English Translation of the Meaning of al-Quran

This is a contemporary English translation of the Quran, thoroughly reviewed and re-reviewed. It is a well-accepted translation.

1. Field Testing the Communication of Divine Message
   The unique feature of this translation is it’s field-testing for over 3 1/2 years to improve the communication and understanding of the Divine Message. Translation passages were given to the New Muslim and Non-Muslim high school and college students for reading under the supervision of various Ulema. After reading, the person was asked to explain what he/she understood from the passage. If his/her understanding was the same as is in the Arabic Text of the Holy Qur’an then we concluded that we have been successful in conveying the Divine Message properly. If his/her understanding was different than what the Qur’anic verses were stating, we kept on rewording the translation until those verses were understood properly. It was tremendous patience on part of the participants. May Allah reward them all.

2. Language Dictionaries
   During translation the following Arabic Urdu and Arabic English Dictionaries were used to arrive at the most accurate meanings:

• Vocabulary of the Holy Qur’an by Abdullah Abbas Nadwi.
• Lughatul Qur’an – Arabic & Urdu – by Abdul Karim Parekh.
• Elias Modern Dictionary – Arabic English – by Elias & Edward E. Elias.
• Mutalab-i-Qur’an by Yaqoob Sarosh.
• Lughat-ul Munjid – Arabic & Urdu – by A Group of Ten Ulema.

3. Verification of Accuracy
   After translating each verse of the Holy Qur’an it was verified for accuracy of Divine Message through the research of the following 15 translations:

• Translation and Commentary of The Holy Qur’an by Abdullah Yusuf Ali.
• The Meaning of the Glorious Koran by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall.
• Tafheem-ul-Qur’an by Syed Abul A’la Maududi.
• Tafseer Ibn Katheer by Allama Ibn-i-Katheer Damishki
• Mufridat-ul-Qur’an by Imam Raghib Asfahani.
• Al-Qur’an Al-Karim by Shabbir Ahmed Usmani.
• The Message of The Qur’an by Muhammad Asad.
• Interpretation of the meaning of The Noble Qur’an by Muhammad Taqi-ud Din Al-Hilali & Muhammad Mohsin Khan.
• English Translation of The Qur’an by M. H. Shakir.
• The Koran translation with notes by N. J. Dawood.
• Translation and Commentary of the Holy Qur’an by Abdul Majid Daryabadi.
• The Qur’an translation and commentary by T. B. Irving.
• Dars-i-Qur’an by Dars-i-Qur’an Board of Idara-i-Islaho Tabligh.
• Asan Tarjumah of Qur’an Majeed by Hafiz Nazar Ahmed.
• Tadrees Lughatul Qur’an by Abu Masood Hasan Alwi.

4. Sources of The Prophet’s Biography
   In tabulating the Biography and Mission of the Holy Prophet following sources were used:

• Life of the Prophet by Ibn Khaldun.
• History of Islam by Prof. Masudul Hasan.
• Seerat Sarwar-e-Alam by Syed Abul A’la Maududi.
• Seerat-un-Nabi by Allama Shibli Nu’mani & Allama Sayed Sulaiman Nadwi.

6. Computer Help through Thesaurus, Spelling and Grammar Check
   In typing on the computer and for cross-reference and research ‘Alim’ software was used along with Word Perfect, Page maker and Microsoft Word’s Dictionary, Thesaurus, Spelling and Grammar Check. This method provided the tool to access verities of words for use in the translation. This computer age technology was not available to prior translators; therefore, they had to depend on their own vocabulary of words and manual consultation of the English Dictionary.

7. Simplicity
   In this translation, simple language and direct approach are used for appealing to the common sense of scholars and common people.

8. Understandability
   There are no footnotes to refer and no commentary or lengthy explanations to read. All necessary explanations have been incorporated right there in the text with italic type setting to differentiate from the translation of the meanings of Qur’anic Arabic Text.

9. Outline of Pertinent Information
   Before the start of each Sürah, information relating to its Period of Revelation, Major Issues, Divine Laws and Guidance have been presented as an outline. Then a summary of the preceding events has been tabulated for the reader to understand the historical background to grasp the full meaning of the Divine Message.

10. Reviews, Input and Approvals
    This project was started in 1991 and initial draft completed in 1994. Then the Translation was sent to different Ulema in Town and throughout the United States for their review and input. After their reviews and input it was sent to Al-Azhar Al-Sharif in Egypt, Ummal Qura in Saudi Arabia and International Islamic University in Pakistan for their review, input and approval. After their reviews it was published in 1997. It has also been reviewed by Rabita Al-‘Alame-Islami and in-depth reviews and editing have also been done by Dr. Abdul Majeed Al-‘Ubaidi, Abdul Razzaq Abdul Majeed and Muhammad Luqman As-Salafi from the Department of Education, Ifta, Da‘wah and Irshad, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. at the directions of Fadeelat Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad Āle Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Dr. Sāleh Bin Abdullah Al-‘Ubūd of Islamic University at Madinah-tul-Munawwarah, Sheikh Dr. Ali Bin Muhammad Nasir Faqeehi and Dr. V. Abdur Rahim of King Fahd Qur’an Printing Complex at Madinah-tul-Munawwarah.