The Dynamics of the Translation of salat in the Qur’an: Between Theological Meaning and Modern Context

The term Salat in the Qur’an is one of the central concepts in Islamic teachings, encompassing a wide range of meanings that include ritual, spiritual, and relational dimensions. However, when rendered into Indonesian, this term encounters various translational challenges due to the absence of a fully equivalent lexical counterpart. This study aims to identify the problems arising in the translation of Salat in the Qur’an and to propose approaches that can convey its meaning more accurately. This research employs a qualitative library-based method by analyzing Qur’anic verses containing the term Salat , along with examining Indonesian translations and scholarly interpretations. The findings reveal that the major issues in translating Salat include the lack of an equivalent lexical counterpart, the complexity of its context-dependent meanings, and semantic narrowing in translation practices. Variations in translation such as “Salat ,” “prayer,” and “mercy” are often not explicitly linked, causing general readers to lose awareness of the semantic relationship originating from the same root. To address these issues, this study proposes several approaches, including contextual–semantic analysis, transliteration accompanied by explanation, guided terminology, and semantic–pragmatic approaches. These methods are considered effective in helping translators maintain semantic equivalence while preserving the conceptual scope of Salat . It is hoped that this study contributes to the development of Qur’anic translation studies, particularly in dealing with other Qur’anic terms that possess similar semantic complexity.