IQNA – More than two decades after initial efforts began, a Bulgarian translation of the Quran by a Sofia University professor has become a cornerstone of Islamic studies in Eastern Europe.
The scholar's academic path—spanning universities from Baghdad and Cairo to Moscow—ultimately fostered a profound connection between the discipline of Oriental studies and Islamic faith.
Bulgarian is spoken by at least eight million people—including over half a million Muslims—and has played a particularly significant role in the history of Quran translation in the Balkans.
Given that the Balkans has long been a meeting point for Slavic culture and Turkish cultural influence, rendering the Quran into Bulgarian held not only religious importance but also impacted the region’s nationalist and political discourses.
The majority of Bulgaria’s Muslims (referred to locally as “Turks”) reside in the south of the country and continue to use Turkish as their primary language for communication and religious sermons. In contrast, the Pomaks (Bulgarian-speaking Muslims living in Bulgaria, northeastern Greece, and primarily northwestern Turkey), the Roma, and other local ethnic groups predominantly use Bulgarian. Consequently, the first Bulgarian translations of the Quran produced by Christian missionaries in the first half of the 20th century—which were based on existing European translations in German, French, and English—were perceived by local Turkish-speaking Muslims as a challenge to their identity.
This tension persists to some extent, and the struggle for linguistic rights remains a significant issue for the country's ethnic Turkish population. It was against this backdrop that the first Bulgarian translation of the Quran by a Muslim—produced by Muhammad Shams al-Din between 1986 and 1989—was published in 1991 by an amateur, unofficial publisher as a self-published work. Subsequently, in 1993, a commentary was released in a limited print run under the auspices of a committee led by Mufti Nadim Gadzhev.
Theophanov’s Profound Understanding of Islamic Culture
The next Bulgarian translation of the Quran was the work of Tsvetan Theophanov—a renowned Bulgarian scholar of Arabic and Islamic studies—titled “Prevod na Sveshtenia Koran” (Translation of the Holy Quran).
Theophanov, a professor at Sofia University, holds a distinguished position within the field of Arabic studies in Bulgaria, a discipline that emerged in the country in the early 1960s.
He is a scholar who has deeply explored the Holy Quran as well as the literature and poetry of the Abbasid era, while also engaging in teaching and academic administration in his home country. He has lectured at several Western universities, including Oxford, and has authored numerous works addressing the subject of Arabic literary heritage over the years.
Theophanov began his academic journey at Sofia University; shortly thereafter, he continued his studies at the University of Baghdad and subsequently at Cairo University. His doctoral dissertation (defended at Moscow State University in 1987) focused on the works of Abu al-Atahiya, a renowned poet of the early Islamic era, and his subsequent thesis for the rank of full professor also dealt with classical Arabic poetry (2001). Theophanov assumed the directorship of Sofia University’s Center for Eastern Languages and Cultures in 1992.
In addition to his translation of the Quran, he is known for his monographs and research on the medieval Middle East as well as his own poetic works. He is also apparently the only Bulgarian scholar to have translated a collection of Hadith.
He converted to Islam while translating the Quran into Bulgarian in 1998 and was appointed head of the department at the Higher Islamic Institute in Sofia that same year. He is currently a member of the American Oriental Society and the British Society for Middle Eastern Studies.
Born in Sofia in 1952, this scholar and Quran translator first translated the meanings of the Holy Quran into Bulgarian in 1987 at the request of a Bulgarian publishing house. However, following changes in both general circumstances and his personal life, Theophanov resumed the translation process. Ten years later, he presented the first Bulgarian rendering of the Quran’s meanings translated directly from the Arabic original.
This work was first published in 1997 with the support of the Saudi-based Al-Tayyibah Foundation, and a second, revised edition was released in 1999. Since then, this translation has been reprinted at least five times by various Bulgarian publishers, the Bulgarian Chief Mufti's Office, and ultimately, Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs.
The “official” status of this translation has contributed to its immense popularity, making it easily accessible not only in mosques and libraries but also on numerous websites and mobile applications. The fact that Theophanov converted to Islam after completing the translation has further enhanced the work's renown and credibility among both Muslim and non-Muslim readers.
Regarding what drove him to translate the Holy Quran—and whether it stemmed from personal curiosity or simply an invitation from a Bulgarian publisher—the translator stated: “Initially, I had no intention of translating the Holy Quran until I was invited by a Bulgarian publishing house to undertake this noble task. I readily accepted the offer without dwelling on the difficulties involved. I was astonished by the proposal, given that the Bulgarian communist authorities at the time prohibited followers of any religion—whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim—from practicing their faith.”
Combining Contemporary Language with Scholarly Precision
The introduction to Theophanov’s translation of the Quran acquaints Bulgarian readers with key Quranic concepts and provides a brief biography of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) alongside a history of early Islam. Theophanov also addresses challenging contemporary issues, such as religious tolerance in Islam, jihad, and the relationship between Islam and science.
The translation itself reflects the author’s extensive scholarly and academic experience. While its style appears somewhat influenced by Krachkovsky’s Russian translation—renowned for its strict fidelity to the original text—it stands as a highly successful “grammatical translation”, avoiding the pitfalls of mere literalism or loose paraphrasing.
Great care was taken in the choice of vocabulary for the verses, and all explanatory notes are enclosed in brackets. The translation employs modern Bulgarian, allowing the translator to avoid archaic or obsolete terms; he has retained only a few Arabic expressions, making the text easily accessible to both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences.
Any supplementary explanations are provided in footnotes, written in simple language and based on mainstream Sunni exegesis. Although the book’s text does not explicitly cite classical commentaries, Theophanov has acknowledged in interviews that he drew upon Sunni exegeses—such as the works of al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, and Sayyid Qutb—and relied primarily on Sahih al-Bukhari to elucidate the Asbab al-Nuzul (the occasions and contexts of the verses’ revelation).
A Translation Suitable for Both General and Specialized Audiences
When dealing with verses concerning theology and doctrine, he typically provides a literal translation while incorporating supplementary explanations based on mainstream Sunni teachings (such as in Surah Taha, Verse 5). This same approach applies to verses addressing matters of worship and social issues. Theophanov interprets them through the lens of Sunni perspectives. Overall, his approach has yielded a text suitable for both continuous reading and citation in academic, religious, or popular writings.
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