The current study is set to investigate the problems that face translators in rendering the
anthropomorphic images of the Face, the Eye and Istwâ' of Allah in the Qur'ân. The
anthropomorphic images are the physical movements and body organs used to refer to Allah in
the Qur'ân and sunnah. The samples of the study are 14 images from the Qur'ân. The problem lies
in the fact that two divergent Islamic trends differ in dealing with the anthropomorphic images.
The Salafî trend affirms them without interpretation, likening, resembling, exaggeration, or
denying. The other trend is the Khalafî who contradicts the Salafî. Seven translations are
investigated in the study in order to have a broad scope of the problem and hence provide in-depth
results. The study is qualitative and begins with a theoretical part followed by the analysis section.
The study findings show that the anthropomorphic images aroused much argument and to solve
this problem, there is an opinion that allows Ta'wîl (interpretation) when it accords with language,
context, and jurisprudence. The study also finds that the image of Istwâ' is not liable to
interpretation or imagination for any reason, and hence must be translated literally or in
transliteration with explaining the theological reasons behind that in the footnotes. On the other
hand, the images of the face and the eye can be interpreted according to the contextual meaning
with affirming that Allah has a face and eyes. The study concludes that the translator should be
52
aware of the problems of translating anthropomorphism and then decide which trend to follow.
Also, the translator should have the flexibility to shift from a translational approach to another
according to the context and the meaning of each image.