The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

This review will approach the work from three different perspectives. A scholarly review based on the translation. My own general reactions to the content of the Qur'an. And my analysis of the document as a Bible Believing Christian. SCHOLARLY REVIEW I very much appreciated the introduction. As a professor of biblical studies, I appreciated Haleem's discussion of issues relating to translation, interpretation in context, and exegesis. All of these things have parallels in my own field and were very helpful in understanding how different interpretations shape different Islamic perspectives. Haleel himself seems to embrace a more progressive form of Islam and uses context to challenge some more fundamentalist Muslim interpretations. I am sensitive to these kinds of concerns in my own faith, and I felt he made a good case for his views. While I cannot translate Arabic, I am very familiar with the challenges of translation due to my studies in Biblical Greek and Hebrew. I cannot speak to the accuracy of his translation, but I found the translation very readable. With his scholarly background, I suspect this is a very good translation from and linguistic perspective as well. GENERAL REACTIONS Reading the Qur'an was a fascinating experience. Many non-Muslim westerners have the impression that it is all killing infidels and wife beating. This actually accounts for a very small portion of the text which many, like Haleem, would say need to be carefully contextualized. The document is primarily about devotion and submission to God. While I was not drawn into believing the Qur'an is of a divine inspiration, I can appreciate the zeal it represents. ANALYSIS AS A BIBLE BELIEVING CHRISTIAN Much could be said here, but I will limit my discussion to two issues. First, what was missing most. The Qur'an says much about obedience and devotion. And it briefly mentions the need for the believer to love God. But it says nothing about God loving the believer. Reading the Qur'an, I did not find a God who loves His creation. He has expectations, but no love. Not stated anyway. I find this tragic, and my prayer is that Muslims may find a God who loves them by reading the Bible - the True Scriptures. From an apologetic perspective, one point stands out that, to me, proves the Qur'an could not have come by divine inspiration. Any scholar knows how wrong it is to misrepresent an opposing argument by creating a straw man. When the Qur'an attempts to refute the Trinity, it never comes close to describing the real doctrine of the Trinity. It suggests that Mary is part of the Trinity, which no Christian teacher I know of has ever held. Considering that this was written centuries after the Council of Nicaea, not to mention the New Testament, such a misrepresentation is difficult to fathom. In addition, the Qur'an consistently describes Trinitarian belief as involving "partner gods." The Trinity teaches One God who eternally exists in three persons, it does not teach multiple gods of partner gods. To disagree is one thing, but If God truly wanted to correct the Trinity, He would certainly describe the real doctrine rather than refuting a fabrication. I am very grateful for this fine English Translation, and very glad to have read the Qur'an. Having read it, I am more convinced than ever that the true God is the Trinitarian God of love found in the Christian Scriptures.

Wonderful modern-pros translation. I use this for an easy modern-read; YusufAli for spiritual insights; Muhammad Asad for transliteration and rational and classical opinions; and the Study Quran for a compilation of thoughts and commentary. Regarding the 2018 audio, mp3 CD version: Great clear translation and reader; audio has introductory material, but no footnotes. Having read the text-based book, I purchased the audio MP3 CD version. This is one of a few translations I recommend: the other is the 2015 Study Quran for its commentary; I myself am also partial to the older language of Pickthall. Favoring this translation, I wanted to see how an audio version is rendered. I am mostly not disappointed: It is read by an experienced reader with a British accent who also knows Arabic. The cd is divided into 117 files, one for the introduction (same as the one that appears in the text, but without the map), a separate file for each of the surahs/chapters, a brilliance audio blurb, and a xml file listing the contents. ON the cd, the chapters are marked by number and not named; the audio calls them by their number and English name only. In total, the book is on 2 CDs with 117 files, totaling about 794 megabytes. It comes in a good cd case, like one for DVDs; both CDs are side-by-side, with the second/rightmost somewhat underneath the first. Though I am happy with the text, the audio version sadly does not contain the footnotes found in the print edition; it would have been good to put them at the end of each file. But the footnotes are few in the original text. So, for the casual reader, perhaps little is lost. (I still wish they were included!) Each file does contain the introduction to the surah/chapter found in the print edition. I quite like the narrator’s voice (Ayman): male, clear, skilled, well-inflected, with a British accent, and interested in reading the contents. I recommend this audio version for anyone who wants to listen to this translation; and I recommend this translation for its clear, modern, elegantly eloquent pros. The introduction, and its audio file, address the topics of: The Life of Muhammad and the Historical Background, The Revelation of the Quran The Compilation of the Quran, The Structure of the Quran: Suras and Ayas, Stylistic Features, Issues of Interpretation A Short History of English Translations, and This Translation. The portions not in the audio are: A Chronology of the Quran, Select Bibliography, and the Map of Arabia at the Time of the Revelation. The Fatiha (Opening chapter) reads in the translation as follows. 1. THE OPENING This sura is seen to be a precise table of contents of the Quranic message. It is very important in Islamic worship, being an obligatory part of the daily prayer, repeated several times during the day. 1 In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, a the Giverb of Mercy! c 2 Praise belongs to God, Lordd of the Worlds, e 3 the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy, 4 Master of the Day of Judgement. 5 It is You we worship; it is You we ask for help. 6 Guide us to the straight path: 7 the path of those You have blessed, those who incur no angerf and who have not gone astray. The footnotes (not in the audio) are: a Most occurrences of this term rahman in the Quran are in the context of Him being mighty and majestic as well as merciful. The addition of the word ‘Lord’ here is intended to convey this aspect of the term. b This term rahim is an intensive form suggesting that the quality of giving mercy is inherent in God’s nature. c This is the only instance where this formula, present at the start of every sura but one, is counted as the first numbered verse. d The Arabic root r-b-b has connotations of caring and nurturing in addition to lordship, and this should be borne in mind wherever the term occurs and is rendered ‘lord’. e Al- alamin in Arabic means all the worlds, of mankind, angels, animals, plants, this world, the next, and so forth. f Note that the verb here is not attributed to God. Salam/peace.

I wanted to update my review with additional information. I am adding it up front because it is easier on my kindle to update a prior review from the top. I respect the opinion of reviewer Basil, review date May 22, 2012. I do not know Arabic and therefore cannot compare this translation to the Arabic Qur'an. His review is based on his knowledge of Arabic and nuances of meaning. What I also want to add is an aid I located which is the list of suras in chronological order. I have switched to reading the Qur'an in chronological order because it makes more sense that way. Here is the chronological order of the suras: 96, 68, 73, 74, 1, 111, 81, 87, 92, 89, 93, 94, 103, 100, 108, 102, 107, 109, 105, 113, 114, 112, 53, 80, 97, 91, 85, 95, 106, 101, 75, 104, 77, 50, 90, 86, 54, 38, 7, 72, 36, 25, 35, 19, 20, 56, 26, 27, 28, 17, 10, 11, 12, 15, 6, 37, 31, 34, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 51, 88, 18, 16, 71, 14, 21, 23, 32, 52, 67, 69, 70, 78, 79, 82, 84, 30, 29, 83, 2, 8, 3, 33, 60, 4, 99, 57, 47, 13, 55, 76, 65, 98, 59, 24, 22, 63, 58, 49, 66, 64, 61, 62, 48, 5, 9, 110. ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is a neutral Qur'an. Some translators of the Qur'an have agendas. This is the most agenda free English translation I could find. This is also a complete Qur'an. Some Qur'an editions popular among Westerners are not complete. They are abridged with much of the suras removed which are less acceptable to Westerners. That is not so with this edition. All 114 suras are in this edition. None have been omitted. The suras are ordered in the traditional non-chronological order of an authentic Arabic Qur'an. However, the translator has included in italics before each sura, a short introduction which indicates where the sura would fit in the life of the prophet. He indicates whether it is a Meccan or Medinan sura. This is also important. In Islamic law, when two sura contradict each other (which mainly happen between Mecca and Medina suras) it is the later sura which is correct for Islamic law. The Medina suras supersede the Mecca suras for purposes of law rulings in Islamic courts. So when you read this Qur'an, you know which suras are the more important Medina suras. If you want to study the Qur'an but do not know Arabic, this is a proper and correct edition to use. Even though this edition may require a more careful reading than others, I recommend this edition to get both the taste of Qur'an as read by Muslims in Arabic and the actual context of the Qur'an suras as supplied by the sura intros. In edition to reading this Qur'an you should also read a biography of the prophet's life that is based on his first biography and a copy of the most commonly used remembered sayings and actions of the prophet called hadith. The Sunnis and the Shias sects prefer different versions of hadith. If you study all three, this Qur'an, the life of the prophet, and the hadith, you will begin to understand the Islamic religion and its political nature properly. With the activities going on in both Muslim majority countries and in non-Muslim countries with sizeable enclaves of Muslim immigrants, it is important for intelligent Westerners to pursue a study of the Qur'an and the other two components that contribute to the rules and laws for both Muslims and the treatment of non-Muslims by Muslims in today's world.

The Qur'an, believed to be the final word of God to mankind regardless of individual differences, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from 610 to 632 CE. During that 23 year period, the revelations came to him gradually through the angel Gabriel (Jibril), forming the culmination of a long series of divine messages, that started with the Prophet Adam and ended with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them both). Between the two were numerous other Prophets, such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them all) to name a few. Considered to be the greatest of miracles, as well as a sign of the end of times, the Qur'an is renowned for its perfection and consistency. Timeless and incorruptible, as described by God himself, it is the supreme authority in Islam and the living source of all Islamic teaching; a sacred text and book of guidance, that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of the Islamic religion. It has been one of the most influential books in the history of literature, in conjunction with the Prophet (peace be upon him) being designated by many as the most influential person in history. Recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, it has nevertheless remained difficult to translate efficiently, partly due to the profound depth and precision of the Arabic language. This new translation is written in a contemporary idiom that remains faithful to the original, making it easy to read while retaining its powers of eloquence. Archaisms and cryptic language are avoided, and the Arabic meaning preserved by respecting the context of the discourse. Even though most of its linguistic miracles are lost in the translation process, the main message of the Qur'an was directly addressed to all people regardless of class, gender, or age, and this translation is equally accessible to everyone. 'Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful one who taught by the pen, who taught man what he did not know.' (96:3-5)

For years, I’ve been trying to read an English translation of the Holy Qur’an cover to cover but haven’t been able to get through any for one reason or the other. I would usually get a good rhythm going, but then something would derail me. Many times I just skipped around or only read those surahs that I had questions about. I finally discovered this translation and it’s the first time I read the Holy Qur’an from beginning to end like a novel. I think it might have been the accessibility of the English language that was used that hooked me. Maybe I was just in the right frame of my mind at this point in my life. Perhaps it was because of the high recommendations from so many pious, learned Muslim scholars whom I trusted? Whatever it was, this version was just what I needed, and I’m thankful that I read it. I ended up underlining and highlighting and annotating like never before. On certain evenings, it seemed like questions and issues that had come up for me that very day were addressed in that night’s reading. So many times I teared up with relief. Other times I was overcome with awe. More than a few times, I was just filled with gratitude. The main thing that happened was that I saw clear themes emerging in God’s final message to mankind - and the most recurrent theme was one of hope and mercy. Again and again, I was reminded of God’s Mercy in His own words. The Qur’an is definitely a hopeful book. You leave it feeling hopeful. A few other themes that emerged multiple times: - the importance of the night prayer - the importance of doing good deeds ALONG with worshipping Allah and the importance of worshipping your Creator ALONG with being good to His creation (you can’t have one without the other - it’s not binary) - the importance of charity - the importance of looking beyond the surface, reading btwn the lines, looking for signs - the fact that there will definitely be a Day of Recompense/Judgment/Reckoning/Regret - while we have life, there is still time to repent - it’s never too late - no one is forcing you to believe - it’s your choice and your choice alone - this world is so temporary - we’re all going to die - we’re all returning to our Lord - we are unable to count our blessings

I have always wanted to gain a better understanding of the middle east, an area I have long avoided because it is just too complicated. I am glad I read the Koran, and this edition is easy to understand and well researched, with reference to many previous translations. I was surprised how much of the Koran is based on the bible and could find very little animosity to 'people of the book'. This is more of an Old Testament perspective. References to love were few, while references to the fire of hell were rampant. The Koran is surprisingly liberal toward women (altho sex with slaves is apparently ok), solicitous of orphans (Mohammed was an orphan), and accommodating about violence toward unbelievers when provoked. I see nothing that could justify terrorism against innocents, especially other Moslems. The big question is: Is it the word of God? Some of the later chapters seem a bit self-serving, focused on personal details about the Prophet's life. It is also redundant and pretty boring. Not many parables here. Reading the Koran is a bit of a slog, but Christians and others would find surprising areas of agreement with the spirit of the book. If only we could be as peaceful and good in the real world.

Of the eight English translations I own, Abdel Haleem's is definitely in the top two in terms of clarity & readability for the modern English audience. The language is simple and accessible, while accurately representing the nuances of the original Arabic (which is itself quite a feat); in fact, there are several instances where he makes a compelling argument that earlier translators have generally MISSED an important nuance. It is further to his credit that he scrupulously FLAGS such instances with footnotes, explaining his reasoning & noting the more typical rendering, rather than simply rendering it WITHOUT COMMENT the way he sees it in the text. He's also good about using footnotes to explicitly note alternate meanings where the original Arabic CONVEYS such a range without clear linguistic, contextual, or historical clues to allow the translator to confidently pick one. An additional strength of this translation is that its author happens to have ALSO written a book I'd term a companion volume, Exploring the Qur'an: Context and Impact , which can serve as a powerful reference to either frame (if read before) or delve deeper into (if read after or in parallel) understanding the text. (An earlier work, Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Style , serves essentially the same function, but is less thoroughly developed: you should buy the former if you have neither, but probably don't need to if you already have the latter.) If I were to make one criticism, I did feel--especially in earlier surahs--that his notes sometimes needlessly softened some of the 'hard edges' of the Qur'an, in his desire to smooth over interfaith tensions, or combat the hateful narratives of Khawarij extremists and Islamophobes alike. This can range from the plausible (e.g., Qur'an 8:52, where he argues that "fighting until all worship is devoted to God alone" wasn't merely restricted to those who attacked the Muslims, which is generally accepted by scholars, but further only applied to worship IN THE KA'BA ITSELF--plausible in light of evidence like the Constitution of Medina, which allowed non-Muslims under Muslim governance to continue practicing their faiths under Muslim rule) to cases that seem a stretch (e.g., several notes suggesting that ayat condeming "those who say God has offspring" are more-or-less ONLY aimed at Meccan pagans, who believed the angels were God's daughters, when most scholars apply them both to pagans AND TO CHRISTIANS, for calling Jesus God's son). But even in such cases (1) he reserves such arguments for his notes, clearly differentiating them from the Qur'anic text, and (2) he grounds them in contextual & historical evidence: whether you BUY them or not, they're clearly not spurious. I used this translation to read the Qur'an during Ramadan this year, and overall was extremely pleased.

I began reading books about Islam to understand more about it but ended up getting nowhere since most books are just either bashing Islam or trying to prove an irrational point that was irrelevant to anything I was trying to discover, until a muslim friend of mine told me I should just pick up a copy of the Qur'an and most of my questions would be answered. He was absolutely right. I was born in the United States and lived here my entire life and I don't speak or read Arabic, so finding a book with the best interpreted translation was going to be needed for a decent understanding of a book that is worshiped by almost billions of people around the world. It starts off with an introductory (which is definitely recommended if you know little about Islam)that will basically explain how the Qur'an was written as it is broken down into 114 Suras (chapters) and no real chronological order, which is very different from the Holy Bible. After the introductory and the suras begin, there are also footnotes on the bottom to help the reader understand what they mean by certain verses, which is imperative to help clear up MANY misconceptions that come upon Islam. Coming from a Christian family, I had my doubts and fears of reading a Qu'ran but it is very welcoming for those who want to seek a different way or just want to research it; but I recommend you come to read it with an open heart to truly get a good understanding of it all. It was unbelievable how ridiculous some of the accusations against Islam came from my family's mouth when they knew absolutely nothing and it was an extremely satisfying feeling to correct them and at least acknowledge it if they don't want to believe it. In the media come many misconceptions and I believe reading this copy of the Qu'ran truly helped me clear them up and have my own understanding of everything. While the book is full of such knowledge, it also looks more like a regular soft-covered book so reading it in public really won't seem like a big deal rather than reading a black hardcover covered in arabic clearly showing that you are reading something that is religious (I personally like it because it builds a comfort zone for someone who isn't very open about being religious) Anyway from my own personal experience, the Qu'ran was the best book I've ever read and this version was completely welcoming and after talking to many muslim friends, I am familiar with almost any verse they pull out, proving (to me at least) that this version of the Qu'ran is translated at its highest quality and i definitely recommend it to everyone with any open heart.

I'm not Muslim, but I wanted to get a clear understanding of the contents in The Holy Qur'an. This translation is the best one I've found anywhere before. While some translations may take a more word-for-word approach, this particular one provides context and updates the holy text in understandable terms for the modern day English reader. I couldn't be happier to have found such an invaluable resource at such an affordable price.

Buena traducción y buena tapa, más la portada de papel venía defectuosa.

Good translation easy to understand

Great Qur'an translation especially for beginners. It is easy to read, organized chapter (surah) by chapter, and includes clear explanations in simple English. It is a complete English translation without the Arabic script.

Il libro è molto esauriente, bello e soddisfacente. Sopratutto le note a pie di pagina e l'introduzione. Traduzione stupenda e chiara.