Danish Scholar’s Quran Translation Sparks Debate Amid Islamophobia Concerns

Danish Scholar’s Quran Translation Sparks Debate Amid Islamophobia Concerns
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A new Danish translation of the Quran by a non-Muslim academic has drawn wide attention in Denmark, where public debates on Islam have intensified alongside rising Islamophobia. The translation was produced by Elin Wolf, a Danish orientalist with a doctorate in Arabic, who spent more than three years working on the project with the stated aim of presenting Islam accurately and accessibly to Danish readers.

According to Al Jazeera, the 544-page volume is written in a rigorous academic style and published as a tool for knowledge and dialogue. Wolf has said her goal was to counter misunderstandings and misinformation about Islam in Danish society and to provide readers with direct access to the Quranic text in clear, fluent language. She also views the project as an intellectual response to far-right rhetoric targeting Muslims.

Unlike many Quran translations, the book does not present the Arabic text alongside the Danish version, a choice Wolf says allows readers to focus more fully on meaning. The translation uses the word “God” instead of “Allah” in the main text and does not include references to the circumstances of revelation or classical exegesis.

Reactions within Denmark’s Muslim community have been mixed. Imam Abdelwahid Pedersen welcomed the translation as helpful for public understanding and for younger Danish Muslims who struggle with Arabic, but questioned its religious authority. Jihad Al-Farra, head of the Islamic Centre of Denmark, echoed these concerns while noting that the work’s academic and non-partisan nature may aid broader acceptance. The publication marks a significant development in Denmark’s history of Quran translations, which dates back to 1967.