The Qur'an: A New Translation

by Anonymous, Muhammad A.S. Abdel Haleem (Translator)

The Qur'an is the supreme authority in Islam. It is the fundamental and paramount source of the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of the Islamic religion. It is the book that ‘differentiates’ between right and wrong, so that nowadays, when the Muslim world is dealing with such universal issues as globalization, the environment, combating terrorism and drugs, issues of medical ethics, and feminism, evidence to support the various arguments is sought in the Qur'an.

This supreme status stems from the belief that the Qur'an is the word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad via the archangel Gabriel, and intended for all times and all places.

The Qur'an was the starting point for all the Islamic sciences: Arabic grammar was developed to serve the Qur'an, the study of Arabic phonetics was pursued in order to determine the exact pronunciation of Qur'anic words, the science of Arabic rhetoric was developed in order to describe the features of the inimitable style of the Qur'an, the art of Arabic calligraphy was cultivated through
writing down the Qur'an, the Qur'an is the basis of Islamic law and theology; indeed, as the celebrated fifteenth-century scholar and author Suyuti said, ‘Everything is based on the Qur'an’. The entire religious life of the Muslim world is built around the text of the Qur'an. As a consequence of the Qur'an, the Arabic language moved far beyond the Arabian peninsula, deeply penetrating many
other languages within the Muslim lands––Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Indonesian, and others. The first sura (or section) of the Qur'an, al-Fatiha, which is an essential part of the ritual prayers, is learned and read in Arabic by Muslims in all parts of the world, and many other verses and phrases in Arabic are also incorporated into the lives of non-Arabic-speaking Muslims.

Muslim children start to learn portions of the Qur'an by heart in their normal schooling: the tradition of learning the entire Qur'an by heart started during the lifetime of the Prophet and continues to the present day. A person attaining this distinction becomes known as a hafiz, and this is still a prerequisite for admission to certain religious schools in Muslim countries. Nowadays the Qur'an is recited a
number of times daily on the radio and television in the Muslim world, and some Muslim countries devote a broadcasting channel for long hours daily exclusively to the recitation and study of the Qur'an. Muslims swear on the Qur'an for solemn oaths in the law-courts and in everyday life.

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Classics

490 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2005

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Humza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was by far the clearest and most elegant English translation of the Qur’an I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Highly recommended by scholars and others, it definitely did not disappoint. Throughout this translation I found myself comparing it to Muhammad Asad’s seminal work “Message of the Quran”, my personal favorite Qur’an translation. The two are vastly different with Asad’s having extensive commentary and supplementary essays while MAS Abdel Haleem’s is more of a pure translation with scattered foot notes. While I love Asad’s translation due to his genius as an Islamic thinker and the thoroughness of his commentary, this MAS Abdel Haleem’s was definitely clearer and more concise. This translation also reminded me of the oft repeated argument in the Muslim community that English simply cannot convey rich Islamic ideas as well as other languages. I suspect that those who make this argument have not read the best of English literature (religious or secular). If they did it would become abundantly clear that English is indeed very beautiful in its own right. While Islamic literature in the English language cannot claim to have the history and breadth of that in Islamicate languages such as Urdu, Farsi, Turkish , etc this seems to be slowly changing. In my opinion this translation is a huge step towards that. As a testament to the universality of its message, Islam has been expressed in so many different cultures and languages throughout history. Western culture and the English language therefore is no exception. I would highly recommend this translation to anyone looking for an easy to understand and beautiful translation of the Qur’an.

[Nafees Omar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best-ever translation of The Holy Quran out there. The caliber of the literary work in this translation immediately draws you into the ocean of wisdom and arouses great passion and love in you for the Holy Creator.

[Aisle of Misfit Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far the most straightforward and clear translation of the Quran I've read. The verses are laid out in paragraph format, making it easy to follow. The footnotes are also detailed and comprehensive. Would definitely recommend this version for beginners and non-Muslims.
Alhamdulillah!

[Sanaa Hyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started this last ramadan and just finished. Read it in small portions - felt overwhelmed and grateful to have found this. Beautiful work, God bless everyone behind it. Highly recommend this translation!

[Mieke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This translation is very easy to understand. It is my favorite one.

[Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I’ve read the Qur’an in Arabic numerous times, this is the first time I read it in English in its entirety. This translation makes for a relatively easy read.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, let me say that the goodreads rating scale is entirely subjective. My rating may reflect as much the fact that this was required reading for an MA course as it does my disagreement with some of its contents or my boredom with some of its more repetitive parts. That said, I also found it fascinating to learn for myself what is and isn't in this book that western society has so many stereotypes and misinformation about.

Additionally, giving "stars" to any book which is considered sacred seem sacrilegious, regardless of whether one agrees with its contents or not. As to this particular edition and "translation" of the Qur'an, I found the layout very convenient and the "translation" very readable (unlike some English "translations").

My "review" which follows is a series of reflections on the Qur'an, particularly focusing on the development of a few key themes and comparing the different chronological sura groupings to one another, as well as some passing observations regarding similarities to biblical genres.

1. Introduction
In this essay I shall share some brief personal reflections on the Qur’an according to the four chronological groupings given by Theodor Noldeke. These reflections will of necessity offer only a superficial analysis and comparison due to their brevity. Nevertheless, we shall highlight some key areas of differentiation and the development of particular themes across the four groupings. These will be broken into the first, second and third Meccan suras and finally the Medinan suras.

2. First Meccan Suras
We are immediately struck by the heavy focus on eschatological judgment. Overall, the horrors of hell are described with more vivid detail than the delights of paradise. One point of interest in the description of paradise is the mention of nubile virgins. This particular description is absent in the later suras. Presumably, this change could be explained by the increase of more female followers. One might be warranted in underscoring final judgment as the primary motif of the first Meccan suras.

In connection with judgment, one’s attention is drawn to note the ethical requirements on which judgment is based. Beyond the requirement of faith itself in God and the final judgment, the vast majority of ethical requirements in this grouping have to do with caring for the needy and practicing charity. Connected with this is a condemnation of living in luxury and hoarding wealth. There are very scarce mentions of the other obligations which appear in later groupings, particularly the Medinan suras. Notably, 'ritual' obligations (having to do with external purity, clothing, foods, etc.) are entirely absent at this stage. Prayer is mentioned as a mark of piety but there are no detailed instructions regarding its performance. Forgiveness is mentioned infrequently compared to later suras and seemingly available only for less serious sins.

Also absent in the first grouping of suras is any real interaction with the 'People of the Book', i.e., Jews and Christians. Muhammad is compared with Moses as a similar example of a reject prophet. However, the Children of Israel are not directly mentioned and there is no real interaction with Jewish or Christian positions. This becomes prevalent in later suras. The primary interaction with non-Muslim worldviews seems to be with the pagans of Mecca.

The overall style of these suras strikes us as rather abrupt which fits with the heavy eschatological warnings. If one were to attempt a comparison with biblical literature, the first Meccan suras would likely be closest in style and content to some passages warning of impending judgment in the prophetic books as well as potentially some similarly themed sayings of Jesus.

3. Second Meccan Suras
This grouping of suras represents a significant shift in both content and style from the first Meccan grouping. One can understand why the charge was brought against Muhammad by some in Mecca (sura 16:103) that he was taught the content by a foreigner (presumably, a Jew is implied). The content of the second Meccan as well as the third Meccan suras shows a deep familiarity with the narratives of the Old Testament, though a number of details are either added or changed in comparison with the biblical accounts. In a few instances, more details or corrections to previous suras are added with the progression of time. For example, the identity of the woman left behind in the story of Lot is updated from just an 'old woman' to his wife as in the biblical account. This sura grouping shows most similarity with the third Meccan suras. Differences between the two are less stark than between either of them and the first Meccan or Medinan suras.

Another point of interest is the presentation of the Qur’an itself in the chronological development of the suras. While the Qur’an is presented as being a message from God throughout, the second Meccan suras add some details which are not mentioned in the first grouping. The Qur’an is stated to be easy to learn from with emphasis on the fact that is was given in Arabic—a fact not emphasized in the first Meccan grouping. Also newly introduced is the concept that no one could produce anything like the Qur’an. This statement is repeated and strengthened in later groupings. The second Meccan suras contain first mention of the gradual nature of revelation of the Qur’an (sura 25:32). This seems to be setting the stage for the doctrine of abrogation more fully developed in later groupings.

The second Meccan suras also see a notable shift in the focus of judgment. While the first grouping spoke of God’s judgement on the wicked in almost entirely future eschatological terms, this grouping puts much more emphasis on past temporal judgments of God brought upon those peoples who rejected the prophets sent to them. It is also notable that the balance of description of eschatological judgment shifts to more detailed description of paradise and less of hell as compared with the first grouping.

Overall this grouping engages much more with the Scriptures of the People of the Book, though engagement with Old Testament material is more prevalent than with the New Testament. The second Meccan suras also introduce direct address to the children of Israel. It is notable that this grouping employs more rational argumentation against pagan beliefs as compared to the blunt condemnation characteristic of the first grouping. This approach of a more apologetic engagement is continued in later groupings as well, particularly the third grouping. It remains present in the Medinan suras though the shift there turns more towards polemics and an attempt to safeguard the Islamic community and belief.

4. Third Meccan Suras
This grouping finds most similarity with the second Meccan suras. Likely in connection with their heavy drawing from the Old Testament, both also further develop a doctrine of creation, angels, devils and Satan. There are many details which align with the biblical narratives, though significant differences also exist (e.g., the absence of any 'image of God' language in the creation of humans).

This grouping further develops the idea that belief in God is rational. It uses much argumentation from creation, and engages in a number of analogies. The rational argumentation in this grouping can be observed, for example, when Muhammad addresses the unbelievers: 'Have you ever thought, what if this revelation really is from God and you still reject it?' (sura 41:52). This seems to approximate an argument like Pascal’s wager. Additionally, Muslims are called to engage in argument with courteousness and use reason rather than resort to any compulsion.

The Qur’an is described as using illustrations to make truth clear. It is said to be unassailable. This grouping further develops the idea that the Qur’an and its suras could not be replicated, that its revelation is itself a miracle. The Qur’an is said to be a confirmation and explanation of previous Scriptures and to be the most beautiful of teachings. This lays the groundwork for the teaching more fully developed in the Medinan suras that the Qur’an actually supersedes previous Scriptures, though the Meccan suras do not yet claim this. Additionally, it is in this grouping that the doctrine of abrogation is explicitly developed (sura 16:101).

This grouping expands the ethical requirements to include the 'ritual' cleanliness rules and lays out some dietary halal restrictions which are further elaborated in the Medinan suras. It also records the first mentions of Muslim apostasy and direct persecution of Muslims. As the community grew and developed into more of a political power heading towards an outright conflict with the Meccans, this seems a natural development.

Overall this grouping, as well as the second, contrasts rather strongly with the first Meccan and Medinan suras. The approach is one of rational arguments, presumably hoping to win over those yet unconvinced. In contrast, the first Meccan suras attempt to convince primarily through fear of eschatological judgment and the Medinan suras seem more concerned with drawing lines and safeguarding the Muslim community. The style and content of both the second and third groupings is reminiscent of biblical passages in the narrative genre, drawing particularly from Genesis and the first part of Exodus. In addition, the more strongly prosaic form of the second and third Meccan sura seems to stand in contrast with the more abrupt and even poetic forms of the first Meccan suras. Perhaps this shift could even be seen as a reaction to the accusations of the Meccans that Muhammad was merely a poet. Likely in conjunction with this, the second and third Meccan suras are, on average, much longer than those of the first grouping.

5. Medinan Suras
The final grouping of suras are from a significantly different period in the development of the Muslim community. In contrast to being a rejected prophet with some followers, Muhammad is now a full-fledged political and military leader. Thus, it is unsurprising to find much more focus in the Medinan suras on matters both legislative and military. This means that, among biblical literature, it is more similar to the legal codices in the Pentateuch and possibly the book of Joshua.

This grouping shifts to a much more hostile approach towards the People of the Book, particularly the Jews. It is said that all but a few of the People of the Book are actually just unbelievers and hypocrites. There is much more direct address to the People of the Book in these suras as well as interaction with specific arguments and teachings, particularly with Christian teachings mostly absent in the previous groupings. There is much more awareness of Christian conceptions of Jesus, though it is clear that the Qur’anic understanding of the Trinity is not an accurate representation of historic Christian orthodoxy.

There is much attention given to ritual cleanliness laws, including dietary restrictions and allowances, as well as cleanliness or defilement connected with various states of bodily discharge (menstruation, etc.). This grouping also has much attention given to family law surrounding divorce, inheritance, adoption, etc. While the ethical requirements of charity and honesty found in previous groupings are still present, they take up much less focus than the other ritual and legislative issues.

Another very clear contrast with previous groupings is the frequent mention of striving for the cause of God (jihad) as a mark of righteousness. As Muhammad had now gone from being merely a persecuted prophet to a military leader, this shift of focus is expected. Connected to this is the frequent theme of condemning Muslim hypocrites who refuse to fight for the sake of God. Together with the more polemic approach to the People of the Book, the tone of the Medinan suras is notably more aggressive overall than the second and third Meccan suras.

Finally, the Medinan suras present a much closer association of God with Muhammad. 'Obey God and the Messenger (Muhammad)' is a frequent refrain. It is also significant that the Qur’an is said to have final authority over previous Scriptures. In addition, this grouping lays out exceptions for Muhammad from regular rules—notably regarding the allowed number of wives, normally capped at four. One gets the distinct impression that political and military power did for Muhammad what it has done for too many in the history of the world: caused him to make himself an exception to the rules and set himself on a pedestal.

6. Conclusion
I am very aware of the cursory nature of these reflections and could wish that more might be written. Nevertheless, the preceding reflections have served to highlight a few areas of difference and development of themes across the chronological groupings of suras. I have found reading the Qur’an chronologically to be of great benefit in understanding how its teaching developed over time. In this way, the reading more closely approximates a cover-to-cover reading of the Bible which, with some exceptions, is laid out in a more chronological order of progression.

[Deenplusbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

The translation of each surah in paragraph format, gives a more reader friendly aspect. It is also very interesting that the translator has included a short description of each surah right at the beginning, as it gives an idea what the surah will be focused on. And the best part of the book, and which I loved the most is, that it uses simple and easy to understand english language through out the translation.
For full book review please visit http://deenplusbook.wordpress.com

[Sherif A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I'm indebted to this translator. He gave a clear translation at the idea and word level. He had footnotes and context. I'm going to go on to a more poetic version because the language was nothing to write home about. This rating is for the translation.

I rate a book that I will read again 5. I will certainly keep this copy handy as a definitive reference. I will not read this version conpletely again so I'll give it a 4. The intro was vital.

Plot-wise this book is genius. First, it takes a group of tribes loyal to their own and says to them put your loyalty in only one. Second, it takes disparate sects and says to them put your loyalty in only one. In this way they are able to overcome the idea of the tribe or nation or religious sects which is a huge cause of war. It's no shock that the Muslim empire that resulted from this book lasted centuries until the cataclysmic events of World War I and rebellion and faction-building by it's enemies lead to it's ruins.

Third, it takes justice out of the vigilante's hands. It codifies a set of rules (which like any are up to interpretation and exceptions) and fixes the source beyond the mortal in the divine. Because the reward or punishment comes in the afterlife, it is not necessary to achieve vengeance at the expense of the destruction of society. Family feuds etc could end while keeping a sense of ultimate justice. It also notes that there would be no further addendums to these rules ever. It's no accident that Jefferson owned a translation of the Koran which repeatedly asks for freeing slaves and handles law in a protestant manner placing the supreme judge who has no equal over a world in which virtually everyone else is equal in that they are not the supreme judge. You can find reference to this concept as "nature's god" etc. in my view in the declaration.

Fourth and finally, the work is repetative. The genius of this is that a person may hear a single "surah" (image) and that chapter holds the cliffnotes to the whole work: there is a justice in the world and the good and the evil cannot have the same reward; you don't get to choose your reward anymore than you can pick the moment of your last breath or how you even came in to the world. That's the whole message. The speaker for whom there aren't images in the effort to stop the creation of a false idol repeats a message that one day life will end and that there is either a just world or nothing matters anyway. It is easy to understand how the message spread so easily. It's not surprising that this message is similar to the gospel in that it's short and clear. If a person hears the sermon on the mount (the only sermon of the main character that we have in the gospel) they get the point. This allows both religions to spread quickly as it is a small message albeit with hefty implications for living life. Sone surahs are close to a sentence. Many repeat and are cliffnotes of the whole book. This allows the fragments that travel to tell a person everything they need and do their work over vast distances. The results speak for themselves.

It asks fundamental questions in economic and legal terms like what is the point of optimizing everything but not giving any thought to why you are here or what your legacy will be. It also provides hope to the worse off like older wives, the divorced, daughters, orphans, slaves, the poor, and questions the beliefs surrounding wealth, chastises arrogance, and encourages obligation to those worse off groups. It's impact on polytheism and idol worship (statues and making sacrifices to statues) alone has made this text central to western thought. A person can read it without being any religion at all and appreciate where it broke ground and is timeless, yet is also a product of it's time.

[Rosanne]

*Writing this review on my thoughts in general as a Christian, but not on this translation specifically.*

I can see why Allah is such a compelling god. He is unlimited. We think of the Christian God as limitless, but in reality, He is bound by laws of justice, and that’s why we need Jesus. But Allah is over all, all powerful, and doesn’t seem to have some of the same regulations.

It’s also interesting to read about another religion that absolutely cannot converge with Christianity. In many Christian sects, you can chalk up differences to misinterpretations, but we all believe in the same basic things. But here, it’s an either/or situation. The Qur’an professes truth to some biblical prophets (including Jesus!) but they cannot both be true... yet they still have so many similar characteristics. It’s fascinating.

I like how God gives so much mercy and protection. I like the fairness and thoughtfulness given to women. I need more context to understand some doctrinal and historical claims. I don’t like how much time is spent convincing Muhammad that he is to be respected as a prophet, and especially at the end, all the time given to reassuring that people who are bad go to hell.

A great insight to the Islam beliefs and customs.

[Kathy England · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading this along with my Bible as my daily spiritual reading. It's obvious that Muhammad was very well acquainted with the Jewish scriptures and somewhat with Jesus' teachings. He explains that this teaching was sent down to the Arab people especially as they had not had a prophet of their own. He also says over and over that God had sent other prophets already with the same message. He also emphasizes that one needs both faith and good deeds, like the Book of James. His main emphasis, especially toward the end of the Qur'an is on heaven and hell. His descriptions of hell remind me of Dante's inferno (although Dante wrote much later) and the descriptions in the Old Testament. His description of heaven is of a lush garden with running water, which makes sense in the arid Arab world.

[Prashanth Penta Reddy]

I don’t know how to write my opinion about this book. I mean translated books in general. Should I rate for the content? If so, if I write bad opinion, the translator gets a bad name. And how can I rate how good the translation is when I don’t know Arabic?

But, I still think it is a good read (not the content, just the knowledge). Some footnotes have been really helpful.

Only one minor complaint: Many footnotes suggest to find explanation at previous or upcoming Chapter. I found that uncomfortable reading on a Kindle. It could have been nice if the explanation is given in the same page/chapter.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you believe in God or not, are Muslim or not, the Quran is great insight to the most universal desires, hopes, and fears of humankind, filled with poetically yet succinctly worded facts about human nature,

Yes, there are also ideas that seem outdated.

Heaven is filled with water, fruit, couches, not too hot nor too cold, beautiful young people all around (this I am not too much of a fan of).

Hell is filled with fire, hot drink that never quenches your thirst, dry thorns to eat. What is worse than death? An eternal existence of torture.

[Brenashh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me more than a month to read it (and summarize it). There are lots of stories unveil and lots of things I've never known before. It's definitely the best, for it is the Qur'an itself. But, the translation alson help me understand it clearer. Tho, in particulary verses, I needed to look over to a tafseer so that I can understand it better. One thing I noticed about the Qur'an is that the God keeps telling that He was the Forgiver, abundance in mercy. And it is a beautiful reminder especially for me, to not losing hope in repentance.

[Kirana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Translations are arranged in paragraphs instead of per-ayahs, so its easy to read. Context of the revelation are explained in the beginnings of each surahs to further understand the situation and or condition of the Prophet and his surroundings at the time.

Overall its easy to understand, the words used are common and if not there are footnotes for explanation. Would recommend to someone who wants to further understand the Quran.

[Jennifer]

I tried to read this through but just can't make myself anymore.
I got a copy that was supposed to make it easier for "outsiders" to understand but I find it extremely boring.
The reason I tried to read this is because I wanted to find out for myself if the Quran promotes violence. From reading 68% of it I'd say it does but on the same level as the old testament.

[Mehwish Zuberi · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. S. Abdel Haleem translates the Quran to modern english and all the while beautifully justifies the selection of words to not repesent the literal but rather the meaningful translation of a 1400 year old work in the contemporary context

[Sarah Az · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truthfully learn a lot meaning of AlQuran & each of verse really answered to all my questions. I really enjoyed reading this a lot & I wish to reread the translation. The translation so easy to understand as it was so much clearer

[Kacper (thus mystifyingly workaholic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only read the intro because i already read him entirely in french. The power of the Qur’an is endless all around the world, this is crazy. Discover more about caliphs, 3 more battles. And Don’t know the first translation was in Southampton ( football team i support in england) subhanallah

[Neena Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[George]

Glad I read it.

[haynaybanaynay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good translation

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening to the English version of the Quran as a non native Arab reader is 10/10 experiences experience

[Andrew Clarke]

Better to read things before assuming things. That's what I did.

[Kaushik Mandal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A deep dive into understanding teaching of different religions brought me to this.
Not here to spread hatred, but with the more we progress through the chapters, it starts giving the same teachings and gets monotonous.
but would summarize my experience in a single line
"uphold the faith and do not divide into factions within it"

[Troy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost unreadable. The non-narrative structure lends itself to confusion surrounding the topics being talked about in a given Surah.

[Yasmine Flodin-Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a helpful translation, written in plain, accessible language. Not the best translation though if you want to get a sense (as much as is possible in translation) of the Qur'an on a literary level. For example this translation does not try to render rhyme schemes into English.

[Sara Elgazzar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading the Quran in it's entirety has truly changed my life. This version was very good for the price but I will still continue a search for a version that is more fluidly translated

[Frank Ashe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent translation.