De Slane’s Errors in the English Translation of Wafayāt al-Aʿyān and the Corrections of Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq al-Sufi: A Critical Analytical Study

أوهام دي سلان في ترجمة «وفيات الأعيان» وتصويبات الأستاذ الدكتور محمد ضياء الحق الصوفي: دراسة نقدية تحليلية

Abstract

Wafayāt al-Aʿyān wa Anbāʾ Abnāʾ al-Zamān by Ibn Khallikān is one of the most significant biographical dictionaries in Islamic intellectual history. Due to its scholarly value, the work attracted the attention of both Muslim and Western scholars. Among the most notable translations is the English rendition by the orientalist William MacGuckin De Slane. Despite its academic importance and contribution to introducing Arabic biographical literature to Western readership, the translation contains several inaccuracies related to personal names, genealogies, historical events, geographical references, and linguistic expressions.

Professor Dr. Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq al-Sufi critically examined these inaccuracies while preparing his extensive research on Wafayāt al-Aʿyān and compiling his unpublished work, Dalīl al-Ḥayrān ʿalā Wafayāt al-Aʿyān. Through meticulous comparison with original Arabic sources and historical references, he identified and corrected numerous translation errors. This study aims to analyze selected errors found in De Slane’s translation and evaluate Dr. al-Sufi’s corrective methodology. Employing an analytical and comparative approach, the research highlights the significance of textual criticism in translation studies and demonstrates the scholarly value of Dr. al-Sufi’s contributions to the preservation and accurate interpretation of Islamic heritage.