Notes

Disadvantages

Advantages

Publishing Date

Translator

Translation's Title

No.

It's the first translation of the Quraan into English. It is indeed respected by the Orientalists.

The writer claims that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the author of the Quraan and the Prophet of the Turkish.

It was published in 1718 in London. There is a copy at the British Museum.

Alexander Ross (1590 - 1654): He was a prolific Scottish writer and controversialist.

The Alcoran of Mahomet

1

This translation is not accurate and contains mistakes. The translator shows through the translation that the Prophet Muhammad's message was confined to the people of Macca and the Arab.

The first edition was in 1734.

George Sale (1697–1736, London, England): He was an Orientalist and practicing solicitor.

The Alcoran of Mohammed

2

To achieve this work, he depended on the English translation of George Sale and the Latin translation of Louis Maracci and a German translation. His translation was presented by the famous Orientalist G.Margoliouth.

He arranged the Quranic suras chronologically unlike the real arrangement.

The first edition was in 1886.

John Medows Rodwell (1808–1900): He was an English non-Muslim Islamic scholar.

The Koran

3

He translated the Quran to meet the demand of a German Orientalist who was the Chairman of the Department of the Oriental Studies in Oxford University.

There is no doubt that Palmer wrote this translation in the same way of George sale's translation concerning he showed that the Prophet Muhammad's message was confined to the people of Macca and the Arab. He arranged the Quranic suras (chapters) chronologically unlike the real arrangement because he thought it's more suitable to show the intellectual development of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

It was published in Oxford, Britain in 1880.

Edward Henry Palmer (August 7, 1840 –August 1882): He was an English Orientalist.

The Quran (for The Sacred Books of the East series)

4

He translated the Quran when he was an Arabist at Edinburgh University, Scotland. He was a follower of John Medows Rodwell.

He arranged the Quranic suras chronologically unlike the real arrangement. Before translating any sura, he presented detailed criticism of date and reasons of its revealing. He wrote his own comments and criticism inside the translation! He claimed that ayah 26 in sura al-Imraan is a complete sura.

It was first published in 1937 in New York and reprinted in 1960.

Richard Bell (1876 - 1952): He was a British Arabist at the University of Edinburgh.

The Qur'an

5

There is no doubt that this translation contained mistakes.

It's a good translation in comparison with other Orientalists' translations. It's characterized by its contemporary and clear style. Arberry did his best to translate the Quran without increasing or decreasing anything.

Arthur John Arberry (1905 - 1969): He was a scholar of the Islamic Studies at Cambridge University

The Koran Interpreted

6

It's the first translation of the Quran done by a Muslim. Shaikh Abdulmaajid ad-Deryabaadi read this translation and said that he didn't find anything remarkable. But he confirmed that Khan had the virtue of being the first Muslim translator of the Quran.

It was published in Patiala, India in 1905.

Abdul Hakim Khan: He embraced Qadianiyyah but he returned to Islam once again.

The Holy Quran

7

He is the first English Sunni Muslim translated the Quran. His literal and historical articles were published in the scientific newspapers issued in London and New York.

There is no doubt that this translation contains mistakes such as using words which are no longer used e.g. thou, thine, thy, thee, ye, Lo and increasing “th" instead of s/es to a verb in Present Simple Tense.

The scholars who concerned about the translations of the Quran are unanimously agreed upon that Picktall's translation of the Quran is the best from the aspect of good style and eloquent language.

It was first published in London in 1930 and in New York in 1931

Marmaduke Pickthall (April 7, 1875 – May 19, 1936): He was a Western Islamic scholar.

The Meaning of the Glorious Quran

8

He didn't translate the Quran in accordance with the well-known arrangement but invented a new arrangement going with his opinion that the Quran has poetic tones. So, he began with the suras which contained more tones and so on. Furthermore, He cancelled the suras' numbers.

It was issued in 1956.

N. J. Dawood: He was born in 1927 to an Iraqi Jewish family in Baghdad, Iraq. He emigrated to England in 1945 as an Iraq State scholar, and settled there.

The Koran

9

Muhammad Asad was not only good at the English but also Arabic language because he learned it from Arabic teachers.

He denied completely the miracles mentioned in the Quran through translating their Texts in a metaphorical way. No doubt that there are other mistakes.

Muhammad Asad (July 2, 1900 - February 20, 1992): He was an Austrian Muslim. He converted to Islam after being Jew.

The Message of The Qur'an

10

It's always under review for presenting it in the best form.

They translated some words through transliteration.

It's the best translation of the Quran, particularly from the aspect of correct translation of the terms concerned about the Islamic Belief. In addition, it uses the contemporary English language. To achieve this work, the two translators depended on tafaseer[2] of at-Tabari, al-Qurtubi and Ibn Katheer in addition to Sahih al-Bukhaari (Hadeeth book). This translation indeed replaced the famous translation of Yusuf Ali.

Shaikh Abdulaziz ibn Baaz gave permission for printing that translation in 1984.

Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqiyyuddin al-Hilaali

The Noble Quran

11

Yusuf Ali described the last two parts of the Quran as poetry. He also followed in his translation the explanatory symbolic methodology and philosophical mental attitude, which diverted him and the readers away from the real understanding of the Quran. As a result of that, there is no doubt that this translation eliminates the Islamic belief.

Many of the Islamic institutions published it because of its beautiful style and many comments and footnotes. No doubt that the beautiful style or many comments of a book don't necessitate the authenticity or correctness of that book.

It was first published in Lahore in 1934.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an

12

The translator belonged to an Islamic Sect called al-Qadianiyyah or al-Ahmadiyyah which claimed that the Prophethood continues and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) isn't the last prophet. They also denied angels, jinn and the miracles, and explained Paradise and Hell in a metaphorical way.

It contained many mistakes concerning the Islamic Belief, which seems clearly in the form of the irregular opinions.

It was published in London approximately in 1951.

Zufarullah Khan

The Quran

13

The translator belongs to al-Qadianiyyah Sect.

He didn't believe that Allah raised Jesus Christ up unto Himself but he believed he (Jesus Christ) died. He did so although he claimed that his translation didn't contradict scholars' views nor the unanimously agreed opinions by the mufassiroon[3] concerning the Islamic Belief. He supported incorrect opinions about angels, jinn, Paradise and Hell. In addition, he denied completely the occurrence of miracles.

It was published seven editions in England. The First Edition was in 1916

Maulana Muhammad Ali

The Holy Quran

14

It contains the Arabic Text then the Quran's text in Latin letters then the translation.

It contains an explanation for the Quran in the footnote in accordance with the translator's opinions. As a result of that, he explained the Quranic words in a wrong way.

It was published in London in 1948

Khawaga Kamaluddin

A Running Commentary on the Holy Quran

15