The Qur'an: A New Translation

by Tarif Khalidi

Considered in Islam to be the infallible word of God, The Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel in a series of divine revelations over many years after his first vision in the cave. In 114 chapters, or surahs, it provides the rules of conduct that remain fundamental to Muslims today - most importantly the key Islamic values of prayer, fasting, pilgrimage and absolute faith in God, with profound spiritual guidance on matters of kinship, marriage and family, crime and punishment, rituals, food, warfare and charity. Through its pages, a fascinating picture emerges of life in seventh-century Arabia, and from it we can learn much about how people felt about their relationship with God and their belief in the afterlife, as well as attitudes to loyalty, friendship, race, forgiveness and the natural world. It also tells of events and people familiar to Christian and Jewish readers, fellow 'People of the Book' whose stories are recorded in the Gospels and Torah. Here we find Adam, Moses, Abraham, Jesus and John the Baptist, among others, who are regarded, like Muhammad, to be prophets of the Muslim faith.

Genres: Religion, Islam, Spirituality

560 pages, Paperback

Published September 29, 2009

About the author

Tarif Khalidi was born in Jerusalem in 1938. He received degrees from University College, Oxford, and the University of Chicago, before teaching at the American University of Beirut as a professor in the Department of History from 1970 to 1996. In 1985 he accepted a one-year position as senior research associate at St Anthony’s College, Oxford, and from 1991 to 1992 was a visiting overseas scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge.

In 1996, he left Beirut to become the Sir Thomas Adams’ Professor of Arabic at Cambridge University, the oldest chair of Arabic in the English-speaking world. He was also Director of the Centre for Middle East and Islamic Studies and a Fellow of King’s College, Cambridge. After six years, Professor Khalidi returned to the American University of Beirut, taking on the Sheikh Zayed Chair in Islamic and Arabic Studies, the first chair to be filled at the University since the civil war.

He has published several books, including Images of Muhammad (Random House, 2009), The Muslim Jesus (Harvard University Press, 2001), Arabic Historical Thought in the Classical Period (Cambridge University Press, 1995), and Classical Arab Islam (Darwin Press, 1996). He has also published a recent translation of the Qur'an (Penguin, 2008) and edited a collection of essays, Land Tenure and Social Transformation in the Middle East (Syracuse University Press, 1985).

Reviews

[Sameer Khan Brohi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and genuine English translation of Holy Quran. A must read for Ramadan. I really enjoyed my time reading this.

[Michael]

I chose this ‘version of the Qur’an’ because of the author’s expertise in the Arabic language and position as a top scholar and a man of university. It’s accompanied by a decent foreword containing some reflection about the nature of translating this scripture, as well as it’s history. First of all, I found the fact that it’s the only (major?) religious scripture to have ‘descended’ intermittently, over a period of about 20 years. All the others fell at once. Secondly, that a select few copies of the scripture were distributed to major cities around the Caliphate, but later that the caliph ‘Uthman (r. 644-56) had all but one destroyed, leaving no apocrypha.

I like that it’s written not in a high-brow way but in a quite old fashioned proper way, and quite a good cadence, so that was a pleasure.

It’s different to the Bible, which I wasn’t expecting, coming not as stories but as kind of insights or commandments.

[Duncan]

Glad I waded through this as I now know what is, and isn't, within. It is stated quite clearly that you can not criticise any aspects of this 'unalterable word of God', or The Prophet ('For those who offend the Messenger of God, painful punishment is in store' 9:62).
If the ideas of: End Times; Judgment Day; a vengeful God who should be feared; and Unbelievers being used as logs in the fires of Hell resonate with you, maybe it will find value in it. If those things don't resonate with you, maybe you will find value in knowing what is, and isn't, within, though you may be surprised by how violent it is.

[Elephas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An english translation that tries to capture the profoundness of Arabic Qur'an. I think it was good though one should ought try to read Qur'an in Arabic and the breakdown of each word in English. I urge to go to Quran.com to give it a try.

[Phillip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how good translation is but overall impression is of repetitiveness and violence. Very Old Testament feel.

Tough Read but glad I waded through it.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good English translation of the Quran. Does not include commentary.

[Jermisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great translation

[Maddie Allard · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can you rate Allah’s word as anything other than 5 stars.

All I suggest is that one reads the prequels first as they’re referenced often.

[Sara]

DNF, keeping as reference

[Stephanie G. Lewis]

I want more time. Will most likely purchase.

[Mohamed D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Khalidi’s translation captures the beauty of the Qur’an’s language. Haven’t read the whole book, but the chapters I came across were clear and interesting.

[Ritsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Review ini untuk tafsir Al-Qur'an karya Tarif Khalidi, "Koran: A new Translation"]

Bagus banget.
Untuk saya yang gak bisa bahasa Arab dan gak pernah belajar khusus mendalami tafsir Qur'an, buku ini sangat membantu terutama bagi 'pemula'. Kalau di tafsir standar yang beredar biasanya kita sudah disuguhi banyak sekali footnotes, yang maksudnya baik tapi (dalam kasus saya) malah jadi menghilangkan mood baca. Di sini kita disuguhi (terjemahan) Qur'an dengan format layaknya buku biasa, yang dibagi per paragraf (1 paragraf biasanya terdiri dari beberapa ayat), memberikan pengalaman baca yang menyenangkan. Paling tidak sebuah Al Qur'an jadi terasa lebih personal daripada sebuah buku teks pelajaran. Saya jadi dapat gambaran yang lebih jelas mengenai pokok bahasan suatu ayat dan batasnya sampai mana. Buat saya terjemahannya pun lebih gender neutral.
Eits, tapi bukan berarti kalau sudah baca ini berarti tidak perlu pendalaman lagi. Menurut hemat saya, justru setelah baca ini kita harus kroscek lagi ke tafsir standar, atau mungkin ke orang yang lebih kompeten. Dengan segala kelebihan dan kekurangannya, terjemahan ini adalah sebuah stimulan kita untuk mengenal al Qur'an lebih dalam.

[S Sacranie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and understand

I would recommend it for those who want to know what the Quran says but, compared to other translated publications, I find there are parts where descriptions or words used are the not the most correct ones.