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William Goldsack

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William Goldsack (1871–1957[1]) was an Australian Baptist Missionary Society missionary to East Bengal (present day Bangladesh), India.[2][3][4][5]

He authored several books, like Christ in Islam, Muhammad in Islam, and chiefly notable for undertaking the translation of Quran, also spelled Koran, into Bengali language.[2][3][4][5]

Missionary work

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Goldsack joined the Australian Baptist Missionary Society in 1899, where he mastered languages before being placed at mission station Pabna, East Bengal. At Pabna, he devoted his missionary work to preaching and teaching; additionally, he purchased the land for mission to erect new Zenana house. Having been influenced by George Henry Rouse, head of the Baptist Mission Press at Calcutta, West Bengal, he devoted himself to the Islamic studies and literary work; thus, he wrote many apologetic tracts and pamphlets. In 1908, he undertook the translation of Quran or Koran into Bengali language.[2][3][4][5][6]

In 1911, having attended the Lucknow Conference of Missionaries to Muslims, he was elected to the continuation committee. Between 1917 and 1918, he learnt Arabic language at missionary stations in Syria for six months, and later six months in Cairo, Egypt. Not being comfortable with district duties of Australian Baptist Missionary Society, he got himself transferred to British Baptist Missionary Society in 1912, during his furlough.[2][6]

British Baptist Missionary Society designated his services exclusively for Muslim work in 1914. While serving as the secretary of the Christian Literature Society of Bengal branch, he rendered the Quran in Bengali language in 1918, and later published collection of Muslim traditions in Bengali language in 1923. Many religious scholars, do believe that it was a bold and strategic venture on literary lines, and also had great effect on intelligent Moslems[7] - the Koran he produced had Christian comments along with explanation of difficult passages, seemingly to avoid mis-interpretations and lead Moslems to Christ.[2][3][4][5][8]

He remained Christian all his life, although devoted all his missionary work in Islamic studies and literature for evangelizing Bengali Muslims. He retired from missionary service in 1923, due to Malaria and recurrent boils; later part of his life was spent in fruit farming in South Australia, along with his family.[2]

Criticism

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Bhai Girish Chandra Sen, member of Brahmo Samaj, was the first non-Muslim to translate the whole Quran into Bengaliin 1886;[9] however, his translation did not contain any Arabic text, instead it had Bengali words. For instance, Allah has been translated as ISHSHAR, Jannah as SHORGO, Jahannam as NOROK, Ibadah as ARCHONA, and alike. Bhai Girish's translation didn't contain any material that would hurt the feelings of Muslims.

Goldsack's translation of the Koran into Bengali has been denounced to have contained offensive remarks on Islam and Muhammad; therefore, Goldsack's translation seems to have been rejected by Muslims.[10]

Goldsack believed that the Quran had been corrupted since its creation and was not reliable as an accurate source.[11]

Works

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  • Christ in Islam, 1905.
  • The Quraan in Islam, 1906.
  • Muhammed in Islam, 1916.
  • The Bible in Islam, 1922..[12]
  • A Mussalmani Bengali-English Dictionary (with Sila Basak)[13]
  • Muhammad and the Bible[14]
  • Selections from Muhammadan Traditions[15]
  • Ghulam Jabbar's Renunciation: A Tale of Eastern Bengal.
  • The Origins of the Qur'an.[2][16]

References

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  1. ^ A Theological Appreciation of the Reverend Lewis Bevan Jones (1880-1960)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Anderson, Gerald H. (1999). Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 248. ISBN 9780802846808.
  3. ^ a b c d Lammens, Henri (2007). "Was Mohammed Sincere?". The Muslim World. 5 (3): 262–267. doi:10.1111/j.1478-1913.1915.tb01452.x.
  4. ^ a b c d Israeli, Raphael (2002). Islam in China: Religion, Ethnicity, Culture, and Politics. Lexington Books. p. 187. ISBN 9780739103753.
  5. ^ a b c d Riddell, Peter G.; Tony Street; Anthony Hearle Johns (1997). Islam: Essays on Scripture, Thought, and Society : a Festschrift in Honour of Anthony H. Johns. BRILL. p. 87. ISBN 9789004106925.
  6. ^ a b "Baptist Union Conference". National Library of Australia. trove.nla.gov.au. September 22, 1911. p. 12. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
  7. ^ Muhammadanism website, The Moslem World website, Translations of the Koran, article by Samuel Zwemer, published in The Moslem World, July 1915
  8. ^ "A Study of the Fatwa by Rashid Rida on the Translation of the Qur'an". wmcarey.edu. Retrieved June 26, 2012. Bengali translation of the Qur'an by the Rev. William Goldsack, a missionary of the Australian Baptist Society, which was published by Christian Literature Society of India Bengal Branch, Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta, 1908-20.
  9. ^ Islam On Web website, The First Bengali Translation of the Holy Quran by Bhai Girish Chandra Sen (Part One), article by Sirajuddin Shaikh dated April 6, 2023
  10. ^ Fatihi, A.R.; Aejaz Shieikh; Al-Azami Salaman (2005). Communicative Dimensions of Qur'anic Translations. Adam Publishers. p. 14. ISBN 9788174352989.
  11. ^ Study Islam website, William Goldsack; An Inquiry into the Integrity of the Qur’an
  12. ^ University of Pennsylvania Library website, Online Books by William Goldsack
  13. ^ Readers End website, William Goldsack
  14. ^ GoodReads website, William Goldsack
  15. ^ ABE Books website, Rev William Goldsack
  16. ^ "Ghulam Jabbar's Renunciation: A Tale of Eastern Bengal - William Goldsack". Retrieved June 27, 2012. JA rare and interesting work by the early twentieth century missionary to Bengali Muslims, William Goldsack
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