Hi, seeking advice and questions answered..

[Milkyway]

I speak and write only English and the Qur'an is in Arabic. What author translates the Qur'an to English without losing any of its true Arabic meaning. Two authors who I heard of so far are Abdullah Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Pickthall. Which one is better?

Also the type of publisher is important for any books also because I know some have poor printing and binding quality. Basically I'm looking for the ultimate English Qur'an with supreme print quality and binding and maybe a nice leather cover also. Feel free to include links in your posts or where to buy the Qur'an. Usually I buy from www.amazon.com though.

Thanks in advance :-)

[Asif]

Hello Milkway !

The translations of the Qur'an are available online. They are for free. There are also some sites which one can use inorder to order the Qur'an, for free, via mail. But, you can also read the Qur'an online. Here is a link which may prove useful.

http://islamicity.com/mosque/quran/

A direct link to the translation of the Qur'an by Yousuf Ali is :

http://islamicity.com/mosque/SURAI.HTM

Take care,
Bye,
Asif.

[Asif]

Here's another good site i would like you to visit, and would like everyone else to visit.

www.hyahya.org

[Dr Qaisar]

Greetings ‘Milkyway‘,


One would have to appreciate that any kind of translation, whether of the Holy Qur'an or any other book into another language, would not be able to recreate the original essence. Nevertheless, a working translation of meanings of the Qur'an is available both in print and online, Alhamdulillah (All Thanks be to Allah). The works of Pickthall, Yusuf Ali, Al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan etc. are among the most widely read translations. But there is no such thing as the ‘best translation‘. A few websites have been mentioned and I will recommend some others.


1) Qur'an Online: Meaning & Commentary by Yusuf Ali

HTTP://MUKHTAR.HOME.MINDSPRING.COM/contents.html

(Note: earlier, this site contained the commentary also but is now available with a link. It also has a link to amazon.com where you can buy the copy of Qur'an online; click on the "?" or "about" icon).

2) The translation I prefer myself along with Yusuf Ali is that by Dr.Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali & Dr.Muhsin Khan, available online under the title, "The Noble Qur'an". The notable feature of this translation is that it uses simple, plain English rather than the archaic English used in others. Also it contains relevant quotations from the Ahaadith as footnotes for further elucidation. But these quotations are not seen in the online version! The URL is:

HTTP://WWW.UNN.AC.UK/societies/islamic/quran/neindex.htm

3) If you are new to Islam, then you can read the Qur'an in Arabic also in books and websites which provide a TRANSLITERATION of the Qur'an alongwith the translation, as given below:

HTTP://WWW.USC.EDU/dept/MSA/quran/transliteration/


4) If you want to compare translations from 3 different sources, Pickthall, Yusuf Ali & Mohammad Shakir or do a word search, you can do so at the following URLs:

HTTP://WWW.USC.EDU/dept/MSA/quran/

HTTP://WWW.STG.BROWN.EDU/webs/quran_browser/pqeasy.shtml

5) Finally, if you really want to acquire a copy of the Qur'an with a fairly "decent" printing & binding, there is a Saudi publication of Yusuf Ali's translation & commentary which is distributed free of cost!! You will need to contact the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in your country or region or some Islamic center/Mosque and request them for one. Otherwise, you can order a copy online from sites below:

www.ummah.net/icc

www.salaam.co.uk/icc

www.MUKHTAR.HOME.MINDSPRING.COM/about.html


If you have any difficulty in understanding the Qur'an or its meanings, we would try to do our best, for the sake of Allah Most High.


Dr.Qaisar