The Qur'an: A Modern English Version

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Summary: Modern English Quran Review
Review: I have read many translations of Al Quran, and although I was somewhat disappointed with this one, it has its merits. The english is more similar to everyday language than other translation, so it is easier to understand. Some passages (for example, arabic figures of speach that are not to be taken literally) that might have been ambiguous due to rigid arabic-to-english conversion in other English translations are clearer in this version. However, translating Al Quran into modern English has its drawbacks: without the arabic idioms left in (as, for example, in A.J Arberry's translation), the suras are not as pretty. Even with old english or brittish translations, you are able to have a glimpse of the beauty of the arabic Quran, but with modern English, it reads as if it is an everyday conversation, and the suras sound less inspirational, in my opinion. The other thing that this translator does which did not work for me was putting footnotes in the text of the suras and short explanations in the bottom margin of the pages. The original Quran did not have commentary, so I don't see why the English translation should, seeing as it is a translation and not an exposition of the Quran. All in all, this one is ok, not great.

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Summary: Finally, a real translation
Review: This is by far the clearest and most faithful rendering of the Qur'an into English. I would recommend this translation for anyone who actually wants to understand precisely what the Qur'an is saying, without the old fashioned fuzzy imprecision of translations such as Arberry's. I used to recommend Pickthall's version to students; this one is vastly superior. It is also one of the few translations with a decent (albeit minimal) scholarly apparatus.In short, it promises to remain the best and most accurate English version of the Qur'an for some time to come.