The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary (English and Arabic Edition) [Hardcover]

Abdullah Yusuf Ali (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1987

Containing the full Arabic text of the Qur'an, an accompanying English translation, and extensive commentary, this is a compilation of the Muslim faith's Final Revelation from God to mankind through the last Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon Him. The Qur'an has a wealth of information--both worldly wisdom and intellectual concepts--providing a code of life for humankind generally and Muslims in particular. Indeed, the Qur'an's miracle lies in its ability to offer something to non-believers and everything to believers. This elegantly-packaged edition includes a ribbon marker and is fully indexed.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1862 pages
• Publisher: Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an; U.S. Edition 2005 edition (January 1, 1987)
• Language: English, Arabic
• ISBN-10: 0940368323
• ISBN-13: 978-0940368323
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (58 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > Education & Reference > Foreign Language Nonfiction > Arabic
  • #43 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Quran

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

169 of 174 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Work - Maybe the Best Translation, July 31, 2001

By 

Thomas F. Ogara (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary (English and Arabic Edition) (Hardcover)

Out of the several English translations of the Quran which I own, I most definitely consider this one to be the best one available on the market. It is also the best bilingual one that I have encountered. The translation is faithful, and never prone to flights of fancy. Students of Arabic can rely on being able to follow the English translation as being virtually literal, while still being literary; whatever confusion regarding meaning that there may be is virtually always explained clearly in the copious notes.

I am gratified to learn that this translation is highly thought of in the Muslim world, although I'm not surprised. The other great feature of the book is the commentary. It was obviously written with the Western, specifically Christian reader in mind, and while you may not agree with everything Yusuf Ali has to say (personally, I'm not so sure that Protestant Christianity is the Christian group closest in spirit to Islam!) you will certainly feel that his opinions are well-founded. In fact, one might consider this book as a great primer on the beliefs of Islam for the non-Muslim, and not just another translation.

92 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great translation, lousy print - recommend amana print, July 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary (English and Arabic Edition) (Hardcover)

The Yusuf Ali translation of the Qur'an has long been considered among the most precise and eloquent renderings of the holy book of Muslims into English. However, I would recommend purchasing the amana publications version of this work, due to its superior print quality and binding. amazon.com thankfully now sells it, its ISBN is 0915957760 . The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

339 of 394 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, but I must point out..., December 1, 2001

By 

Khaled Mahmoud Al Anani (Cairo, Egypt) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Qur'an: Text, Translation & Commentary (English and Arabic Edition) (Hardcover)

As a Muslim who has owned this book for years, given to me by Ahmed Deedat himself, I must say that Abdullah Yusuf Ali has done a marvellous job making this fine translation. However, there are a few facts that non-Arabic speakers must be very well aware of:

First of all, despite the attempt to make the translation as accurate as possible, one must be aware of the PROFOUND differences between Arabic language and the English language. Arabic is much more complex and has an unequalled myriad of gramattical and linguistic tools, and it is that that makes the Quran so powerful and moving to anyone who knows Arabic well. When the Quran is translated into English, the beauty of the language is lost, hence the title 'Meanings of the Holy Quran in English' instead of 'The Holy Quran in English'.

Second, the translation allows for some misunderstandings that the anti-Muslims use to justify their prejudices against Islam.
So it must be pointed out that in the Arabic language, you must read all the verses for a sentence to make sense, and this does not necessarily come through in English, thus allowing for those misunderstandings. An example is a reviewer on this site who took the verse "And slay them wherever you catch them... " to try and say that Islam is violent. If you read the verse before it and the ones after it, you will find that this is purely self defense. The verses say " Fight in the cause of God THOSE WHO FIGHT YOU, but DO NOT TRANSGRESS LIMITS (as in killing civilians), For God loveth not transgressors. And Slay them Wherever ye catch them, ..... BUT IF THEY CEASE, GOD IS OFT-FORGIVING, MOST MERCIFUL. And fight them UNTIL THERE IS NO MORE TUMULT OR OPPRESSION ..... BUT IF THEY CEASE, LET THERE BE NO HOSTILITY EXCEPT TO THOSE WHO PRACTICE OPPRESSION (i.e. forgive them).
Such misunderstandings can be overcome by reading all the verses in a sura in order to understand the meaning, and also reading the helpful footnotes. If something is unclear, consult a Muslim.

Third, always consult a Muslim on passages that you may not understand, or have any trouble with. A 'regular' Muslim who practices the Quran everyday of his life would know much better than an armchair intellectual who read 3 books about Islam and became a self-proclaimed expert in the field of Islamic studies. In general, a Muslim would know much more about her or his own religion than a non-Muslim, so try to read books written by Muslims.

Fourth, and most importantly, for the non-Muslims reading the text, a very important piece of advice: read the Quran OBJECTIVELY, or dont bother reading it. Some people read the Quran to try and justify and hatered/misconception that they may have. If you read the Quran with this mindset, you might as well save yourself the trouble, and continue to believe whatever it is that you desparately want to believe. Otherwise, I am sure that you will have a lot to gain from reading the meanings of the Quran.