The Koran (Everyman's Library) [Hardcover]

Marmaduke Pickthall (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 1993

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

While in the service of India’s Nizam of Hyderabad, Marmaduke Pickthall converted to Islam and, with the help of Muslim theologians and linguists, produced this clear and lovingly precise English interpretation of the Holy Koran. His work is honored by believer and non-believer alike for its unique combination of piety, scholarly rigor in its translation and explanatory notes, and deep feeling for the poetic beauty and moral grandeur of its Arabic original.

With an Introduction by William Montgomery Watt

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Arabic

From the Inside Flap

Translation by M. Pickthall

Product Details

• Hardcover: 760 pages
• Publisher: Everyman's Library (January 11, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0679417362
• ISBN-13: 978-0679417361
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.6 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,690 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #72 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Quran

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Something wrong with this copy?, December 27, 2002

By 

Omar Mughal (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Koran (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

Judging by the review below (Poor translation with a dash of revisionism) the reader gives a number of references which purportedly give justification for 9/11. I checked each reference against my copy of the Pickthall translation and could not understand what he meant until I realised he was consistently referring to 1 verse prior to the reference he has given (From Surah 3 onwards I think). This could be because this Pickthall translation has had a verse added (not uncommon when finding English translations of the Koran from non-Islamic sources/bookstores) - I have several Pickthall translations (from different publishers) and have found them to be all synchronised in their translations of the original Arabic (as have my Yusuf Ali translations) and I bought all of them from Islamic sources.

Secondly the verses he refers to as purportedly inciting 9/11 are deliberately interpreted as such by people who commit evil acts because they are inherently evil people. Not because they read the Koran like normal (non-murderous) people like you and me.

So, these versus can also be interpreted by normal people to mean what other enlightened beliefs preach i.e. fight oppression, to die in the path of God is noble, etc.

I do suggest you read the Pickthall translation of the Koran (not just to test yourself whether you would commit 9/11 after reading them!). Also if you are serious to check your understanding by cross-referencing it with other English translations such as the Yusuf-Ali translation (also available on Amazon.[com] if you wish). If you are incredibly serious then learn Classical Arabic or at least get an understanding of it from a sincere native speaker.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best translations, March 1, 2004

By 

"darock1501" (Edmonton, Alberta Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Koran (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

Firstly, any Quranic translation should be the first book read by those interested in Islam. This Quranic translation is highly recommended. Pickthall tries to translate the true original Arabic meanings without adding his personal interpretation of what certain words or phrases could mean. This is a huge positive as the Quran should be translated literally from the original Arabic text. Yet, the reader should also be aware of the social context of 7th century Arabia (the time when the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad). However, Pickthall sometimes uses the Old English style which appears in the Bible. This results in oddness in certain parts of the translation. However, on the whole, this is a very good literal translation.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Translation, Great footnotes, needs tabs, etc., December 15, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Koran (Everyman's Library) (Hardcover)

A Moslem recommended Pickthall's translation to me. It has really helpful notes, and since the translator is a devout Moslem, I could rely on the translation as representing what a Moslem would consider it to mean (generally, it's considered bad to translate the Koran, due to any corruption problems between languages, for much the same reason as it is for the Bible).

But it's hard to find stuff, and I'd have liked more annotations on keywords and phrases like "Lord of the Worlds", and "if ye did but know". Then again, I don't think this book was meant to be anything but the plain text, with as little annotation as possible. For that, it's great.