"It is the duty of every Muslim, man, woman, or child, to read the Quran and understand it according to his own capacity. If any one of us attains to some knowledge or understanding of it by study, contemplation, and the test of life, both outward and inward, it is his duty, according to his capacity, to instruct others, and share with them the joy and peace which result from contact with the spiritual world. " Sūras or Chapters of The Holy Quran Translation by A. Yusuf Ali About A. Yusuf Ali Quran Translation This website reproduces the Original English Translation of the Holy Quran by 'Abdullāh Yūsuf 'Alī (with Arabic Text) that was written between 1934 – 1937 and published thereafter – a copyright awarded to Khalil Al-Rawaf in 1946. The project of publishing … First Muslim Translator of the Quran: Did you know? In the notes to this copy of the Quran's translation, Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes, "The first Muslim to undertake an English translation was Dr. Muhammad 'Abdul Hakim Khān, of Patiala, 1905.
Select Your Cookie Preferences We use cookies and similar tools to enhance your shopping experience, to provide our services, understand how customers use our services so we can make improvements, and display ads. Approved third parties also use these tools in connection with our display of ads. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. Try again.
The first Quran available in English was a re-translation of this translation by Christian cleric Alexander Ross in 1649 that perpetuated the sentiments conveyed in Du Ryer's translation. The most influential English version of the Quran was translated by George Sale in 1734 relying on an earlier Latin translation. Sale was openly critical of Islam and accused the Holy Prophet (PBUH) of feigning divine revelation for political 's version earned high praise from Voltaire who was perhaps influenced in his negative views of the religion. This translation was the standard for more than 200 years and was the translation owned by Thomas Jefferson. Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim congressman in US history, was sworn in on Jefferson's copy of Sale's translation in 2007. Abdullah Yusuf Ali's 1934 translation, The Holy Quran: Text, Translation, and Commentary, marked a new era of Quran translations that focused on the linguistics of the Holy text itself rather than the politics of the translator.
In his introduction, Sale was openly critical of Islam and accused the holy Prophet (pbuh) of feigning divine revelation for political gain. Sale's version earned high praise from Voltaire who was perhaps influenced in his negative views of the religion. Sale's translation was the standard for more than 200 years and was the translation owned by Thomas Jefferson. Congressman Keith Ellison, the first Muslim congressman in US history, was sworn in on Jefferson's copy of Sale's translation in 2007. Abdullah Yusuf Ali's 1934 translation, The Holy Quran: Text, Translation, and Commentary, marked a new era of Quran translations that focused on the linguistics of the Quran itself rather than the politics of the translator. An Indian Muslim who was a student of the English classics and former member of the elite Indian Civil Service, Yusuf Ali made an effort to simultaneously preserve the accuracy of the Arabic while conveying the lyrical nature of the text in English. Ali's translation of the Quran remains one of the most popular in the Western world today and is a favorite among English speaking Muslims.
He has provided fairly full summaries of the Sūras, section by section, but he has practically no notes to his Text. I think such notes are necessary for a full understanding of the Text. In many cases the Arabic words and phrases are so pregnant of meaning that a Translator would be in despair unless he were allowed to explain all that he understands by them. Mr. Marmaduke Pickthall's translation was published in 1930. He is an English Muslim, a literary man of standing, and an Arabic scholar. But he has added very few notes to elucidate the Text. His rendering is "almost literal": it can hardly be expected that it can give an adequate idea of a Book which (in his own words) can be described as "that inimitable symphony the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy. " Perhaps the attempt to catch something of that symphony in another language is impossible. Greatly daring, I have made that attempt. We do not blame an artist who tries to catch in his picture something of the glorious light of a spring landscape. "
If it is added to AbeBooks by one of our member booksellers, we will notify you! Create a Want
Consequently, translations of the Quran have been dogged by questions of accuracy made worse by many translators with political agendas against Islam. Early interpretations of the Quran in the West were produced in the context of the Crusades against Muslims. It was not until eleven hundred years after revelation that there would be a more direct translation of the Quran into a Western language—André Du Ryer's L'Alcoran de Mahomet (1647) in French. Though it contained many mistakes and expressed dismissive sentiments about Muslims, it was the first attempt to genuinely translate the Quran and not merely combine paraphrased passages and exegesis with explicit political intent. The first Quran available in English was a re-translation of this translation by Christian cleric Alexander Ross in 1649 that perpetuated the sentiments conveyed in Du Ryer's translation. The most influential English version of the Quran was translated by George Sale in 1734 relying on an earlier Latin translation.
A prominent British Pakistani Muslim, Dr Hussain studied Islam in a traditional seminary in Pakistan and graduated from Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Dr Hussain was inspired to translate the Quran to share his love ofits "breathtaking beauty"In attempting to avoid the"old-fashioned' English" of Pickthall and Yusuf Ali he has "attempted to avoid such 'old' terminology as much as possible, while still retaining the original meaning of the Majestic Quran". As if to underscore the point, hissub-title is A Plain English Translation. Dr Hussain memorised the Quran as a teenager and has been teaching Islamic studies and translations in Islamic schools for over fifty years. He attributes his understanding of the Quran to an accumulation of knowledge from honourable sages and a treasury of classical Islamic wisdom. He is the author of several books and a leader in interfaith dialogue in the UK. In 2009 he was awarded the OBE for community relations. To guard his flanks from the criticism that Muslims are won't to make when other Muslims conduct such exercises, Dr. Hussain has gathered a variety of glowing commendations of his effort.