Eman School/ Quran Meaning

Interpretation/Tafsir

The Quran has sparked a huge body of commentary and explication (tafsīr), aimed at explaining the "meanings of the Quranic verses, clarifying their import and finding out their significance".

Tafsir is one of the earliest academic activities of Muslims. According to the Quran, Muhammad was the first person who described the meanings of verses for early Muslims. Other early exegetes included a few Companions of Muhammad, like ʻAli ibn Abi Talib, ʻAbdullah ibn Abbas, ʻAbdullah ibn Umar and Ubayy ibn Kaʻb. Exegesis in those days was confined to the explanation of literary aspects of the verse, the background of its revelation and, occasionally, interpretation of one verse with the help of the other. If the verse was about a historical event, then sometimes a few traditions (hadith) of Prophet Muhammad (S) were narrated to make its meaning clear.

Because the Quran is spoken in classical Arabic, many of the later converts to Islam (mostly non-Arabs) did not always understand the Quranic Arabic, they did not catch allusions that were clear to early Muslims fluent in Arabic and they were concerned with reconciling apparent conflict of themes in the Quran. Commentators erudite in Arabic explained the allusions, and perhaps most importantly, explained which Quranic verses had been revealed early in Muhammad's prophetic career, as being appropriate to the very earliest Muslim community, and which had been revealed later.

Other scholars, however, maintain that no abrogation has taken place in the Quran. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has published a 10-volume Urdu commentary on the Quran, with the name Tafseer e Kabir.

Translations

Translation of the Quran has always been a problematic and difficult issue. Many argue that the Quranic text cannot be reproduced in another language or form. Furthermore, an Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on the context, making an accurate translation even more difficult.

Nevertheless, the Quran has been translated into most African, Asian and European languages. The first translator of the Quran was Salman the Persian, who translated surat al-Fatiha into Persian during the seventh century. Another translation of the Quran was completed in 884 CE in Alwar (Sindh, India now Pakistan) by the orders of Abdullah bin Umar bin Abdul Aziz on the request of the Hindu Raja Mehruk.

The first fully attested complete translations of the Quran were done between the 10th and 12th centuries in Persian language. The Samanid king, Mansur I (961-976), ordered a group of scholars from Khorasan to translate the Tafsir al-Tabari, originally in Arabic, into Persian. Later in the 11th century, one of the students of Abu Mansur Abdullah al-Ansari wrote a complete tafsir of the Quran in Persian. In 12th century, Abu Hafas Najmuddin Umar al-Nasafi translated the Quran into Persian. The manuscripts of all three books have survived and have been published several times.

In early centuries, the permissibility of translations was not an issue, but whether one could use translations in prayer.

In 1936, translations in 102 languages were known. In 2010, the Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review reported that the Quran was presented in 112 languages at the 18th International Quran Exhibition in Tehran.

Robert of Ketton's 1143 translation of the Quran for Peter the Venerable, Lex Mahumet pseudoprophete, was the first into a Western language (Latin). Alexander Ross offered the first English version in 1649, from the French translation of L'Alcoran de Mahomet (1647) by Andre du Ryer. In 1734, George Sale produced the first scholarly translation of the Quran into English; another was produced by Richard Bell in 1937, and yet another by Arthur John Arberry in 1955. All these translators were non-Muslims. There have been numerous translations by Muslims. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has published translations of the Quran in 50 different languages besides a five-volume English commentary and a simple English translation of the Quran.

As with translations of the Bible, the English translators have sometimes favored archaic English words and constructions over their more modern or conventional equivalents; for example, two widely read translators, A. Yusuf Ali and M. Marmaduke Pickthall, use the plural and singular "ye" and "thou" instead of the more common "you".

Early translations

The Alcoran , Translated out of Arabic into French. By the Sieur du Ryer, Lord of Malezair, and Resident for the French King, at ALEXANDRIA. And Newly Englished, for the satisfaction of all that desire to look into the Turkish Vanities London, Printed Anno Dom. 1649 The earliest known translation of the Qur'an into the English Language was The Alcoran of Mahomet in 1649 by Alexander Ross, chaplain to King Charles I. This, however, was a translation of the French translation L'Alcoran de Mahomet by the Sieur du Ryer, Lord of Malezair. L'Alcoran de Mahomet.

Koran, commonly called the Alcoran of Mohammed, tr. into English immediately from the original Arabic; with explanatory notes, taken from the most approved commentators. To which is prefixed a preliminary discourse by George Sale London; Printed by C. Ackers... 1734. The first scholarly translation of the Qur'an based primarily on the Latin translation of Louis Maracci (1698). George Sale's translation was to remain the most widely available English translation over the next 200 years, and is still in print today, with release of a recent 2009 edition.

The next major English translation of note was by John Rodwell, Rector of St. Ethelburga, London, released in 1861, entitled The Koran. It was soon followed in 1880 with a 2-Volume edition by E.H. Palmer, a Cambridge scholar, who was entrusted with the preparation of the new translation for Max Muller's Sacred Books of the East series.

20th century translations

The Qur'an (1910) by Mirza Abul Fazl, Arabic Text and English Translation Arranged Chronologically with an Abstract (Allahabad). Mirza Abul Fazl (1865–1956), was a native of Allahabad, India. He was the first Muslim to present a translation of the Qur'an in to English along with the original Arabic text.

The Holy Qur'an (1917, 4th rev. ed. 1951) by Maulana Muhammad 'Ali, an Ahmadi Muslim scholar of the Qur'an, Hadith and religion of Islam, and author of several widely read books on these topics. 'Ali gives copious explanatory notes, introductions to each chapter, and a general preface-introduction of nearly 70 pages.

The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930) by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall. An English convert to Islam penned this translation at the behest of the Emir of Hyderabad while on a sojourn in India. Pickthall's widely printed translation was regarded as "an important milestone in the long course of Koranic interpretation" by later esteemed Qur'an translator A.J. Arberry, who also noted a few problems with Pickthall's verse numbering, which deviated in places from what had by then become the standard Arabic edition by Gustav Fluegel.

The Holy Qur'an: Translation and Commentary (1934) by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. This translation is widely used in many English-speaking countries and was the most popular translation before the Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an was published in 1999.

The Holy Quran - Arabic Text and English translation (1936) is a parallel text edition of the Quran compiled and translated by Maulvi Sher Ali, an Ahmadi Muslim missionary at the Fazl Mosque in London and companion of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

The Qur'an : Translated, with a Critical Re-arrangement of the Surahs (1937–39) by Richard Bell. Published by Edinburgh University Press. A. J. Arberry, in the preface to his own translation of the Qur'an, notes: "Dr Bell was a most erudite scholar of Arabic, and had devoted many years to his 'critical re-arrangement of the Surahs [chapters]'.... He quite literally took the Koran to pieces and put it together again, his meticulous reconstruction extending as far as individual verses and even parts of verses. As he set up his translation in a kind of tabular form to indicate his views of how the discourse originally ran, it is virtually unreadable; certainly one needs to have some detailed knowledge of the text in order to benefit by the arduous exercise of studying his hard-laboured pages."

The Koran Interpreted (1955) by Arthur Arberry. The first English translation by an academic scholar of Arabic, Islam and Sufism. For many years the scholarly standard for English translations, this rendering of the Qur'an makes a special attempt to reproduce something of the rhythms and cadence of the Arabic original.

The Koran (1956) by N. J. Dawood is published by Penguin. Dawood, a native Arabic speaker from Iraq's now defunct Jewish community, is said to have preferred comprehensibility to literalism in translation, making his version comparatively easy to read. The first edition of the Dawood translation rearranged the chapters (suras) into more or less chronological order, but later editions restored the traditional sequence.

Tafsir-ul-Quran (1957) by the Indian scholar Abdul Majid Daryabadi is a translation with commentary. Daryabadi criticizes the scriptures of other religions, such as the Christian Bible, claiming they have not been transmitted faithfully.

The English Commentary of the Holy Quran (1963) An English translation and interpretation by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

The Running Commentary of the Holy Qur-an with Under-Bracket Comments (1964). Dr. Khadim Rahmani Nuri of Shillong, India.

The Message of the Qur'an : Presented in Perspective (1974) by Dr. Hashim Amir Ali. The suras are presented in chronological order.

The Message of the Qur'an (1980) by Muhammad Asad. Written by a Jewish convert to Islam.

Al-Qur'an , A Contemporary Translation (1984) by Ahmed Ali. Published by Princeton University Press.

The Qur'an : The First American Version (1985); by Dr. Thomas Ballantyne Irving / T.B. Irving (Al Hajj Ta'lim Ali Abu Nasr), Dr Irving is a Canadian Muslim who is an author, professor, translator (Arabic, Spanish) and activist. His English-only edition uses a North American vernacular. Published by Amana Books, Brattleboro, Vermont.

The Holy Qur'an (1988) by Syed V. Mir Ahmed Ali. A translation used by English-speaking Shi'ite Muslims.

Quran : The Final Testament (1992; revision of work first published in 1981) is the work of the controversial teacher and computer scientist Rashad Khalifa. Khalifa claimed that he had used mathematics and computers to find hidden meanings in the Qur'an.

The Nobel Qur'an (1992); by Dr. T. B. (Thomas Ballantyne) Irving (Al Hajj Ta'lim Ali Abu Nasr). Arabic text with English translation and commentary by Dr. Irving. Published by Amana Books, Brattleboro, Vermont.

The Glorious Qur'an (1993), a joint translation by the Egyptian-born UK resident Dr. Ahmad Zidan and the British Muslim convert Mrs. Dina Zidan.

A Simple Translation of The Holy Quran (1993), by Dr. Mir Aneesuddin. This translation uses Simple English, also called Basic English. It is published by the Islamic Academy of Sciences, Hyderabad, India.

The Glorious Qur'an (1999 through 2013), by Dr. Syed Vickar Ahamed, is a simple translation meant for young adults seeking divine and eternal guidance to live a healthy, honest, complete and pious life. Published by the New York based publisher Tahirke Tarsile Qur'an. Translation is approved by Al-Azhar, Islamic Research Academy, Cairo, Egypt (1998, and again in 2004) and by Pusat Islam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1999, See KDN.Q.03/913/1.2/0/65/1999). First published in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1999 in full color by TR Group of Companies (ISBN 983-40085-03). Since then, there are eight editions and numerous printings by in the US by Al-Furqaan Foundation, Lombard, Illinois and by Tahirke Tarsile Qur'an, Elmhurst, New York. It is available throughout the world.

The Holy Qur'an (1997) by Saheeh International is a translation by three American women converts. It is published by the Dar Abul Qasim Publishing House, Saudi Arabia.

Al-Qur'an : Guidance for Mankind (1997) by M. Farooq-e-Azam Malik.

Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an (1999) by Darussalam (first published 1977) is translated by Muhammad Muhsin Khan and Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali. This translation is among the most widely read translations in the world, primarily because it is the officially promoted translation of the Saudi Government.

The Qur'an (1999) by Mohammedali Habib Shakir is an English translation directed towards Shia Muslims. It is published in New York by Tahirke Tarsile Qur'an.

The Noble Qur'an : A New Rendering of Its Meaning in English (1999) by Abdalhaqq Bewley and Aisha Bewley. The husband-and-wife team behind this translation are disciples of Abdalqadir as-Sufi. They have also translated the Muwatta of Imam Malik, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, and the Ash-Shifa of Qadi Iyad.

The Quran : A Poetic Translation (1999), a recent work by the Iranian-born lecturer, translator and linguist Fazlollah Nikayin, attempts a poetic rendering of the Qur'an.

21st century translations

Translation and Commentary on The Holy Quran (2000), a 1,256 page work by the Indian-Bengali translator Dr. Zohurul Hoque.

The Majestic Qur'an : An English Rendition of Its Meanings (2000) was translated by a committee that included the Cambridge professor Timothy Winter, the American Muslim writer Uthman Hutchinson, and Mostafa al-Badawi. It is published by Starlatch Press.

The Qur'an in Persian and English (Bilingual Edition, 2001) features an English translation by the Iranian poet and author Tahere Saffarzadeh.

The Qur'an (2002), by the UK-based Afghan-born writer M. J. Gohari, is an Oxford Logos Society imprint.

The Tajwidi Qur'an (2003) is a translation by an American Muslim convert, Nooruddeen Durkee. It presents the Arabic text using a romanized transliteration system that allows English-speaking readers to pronounce the Arabic. The English translation is an amalgamation of other translations.

The Qur’an with an English Paraphrase (2003), a translation by Indian-born Sayyid Ali Quli Qara'i, is an imprint of the Iranian Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur'an.

The Qur'an : A New Translation (2004) by a well-known California-based translator of numerous Buddhist works, Dr. Thomas Cleary. Based on an earlier, partial translation, which was highly praised by the famous American Muslim scholar Hamza Yusuf.

The Qur'an (2004), by M.A.S. Abdel-Haleem, is published by Oxford World Classics.

The Quran : A Reformist Translation (2007), is a recent translation by the team of Edip Yuksel, Layth Saleh al-Shaiban, and Martha Schulte-Nafeh. They claim to offer a non-sexist understanding of the text.

The Sublime Qur'an (2007) is by the Chicago-based scholar Laleh Bakhtiar, an American Shi'a.

The Qur'an (2007), a recent translation by the retired Oxford University lecturer and Arabist Alan Jones .

The Qur'an with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English (2007) by Ali Ünal. The translator is a member of the Gülen Movement, a Turkish Islamic group.

Quran Made Easy (2007) is a translation by Mufti Afzal Hoosen Elias.

The Meaning of the Noble Qur'an (with Explanatory Notes) (2007) is a translation by Justice Maulana Muhammad Taqi Usmani.

The Gracious Qur'an : A Modern Phrased Interpretation in English (2008) by Dr. Ahmad Zaki Hammad, of Egypt's Al-Azhar University.

The Message - A Translation of the Glorious Qur'an (2008) was translated by the Monotheistic Group, which claims to be a group of progressive Muslims.

The Qur'an : A New Translation (2008) by Tarif Khalidi, a professor of Islamic Studies at the American University of Beirut. The translation is published by Penguin Classics.

The Generous Qur’an (2009) is a translation by Usama Dakdok.

The Quran : Translation and Commentary with Parallel Arabic Text (2009) by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Published in India.

Irfan ul Quran (2009) is a translation by the Pakistani scholar Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. It was released together with an Urdu translation of the same name by Minhaj-ul-Quran Publications.

The Holy Qur'an : Guidance for Life (2010) is a translation by the American Muslim writer Yahiya Emerick, who has also published the Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam.

The Qur'an (2011), translated into American English by the Bangalore resident Nazeer Ahmed.

The Glorious Qur'an (2011) is a translation by the Pakistani scholar Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri. It was published in the UK by Minhaj-ul-Quran Publications.

The Qur'an as It Explains Itself (5th edition, Mar 2012) is a translation by Dr. Shabbir Ahmed that attempts to explain Qur'anic verses by cross-references within the Qur'an.

The Wise Qur'an : A Modern English Translation (2012) is a translation by the Chicago-based writer and lecturer Dr. Assad Nimer Busool.

Quran in English : Clear and Easy to Read (2012). Translated by Talal Itani. Published by ClearQuran.

What is in the Quran ? Message of the Quran in Simple English (2013). Translated by Professor Abdur Raheem Kidwai, Aligarh Muslim University. Published by Viva Books, New Delhi, India.

Surat Al-Fatihaالفاتحة سورة

1:1

TransliterationBismi Allahi arrahmani arraheem

Sahih InternationalIn the name of Allah , the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

1:2

TransliterationAlhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameen

Sahih International[All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of the worlds -

1:3

TransliterationArrahmani arraheem

Sahih InternationalThe Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful,

1:4

TransliterationMaliki yawmi addeen

Sahih InternationalSovereign of the Day of Recompense.

1:5

TransliterationIyyaka naAAbudu wa-iyyaka nastaAAeen

Sahih InternationalIt is You we worship and You we ask for help.

1:6

TransliterationIhdina assirata almustaqeem

Sahih InternationalGuide us to the straight path -

1:7

TransliterationSirata allatheena anAAamta AAalayhim ghayri almaghdoobi AAalayhim wala addalleen

Sahih InternationalThe path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of

those who are astray.

Surat Al-Ikhlasاإلخالص سورة

TransliterationSay, "He is Allah , [who is] One,

Transliteration

Allah, the Eternal Refuge. Allah has always existed. Allah has no beginning and no end. Allah will never die.

TransliterationHe neither begets nor is born, Allah has no parents and no children.

Transliteration

Nor is there to Him any equivalent. Nothing and no one like Allah.

Juz Amma Suar names meanings