No person can afford to be ignorant of the QurÕŒn, for it is the constitution revealed by God to regulate and govern human life. It speaks with the perfect knowledge of the Creator about His creation. It exposes the truth and invites man to the way of truth. It contains important information about human destiny and that of the individual. It educates and raises men to the highest moral, intellectual and social level when they strive to comprehend it and apply its teachings to life. It is an eternal miracle, a proof of Muúammad's prophethood, and a challenge to all succeeding generations. It is of unique and inimitable quality. Revealed fourteen centuries ago, it remains today completely intact and unaltered in its original Arabic form.
Noor International has selected the êaúeeú International translation (first published by Dar Abul-Qasim Publishing House, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) for worldwide distribution. Extensively acknowledged for improvement over previous translations, its language closely adheres to that of the original text while remaining lucid and intelligible. Its general meanings are clear and correct, expressed in a readable and uncomplicated manner.
The Arabic QurÕŒn has always spoken for itself – to those who discover it for the first time as well as to those who study it in depth. Within the QurÕŒn one will find:
Information about God as He described Himself
Knowledge of the purpose of life on earth and what is expected of every person during this life
Awareness that there are consequences to one's attitudes and behavior
Guidance on how to relate positively to all things – to the Creator by worship and obedience, to fellow humans by justice and generosity, and to the universe in general by putting the things under one's control to good use.
This divine message was revealed to confirm and renew the relationship between man and his Creator and to reinstate the sincere and correct worship of AllŒh, the one true God of the universe. "AllŒh" is a proper name derived from the Arabic language and is only applicable to the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and earth. It is a grammatically unique word which cannot be made plural or given a masculine or feminine gender and therefore can never refer to a false god. Muslims use the name "AllŒh" for God in all of their native languages. Hence, this name has been retained throughout the translation.
Three main objectives served as guidelines for this work:
To present correct meanings as far as possible
To simplify and clarify the language for the benefit of readers
To let the QurÕŒn speak for itself, adding footnotes only where deemed necessary for explanation of points not readily understood or when more than one meaning may be derived from the Arabic text.
Each verse was reviewed in Arabic with reference to several works of commentary and grammar. Explanations were generally taken from authentically verified narrations of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) and of the most knowledgable of his companions and their students, for they were the ones most familiar with the time, place and circumstances of each revelation. Additionally, acute awareness of their accountability prevented them from making assertions about anything of which they were uncertain.
English word order has been chosen to conform with that of the Arabic text wherever possible so that the reader is brought somewhat closer to the feel of the original expression. Transliterated Arabic terms have been avoided wherever an English definition could serve, keeping exceptions to a minimum. Necessary clarifications or additions are given in footnotes. Care has also been taken to avoid the definitions of modern Arabic dictionaries, which are often variant with the language of the QurÕŒn and reflect the degree of change which has crept into the understanding of certain concepts with the passing of time. Instead, classical definitions were applied.
In compliance with standard regulations, words not derived from the Arabic text but added for the purpose of clarification or completion of the meaning in English have been enclosed in brackets. However, in the frequently occurring expressions of "association of another with AllŒh" and "fearing AllŒh," where the divine name, although not always included in the Arabic text, has been added without brackets since it is understood to be an integral part of that concept. Throughout this work there has been an endeavor to be consistent in the translation of oft-repeated words and phrases from the text. There are, however, specific instances where some adjustment was required for accuracy, necessitating exceptions to the rule.
It is to be noted that Arabic is a richer language than most. One well versed therein automatically perceives the multiple shades of meaning contained in particular words and phrases. Both early and later scholars have emphasized some aspects more than others in their commentaries according to their own understanding, especially in the absence of a relevant and authentic prophetic narration. Any translation, which can reflect but one emphasis, must necessarily appear as a severe limitation. Although additions in brackets and explanatory footnotes are a partial remedy, it remains to be said that nothing can take the place of an in-depth study through the Arabic medium itself.
Arabic is richer not only in vocabulary but also in grammatical possibilities. Again, English is hardly comparable in this respect. While precise and logical, Arabic grammar is free of many limitations found in that of other languages, allowing for much wider expression. For this reason, undoubtedly, it was the most suitable of human tongues for conveyance of the Creator's message to mankind. Due to the flexibility of Arabic tenses, the QurÕŒn is unique in its graphic portrayal of occurrences in the Hereafter. Through use of the past tense the feeling is given that one is already there, experiencing what is described. Much of this is lost in English, where such descriptions are confined to "will" of the future.
Those unfamiliar with QurÕŒnic style might question the shifting of pronouns in many verses, which is again, alien to English. This cannot be eliminated in translation, however, without loss to intended meanings. Far from showing inconsistency, such variations are not only correct in the original language but are the source of its beauty and precision, which unfortunately cannot be captured in another tongue. In fact, the Arabic QurÕŒn far surpasses any human endeavor in linguistic excellence and is the standard of perfection for all Arabic expression.
Translation of the descriptive attributes of AllŒh is in essence an impossibility, for even in Arabic they cannot represent more than an approximation limited by human understanding. To any description of Him in human terminology, the mind is required to apply the concept of absoluteness and perfection befitting the uniquely divine being who bears no resemblance to His creation. The scholars have stated consisely that belief in AllŒh must be according to what is described in the QurÕŒn or through Prophet Muúammad – belief free from distortion 1, suspension 2, qualification 3 or comparison 4. The same can be said for those concepts, such as Paradise and Hellfire, which are beyond the limits
of human language and human imagination.
Despite the many technicalities involved in a work of this sort that can predispose it to possible imperfections, we are optimistic that the present effort will contribute to a better understanding of the QurÕŒn for English-speaking people in every part of the world.
And ultimately, all success is from AllŒh, and all praise is due to Him.
1. In addition to its memorization in entirety by many of the §aúŒbah (the Prophet's companions), written recording of the QurÕŒn began during the Prophet's lifetime. As it was recited by him, his scribes wrote down the revelation on pieces of leather, bone and palm leaves, and its verses were ordered and arranged as AllŒh revealed. Initially, the QurÕŒn was not compiled in one volume, although some of the §aúŒbah had made personal copies for themselves after memorizing it from the Prophet ().
2. Collecting and compiling the QurÕŒn followed soon after the Prophet's death, during the caliphate of Ab´ Bakr a§-êiddeeq. Upon the advice of ÔUmar bin al-Kha‹‹Œb, Ab´ Bakr charged Zayd bin ThŒbit to bring all of the QurÕŒn together on written sheets (§uúuf). These were checked for accuracy against what had been memorized by a great number of the §aúŒbah. After the death of Ab´ Bakr and then ÔUmar, the collection remained with ÔUmar's daughter, îaf§ah, who was also the Prophet's wife.
3. The standardization of one authentic volume (mu§úaf) took place during the caliphate of ÔUthmŒn bin ÔAffŒn. The copy kept by îaf§ah was obtained and, upon the order of ÔUthmŒn, it was transcribed with great care by four of the most knowledgeable scribes: Zayd bin ThŒbit, ÔAbdullŒh bin az-Zubayr, SaÔeed bin al-ÔAa§ and ÔAbdur-RaúmŒn bin al-îŒrith bin HishŒm. Copies were sent to each of the various Islamic territories to replace all other collections in circulation. ÔUthmŒn kept a copy in Mad¥nah, and the original §uúuf were returned to îaf§ah. There is consensus by the §aúŒbah that what is contained in this standard copy is the true revelation received by Muúammad () from AllŒh, the Exalted.
4. The mu§úaf of ÔUthmŒn had no dots or vowel marks, as they were unnecessary for those who knew the pure Arabic tongue. With the spread of IslŒm among other peoples, there arose a need to guard against incorrect reading and misinterpretation of the QurÕŒn. At first, scholars were reluctant about these additions, but it was finally agreed that they did not affect the text itself and were merely aids to proper pronunciation and understanding. They were introduced in three stages:
Short vowel sounds were first represented by dots positioned above, below and to the left of the letter. This system was introduced during the caliphate of MuÔŒwiyah bin Ab¥ SufyŒn by Abul-Aswad ad-DuÕl¥ after he had heard serious errors in recitation of the QurÕŒn.
Similarly written letters were differentiated by another system of dots above and below them during the caliphate of ÔAbdul-Malik bin MarwŒn. At the caliph's order, his governor, al-îajjŒj, appointed two scholars, Na§r bin Ô§im and YaúyŒ bin YaÔmur, to implement this improvement.
The presently used system of short vowel symbols was devised by al-Khaleel bin Aúmad al-FarŒheed¥ during the Abbasine period.