. During such era, many foreign books revolving around several fields, speciallythose written in French, has been translated.

 

Refaa Al-Tahtawi& the School of Languages:

 

Mohamed Ali desired for strengthening his kingdom in Egyptand in the meantime keep pace with the advancement of Europe at that time. He requested his missions to Europe to translate sciences and literature, which they will study. However, some members of those missions proved to lack the talent of translation. Therefore, Refaa Al-Tahtawi proposed to found the School of Languagesfor teaching translation and qualify translators. The School had been founded in 1835 A.D., under the name of “Translation School”, but later came to be known as the “School of Languages”. Students studied Arabic, Turkish, English, and French languagesin addition to history, geography, mathematics and sports. Tenure of study lasted for five years. Examples of the books translated during this era are: “History of Greek Philosophers”, “Delineations of the Manners and Customs of Various Nations – Qalaìd al-mafakhir fi gharaìb ‘awìd al-awaìlwa-al-awakhir”, “Bidāyatal-qudamāʼwa-hidāyatal-ḥukamāʼ”, “Qurratal-nufūswa-al-ʻuyūn bi-sayr mā tawassaṭaminal-qurūn”, “NazmulLa’ali’ fi ilSoloukfemanHakamFaransa men al Muluk”, “History of French Kings”, “Matla’ ShomousilSeyar fi Waqae’ Carlos XII”, and “Ithaf al Muluk al Alba Betaqaddum al Gamaeiat fi Orobba”.