Translation and the world of the text: On the translation of the word hijab in the Qur'an

The article addresses questions of semantics, reference and the 'world of the text' (Ricœur's term) through a detailed comparative analysis of the ways in which the word hijab in the Qur'an has been translated and understood. The translations of the word hijab and the meanings that attach thereto demonstrate the risks inherent in privileging a putatively all-important referent over several valid signifieds. The article falls into two parts, the first presenting a theoretical exposition of the stakes involved in these translations, while the second traces the operation of the word hijab in several English translations of the Qur'an. We argue that, in the Qur'an, the word hijab demarcates the place that enables communication between the divine and the human.