Customer Reviews

The Sublime Quran

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This is my third Qur'an and by far my favorite. It is written formally, compared to other translations that strive for readability. I find this more appropriate for a religious text. The text is broken down into phrases and centered, which makes reading and understanding much easier. Also, the text is large and very readable. It makes the book bigger but the weight is well worth it.

Rather than the traditional start at the beginning and go to the end approach, Laleh Bakhtiar used the "formal equivalence" technique. That means translating each word on its own, and then putting it all together. Bakhtiar found over 3,600 Arabic verbs and nouns, which translated into over 5,800 unique English equivalents. This results in a much more accurate and consistent translation.

This is a beautiful translation of the Qur'an into modern-day English that can be easily understood. There is no written rule that says Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation has to be the only translation used, or that his translation is even the "gold standard." As a Muslim male, I think it is amazing that we have a female Muslim scholar who translated the Qur'an. And let me be clear -- this is not some revisionist translator trying to alter the meaning of the Qur'an in any way. This is a scholar who spent years of her life trying to translate the Qur'an in a way that preserves its original meaning and can be understood easily by everyday English speakers. Unfortunately, much of the Muslim world today is still patriarchal/male-dominated. Slowly but surely, however, this is changing -- by God's Grace. People need to realize that some of the greatest Muslim thinkers and scholars in history have been women. And Bakhtiar is certainly making a case for herself to be mentioned among them.

The rendition of the Qur'an by Laleh Bhakhtiar is a step forward in the translation of this Scripture in Semitic language which is without any sectarian bias, Sufi, philosophical, Sunni, Shia and Ismaili theological connotations, and recently scientific, feminist and Taliban renditions etc. The translation is in modern American English, and the style is poetic-prose, which reflects the style of the Qur'an that is neither poetry nor prose, but is inclusive of both. This translation could be of help to Muslims and non-Muslims who do not know the Arabic of the Qur'an and are interested in studying it, and it could be of immense help to the students of Islamic studies.

Prof. Latimah-Parvin Peerwani

It takes courage, A LOT of courage, these days to write a book about Islam... Even more to write about the Holy Quran and even more trying to translate Holy Quran from the original Arabic to plain English the way anyone can easily read and understand it. This English translation is performed in a very meticulous and precise way and is very loyal and faithful to the original Arabic text. There are many other English translations of the Holy Quran in the market right now, but Ms. Bakhtiar's translations stays way above all of them and is absolutely essential for anyone who is interested to learn about Islam...

Encountering this translation represented a real personal breakthrough for me regarding Islam, or at least any kind of Islam one approaches through an English approximation of the Quran. The translator's internal consistency and attempted avoiding of subjective interpretation worked well for me: and as I read more and more, what normally strikes the English only reader as disjointed and theologically fragmented in translations of the Quran gave way to a kind of majesty, a kind of excitement (and unique sadness) I'd never encountered before in any other translation. I felt that at last I'd received a tiny glimpse of what the Quran means, or at least what it could mean, on a very personal, psychological level.

As I was reading to my eight year old at bedtime from this translation, she did something she'd never done before in all the hundreds of times I'd read to her: she stopped me and took the book from my hands so she too could read aloud. There is *that* kind of power in this translation, this approximation of the original, even in those inevitable passages where the wording seems clunky or the meaning obscure. Other translations may be more technically "accurate" and even more lucid overall; but this one can move you and challenge you in ways you could never have anticipated. And that is how any translation of the sublime Quran should work.

Although this is not the first translation of the Quran by a woman, Laleh Bakhtiar clearly outlines her challenge in the preface/introduction when she explains her desire to better translate the passage which supposedly allows men to beat their wives. Her translation does not differ greatly from other English translations, but it is v. readable & the text is easy to follow. I would recommend this translation to both Muslims & non-Muslims, especially as she explains the pains she has gone thru to show Islam in the most positive, gender-equal perspective possible.

Laleh Bakhtiar has provided a remarkable rendition of the Qur'an. Her achievement balances accuracy with poetry. In particular, her rendition corrects many of the prejudicial readings of certain passages of the Qur'an that have long been used to denigrate Islam. The Arabic of the Qur'an is not in any way transparent--even to native Arabic speakers. There are archaisms that have really never been adequately resolved. Ms. Bakhtiar takes an approach from critical literary practice, and chooses interpretations that are consistent with Islamic theology rather than adhering to some kind of philological pedantry. This is the first Qur'anic rendition undertaken by a female scholar. It is masterful and something that everyone should have in their library next to their other sacred texts.

I found this book to be easy to understand and an easy read. I appriciate her direct translation because it uses the words as they are and does not bring in what it meant. Which with religious text can be dangerous.

I began to read this new translation of the Quran by Laleh Bakhtiar while also referring to other Quran Translations: that of Muhammad Asad and Abdullah Yusuf Ali.

I could immediately see the simple elegance that Bakhtiar's translation method (of formal equivalency) engenders. The text reads as more of a timeless message. I greatly appreciate the more objective approach to translating that she uses - of consistently using the same English word for a specific Arabic word. This more objective approach lends a particular clarity to the translation. I still appreciate the interpretive method of Quran translator, Muhammad Asad, in particular, and other translations of the Quran, but the possibilities for understanding the Quran seem to be expanded in Bakhtiar's new translation which is structurally and grammatically more true to the Arabic.

This translation may also reduce the possibility of biased or particular interpretation as the translator has chosen English words that are more of a universal than particular nature. So "ungrateful" instead of "infidel" is more in keeping with the universal spirit and message of the Quran, while also being true to the depth, complexity and etymology of the Arabic word (kafir).

Most of the translation flows very nicely. As a result of the English-Arabic consistency, though, there are some phrases that may seem awkward in English. This is especially noticeable when the past and present tenses are used in the same sentence in English. Arabic grammar does not always correlate well with English and the use of the active participle in Arabic may lead to a strange sounding English translation. There may be a need for some revision to smooth out the grammatical transition from Arabic to English. In some instances, though, this might be useful as it conveys something of a different reality that may be being expressed in the Quran. For example, "if you had been ones who are truthful" (2:23) sounds awkward as it is in the past tense (had been) but contains the active participle (ones who are truthful) which has no tense in Arabic, but appears in English to be in the present tense. I found this reading to be thought - provoking. There seems to be an expanded meaning here as the Quran - considered the divine word - is being spoken in the heavenly realm of the eternal present about the past world on earth.

In any case, what I found most remarkable about this translation is that it may open doors of meaning by being more true to the open weave of the original sacred text.

This is a very exciting possibility - to reflect more the dynamism of the Arabic, sometimes constricted by fitting it into usual English sentence structure and interpretation. Laleh Bakhtiar has translated word by word and phrase by phrase.

I also found that the visual presentation of phrases on a line rather than whole sentences running together makes it easier to follow especially for someone whose Arabic is limited. There is no confusion about which word or part of the sentence is being translated.

I am intrigued by this fresh and new translation of the sacred text.

First I would love to start with the positive aspects of this book. First, the cover is pretty, very, very pretty with lots of rust covered flowers on both the front and back cover. Very nice. Then the text of the Koran looks lovely being center justified, with reasonably appropriate breaks to help the reader understand particular phrases, and if the book is read aloud during a service, these breaks help the lecturer tremendously. (There is NOTHING more painful that having to listen to someone read Scripture aloud and listing to inappropriate breaks and pauses). The font size is larger for us older folk-love that, no reading glasses. And she softens quite a few inflammatory phrases in former translations, eg, the concept of hell is changed to "terrible punishment"--Great ideas. But she doesn't soften everything, and she could do more of that, perhaps a whole lot more, the book in many translations comes of a bit too harsh and acerbic.

More good phrases: 2.43 "purifying alms" : 2.89 "infidels" and "unbelievers" are now just "ungrateful ones"; 2.149 committing (acts of ) aggression is wrong

Okay, now I'm going to apologize for being a mouthy challenging chick in advance, but here goes. Now for the stuff she could have softened. For example, we don't need "Satan," we don't need to say in 3.10 that the ungrateful will be "fuel for the fire," nor do we need "Godfearing"-fear is the psychological opposite of love and we should love God instead; 2.10 God puts sickness in some hearts? Come on, God does not make anyone heart's sick, we do that quite well all by ourselves; 2.39 "companions of fire"; 2.54 the One who "kills your souls"; 2.89 "curse of God"? How is that? God is supposed to be pure love and light? 2.135: don't need to trash polytheists; 2.165 God is severe in punishment? 3.174 "putting fire into bellies"; 2.714 can't one love God and do all those things anyway? 2.222 menstruation is clearly NOT an impurity. Menstruation is a blessing, etc.

Further her English can be is esoteric and archaic. Tough words and terms making the text unsuitable for anyone without a graduate degree: "circumambulate" (why not just walk around something?) 2.125; viceregent (officer). I think viceregent is British. "Disputation", why not just disputes?

2.21 "marry not the ones that are female polythesists" clearly unclear. does this mean they worship multiple goddesses, or that they are women worshiping multiple deities (both male and female). 2.260 what is this "twist the birds" stuff; should be "kill four birds".

However, in her all consuming quest for an "accurate translation" we get some funny phrases, "our hearts are encased" 2.88 okay, is that like Kayopak?; 2.236 when divorcing a woman, make provisions for him (sic) according to his (sic) needs? Hmmm, could have rephrased that one.

Now for the portions of the book that really need improvement. I have absolutely no idea where the concept came from that a translation of a book had to conform soooo closely to the "best possible English word" that it is acceptable for poor, bad or inadequate grammar to be used, but somehow Ms. Bakhtiar and the other "biggie" translators of the Koran (Yusef Ali, Pickthal, Shakir, Sale, etc.) came to that conclusion and have mangled this lovely book up. It is infuriating to the reader to have to stop constantly and think about what is really being said with such a system, and it takes soooo much longer to read the text and when one attempts to "translate" or "interpret" English in such a rigorous mathematical formula, the entire meaning falls apart, regardless, and the reader has no idea what is actually meant by the particular phrase in many, many instances, and in such a case, the reading of the book turns into a time waster. Go ahead and check out some of the Koran side by side translation websites and you will see what I mean. I'm sorry, but my brain hurts when I have to wade through bad or poor English grammar and I don't like my time being wasted by reading verses that don't make any sense and have no meaning.

I'm sorry if my anger is showing through, but Ms. Bakhtiar is obvious an extremely intelligent woman, her Preface starting on page xli is written in beautifully flowing language thru page lv, and that's an entire nine pages (if you don't understand roman numeral gibberish). But her normal writing is all done quite well, so I know she can do this.

But then she gets to the actual Koran and everything falls apart. For example

1) 1.7 "guide us to the straight path...not ones against whom you are angry" should read "not the path of those persons You are angry with" or "not the path chosen (or followed) by persons You are angry with"

2) 2.3 "the ones who perform the formal prayer" should read "the ones who perform their formal prayers" or "special prayers". (Maybe this is not a great example, but I have no idea what "the formal prayer" is, and maybe just "special prayers" or "frequent prayer" could suffice anyway).

3) 2.4 "those who believe in what was sent forth to you"-what does that mean? I think she means "Scripture" but this should then read "those who believe in the Scripture which was sent before."

4) 2.6 "those who are on a guidance from their Lord"-what? No one ever says "those who are on a guidance." One might be "directed by" or "guided by" another person or "their Lord," but no one is "on a guidance," at least if they are writing proper English.

5) 2.11 "make not corruption in and on the earth" should read "do not engage in corruption in and on the earth". She's always "making corruption", but this is an improper phrase.

...and so this book continues on and on, with page after tedious page of improper English. Because the English in this book is so poor, I would not recommend it as a beginner's Koran. It is much more suited to someone that has already read a few versions of the Koran, and esp. ones with footnotes that can explain some of the esoteric nuances of the Arab stories and culture. With good footnotes the Koran makes a whole lot more sense and the stories become a whole lot more fun.

So, please, please, Ms. Bahktiar, we are begging you, go back through your book and rephrase all of these clauses into something which reads in proper English and has a clear meaning. And, we your readers, really don't care if you choose a meaning to make this book readable, we all know this is a translation or an interpretation, we are just looking for your clear, well worded opinion of the Koran. No translation of an archaic text is ever going to be accomplished with a mathematical formula, and there are no litmus tests in translating and interpreting another language, so we know we are looking for you opinion and guidance. But we your reading public who love and adore Scripture, want to read something beautiful and flowing, in excellent English, which is loving and comforting. Further I would LOVE to see your footnotes about what the stories mean. Can you get us a version that is like that? Maybe even up on LuLu dot com and then leave us a note here?

Your language in the preface was beautiful and flowing. Now how about continuing that throughout the book.

Some other thoughts: How about some quote marks? Quote marks really help the reader to understand when someone starts and stops talking.

And finally just a few comments on this being a "feminist Koran." No, it clearly is not. At some length in the initial pages, the author goes on about how some word might or might not mean "to beat" your spouse, but I mean really, who cares? Just take it out or change it to something reasonable, and make it apply to both husbands and wives, but a true feminist wouldn't even go there. The author concludes it really means to banish a wife from your bed, but how much better is that? Is it better to ask a guy "how much and how hard do you beat your wife?" or "when do you make her sleep on the couch when you're mad at her?" Both statements would be considered highly dysfunction to any modern certified therapist, and to continue or even suggest such mental abuse is completely inappropriate. Best is "work out your differences, and don't go to bed angry." That's what a true feminist would change it to. (For a truly feminist Koran, I recommend Korana of Mother Goddess).

But please, Ms. Bakhtiar, do NOT get discouraged by my comments in any manner; what you did was a fine piece of work and you should feel proud of this accomplishment. Now just think about tweaking it a bit for us folk that like to read the Koran with pretty, flowing, meaningful English. What you need to do is think outside of the box and realize that just cuz a bunch of men used poor, improper English in the past to translate this book and lamely claimed they were just "trying to be highly accurate," doesn't mean you have to. I mean, you're a woman and you therefore automatically have been imbued with the capabilities and talents to far outshine them!