The Quran [Paperback]

Muhammad Zafrulla Khan (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997

Reading the Qur'an was once a difficult undertaking due to language translation challenges from Arabic to English. Now this complete and accurate translation--with clearer comprehension and free-flowing text--makes the study of this sacred text of Islam accessible to a broader English-speaking audience.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Translation of the Qur'an, the holy book of Muslims, from its original Arabic has been for a long time an issue of controversy in Muslim countries and a subject of serious discourse among Islamic scholars and theologians. It may be reasonably claimed that translations of the Qur'an are merely subjective attempts to render its meaning. Khan, a former Pakistani foreign minister and an international lawyer, presents a translation that is clear and simple to comprehend to a wide English-speaking audience. The Arabic text is included on the same page side by side with the English rendering. Divided into 114 chapters called "suras" and arranged in increasing order of length, the book contains the collected revelations of the Prophet Muhammad, transmitted to him by the Angel Gabriel. Khan's translation includes a lengthy introduction (about 50 pages) that sheds some light on what a lay reader should know about the Qur'an, according to the translator, and is meant in lieu of explanatory notes in single chapters. Recommended for all collections.?Ali Houissa, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Reading English editions of the Qur'an was once a difficult undertaking for the non-specialist general reader, requiring copious explanatory notes to supplement the text. Muhammad Kahn's new translation of the Arabic text remains strictly faithful to the text in meaning, but is unique in its clarity and precision in English. The result is clearer comprehension and free-flowing text. The verses are not broken up, but are grouped into larger paragraphs combining a set of verses, all properly identified for ease of reference. This complete and accurate translations succeeds in making the study of the Qur'an broadly accessible to the English-speaking readership, with lasting value for beginning students, scholars, teachers, and anyone with an interest in learning more about the sacred scripture of Islam. Highly recommended. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Publishing Group (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566562554
• ISBN-13: 978-1566562553
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,650 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Nonfiction > Arabic
  • #65 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Quran

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Quran, October 17, 2000

By 

"drmehdi" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Quran (Paperback)

Aan elegant translation of an elegant script. Although it is difficult to transfer the full sense of arabic to any other language because of depth and breadth of the language, author has done an excellent job. Good for English readers who want to know the sense of Quran. A must have.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good for western (or non-muslim) readers, February 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Quran (Paperback)

Good points: The translation is a running translation so those who are foreign to Islam or Quran and Arabic idiom, should buy this one. Zafarulla Khan has done a fabulous job at translation and brining Quran to western readers. The translation has a brief introduction to the beliefs of Islam as supported from the Quran. This is what I like the best, especially for giving to my non-muslim friends, since in one book you can give them a synopsis of the teachings of Islam as well as its Sacred Text. The translation has a good index, for easy reference.

Other Considerations: The translation is in line with the beliefs of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam and the beliefs expressed therein are the more recent interpretations of the Sacred Text. Some people (especially those who dislike the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam) may not like that! But I believe that for these times, a modern interpretation is more important than classical ones, which obviously were more appropriate for the "classical" times. Zafrulla Khan's command on Arabic and English Language, as well as religion, is proven beyond doubt, so you can be certain that whatever he is writing does have its support in the language and faith.

Would not recommend for research purposes. The English translation goes paragraph by paragraph, so delineation between exact verse numbers is not so clear. This has been done (as explained in the preface as well) to better address the non-arabic western audience, so that they do not get lost in the technicalities of translation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very Accessible Translation, September 5, 2010

By 

Ehsanullah Jan "ejan" (Canton, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: THE QURAN (Kindle Edition)

This is a great translation of the Holy Quran and is very, very accessible (though, at times, it seems that accessibility is preferred over closeness of meaning to the Arabic source).

Unfortunately, there's no navigable table of contents which makes navigating from chapter to chapter a real pain. If the publisher is reading this review, can they please update the book to provide a clickable TOC so that one can navigate to a chapter of his choice directly from the TOC.

I've taken out two stars because absence of a navigable TOC literally renders it useless unless you're planning on starting at the first page and reading your way through to the end.