Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!accuvax.nwu.edu!aj3u
From: aj3u@helga.acc.virginia.edu (Asim Jalis)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: English translations of the Quran
Message-ID: <1816@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 5 Dec 89 16:19:21 GMT
Sender: news@accuvax.nwu.edu
Organization: University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Lines: 38
Approved: naim@eecs.nwu.edu (Naim Abdullah)

In article <1753@accuvax.nwu.edu> you write:
- There are many English translations of the Quran around. Many people
- cite ones by Yusuf Ali or by Marmaduke Pickthall. However, I am sorry to say
- that just about every English translation I have seen of the Quran
- appears to me to use somewhat awkward, stilted, old Shakesperean English.
- 
- In my opinion the quality of the translation makes a big difference. If
- the translator just translates word by word without taking into account
- the different idioms and natural flow of the two languages, the translation 
- loses the force of the original.
- 
- When I read the urdu translation of the Quran by Maudoodi I am moved to tears,
- awestruck and shaken by many sections of the Quran. The archaic, stilted
- awkward English of many translations unfortunately does not do justice
- to the beauty and force of the original.
- 
- It may be that I have just looked at the wrong translations. Can anybody
- recommend a good English translation ?

There is a translation that came out about two years ago, by one Ahmed
Ali. If I remember correctly, it is called "Al-Qur'aan : A Contemporary
Translation". While I am incapable of criticizing or praising its
accuracy and correlation to the Arabic original, due to my ignorance of
the language, as far as the language and the flow of words go, I
recommend it highly. Mr. Ahmed Ali is a poet and novelist of some. His
only other piece of writing that I have come across is a novel called
"Twilight in Delhi" - which I really liked.

I am not sure about the impeccability of his credentials as a religious
scholar, however the jacket of the translation had positive comments
from several scholars in this country, including Fazlur Rahman.

The translation is available here at the university-bookstore for about 
$20.00, and you can get a cheaper version from Pakistan for about
Rs. 200.00 (1987 price). The printing of the Pakistani edition is
unusually good.

Asim.