About
What is the Urdu Geo Version?
UGV is a modern Urdu translation of Kitab-i Muqaddas, also called the Holy Bible. In it we read of Allah's love for man and his will for our lives.
What is the aim of the UGV?
The aim of the Geo Version is to provide a translation close to the original text that modern Urdu readers can easily understand. This translation can be freely downloaded and distributed − no strings attached. This applies to pdf files, mobile versions, apps and Bible programs.
What is Kitab-i Muqaddas?
Kitab-i Muqaddas is actually a library of books spanning many centuries. These can be divided into:
- Tauret
- Tareekhi Sahaif
- Sahaif-i Hikmat & Zaboor
- Sahaif-i Anbia
- Injeel
Christians call the first four the Old Testament, whereas the Injeel is also called the New Testament. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, the Holy Injeel in Greek. This translation is a direct translation from the original languages, and maximum effort has been made to convey the original meaning in the Urdu language.
How was the UGV translated?
Those who translate the Holy Word of Allah are faced with two challenges. The first challenge is to translate the original text as accurately as possible. The second is to at the same time convey the beauty and depth of the original language in such a way that the reader has easy access to its meaning. For this reason every translator has to find a balance between a literal and a free translation. As a result the reader will note that the different Urdu translations have somewhat differing texts. The differences arise from different attempts to convey the depth and richness of the original text.
When possible the attempt has been made to translate literally. Titles and subtitles have been added to aid the reader and are not part of the original text. May Allah grant that this translation will prove to be of help in conveying the depth and richness of the original text.
Why is the word Allah used?
Some people especially on the Indian subcontinent are disturbed that UGV uses the word Allah for God. They contend that only Khuda should be used.
There are good reasons to reject this view. For one it is very probable that Arabic Christians used the word Allah before the advent of Islam. Old Muslim historians support this view. The oldest Arabic Gospel translations also use Allah. The fact is that Allah is very close to Alaha, the word for God used by Aramaic Christians, who spread the Gospel to the Arabs rapidly in the years following Pentecost.
Most importantly, for thousands of years Arabic Christians everywhere have been using the word Allah for God. Allah is also the word used by standard Arabic Bible translations. Thus it is a gross insult for our Arabic Brothers and Sisters when people say that Allah is only the God of Islam.
In comparison to this, Khuda is a Persian word for God which comes from a non-Christian background, as does the English word God. If we forbid people to use the word Allah, it follows that we forbid them to use the word God and instead use the Hebrew words Elohim and Jahwe and the Greek word Theos.
UGV reflects the usage of Urdu readers today when it uses both Allah and Khuda.
In a nutshell, the Nature of God is not determined by the usage of the word Allah or Khuda but rather by what is written about God in the Holy Scriptures. Our wish for the esteemed reader is that he/she read both the Quran and the Bible and discover for himself/herself what the nature of God is.
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