The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an

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Summary: New to the Qur'an
Review: This book is an easy read. If your looking to learn about this faith this book is a great help.

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Summary: Incredibly useful and educational
Review: This book is valuable for anyone who wants to know more about the Qur'an. This text will give Muslims a deeper knowledge of their scripture, and it will give non-Muslims like myself a more informed introduction to the Qur'an. Abdullah Yusuf Ali did a marvellous work: the prefaces are informative, the translation is far more poetic than most English versions, and the commentary notes are practical and enlightening. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the Qur'an.

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Summary: Helped me convert
Review: This edition was given as a gift to me by my late husband when I was searching for knowledge on my path to adopt Islam. Not only did I find the surah summaries and footnotes wonderfully supportive, but it helped me understand the fuller context of the time this came to be, God's teaching and instruction to Mohammed (pbuh), and the duty one has as a Muslim. When you take the time to read and really absorb the eloquent writing, it's tremendously moving. I've been a practicing Muslim for five years and feel that only a through a thorough understanding of Islam, presented in this way, can one truly appreciate the religion. I would highly recommend this to anyone considering adopting Islam or interested in understanding the religion futher. Salaam Alaikum...

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Summary: An Update of Jusuf Ali's Edition
Review: This is a very well put together book. The Arabic and English print is very easy to read, and transliterated text is both easy to read and accurate to the sounds of the Arabic. (The Arabic Koran is left in the Arabic alphabet.) On each page there is a column of Arabic text and its English translation is set next to it in a column of its own. At the bottom there are Jusuf Ali's notes, which are very extensive and excellently cross-referenced. At the beginning of each Sura is commentary by Jusuf Ali which sheds light on the historical situation of the Sura as well as commentary on its meaning. The Koran, because it is smaller and subsequently less complete than the Bible, often requires the reader to endlessly sift through the voluminous literature of the Hadith and Sunna in order to properly understand its Suras. This volume does much to bring the meaning of the Koran to individuals who are not yet full-fledged scholars of Islam. I would have given this work 5 stars, but this edition is actually an alteration of Ali's work, having updated both the translation and the commentary. I feel that it is slightly dishonest to put a man's name on a work after altering it after his death. But the product itself is nearly flawless.

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Summary: Extensive...but...
Review: This is an excellent translation (or so I'm told by my Islamic friends), and contains extensive notes. HOWEVER...the notes are part of the problem, as they distract from the appreciation of the text IF the reader's intent is to actually READ the Qur'an. Also, from comments offered by the same Islamic friends, the Qur'an in the original is a powerfully poetic work. That does not come through in this translation.

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Summary: One of the best Translations of the Holy Quran
Review: This is one of the most well written and comprehensive translation of the Holy Quran. Anyone interested in reading the Quran and understand its meaning, should buy this book. This Book is a MUST-HAVE.

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Summary: One of the best translations of the holy Quran
Review: This is one the best translations availabe. Keep in mind that this translation was made more than a hundred years ago. This explains its "thee's" and "thou's". Apart from its biblical language, the translation is as near the literal sense of the original Arabic phrases as possible. If you truly want to know the Quran, you must learn Arabic and feel for yourself the majesty of the original text. Otherwise A Yousuf Ali's meaning of the Quran is very helpful. The footnotes are informative and well-researched.

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Summary: preferible to the earlier version, for English readers
Review: This translation is preferible to the previous version because it reads left to right, instead of right to left, which makes it easier for Western readers. Although, it has been said that if someone can't read it in the original language, i.e., Arabic, that they aren't getting a "true" copy of the Qu'ran. Since the translators are Arab, this seems silly. One doesn't have to agree with everything in the book to appreciate its value, in understanding the words, without someone trying to pursue an agenda. The authors welcome comments, to correct inaccuracies, which are what has often lead to misinterpretation and conflict, over the centuries; which applies to the Bible and the Torah as well. I'm not a Muslim, and as I said, I don't necessarily agree with everything, but I can respect the words. God (Allah) bless the translators.

Rating:
Summary: preferible to the earlier version, for English readers
Review: This translation is preferible to the previous version because it reads left to right, instead of right to left, which makes it easier for Western readers. Although, it has been said that if someone can't read it in the original language, i.e., Arabic, that they aren't getting a "true" copy of the Qu'ran. Since the translators are Arab, this seems silly. One doesn't have to agree with everything in the book to appreciate its value, in understanding the words, without someone trying to pursue an agenda. The authors welcome comments, to correct inaccuracies, which are what has often lead to misinterpretation and conflict, over the centuries; which applies to the Bible and the Torah as well. I'm not a Muslim, and as I said, I don't necessarily agree with everything, but I can respect the words. God (Allah) bless the translators.

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Summary: Problematic Commentary
Review: This version of the Qur'an may be helpful for non-Muslims who don't know Arabic but want to learn something about Islam's central text; the footnote commentary helps the reader find parallel passages and often provides useful explanations of unfamiliar topics such as the lunar vs. solar year. However, I am surprised that only one reviewer has taken note of "Islamic prejudices concerning Jewish and Christian scripture and culture" of Yusuf Ali's commentary. The parts relating to Christianity seem less troublesome, but I would be reluctant to recommend this book to a wide audience when it contains such anti-Jewish commentary as exemplified by the footnotes to Surah 2:87-90 (which emphasizes the "racial arrogance" of the Jews) and Surah 5:64 (which asserts that the "Jews blaspheme and mock, and because of their jealousy, the more they are taught, the more obstinate they become in their rebellion"). I would welcome a revision of this work in which the footnotes were edited to reduce this confrontational aspect.