What translation do you consider the best?

[Snow]

I'm new to Islam and I am wondering what you consider the best English translation for the newcomers.

What I have access to are these:

1 "The Noble Quran has been translated into the modern English Language by
Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D. & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan"

2 "Saheeh International Qur'an"

3 I just ordered the annotated translation by Ali Unal.

About the first one I mention: I do not stutter but reading it makes me feel like people with stutter describe it. So many footnotes and the text does not seem to flow.

Saheeh International is really straight forwards. Perhaps too much so, for newcomers.

I still have not received the Ali Unal version, but it seems to get great reviews.

What are your favorites?

[Insaanah]

Assalaamu alaikum Snow, and welcome to the forum, and of course, welcome to Islam.

I don't think there is a best translation, but there are ones better than others. Everyone will have their own favourites. It's best to read more than one, so you can see the same thing phrased in different ways, where it might strike a chord more in one translation than another.

At websites like quran.com, you can click on a surah, then on the left, click the translations you wish to see, and then read each verse with four or five translations, to help you get a feel for it. I like looking at Saheeh International, The Noble Qur'an and Pickthall together.

If I had to recommend one, it'd be Saheeh International, because the English isn't archaic, yet is still very close to the word by word the meaning of the Arabic, and without being too flowery. Also, Saheeh International are known for not having any leanings one way or the other, and their translation is reliable one.

I have never heard of Ali Unal, and would recommend sticking to one of the well known ones. I looked him up and seems his translation also has footnotes with his own explanations etc, which I'd be wary of when I hadn't heard of some one. Actually, I have just managed to track it down online, and find it worrying that in the section on the Holy Qur'an and it's Interpretation, it says that he has consulted Shia sources as well.

In his interpretation, he has consulted a variety of Sunni-Shi‘īte sources, whether classical or contemporary.

As Muslims, we are commanded to stick to the main majority body of Muslims, and not to those that split off from that body. So, I would avoid this one, even if the English or the reviews are good.

And Allah knows best.

May he make it easy for you and keep you steadfast, ameen. Please let us know if we can help you with anything else or if you have more questions.

[Snow]

Thank you for the very informative answer.
I will stick to saheeh as of now.
Very well written about sticking together and not divide.

[MuslimInshallah]

Assalaamu alaikum,


There are many translations into English, alhamdullillah. But it is important to realize that no translation is going to be able to capture anywhere near the full message of the original. This is not just because it's being translated, but also because the Quran has this amazing ability to express complex ideas in very brief ways. It uses the Arabic language to it's fullest, exploiting layers of meaning of individual words,and then combining them with others in such a way that multiple and complementary meanings can be expressed. Some passages are more idea-dense than others, but they all have a bouquet of meaning (smile. Sorry, I think I'm getting carried away. The Quran does that to you; it's just so...!).


I personally would recommend the translation by Yahiya Emerick (the longer version with the full commentary). He has looked though the ahadith and the sirah (biographical accounts of the Prophet's (PBUH) life), and every few ayahs, he tries to put the context of revelation. This not only may help with the understanding of the text, but also renders it a lot more intimate. You start to feel as if you were there, 1400 some years ago. You start to feel connected to the historical persons, as persons, in all their strengths and weaknesses. And they are loveable.


Sheikh Emerick is also a very widely read man, in both classical Islamic thought, as well as Anglo-American thought. His footnotes are extensive, and again, are incredibly enriching and conducive of a feeling of intimacy. There are ahadith, references to archeological evidence, quotes to great American thinkers, discussions of Biblical points (the author was raised in a devout Protestant family before discovering Islam in University and dedicating his life to learning about Islam)… there is a real feast of delightful information.


He also uses modern English, which is a lot more readable to many people who may not feel as comfortable with a more Shakespearean kind of language that certain other authors have used. Of course, sometimes this may dilute the beauty of the original (the translation of kalla as no way! being a case in point. Personally, I feel that absolutely not! would have been more appropriate in many instances, but that is just my own opinion). Certainly my children, and those of a friend, have preferred this translation.


As for biases, we all have them, whether we want to or not. We are influenced by our cultures and times and personal experiences. And we are also influenced by the language in use at the time of translation. For instance, the word Mankind turns up a lot in earlier translations. This does not reflect sexism in the original Arabic (which actually uses gender inclusive terms like naas), but instead reflects the sexism prevalent in English-speaking societies of the time.


There are many resources online for free, of varying degrees of completeness and quality. By completeness, I mean that the translation may be there, but without the accompanying notes and commentary. This is very unfortunate, because these are really necessary. What I particularly dislike are translations with lots of words which may or may not be put into brackets, that are not at all relevant to the translation, but represent instead the translator's personal interpretations. These interpretations are perhaps valid, but would be best explained (with attendant proofs from, for instance, the hadith literature) in the footnotes, and not posted in the main text where the unknowledgeable might mistake them for the actual (translated) Words of Allah.


There are also useful apps if you have a smartphone. I personally have Bayan Quran on my iPhone. It's free. It's English translation (Pickthall) is not my favourite, but it offers the ability to click on a word to get it's Arabic root (Arabic words have mostly 3 letter roots, that yield connected-yet-distinct-in-meaning verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc), as well as a brief exploration of the general meaning of the root. It can be used in conjunction with any translation you feel most comfortable with, to get a fuller feel of the word.


I know the idea of learning Arabic may seem very daunting for someone with no knowledge of the language (Smile: I've been there!). But it's not all that bad. A good first step is to learn the letters, so the original text feels more familiar. It's very empowering! And maybe over time, you'll start to pick out certain words and so feel closer to the original text.


Incidentally, while I like Yahya Emerick's translation, it is not to be taken as authoritative (no translation should be). As has already been suggested, I also highly recommend having several different translations at home, so that when you come across a passage that is more puzzling, you can look at several translations (and commentaries) for a deeper understanding... and to realize that there is often more than one way of understanding the text. And this is good. Allah has Instructed us to vie with one another in good works (5:48). This disagreement (if polite and with good intentions), is healthy for the Muslim community, I believe.


(Smile) Sorry, this is very long. I hope it may be of some benefit for you. I've certainly enjoyed thinking about this topic!


May Allah Bless and Guide you in your efforts to please Him.

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[YusufNoor]

I'm new to Islam and I am wondering what you consider the best English translation for the newcomers.

What I have access to are these:

1 "The Noble Quran has been translated into the modern English Language by
Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali, Ph.D. & Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan"

2 "Saheeh International Qur'an"

3 I just ordered the annotated translation by Ali Unal.

About the first one I mention: I do not stutter but reading it makes me feel like people with stutter describe it. So many footnotes and the text does not seem to flow.

Saheeh International is really straight forwards. Perhaps too much so, for newcomers.

I still have not received the Ali Unal version, but it seems to get great reviews.

What are your favorites?

As Salamu Alaykum brother Snow,

welcome to Islam. my advice would be to get a copy of this, the hardbound version:

English Translation of the Meanings of Al-Qur'an without Arabic - $10.00 : Institute of Islamic Knowledge, Al-Quran

it's great for reading. you can use Muhsin Khan as a reference.

that said, the Qur'an is much easier to understand, if you know the story of the Prophet Muhmammed, peace be upon him. this one is thorough:

Islamic Media: Seerah an Nabawi (saw)

then learn about Tawhid. this introductory lectures, by Dr Bilal Philips, will help:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG7rNevw3fE

this series of lectures on al Fatihah, should blow your mind:

Kalamullah.Com | al-Fatihah - An In-Depth Study

with that vital knowledge, i recommend the you watch many lectures by Br Nouman Ali Khan, a genius, and Mufti Ismael Menk, a very gifted speaker:

Kalamullah.Com | Videos | Nouman Ali Khan

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNB...24fASt8h0IL8dw

those should be invaluable to you. and as an English speaker, get your hands on any, and as many, books by Dr Bilal Philips, as you can!

May Allah make it easy on you, and may He guide us all to the Straight Path! Ameen!

ma salaam

[Snow]

MuslimInshallah and YusufNoor; thank you both for such an in depth answer.
Each answer was so informative.
To MuslimInshallah; I will seek out the translation of Yahya Emerick.
To YusufNoor; thank you for all of the links. Just looking at the Al Fatihah. That is really in depth.
thank you again.

[Abu Musab]

Thank you for the very informative answer.
I will stick to saheeh as of now.
Very well written about sticking together and not divide.

Of the available translations i have seen, saheeh international is the best one.

[.muslim girl.]

Welcome to Islam my sister
i wish to help youu
but i read Quran in Arabic
so i don't know
Sorry