Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation [Hardcover]

Ahmed Ali (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1988

This English translation of the Qur'an was first published in 1984 in Karachi, Pakistan. Ahmed Ali, the distinguished Pakistani novelist, diplomat, and poet, presents the Muslims' Holy Book in a bilingual edition. Available for the first time in paperback, the translation renders the original in a contemporary and accessible voice."Ahmed Ali's work is clear, direct, and elegant--a combination of stylistic virtues almost never found in translations of the Qur'an. His is the best I have read. Furthermore, I found the Arabic in the margin to be extremely attractive." --F. E. Peters, New York University "This translation of the Qur'an aims at doing something new--it seeks to bring out the original rhythms of the Quranic language and the cadences. It also departs from traditional translations in that it gives more refined and differentiated shades of important concepts." --Fazlur Rahman, University of Chicago

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Arabic (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr; 2 Rev Sub edition (September 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691073295
• ISBN-13: 978-0691073293
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,939,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Christian perspective, May 25, 2001

By 

A. J. Valasek (Clemmons, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation (Hardcover)

Being a Christian, I feel that if I want people of other religious beliefs to listen to what I have to say, I should be willing to listen to their beliefs also. I can't say whether this particular title is any better or worse than any other English rendition of the Qur'an, nor will I find out. I confirmed some of the hearsay that I get from ignorant Christians, while being surprised at some of what I read. Although there are similarities between Christianity and Islam, there is also a wide gap. In my opinion, this book does not teach or instruct much at all, but is a book of warnings. The Surah's (Chapters) are very redundant and contradictory. Paraphrased Bible stories are rampant often leaving out significant details. Overall, my mood was one of despair and hopelessness while reading, with only an occasional shot of hope. However, I still stand by my belief that to be good at a debate, blatant ignorance is disgrace to the witnesser.