How to Read and Translate Quran _ppi-Xxvi

THE QUR’ªN

THE QUR’ªN

With a Phrase-by-PhraseEnglish Translation

Translated byAli Quli Qarai

The Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur’¡n

(Tarjum¡n-e Wa¦y Cultural Institute)

Fourth (Third Revised) Edition 2015

Third (Revised) Edition 2009

Second (Revised) Edition 2005

First Edition 2003

ISBN 978-600-92543-7-8

© THE CENTRE FOR TRANSLATION OF THE HOLY QUR’ªN, 2015

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form,

or by any means, without written permission of the publisher.

Published by

The Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur’¡n

Tarjum¡n-e Wa¦y Cultural Institute

15 Khordad Ave., Qum, Islamic Republic of Iran

Tel: (+98-25)-37789315, 37789316, 37789317, 37789318

Fax: (+98-25)-37789319

[email protected]; [email protected]

Website: www.cthq.ir

v

Contents

Preface to the Fourth Edition ix

Translator’s Preface xi

Sources Consulted xx i i i

Transliteration of Arabic Words x x v i

Prayer for Recitation on Commencing a Reading of the Qur’¡n xxvii

The Qur’¡n

No. S£rah Name Order & Place of Revelation P a g e

1 S£rat al-F¡ti¦ah (The Opening) 1 Makkah 1

2 S£rat al-Baqarah (The Heifer) 87 Mad¢nah 2

3 S£rat ªl-i ‘Imr¡n (Family of Imran) 89 Mad¢nah 68

4 S£rat al-Nis¡’ (Women) 92 Mad¢nah 105

5 S£rat al-M¡’idah (The Table) 113 Mad¢nah 145

6 S£rat al-An‘¡m (Cattle) 55 Makkah 174

7 S£rat al-A‘r¡f (The Elevations) 39 Makkah 206

8 S£rat al-Anf¡l (The Spoils) 88 Mad¢nah 241

9 S£rat al-Tawbah (Repentance) 114 Mad¢nah 254

10 S£rat Y£nus (Jonah) 51 Makkah 281

11 S£rat H£d (H£d) 52 Makkah 300

12 S£rat Y£suf (Joseph) 53 Makkah 320

13 S£rat al-Ra‘d (Thunder) 96 Mad¢nah 339

14 S£rat Ibr¡h¢m (Abraham) 72 Makkah 349

15 S£rat al-°ijr (°ijr) 54 Makkah 359

16 S£rat al-Na¦l (The Bee) 70 Makkah 367

17 S£rat al-Isr¡’ (The Night Journey) 50 Makkah 387

18 S£rat al-Kahf (The Cave) 69 Makkah 405

19 S£rat Maryam (Mary) 44 Makkah 422

20 S£rat ±a °¡ (±¡ H¡) 45 Makkah 433

21 S£rat al-Anbiy¡’ (The Prophets) 73 Makkah 448

22 S£rat al-°ajj (The Pilgrimage) 104 Mad¢nah 462

23 S£rat al-Mu’min£n (The Faithful) 74 Makkah 475

24 S£rat al-N£r (Light) 103 Mad¢nah 487

25 S£rat al-Furq¡n (The Criterion) 42 Makkah 501

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Contents

26 S£rat al-Shu‘ar¡’ (Poets) 47 Makkah 511

27 S£rat al-Naml (The Ant) 48 Makkah 526

28 S£rat al-Qa¥a¥ (The Story) 49 Makkah 539

29 S£rat al-‘Ankab£t (The Spider) 85 Makkah 554

30 S£rat al-R£m (Byzantium) 84 Makkah 565

31 S£rat Luqm¡n (Luqm¡n) 57 Makkah 574

32 S£rat al-Sajdah (Prostration) 75 Makkah 580

33 S£rat al-A¦z¡b (The Confederates) 90 Mad¢nah 584

34 S£rat Saba’ (Sheba) 58 Makkah 599

35 S£rat al-F¡§ir (The Originator) 43 Makkah 608

36 S£rat Y¡ S¢n (Y¡ S¢n) 41 Makkah 617

37 S£rat al-¯aff¡t (The Ranged Ones) 56 Makkah 625

38 S£rat ¯¡d (¯¡d) 38 Makkah 636

39 S£rat al-Zumar (Throngs) 59 Makkah 645

40 S£rat al-Gh¡fir (The Forgiver) 60 Makkah 658

41 S£rat Fu¥¥ilat (Elaborated) 61 Makkah 671

42 S£rat al-Sh£r¡ (Counsel) 62 Makkah 680

43 S£rat al-Zukhruf (Ornaments) 63 Makkah 689

44 S£rat al-Dukh¡n (Smoke) 64 Makkah 699

45 S£rat al-J¡thiyah (Crowling) 65 Makkah 704

46 S£rat al-A¦q¡f (A¦q¡f) 66 Makkah 709

47 S£rat Mu¦ammad 95 Mad¢nah 716

48 S£rat al-Fat¦ (Victory) 112 Mad¢nah 722

49 S£rat al-°ujur¡t (Apartments) 107 Mad¢nah 728

50 S£rat Q¡f (Q¡f) 34 Makkah 732

51 S£rat al-Dh¡riy¡t (The Scatterers) 67 Makkah 737

52 S£rat al-±£r (The Mount) 76 Makkah 741

53 S£rat al-Najm (The Star) 23 Makkah 745

54 S£rat al-Qamar (The Moon) 37 Makkah 749

55 S£rat al-Ra¦m¡n (The All-beneficent) 97 Mad¢nah 753

56 S£rat al-W¡qi‘ah (The Imminent) 46 Makkah 757

57 S£rat al-°ad¢d (Iron) 94 Mad¢nah 762

58 S£rat al-Muj¡dilah (The Pleader) 106 Mad¢nah 769

59 S£rat al-°ashr (The Banishment) 101 Mad¢nah 774

60 S£rat al-Mumta¦anah (The Woman Tested) 91 Mad¢nah 779

61 S£rat al-¯aff (Ranks) 109 Mad¢nah 783

62 S£rat al-Jumu‘ah (Friday) 110 Mad¢nah 785

63 S£rat al-Mun¡fiq£n (The Hypocrites) 105 Mad¢nah 787

64 S£rat al-Tagh¡bun (Dispossession) 111 Mad¢nah 789

65 S£rat al-±al¡q (Divorce) 99 Mad¢nah 792

66 S£rat al-Ta¦r¢m (The Forbidding) 108 Mad¢nah 796

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Contents

67 S£rat al-Mulk (Sovereignty) 77 Makkah 799

68 S£rat al-Qalam (The Pen) 3 Makkah 802

69 S£rat al-°¡qqah (The Besieger) 78 Makkah 806

70 S£rat al-Ma‘¡rij (Lofty Stations) 79 Makkah 809

71 S£rat N£¦ (Noah) 71 Makkah 812

72 S£rat al-Jinn (The Jinn) 40 Makkah 815

73 S£rat al-Muzzammil (Enwrapped) 4 Makkah 818

74 S£rat al-Muddaththir (Shrouded) 5 Makkah 820

75 S£rat al-Qiy¡mah (Resurrection) 31 Makkah 823

76 S£rat al-Ins¡n (Man) 98 Mad¢nah 825

77 S£rat al-Mursal¡t (The Emissaries) 33 Makkah 828

78 S£rat al-Naba’ (The Tiding) 80 Makkah 831

79 S£rat al-N¡zi‘¡t (The Wresters) 81 Makkah 833

80 S£rat al- ‘Abasa (He Frowned) 24 Makkah 835

81 S£rat al-Takw¢r (The Winding Up) 7 Makkah 837

82 S£rat al-Infi§¡r (The Rending) 82 Makkah 839

83 S£rat al-Mu§affif¢n (The Defrauders) 86 Mad¢nah 840

84 S£rat al-Inshiq¡q (The Splitting) 83 Makkah 842

85 S£rat al-Bur£j (The Houses) 27 Makkah 844

86 S£rat al-±¡riq (The Nightly Visitor) 36 Makkah 845

87 S£rat al-A‘l¡ (The Most Exalted) 8 Makkah 846

88 S£rat al-Gh¡shiyah (The Enveloper) 68 Makkah 847

89 S£rat al-Fajr (The Dawn) 10 Makkah 848

90 S£rat al-Balad (The Town) 35 Makkah 850

91 S£rat al-Shams (The Sun) 26 Makkah 851

92 S£rat al-Layl (The Night) 9 Makkah 852

93 S£rat al-®u¦¡ (Morning Brightness) 11 Makkah 853

94 S£rat al-Shar¦ (Opening) 12 Makkah 854

95 S£rat al-T¢n (The Fig) 28 Makkah 855

96 S£rat al- ‘Alaq (The Clinging Mass) 2 Makkah 855

97 S£rat al-Qadr (The Ordainment) 25 Makkah 856

98 S£rat al-Bayyinah (The Proof) 100 Mad¢nah 857

99 S£rat al-Zalzalah (The Quake) 93 Mad¢nah 858

100 S£rat al-‘ªdiy¡t (The Chargers) 14 Makkah 859

101 S£rat al-Q¡ri‘ah (The Catastrophe) 30 Makkah 859

102 S£rat al-Tak¡thur (Rivalry) 16 Makkah 860

103 S£rat al-‘A¥r (Time) 13 Makkah 861

104 S£rat al-Humazah (The Scandal-monger) 32 Makkah 861

105 S£rat al-F¢l (The Elephant) 19 Makkah 862

106 S£rat Quraysh (Quraysh) 29 Makkah 862

107 S£rat al-M¡‘£n (Aid) 17 Makkah 863

viii

Contents

108 S£rat al-Kawthar (Abundance) 15 Makkah 863

109 S£rat al-K¡fir£n (The Faithless) 18 Makkah 864

110 S£rat al-Na¥r (Victory) 102 Mad¢nah 864

111 S£rat al-Masad (Palm Fibre) 6 Makkah 865

112 S£rat al-Ikhl¡¥ (Monotheism) 22 Makkah 865

113 S£rat al-Falaq (Daybreak) 20 Makkah 866

114 S£rat al-N¡s (Humans) 21 Makkah 866

Appendices

Prayer for Recitation on Completing a Reading of the Qur’¡n 867

Index of Subjects, Names and Terms 877

Key to the Signs Used in the Arabic Text 939

The Signs of Waqf 942

(The chronological order and place of revelation of the s£rahs given here is based

on a close tally of parallel sequences found in more than a score of various

versions of related reports narrated by Sa‘¢d b. Musayyab, from Imam ‘Al¢, and

from Ibn ‘Abb¡s by ‘A§¡, Ab£ ¯¡li¦, ‘Ikrimah and °asan al-Ba¥r¢, Kurayb (or

Ab£ Kurayb), Zuhr¢, ®a¦¦¡k, J¡bir b. Zayd, Muj¡hid and °usayn b. W¡qid, and

cited by Muq¡til b. Sulaym¡n, Ya‘q£b¢, Ibn al-®urays, Naysh¡b£r¢, ‘ª¥im¢, Ibn

al-Nad¢m, Ab£ ‘Amr al-D¡n¢, Bayhaq¢, W¡¦d¢, °ask¡n¢, Ibn al-‘Arab¢, ±abris¢,

Shahrist¡n¢, Zarkash¢, and Suy£§¢ in their works.

(However, a close scrutiny, based on internal evidence of some s£rahs, sug-

gests that the order given above presents only an approximate picture of the

actual chronological order.)

ix

Preface to the Fourth Edition

In my preface to the first edition, I had written that the Qur’¡n as such does not

need an introduction. That was, of course, a hyperbole aimed to make a certain

point. In fact, a serious reader of the Qur’¡n, in addition to some background

in the early history of Islam, needs constant assistance while reading in order to

acquire an adequate grasp of its contents and to avoid misunderstanding many

passages.

Probably, no other sacred book is as demanding as the Qur’¡n with respect to

the prerequisites for an adequate understanding of a substantial part of its con-

tents. As most readers are unable to invest sufficient time and effort for its under-

standing, it remains, notwithstanding the clarity of the text itself, probably also

the most misunderstood of scriptures among Muslims and non-Muslim alike.

The problem largely arises due to the common reader’s unawareness of rel-

evant context. As many passages of the Qur’¡n are embeded in their historical

settings, the unaware reader is sometimes like one reading a century-old editorial

of a newspaper without any clear idea of its historical context. The message car-

ried may not be time-bound, but a correct interpretation can only be possible in

the light of the historical context.

Knowledge of the Prophet’s s¢rah, or the 23-year history of his mission, is

certainly necessary to be able to place the various Qur’¡nic texts—especially the

Madan¢ s£rahs, but also many pertaining to the Makkan period—in their original

setting. This is particularly difficult in view of the fact that the s£rahs do not fol-

low a chronological order in the existing arrangement, and neither most copies

of the Arabic Qur’¡n nor most translations—including the present one—carry

sufficient preparatory material aimed to equip the reader with an overall view of

the original context, related events and other accompanying referents, granting

that there may be significant evidence within some s£rahs to guide someone with

an in-depth knowledge of the s¢rah to make an educated guess of the settings.

A related problem, among several crucial to understanding, lies in interpreting

the actual referents of certain nouns preceded by the definite article ‘the.’1 1 As in al-n¡s, al-mu’min£n, al-¥¡li¦£n, al-¥¡diq£n, al-k¡fir£n, al-mushrik£n, al-mun¡fiq£n, al-Yah£d, al-

Na¥¡r¡, etc. These terms may refer, respectively, either to ‘people’ (or mankind) in general, to

persons who are faithful, righteous, truthful, faithless, idolaters, Jews or Christians in general, or

to specific groups of them. As in English, the definite article ‘al’ is often used to specify a group

or category of persons ‘previously specified by context or by circumstance.’ Some cases of the

resulting ambiguity are such texts as: “When the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists

wherever you find them, capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every ambush

(9:5); “The Jews and the Christians say, ‘We are Allah’s children and His beloved ones’ ” (5:18);

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Preface to the Fourth Edition

Another similar issue relates to pronouns.1 A careful, critical study of reliable

commentaries may not help clarify every ambiguity, but is essential for an ade-

quate understanding of relevant passages.

Muslim scholars have written hundreds of commentaries on the Qur’¡n in

Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish, and other languages, reflecting not only different

standpoints pertaining to grammar and etymology, but also the various theo-

logical and legal viewpoints of their schools and sects. These may be useful in

various degrees for the studious eager to invest sufficient time and effort to delve

into the often voluminous texts. However, what a common intelligent reader

needs is some sort of companions to the Qur’¡n, succinct commentaries that

guide the reader from beginning to end, to illuminate the context sufficiently for

an adequate understanding, without entering the maze of elaborate theological,

legal, historical, etymological and grammatical details and debates.

Because of the lack of such handy support material, the Qur’¡n has been a

victim of ignorance and misunderstanding among Muslims and non-Muslims

alike. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why a generation of young Muslim zeal-

ots, or psychopaths, with a flimsy understanding of the Qur’¡n, or some of its

verses, has fallen under the spell of a bigoted, murderous and self-righteous cult

with iconoclastic pretensions. Its votaries, who have been proliferating since the

last three decades with the impetus of petrodollars, have brought unprecedented

discredit to Islam and the Qur’¡n in the popular mind.

Due to being free from the baggage of compound ignorance piled up through

centuries, many non-Muslims are perhaps better placed than many a Muslim to

appreciate the truth, elegance and promise of the Qur’¡n. Yet many of them are

cornered into cavalier antagonism and trivial accusations resulting not only from

a skewed understanding of the Qur’¡n, but also by the bigotry, intolerance, vio-

lence and atrocities that mark some of its self-styled adherents.

That the Qur’¡n itself stands in perpetual need of an authoritative interpre-

tor by celestial design was declared by its Prophet, as recorded in the famous

Thaqalayn Tradition, narrated widely in Sunni and Sh¢‘¢ sources. The sorry state

of things visible throughout the world and many Muslim countries is no doubt

a consequence of forsaking either or both of these twin sources of guidance.

Ali Quli Qarai

April 14, 2015

“The Jews say, ‘Ezra is the son of Allah.’ ” The reader should be aware of possible ambiguities

involved in such cases. 1 Such as the pronoun ‘you’ (used independently or suffixed), and such phrases as ‘Y¡ ayyuhal ladh¢na

¡man£,’ which may refer to contemporary Muslims or to Muslims in general. Similar ambiguities

arise from pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them.’ Some significant instances of this are: “Woe to them who

write the Book with their hands and then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ that they may sell it for a paltry

gain” (2:79); “And kill them wherever you confront them, and expel them from where they expelled

you,” (2:191); “seize them and kill them wherever you find them,” (4:89, 91); and “They will not cease

fighting you until they turn you away from your religion, if they can. (2:217)

xi

Translator’s Preface

The Qur’¡n as such does not need an introduction. Rather it is we, human be-

ings, who need the Qur’¡n to be introduced to ourselves, to be provided with an

initial knowledge of as to who we are, what we are, whence we come, where we stand,

and whither we are bound. Without such a knowledge, we are lost, living as losers

regardless of whatever we may imagine to be our achievements. The Qur’¡n is, in

its own words, “light,”1 which means that it is self-manifesting, with no need of

an external agent to be made manifest; other things need light to become visible

and manifest. With it Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace, and

brings them out from darkness into light by His will, and guides them to a straight path (5:16).

In this respect it is like its Author and Speaker, who is the Light of the heavens and

the earth (24:35). Existence being light, all contingent existents stand in need of

the Source of Being for their existence, whereas the Source itself is self-subsist-

ing and self-manifesting. All existents exist through Allah and are known through

Him, not that He is known through them.

Also, like the Qur’¡n and its Author, its communicator, the Seal of the Proph-

ets (¥), is a source of light,2 who brings people out of the darkness of ignorance

and ingratitude, unfaith and unreason, into the blessed light of knowledge, faith,

gratitude and intellect: [This is] a Book We have sent down to you that you may bring

mankind out from darkness into light, by the command of their Lord, to the path of the All-

mighty, the All-laudable (14:1).

Of course, the Qur’¡n is not an exception among revealed scriptures in that

it is a source of light and guidance. So were the Torah and the Gospel, scriptures

that were given to Moses3 and Jesus.4 All scriptures of Divine origin that were

brought by various prophets were a source of light and guidance.5 Nor is the

Prophet of Islam (¥) an exception among God-sent emissaries.6 He (¥) is the

ultimate link in a long chain of prophetic missions whose history began with

Adam himself.

Nevertheless, the Qur’¡n is a unique document, not only in the realm of reli-

gious literature but also in the domain of language. It is unique among revealed

1 The Qur’¡n, 4:174; 5:15; 7:157; 42:52; 64:8.2 O Prophet! Indeed We have sent you as a witness, as a bearer of good news and as a warner and as a summoner

to Allah by His permission, and as a radiant lamp. (33:45-46)3 5:44; 6:91; 37:117.4 5:46.5 3:184; 35:25.6 Say, ‘I am not a novelty among the apostles. . . .’ (46:9)

xii


scriptures not only because it is the latest and the last, and, therefore, the most

up-to-date of them, but also because it is the only one which has been preserved

in the original form that it was revealed to its prophet. Therefore, it serves as the

ultimate criterion and standard against which the contents of all other religious

literature, irrespective of their origin, are to be evaluated and judged. It is a work

of inimitable literary beauty and excellence. But unlike other literary works pro-

duced by inspired human genius, such as the literary masterpieces in prose and

poetry in various languages of the world whose charm and appeal are limited to

particular cultures and periods beyond which they have little general relevance or

appeal, the language and discourse of the Qur’¡n and their relevance are univer-

sal and everlasting.

This is not meant to belittle human genius and achievement. After all, the

human being is himself one of the greatest masterpieces of Divine creativity,

and, at his best, “God’s vicegerent on the earth,” and his capacities are literally

boundless.

The Prophet (¥) himself was the most eloquent of speakers, whose eloquence

has never been equalled by any poet or sage. An Apostle sent to the unlettered to

recite to them His signs, to purify them, and to teach them the Book and wisdom, even the

most learned confess to be “unlettered” before him. The Prophet (¥) surpassed

all Arabs in eloquence. Yet the beauty and splendour of the Qur’¡n far exceeds

even the best specimens of the sayings of the Seal of the Prophets (¥). The stu-

pendous miracle of the Qur’¡n has to be experienced in order to be acknowledged

as such. The sun, so it is said, is its own evidence. Of course, this applies only to

those who can see.

Human speech is a human creation, whereas, the Qur’¡n is literally a Divine

discourse. No wonder that it is inimitable, for even the humblest of living beings

in the realm of Divine creation surpasses human all contrivance: O mankind!

Listen to a parable that is being drawn: indeed those whom you invoke besides Allah will never

create even a fly, even if they all rallied for it! (22:73). No wonder, then, that the Qur’¡n

should be such as described by its own words: Say, ‘Should all humans and jinn rally

to bring the like of this Qur’¡n, they will not bring the like of it, even if they assisted one

another (17:88).

Every moment of our life, day and night, we are immersed in God’s boun-

teous gifts: If you enumerate Allah’s blessings, you will not be able to count them (14:34).

Yet the Qur’¡n is one of the greatest of all gifts to humanity. It is the living Book

of life, which addresses itself to “the living”: This is just a reminder and a manifest

Qur’¡n, so that anyone who is alive may be warned (36:69-70). Those who are alive to

the summons of their being are also alive to its call, receptive to its good news

and warnings, a summons that is perpetual, answering which brings further life,

a life on the top of life: O you who have faith! Answer Allah and the Apostle when he

summons you to that which will give you life (8:22). Whoever acts righteously, [whether] male

xiii


or female, should he be faithful, We shall revive him with a good life and pay them their reward

by the best of what they used to do (16:97).

This promise of a new life is, of course, fulfilled in this very life for those

who answer its summons, but there is also the promise of a greater and more

splendid life in the Hereafter, in comparison with which the life of this world is

no more than diversion and play: The life of this world is nothing but diversion and play,

while the abode of the Hereafter is indeed Life, had they known! (29:64). There is no death

for the pupils of the Qur’¡n; for them every ‘death’ is a birth into a higher realm

of existence and entry into a world more vast and expansive than the earlier one:

Take the lead towards forgiveness from your Lord and a paradise as vast as the heavens and

the earth, prepared for those who have faith in Allah and His apostles. That is Allah’s grace,

which He grants to whomever He wishes, and Allah is dispenser of a great grace (57:21).

This call to a higher life is a summons to a higher knowledge and a higher

effort: Allah will raise those of you who have faith and those who have been given knowledge

in rank, and Allah is well aware of what you do (58:11). Say, ‘Are those who know equal to

those who do not know?’ (39:9). It preaches that one’s higher efforts and endeavours

are the ultimate fruits of one’s life: Nothing belongs to man except what he strives for

(53:39). The life of the Hereafter is only a ‘celestial’ counterpart of the terrestrial

life we live here.

Nothing is more important for man than the knowledge of the very Source

of reality. Any knowledge that is not informed with this awareness is just a kind

of ignorance. All effort and endeavour that does not derive from this knowledge

is ultimately fruitless and fated to end in failure.1 The Qur’¡n is the most reliable

source of this knowledge and the best guide for human effort and endeavour. It

teaches that the Source of being is also the Source of guidance.

To a humanity wailing under the burden of injustice, the Qur’¡n offers a

creed of deliverance: Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest signs, and We sent

down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain justice; and We

sent down iron, in which there is a great might and uses for mankind, and so that Allah may

know those who help Him and His apostles in [their] absence (57:25).

To human beings lacking a sense of divinely ordained purpose and direc-

tion in life, like seafarers on an uncharted sea without compass or guidance,

the Qur’¡n offers a delivering vision of life and human destiny, helping them

rediscover their destiny and dignity as human beings and recover their true ori-

entation as wayfarers on the Godward path of infinite perfection: Certainly, We

have honoured the Children of Adam, and carried them over land and sea, and provided them

with all the good things, and given them advantage over many of those We have created with a

complete preference (17:70).

1 Say, ‘Shall we inform you about the biggest losers in regard to works? Those whose endeavour goes awry in the

life of the world, while they suppose they are doing good.’ They are the ones who deny the signs of their Lord and

the encounter with Him. So their works have failed. On the Day of Resurrection We will not set for them any

weight. (18:103-105)

xiv


From the viewpoint of the Qur’¡n, establishment and maintenance of justice

is one of the chief purposes of all religions and revealed scriptures. This is a

mission that has always been neglected by mankind, a neglect that has allowed in-

justice to assume almost cosmic proportions in the present-day world. Being the

last of God-sent scriptures, there is no wonder then that it should lay so much

stress upon justice, an emphasis unequalled by any other book, sacred or secular.

The Qur’¡n preaches an order based on justice. There is no injustice in the

realm of creation; it is man who engenders injustice by his wrongdoing, by yield-

ing to misdirected motives in violation of the Divine norms: Indeed Allah does not

wrong people in the least; rather it is people who wrong themselves (10:44). However, justice

remains merely a mirage in a world where inner purity is neglected and where

inner spiritual disorder rules unheeded. The call of the Qur’¡n is one of constant

struggle, purification and jih¡d, inward and outward, against the inner satanic

forces of disoriented desires and their external manifestations in the form of

social and political agents and institutions of corruption. It views human history

as a continuous struggle against unfaith and untruth, injustice and corruption,

and holds out the promise of the ultimate victory of righteousness: ‘Indeed My

righteous servants shall inherit the earth’ (21:105).

If worldly life is short and its enjoyments and sufferings transitory for all

mortals, what is a better life than a life spent for the purpose approved by the

very Source of life? If death is inevitable for every mortal, tyrant or victim, faith-

ful or faithless, well-provided or deprived, powerful or powerless, what is a better

‘death’ than one which is the threshold of an everlasting life of fulfillment?

All religions have a high regard for martyrdom, but no scripture describes

so vividly the higher life attained by the martyrs, thus giving martyrdom its true

appeal: Do not suppose those who were slain in the way of Allah to be dead; rather they are

living and provided for near their Lord, exulting in what Allah has given them out of His

grace, and rejoicing for those who have not yet joined them from [those left] behind them that

they will have no fear, nor will they grieve. They rejoice in Allah’s blessing and grace, and that

Allah does not waste the reward of the faithful (3:169-171).

To a youth languishing on the plane of animal existence, captive of materi-

alistic values and rendered spiritually impotent by sensual pursuits and indiffer-

ent to struggle against oppression and injustice, the Qur’¡n suggests a spiritual

diet and a programme of spiritual rehabilitation, self-purification, and jih¡d. To

a world bewildered by the din of the communication media orchestrated by Sa-

tanic forces bent on the deception of thinking minds, the Qur’¡n gives a light to

walk by, enabling the faithful human being to see facts through the apparently

impenetrable curtains of deceit and disinformation: O you who have faith! Be wary of

Allah and have faith in His Apostle. He will grant you a double share of His mercy and give

you a light to walk by, and forgive you (57:28).

For communities which have lost their moral and spiritual bearings, the

xv


Qur’¡n holds out the great promise of restoration of their spiritual and moral

equilibrium through its high spirituality and ethics.

About this Translation:

The Qur’¡n is, paradoxically, both untranslatable and ‘translation-friendly.’

It is a celestial symphony with splendid rhythms and rhymes whose melodious

grandeur is rarely captured fully even by the best of the grand masters of qir¡’ah,

the art of Qur’¡nic recitation. As such and as a text of matchless literary elegance

and eloquence, no translation can ever hope to capture even fleeting flashes of

its splendour. At the same time, despite its wonderful aesthetic complexities, the

Qur’¡nic text is astonishingly clear, simple and straightforward in its style. The

simplicity comes firstly from the economy and simplicity of Qur’¡nic vocabulary

and diction.1 A second factor is its strikingly uniform phraseology. A third factor

is its characteristic syntactical structure made up either of short sentences, as in

the brief Makkan s£rahs placed at the end of the Book, or of longer sentences

wherein clauses and phrases are arranged in a serial logical sequential order. Were

it not for this last characteristic of the Qur’¡nic text, the approach adopted in the

present translation would not have been possible.

The translation of a literary text is expected to meet the following four re-

quirements: it should (1) be able to convey the meanings of the source text in an

intelligible manner; (2) have a natural and easy form of expression; (3) convey

the spirit and the manner of the original; (4) produce a similar response in the

reader. While a translation of the Qur’¡n can be expected to succeed in meeting

the first two of these requirements in varying degrees, depending on the trans-

lator’s competence, there appear to be insurmountable barriers in the way of

meeting, even partially, the last two requirements.

First, there are visible limits to the extent the translator can convey fully the

meanings of the source text. Here the primary problem encountered by the trans-

lator is absence in the English language of semantically equivalent terms for cer-

tain Arabic words, some of which play a key role in the Qur’¡nic message, such as

taqw¡, kufr, ¢m¡n, shirk, ¦aqq, b¡§il, ma‘r£f, munkar, fitnah, ghayb, sunnah, tawbah, wal¢,

and ¨ulm. In such cases, the translator has to suffice with approximations which

fall short of conveying the full semantic scope and richness of the original terms,

giving a truncated or lopsided sense to the message communicated.2

1 A comparison between the diction of the Arabic poetry of the period and that of the Qur’¡n

will make this fact evident.2 There are other terms which pose problems in varying degrees, such as amr, ¡yah, ‘azm, baghy,

bar¡’ah, ba’s, birr, ¤al¡lah, dhanb, dhikr, fa¤l, fa¦sh¡’, fas¡d, fisq, fuj£r, gh¡w¢, ¦an¢f, ¦araj, ¦asanah, ¦ar¡m,

haw¡, ¦ay¡’, hid¡yah, ¦ij¡b, ¦ikmah, ¦is¡b, ¦ukm, i¦s¡n, isl¡m, ikhl¡¥, ‘i¥y¡n, istikb¡r, isr¡f, ‘izzah, jahl,

jannah, kar¢m, khab¢th, khashyah, mala’, mann, mujrim, mun¢b, mu§aff¢f, nab¢, nif¡q, ni‘mah, qiy¡m, ra¦mah,

rijs, rushd, ¥al¡¦, sayyi’ah, takdh¢b, taskh¢r, §ayyib, §ughy¡n, ummah, wak¢l, zaygh. Their exact and com-

plete meanings should be sought and elicited from the contexts in which they are employed in

the Arabic text. Moreover, there are some common words, such as abb (father), akhkh (brother),

xvi


As to the second requirement, that the translation have an easy and natural

form of expression, that depends mainly on the translator’s understanding of

the nature, meaning and purpose of translation and his approach.

Translations in general have been divided into two broad categories, (1)

translations which aim at formal equivalence, and the so-called (2) dynamic (or

functional) equivalence translations. Formal equivalence translations attempt to

reproduce the formal elements of the source text including grammatical units,

seek consistency of word usage, and reproduce meanings in terms of the source

context. That is, they do not normally attempt to make adjustments in idiom, but

rather try to reproduce such expressions more or less literally, so that the reader

may be able to perceive something of the way in which the original document

employed local cultural elements to convey meanings. A dynamic-equivalence

translation has been defined as “the closest natural equivalent to the source lan-

guage message.”1

The second approach has an obvious advantage over the first one in that it

is better suited to meet the very goal of discourse, which is communication. But

it assumes that the translator can fully comprehend and fathom the intents and

meanings of the original source text and that the only task that remains for him

to accomplish is to find and produce the closest natural equivalent of the source

language message. Such an assumption is not always warranted and it takes a

simplistic view of the nature and character of discourse and meaning. There are

often cases where, firstly, the real intent and meaning of the source text may be

either indeterminate or it may elude the translator, and, secondly, at times there

may be simply no easy and natural equivalent in the target language. However, in

many cases the requirement of an easy and natural form of expression obliges

the translator to make adjustments of various kinds to produce a stylistically

satisfactory equivalent.

The aware reader of translated literary texts is conscious of the approxima-

tions or rather the inherent inadequacies involved in the process of translation.

This inadequacy is quite evident in the case of Qur’¡n translations. The best pur-

pose a translation may serve is as a means of access to the Arabic Qur’¡n itself.

Interlinear translations abound in Persian and Urdu. In fact, the interlinear

approach has been the dominant practice in translations of the Qur’¡n published

in these languages during the last two hundred years. Recent translations in Per-

sian show a trend away from this practice, while it is still dominant in Urdu. As

these languages are written from right to left like Arabic, the interlinear format—

and ukht (sister), which have a semantic field different from that of the corresponding terms in

English. Abb may refer to an uncle (as with reference to Ishmael in 2:133, and also in 6:74, 9:114;

19:42-44, 26:69-70 with reference to ªzar) or an ancestor, akhkh may at times mean a compatriot

(as in 7:65, 7:73, 7:85 with reference to the prophets H£d, ¯¡li¦ and Shu‘ayb), and ukht may refer

to a woman’s clan or lineage (as in 19:28 with reference to Mary). In these and similar cases, I

have retained the Qur’¡nic diction, leaving determination of the meaning to the commentaries. 1 Nida, Eugene A., Toward a Science of Translating, pp. 165-166.

xvii


with the Arabic text and its translation appearing in alternating lines—has been

a convenient and popular way of presenting the meanings of the Qur’¡nic text.

This format has been very helpful for readers who do not read the Arabic Qur’¡n

merely for the sake of the thaw¡b of reciting its text, but are also eager to obtain

the additional and higher benefit of understanding its meanings and reflecting

upon its verses. There are many Persian- and Urdu-speaking Muslims who have

quite an impressive working grasp of the meanings of the Qur’¡n without having

undergone any formal training in Arabic grammar and without possessing any

extensive vocabulary.

Some of these interlinear translations, especially the older versions, are word-

for-word renderings. They are in fact dictionaries of the Qur’¡n in that they men-

tion the meaning of each Arabic word and phrase in the line below. Although

useful as dictionaries, they often fail to make the meanings of the Qur’¡nic text

intelligible, as the prose of the translated text turns out to be awkward, unnatural

and at times inscrutable.

An interlinear English translation of the Qur’¡n, similar to those in Urdu

and Persian, is obviously of little benefit, as the two languages are written in

opposite directions. The phrase-for-phrase approach adopted in this translation

is intended to bring some of the advantage of the interlinear translations to Eng-

lish-speaking readers of the Holy Qur’¡n. “Mirror-paraphrasing” is a new ap-

proach to translation of sacred Islamic texts, mainly the Qur’¡n and ¦ad¢th. In this

approach, the translation of the source text develops phrase by phrase, with the

translation appearing opposite the corresponding phrase in Arabic. Each phrase

in the target or receptor language mirrors the semantic import of the phrase in

the source text.

At first when such an approach was suggested to my mind, it was not at all

clear whether it would be feasible. It seemed that it would result in an unnatural

and warped style. But as I worked through the translation, it was a surprise to

find that it did seem to work (with few exceptions, such as in verse 2:105, where

the verb yawaddu comes at the beginning of the sentence). In any case, the results

were not as dismal as might be expected. However, one had to deal with two con-

stant constraints, firstly, of having to cover the complete meaning of each phrase

of the source text in a corresponding phrase of the target text, and, secondly,

of connecting the successive phrases in such a manner as to generate, so far as

possible, a fluent, clear, intelligible, natural and stylistically acceptable prose.

The utility of such an approach will be evident to the reader who wants to un-

derstand the Arabic text by referring to the translation of each phrase and verse.

All that he needs for following the meaning of the Arabic text of the Qur’¡n is an

elementary knowledge of Arabic, which means an elemental knowledge of Ara-

bic vocabulary and morphology. However, a reader who already possesses such

an elementary knowledge of Arabic will not find much difficulty in following the

xviii


Arabic text with the help of the translation provided here. After several readings,

it is hoped, the reader will be able to follow the Arabic without needing to refer

to the translation.

The main features of the method and approach followed in this translation

may be described as follows:

1. As my principal aim was to provide a translation affording direct access to

the Arabic Qur’¡n, I have tried, so far as possible, to maintain a formal equiv-

alence between the phrases and clauses of the source and the target text, but I

have not hesitated to make adjustments when required by the need for intelligi-

bility, clarity and naturalness of expression, so far as permitted by the constraint

imposed by the method of “mirror-paraphrasing.” These adjustments are of

various kinds and it is not possible to describe all of them here. They involve:

making grammatical changes, such as those of tense, aspect, voice, person and

number; substitution of nouns by verbs and vice versa;1 making obligatory omis-

sions2 and additions; and making explicit what is implicit in the source text.3 At

times they involve adjustments of idiom and syntactical changes. The reader

should be aware about the presence of these changes when collating the Arabic

text with the translation.

2. Translation has been carried out according to what appeared to be the most

probable among the interpretations mentioned by the commentators. Occasion-

ally I have mentioned alternate interpretations in the footnotes when they ap-

peared to be significant. Throughout the course of this translation extensive ref-

erence was made to various classical commentaries of the Qur’¡n, such as those

of ±abar¢, R¡z¢, Zamakhshar¢, and Suy£t¢ among Sunn¢ works, and ±ab¡§ab¡’¢’s

al-M¢z¡n, ±abris¢’s Majma‘ al-Bay¡n, and Ba¦r¡n¢’s Tafs¢r al-Burh¡n among Sh¢‘¢

works. Some of the other works consulted are mentioned in the bibliography

given at the end of this preface.

Exegetical traditions of the Imams of the Prophet’s family have been given

special attention due to their unparalleled importance for Qur’¡nic hermeneu-

tics. Their importance and weight will be evident to anyone who undertakes an

unbiased study of their traditions and teachings. In fact, a large part of the early

Sunn¢ hermeneutic tradition, as represented by Ibn ‘Abb¡s, his pupils and the

succeeding generations of commentators, also derives from Imam ‘Al¢ b. Ab¢

±¡lib, with whom Ibn ‘Abb¡s was closely associated and from whom he had

acquired his Qur’¡nic learning, being a boy in his early teens at the time of the

Prophet’s demise.

3. The treatment of Qur’¡nic idioms is an important part of the policy fol-

lowed in translation. Broadly speaking, they fall into three categories. There are

some Arabic idioms which though unfamiliar to the English-speaking audience

1 E.g., We delivered those who had faith and were Godwary. (27:53)2 E.g., whether you advise us or not. (26:136)3 E.g., Everyone of them will return to Us. (21:93)

xix


are not difficult to understand when translated literally. These have been ren-

dered literally. Examples are:

وراء ظهورهم وتوا ٱلكتب كتب ٱين أ نبذ فريق من ٱل

a part of those who were given the Book cast the Book of Allah behind their backs.1 (2:101);

هم يثنون صدورهم ليستخفوا منه إن أ

Behold, they fold up their breasts to hide [their secret feelings] from him2 (11:5);

زري ٱشدد بهۦ أ

Strengthen my back through him 3 (20: 31);

ك للناس تصعر خد وDo not turn your cheek disdainfully from the people (31:18);

تتجاف جنوبهم عن ٱلمضاجع their sides vacate their beds (32:16);

وزارها تضع ٱلرب أ حت

till the war lays down its burdens (47:4).

Some idioms are unintelligible when translated literally. These have to be para-

phrased appropriately in order to be understood. Examples are:

وكة تكون لكم ن غي ذات ٱلشوتودون أ

you were eager that it should be the one that was unarmed 4 (8:7);

فوههم يديهم ف أ

وا أ فرد

but they did not respond to them 5 (14:9);

ءاذانهم ف ٱلكهف سني عددا بنا فضso We put them to sleep 6 in the Cave for several years (18:11);

ونش ٱلمجرمي يومئذ زرقاon that day We shall muster the guilty with blind eyes 7 (20:102);

1 The same idiom occurs several times in the Bible (1Kings 14:9, Isaiah 38:17, Ezekiel 23:35, and

Nehemiah 9:26).2 That is, to conceal one’s spite within one’s heart.3 That is, reinforce my strength through him.4 Lit., ‘one that was free of thorns.’ That is, one which was unarmed and, therefore, easy to defeat.5 Lit., ‘they thrust their hands into their mouths.’6 Lit., ‘We struck on their ears.’ 7 Lit., ‘with blued eyes.’

xx


ولك قرت عي

a [source of] comfort to me and you 1 (28:9);

ٱ ۥ إ ومن يسلم وجهه

Whoever surrenders his heart to Allah 2 (31:22);

رحامكم عوا أ وتقط

and ill-treat your blood relations 3 (47:22);

رجلهن يديهن وأ

تي ببهتن يفتينهۥ بي أ

يأ و

nor produce a lie they may have hatched between their hands and feet, 4 (60:12);

يوم يكشف عن ساق —the day when the catastrophe occurs 5 (68:42).

In certain cases it may be possible to substitute an English idiom, as in the fol-

lowing:

مورفإن ذلك من عزم ٱل

that is indeed the steadiest of courses 6 (3:186);

ۦ ما تول نول

We shall abandon him to his devices 7 (4:115);

ذوا هذا ٱلقرءان مهجورا إن قوم ٱتIndeed my people consigned this Qur’¡n to oblivion 8 (25:30);

كفورا كث ٱلاس إب أفأ

But most people are only intent on ingratitude 9 (25:50);

فسوف يكون لزاما so that will continue to haunt you; or (and soon it will be inextricable) 10 (25:77);

1 Lit., ‘a refreshment of the eye to me and you.’2 Lit., ‘submits his face toward Allah.’3 Lit., ‘sever your wombs (or ties of kinship).’4 Lit., ‘nor bring any slander which they had forged themselves between their hands and their

feet.’5 Lit., ‘the day that the shin shall be laid bare,’ or ‘the day the shank shall be uncovered.’6 Mir Ahmed Ali: ‘that is a result of firm determination of affairs.’7 Lit., ‘We will turn him to that to which he has himself turned.’8 Lit., ‘my people have taken this Qur’¡n as a forsaken thing.’9 Pickthall: ‘but most of mankind begrudge aught save ingratitude.’ 10 Lit., ‘so it will be inseparable (or ineluctable).’

xxi


ن يرتد إلك طرفك قبل أ

in the twinkling of an eye 1 (27:40);

تذهب نفسك عليهم حسرت فso do not fret yourself to death regretting for them 2 (35:8);

بوا هنيـا كوا وٱشenjoy your food and drink 3 (52:19).

4. The translation is based on °af¥’ version of the reading of ‘ª¥im, which

is the most popular of the readings of the Holy Qur’¡n throughout the Muslim

world. Some of the alternate readings, where they appeared significant to this

translator, have been noted in the footnotes with their translation.

5. Instances of ellipsis in the Qur’¡n—which in the context of English means

“omission of a word or phrase necessary for a complete syntactical construction

but not necessary for understanding”—often go beyond such a description and

are not always so evident. These have been indicated in the footnotes.

6. Cross references have been mentioned under verses in some cases, but a

relatively extensive index of subjects, names and terms has been placed in the

appendix. Entries which are not mentioned expressly in the text but involve an

implicit reference, as mentioned in commentaries and exegetical traditions, are

marked with an asterisk.

As the works consulted for preparing the index4 had made use of copies of

the Qur’¡n with different systems of numbering the verses, there might be a dis-

crepancy of one or two between the number of a verse as given in the index and

its corresponding number in the Arabic text.

The verses are numbered in accordance with the now most prevalent system

followed by the so-called Mad¢nah codex, despite its serious defect of excluding

from the count the Basmalah, which is the first verse of every s£rah excepting

S£rat al-Tawbah, the ninth s£rah. The Basmalah at the head of the 113 s£rahs is

regarded as part of the Qur’¡n by many Sunn¢ authorities and unanimously so

by the Sh¢‘ah.

I am grateful to the Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur’¡n for entrusting

1 Pickthall: ‘before thy gaze returneth unto thee.’ 2 Mir Ahmed Ali: ‘so let not thy self go (in vain) in grief for them.’ 3 Pickthall: ‘Eat and drink in health [(as reward) for what ye used to do].’4 These are: (1) K. Fani and B. Khorramshahi, Farhang-e Maw¤£‘¢-ye Qur’¡n-e Maj¢d (A Subject

Index to the Glorious Qur’¡n), Tehran: Intish¡r¡t-e al-Hud¡, 1369 H. Sh., 2nd impression; (2)

Mu¦ammad F¡ris Barak¡t, al-J¡mi‘ li Maw¡¤i‘ ªy¡t al-Qur’¡n al-Kar¢m, Qum: D¡r al-Hijrah, 1404

H.; (3) al-Sayyid Sharaf al-D¢n ‘Al¢ al-°usayn¢ al-Astar¡b¡d¢ al-Gharaw¢, Ta’w¢l al-ªy¡t al-²¡hirah

f¢ Fa¤¡’il al-‘Itrat al-±¡hirah, Qum: Mu’assasat al-Nashr al-Isl¡m¢ al-T¡bi‘ah li Jam¡‘at al-Mudar-

ris¢n, 3rd impression, 1421 H. Sh.

xxii


me with the task of working on the English translation of the Qur’¡n, in particu-

lar to its Director, °ujjatulisl¡m Mu¦ammad Naqd¢, for his unflagging support

and assistance. During the course of my work I have benefited greatly from the

generous encouragement and assistance provided by Dr Mu¦ammad Legenhaus-

en, who patiently read the entire manuscript and suggested useful changes and

corrections. His suggestions have been very helpful in formulating the policy to

be followed in this translation.

My thanks are also due to Brother Shuj¡‘ ‘Al¢ M¢rz¡, who has read the entire

manuscript and with his suggestions and corrections contributed to the sound-

ness of the final manuscript. However, the responsibility is entirely mine for any

lapses and errors that may have remained, and I humbly request the honoured

readers to convey their remarks and suggestions by corresponding on the postal

and e-mail addresses provided herein.

I am most grateful to my friend Mu¦ammad Ri¤¡ Parvez for procuring for

the Centre the needed software for generating the Arabic text.1 My thanks are

also due to brothers Mahd¢ ¯ayf and Mahd¢ All¡hy¡r¢ of the Centre for their as-

sistance in type work and providing the graphics, and to my sons, Sayyid Mu¦am-

mad Ri¤¡ and Sayyid °asan Ri¤¡, for their assistance in preparing the subject

index. I am also grateful to Sayyid Mu¦ammad Ri¤¡ for making a thorough check

of the Arabic text in the final print of the manuscript.

It has been my prayer to Allah to divest my motives of all traces of the desire

for worldly gain, and to make His good pleasure the sole goal of my intentions

and efforts. With the hope that this effort has been made for the sake of His

pleasure—a hope that is not altogether free from trepidation—I dedicate the

reward for it to the noble spirit of my late eldest sister, Martyr Sayyidah Mahliq¡

Qar¡’¢, and to the spirits of more than 290 innocent souls aboard the Iranian

passenger Airbus plane (Iran Air Flight 655), shot down in Iranian waters in the

Persian Gulf on July 3, 1988 by the U.S. warship, the Vincennes, in a flagrant act

of state-directed terrorism.

Sayyid ‘Al¢ Qul¢ Qar¡’¢

Rab¢‘ al-Th¡n¢, 1424

July, 2002

Email: [email protected]

1 The Arabic text used in the present edition comes from a different source.

xxiii

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Ali, Abdullah Yusuf, The Meaning of the Holy Qur’¡n. Brentwood: Amana, 1995.

Ali, S. V. Mir Ahmed. The Holy Qur’an. Elmhurst: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, 1988.

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al-²¡hirah f¢ Fa¤¡’il al-‘Itrat al-±¡hirah. 3rd ed. Qum: Mu’assasat al-Nashr al-

Isl¡m¢ al-T¡bi‘ah li Jam¡‘at al-Mudarris¢n, 1421 H. Sh.

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Nashr-e °ad¢th-e Ahl al-Bayt Institute, n.d. This software, which has been of

invaluable help to this translator in the course of his work, consisted of 18

Persian translations of the Qur’¡n and 51, mostly Sh¢‘¢, commentaries.

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Procedures Involved in Bible Translation. Leiden: Brill, 1964.

—, and Charles R. Taber. The Theory and Practice of Translation. Leiden: E. J. Brill,

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Foundation of New York, 1987.

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xxv

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n.d.

xxvi

alif ا a

¡ (long vowel)

â (with madd)

b¡ b ب

t¡ t ت

th¡ th ث

j¢m j ج

¦ ¡¦ ح

kh¡ kh خ

d¡l d د

dh¡l dh ذ

r¡ r ر

z¡y z ز

s¢n s س

sh¢n sh ش

¥ d¡¥ ص

¤ d¡¤ ض

§ ¡§ ط

¨ ¡¨ ظ

cayn ‘ or c ع

ghayn gh غ

f¡ f ف

q¡f ق q

k¡f ك k

l¡m l ل

m¢m m م

n£n n ن

n (for nazal n£n)

h¡ h ه

w¡w w (consonantal) و

£ (long vowel)

û (with madd)

y¡ y (consonantal) ي

¢ (long vowel)

î (with madd)

hamzah ’ ’a, ’i, ’u ء

depending on the vowel

Transliteration of Arabic Text

The following table shows the system followed in transliterating the Arabic text.

Short vowels ____ (fat¦ah) = a

____ (kasrah) = i ____ (¤ammah) = u

How to Read and Translate Quran _ppi-Xxvi

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