The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
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Book Summary Information
Translator: M. A. S. Abdel HaleemEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-07-28
ISBN: 0192831933
Number of pages: 502
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
Book Review: Nicely done
Summary: 5 Stars
This translation shows literary polish and is very pleasant to read. It uses brackets in the text to clarify who is being addressed by "you" and imperative verbs. This is important since standard English does not distinguish between singular and plural in the second person.
There are a judicious number of footnotes to explain certain interpretive issues, but they do not try to present a particular sectarian understanding of the text. They aim to present uncontroversial interpretations to help non-Muslims such as myself understand what any native Arabic-speaking Muslim would already know about the background of certain words and statements.
I have run across a pair of cases in which the repeated literary polishing (referred to in the introduction) evidently got ahead of the note editing. On p. 38, Sura 3:46 begins, "He will speak to people in his infancy..." and there is a footnote reference after "infancy." The note says, "Cf. 19: 29-30. The word _mahd_ means a place smoothed out for a small child to sleep in. It is not a piece of furniture like a cradle." Very good, but the translation as it stands has no word for either a smoothed place or a cradle. Looking in the Arabic (with the aid of a bilingual edition), I see that it has a clause that can be literally translated something like, "He will speak to people from the sleeping place," where 'sleeping place' is my rendering of _mahd_ intended to avoid the translation "cradle" to which Mr. Haleem objects. The point is that the English word "infancy" implies nothing about a sleeping place; it refers to the earliest stage of life. Thus the note here (and in the cross-referenced passage) is confusing. It only makes sense if a more literal translation is given. In Haleem's translation, it should simply be omitted.
Other than this, though, I find the translation quite good. I recommend it to all English speakers who wish to acquaint themselves with the contents of the Qur'an without having to suffer through the archaisms of some earlier translations. However, if you want a version that is more formally similar to the Arabic, you will probably need to get one of these older translations and endure the "thees" and "thous". Even better, learn Arabic, as I am trying to do, and see how the originally _really_ goes.
Summary of The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)
One of the most influential books in the history of literature, recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, the Qur'an is the supreme authority and living source of all Islamic teaching, the sacred text that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of Islam. Yet despite the growing interest in Islamic teachings and culture, there has never been a truly satisfactory English translation of the Qur'an, until now.This superb new translation of the Qur'an is written in contemporary language that remains faithful to the meaning and spirit of the original, making the text crystal clear while retaining all of this great work's eloquence. The translation is accurate and completely free from the archaisms, incoherence, and alien structures that mar existing translations. Thus, for the first time, English-speaking readers will have a text of the Qur'an which is easy to use and comprehensible. Furthermore, Haleem includes notes that explain geographical, historical, and personal allusions as well as an index in which Qur'anic material is arranged into topics for easy reference. His introduction traces the history of the Qur'an, examines its structure and stylistic features, and considers issues related to militancy, intolerance, and the subjection of women.
Clearly written and filled with helpful information and guidance, this brilliant translation of the Qur'an is the best available introduction to the faith of Moslems around the world.
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