Bridging Language Gaps in Hadith

Explore untranslatable Arabic terms in Hadith texts and their cultural-linguistic meanings in Malay through our AI-powered glossary system.



Quote 1 From Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.

َدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي سَالِمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ: أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ قَالَ: أَخَذَ عُمَرُ ‌جُبَّةً مِنْ إِسْتَبْرَقٍ تُبَاعُ فِي السُّوقِ، فَأَخَذَهَا فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، ابْتَعْ هَذِهِ تَجَمَّلْ بِهَا لِلْعِيدِ وَالْوُفُودِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: (إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ لِبَاسُ مَنْ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُ). فَلَبِثَ عُمَرُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَلْبَثَ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِجُبَّةِ دِيبَاجٍ، فَأَقْبَلَ بِهَا عُمَرُ، فَأَتَى بِهَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّكَ قُلْتَ: (إِنَّمَا هَذِهِ لِبَاسُ مَنْ لَا خَلَاقَ لَهُ). وَأَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيَّ بِهَذِهِ الْجُبَّةِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: (تَبِيعُهَا، أَوْ تُصِيبُ بِهَا حَاجَتَكَ).

Umar bin al-Khattab pernah mengambil sehelai jubah daripada sutera yang dijual di pasar, lalu membawanya kepada Rasulullah ﷺ dan berkata: “Wahai Rasulullah, belilah pakaian ini dan perelokkanlah dirimu dengannya pada hari raya dan ketika menyambut para tetamu.” Namun Rasulullah ﷺ bersabda: “Sesungguhnya pakaian ini adalah pakaian bagi orang yang tiada bahagian (di akhirat).” Umar pun membiarkannya untuk suatu tempoh sebagaimana yang dikehendaki oleh Allah. Kemudian, Rasulullah ﷺ mengutuskan kepada Umar sehelai jubah yang diperbuat daripada sutera. Umar pun datang semula kepada baginda dan berkata: “Wahai Rasulullah, bukankah engkau telah bersabda: ‘Sesungguhnya ini adalah pakaian orang yang tiada bahagian’? Tetapi engkau mengutuskan jubah ini kepadaku.” Maka Rasulullah ﷺ menjawab: “(Aku mengutusnya) supaya engkau menjualnya, atau menggunakannya untuk memenuhi keperluanmu.”

`Umar bought a silk cloak from the market, took it to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Take it and adorn yourself with it during the `Id and when the delegations visit you." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) replied, "This dress is for those who have no share (in the Hereafter)." After a long period Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) sent to `Umar a cloak of silk brocade. `Umar came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) with the cloak and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! You said that this dress was for those who had no share (in the Hereafter); yet you have sent me this cloak." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to him, "Sell it and fulfill your needs by it."

906
Abd Allah bin Umar
Kitab Dua Hari Raya
Dua hari raya dan memakai pakaian cantik
Quote 2 From Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ إسحق بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَمْشِي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعَلَيْهِ بُرْدٌ نَجْرَانِيٌّ غَلِيظُ الْحَاشِيَةِ، فَأَدْرَكَهُ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَجَبَذَهُ بِرِدَائِهِ جَبْذَةً شَدِيدَةً، حَتَّى نَظَرْتُ إِلَى صَفْحَةِ عَاتِقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ أَثَّرَتْ بِهَا حَاشِيَةُ الْبُرْدِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ جَبْذَتِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ مُرْ لِي مِنْ مَالِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي عِنْدَكَ، فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ ضَحِكَ، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ لَهُ بِعَطَاءٍ.

Anas bin Malik meriwayatkan bahawa beliau pernah berjalan bersama Rasulullah ﷺ yang ketika itu memakai sehelai burd (selendang) buatan Najran yang tebal di bahagian pinggirnya. Tiba-tiba datang seorang Arab Badwi yang menarik selendang baginda dengan tarikan yang sangat kuat, sehingga Anas melihat kesan tarikan itu pada leher Rasulullah ﷺ akibat tebalnya pinggiran kain tersebut. Kemudian lelaki itu berkata: “Wahai Muhammad! Perintahkan agar aku diberikan sesuatu daripada harta Allah yang ada padamu.” Maka Rasulullah ﷺ menoleh kepadanya, lalu baginda tersenyum, kemudian memerintahkan agar lelaki itu diberi pemberian.

Once I was walking with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he was wearing a Najram Burd with thick margin. A bedouin followed him and pulled his Burd so violently that I noticed the side of the shoulder of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) affected by the margin of the Burd because of that violent pull. The Bedouin said, "O Muhammad! Give me some of Allah's wealth which is with you." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) turned and looked at him, and smiling, 'he ordered that he be given something.

🧠 About This Project

The translation of Hadith texts from Arabic into Malay presents profound challenges, particularly due to untranslatable words that embody unique cultural, religious, and historical meanings. Conventional translations often resort to borrowing or transliteration, leaving gaps in understanding and limiting accessibility for diverse audiences. This project addresses this longstanding problem through the development of an AI-powered Arab–Malay glossary knowledge base (KB) dedicated to untranslatable words in Hadith

📖 Current Issues​

  • Linguistic and Cultural Gaps in Translating Hadith
    ​ The translation of Hadith texts from Arabic into Malay faces significant challenges due to untranslatable words that embody deep cultural, historical, and religious meanings​
  • Lack of Comprehensive Glossary for Untranslatable Words
    ​ Despite the prevalence of untranslatable words in Hadith texts, there is lack of comprehensive Arab–Malay glossary dedicated to addressing these lacunae.​
  • Limited Use of Technology in Addressing Translation Lacunae
    ​ The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to systematically explain for untranslatable words is urgently needed. Without innovation, the gap between classical Arabic and modern Malay continues to compromise the accessibility and accuracy of Hadith translations.

🌍 Novelty​

  • Novelty 1: AI-Augmented Glossary for Religious Translation​ - Unlike traditional glossaries that rely solely on static definitions, this project integrates AI-powered chat-based responses to dynamically explain untranslatable Hadith terms with linguistic, cultural, and contextual depth.​
  • Novelty 2: First Arab–Malay Repository of Hadith Lacunae​ - This study pioneers the creation of a web-based repository dedicated to untranslatable words in Hadith for the Arab–Malay context — filling a long- standing gap in religious translation resources where no such specialized tool currently exists.​
  • Novelty 3: Semiotic and Digital Approach to Translation Gaps​ - By combining semiotic analysis with AI-driven knowledge base modelling, this innovation introduces a hybrid methodology for addressing translation lacunae — moving beyond conventional lexical strategies to provide culturally faithful and pedagogically relevant solutions.