Ehsanul Khan

Translator

Talent

Pinner, Harrow, Greater LondonMember since 8 August 2024

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About

Meaning is my love, and therefore language the object of my affection.

I studied the classical arts of language: grammar, logic, rhetoric, in Arabic and English mediums. I practiced these arts under the rigorous eye of theology, and the whip of jurisprudence, during my pursuit of traditional Islamic knowledge in the UK and abroad. Four years of such study left me with precision and dexterity in forming definitions according to classical ontology, appreciation for the consequences of subtle variances of definitions in discourses, and a friendly acquaintance with dictionaries of myriad types.

I have applied this art of definition in my BA.

Islamic

Studies dissertation and work as a translator. In my dissertation I wrote on the different meanings of the word “mathal" in the Qur'an. Broadly, a “mathal” is a comparison of multiple objects or realities, used to teach or remind the reader of divine agency. I showed how the variant uses of this word entail different strategies of the Qur'an to convey its messages. My translation work required attention to both English and Arabic lexicons in communicating with accuracy and suitability for audiences.

My research skills have been developed in my work and study in the field of Economics. For my MSc.

Development

Economics dissertation I sourced information from conventional and unconventional sources to map labour migrant experiences in countries where processes are often hidden from plain sight. I read a host of sources, including business reports, national and international policy papers, public statistics, academic research, expert interviews, ministerial briefings, financial journalism, industry minutes, and analytical handbooks, to provide useful analysis as an assistant economist.

Through my work as an English tutor, in sales, policy, and through active participation in performance poetry, drama and delivering sermons, I have been constantly concerned with intentional choice of language. The range of these experiences give me an ability to think freely and flexibly which is rare to find. Simultaneously, many of these roles involved intensive team work to achieve an aim, and they have forged me into an engaged team player.

I would love to work as a lexicographer to widen and deepen my intimacy with the English lexicon. I aspire to this in particular so that I may tell stories that communicate profound wisdom from the Islamic tradition to English speaking audiences. To this end I am in the process of writing a novel, planning a course on story writing for underrepresented Muslim audiences and learning Persian.