@aamullanee Something having a rich etymology doesn’t mean that it “doesn’t mean” what it’s commonly translated as. The word “chapter” is also interesting, though it doesn’t share in those root concepts.

@aamullanee The funniest example of this is when people say “shahīd doesn’t mean martyr, shahīd actually derives from witnessing!” but they don’t bother to check the root meanings of “martyr” (spoiler: it’s witnessing).

@aamullanee Now, perhaps surah should be left untranslated, or maybe someone can come up with a stronger parallel in English (like someone suggested “lustration” for وضوء !), but calling a division in a book (insofar as the Kitab is a book!) a “chapter” is only natural.

@aamullanee Was about to end my rant there, but it’s been said that the term “surah” is original to the Quran, and kind of replaces the unit of “qasidah” in poetry which ruled the day at time of revelation. So maybe this power is lost by translating it at all.