Customer Reviews

The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (Mentor)

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This is the classical translation. It has no commentary and has aged rather well with the language has good flow and clear albeit older english.

IF you only have one translation of Holy quran this is the one. Other common one is Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation. I would stay away from Rev Arberry's (a racist orientalist missionary) translation.

Some of the reviews for this edition/translation have perhaps been a bit unfair. While it's helpful to point out that the language is not modern (though it is not quite Shakespearean either), Pickthall's language can be rather beautiful and there are a number of well turned phrases. It is well written indeed. More importantly, Mary 19:7 does indeed say Zacharias will be given a son name John, a name never before born by any man. Whether the reader believes this or not - and many Jews will dispute the claim outright - the Koran does, I assure you, make the claim that he is the first John. If you'd like to understand a bit more about the claim itself, and other Koranic claims many Christians/Jews are sure to find odd or absurd, there are a number of translations that include commentaries, the best of which discuss meaning of individual Arabic words (and the connection between similar words that are used together or nearby one another to make subtle points), much as many New Testament commentaries discus the meanings of individual greek words (e.g., as do many in the wonderful Yale Anchor Bible series). Most importantly, though, in reviewing Pickthall's translation, it should be noted that the title 'meaning of the glorious koran' implies erroneously that this edtion offers some extra insight into the meaning of each surah, etc. It does no such thing. If you want insight and explanations into meanings, I would refer the reader again to the many translations that include commentaries - though these are often significantly more expensive.

This is a very poor translation. It emulates King James/Shakespearian English, which is bad enough, but quite simply, some of the translations are flat-out absurd. A good example is Mary 19:7, which says that before John the Baptist, no one had the name John. That is just plain silly, and I had to check several other translations to find the real meaning ("there was no one like John before him.")

I am not Islamic, but am curious and open-minded, so I read this. It was difficult to follow and, as demonstrated above, frequently (and extremely) misleading. The best translations I have found have been on-line. I do not recommend this book at all.

The Pickthall translation was about the only translation of the Koran you could find in English for a long time. I think more are available now. There is a helpful introduction which goes into some of the history of Mohamed and Islam. The book was translated with reverence and reads well. You get the flavor of the religion from it. Reading it did not convert me to Islam, but it helped me to understand people who choose this path and to understand what Mohamed did for that part of the world. I think it is good to get some understanding for all the key religions that humans live at this time and this book is helpful in this regard.

As i know its one of the best translation for the Koran in English, knowing Islam by the Koran not by the people.

Those who disbelieve, among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in HELL FIRE, to dwell therein. They are the WORST OF CREATURES." (Sura 98:6)

"Seize them and SLAY THEM whereever you find them: and in any case take NO FREINDS or helpers from thier ranks." (Sura 4:101)

"FIGHT those who believe not in Allah nor the last day." (Sura 9:29)

"For the Unbelievers are open ENEMIES to you." (sura 4:101)

Why would you want to follow a religion that teaches this evil?