The Qur’anic translations

The Qur’anic translations
(Revised version)

By Dr Mohammad Akram Nadwi
Oxford

Q. Mr Haider Ali Nadwi, an `alim from Bhopal in India, wrote to me asking whether I can recommend an English translation of the Qur’an, if so which one?

A. The most popular translation now is by Prof. Abd al-Halim, and it is one that I have advised my students to consult it as it is easy to read. The translations of a number of verses have been “softened” to suit modern sensibilities together with some explanations to accompany that “softening”. This contributes to making readers comfortable with the Qur’an and adds to the popularity of this translation.

The most popular translation used to be by Yusuf Ali, well produced and widely circulated by the Islamic Foundation (Leicester, UK). This too has many apologetic renderings, and older editions of this translation carry the poetic commentaries of the translator, which are very rarely helpful.

The most readable translation is by A. J. Arberry, called ‘The Koran interpreted’. It is a verse translation, and many people find it very impressive.

The most accurate, and direct, verse by verse translation is the one written in 1930s by Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthall. It is possible to read this translation along with the Arabic verse by verse. The only drawback is that Pickthall opted to use the archaic forms of so called ‘Bible English’. This can be irritating but does not detract from the value of the translation, especially its effort to stay as close as possible to the forms of the Arabic.