Translating Islam in Diaspora: Leila Aboulela's The Translator

This paper investigates the way that Leila Aboulela's novel the Translator depicts how Islam and its rituals can strongly govern the life of Muslims and organize their relationships with others in diaspora. It also shows that religion plays a significant role in promoting or blocking cross-cultural communication among people with different faiths, cultural backgrounds or ethnicities. The clash between religion and personal interests, which is eventually resolved in the novel, can be clearly seen in the decisions made by the two main characters Sammar and Rae, who are forced to either maintain their religion or offer a radical compromise. Their marriage becomes possible only when Sammar,
guided by Qur'anic teachings, transcends her personal desires and renounces selfishness. Finally, it is argued that Sammar is not only a successful transla-tor, who lucidly translates from Arabic into English and vice versa, but she is also a devout Muslim who renders the verses of the Qur'an in many occasions into real actions.