Book excerpt: Translation is as old as the art of writing or as old as history of education in general. It is occasioned by the social needs of people. Whenever, for instance, two linguistic groups interact as neighbors to each other, translation from and to each other’s languages becomes inevitable if they must meaningfully communicate with each other in matters of commerce, intermarriage, education, legal issues, etc. Religious books like those that the Holy Qur’ān and the Bible have been facilitating essentially translated to numerous languages in different parts of the world. Translation is also regarded as a significant key that connects the literary works of authors from diverse culture. It also plays a pivotal role in minimizing the cultural divergences. Translation has been widely practiced over the centuries in the world in general and in Arab world in particular. The founding mythology and the sacred texts of the dominant religions are all based on translations. In short, translation has been essential for development and change in literature, commerce, technology, politics, so on and so forth.