Behçet Kemal Çalar's Kur'ân-i Kerîm'den Ilhamlar (Inspirations from the Holy Qur'an): A Kemalist's Personal, Poetic Response to the Qur'an

Behçet Kemal Çalar, 1908-1969, is the author of a commentary of the Qur'an, Kur'ân-i Kerîm'den Ilhamlar ('Inspirations from the Holy Qur'an'), published in 1966. This work can be described as a poetic reflection on the Qur'an. It does not adhere to rendering every line or verse, but instead insists on maintaining a rhythmic cadence and end-rhyme. Although it resembles a translation in some ways, Çalar refuses to call his work a translation. This paper begins by introducing Çalar and his text, a brief history of Turkish translations of the Qur'an, then Çalar's approach is contrasted with the aims of translators of the Qur'an. Çalar's text is studied in more detail, providing a sample of the Turkish text and a translation of it into English, focusing on Çalar's reflection on Surat Ṭaha. Through this study, it becomes clear that as a result of his prioritizing the literary aspects of the Qur'an in his reflection, Çalar's book has an advantage over literal translations of the Qur'an and it can be useful for Qur'an translation. At the same time, Çalar's book is a reflection of a desire to develop a Turkish Islam--a manifestation of Islam that came from Turkey, that reflected its language and culture and that was intelligible to its people.