The Holy Quran - Which Translation Should I Use?

[m_a_brown]

I have started reading "Imperial Hubris - Why the West is Losing the War on Terror". The first chapter begins by dealing with the relationship between a Muslin and his/her God. There are references to the Holy Quran. I have a copy of the Penguin edition from 1990 (fifth revised edition - translated by N.J. Dawood).

Please, I am looking for a recomendation for the which translation a woman, raised Catholic, now Gnostic, should be using as a first attempt to begin an understanding of the Muslim religion.

 

[dmp]

Didn't King James do a translation?

 

[Zhukov]

Know beforehand Islam itself considers all translations wrong,

but this is supposed to be the best


[ame]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1881893057/qid=1095960939/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-4617600-2151226?v=glance&s=books[/ame]

 

[Arabian]

hi my dear friend
those links are great if you are interrested in Islam
and it will give you the right view of the Islam

http://www.sultan.org/index.html
http://www.islam-qa.com/
you can choose the language too
and if there are any thing you don't understand you could ask me
or send me mail
and i will be here for any questions or wondering
i hope you like them

and yeah what zhukov said

Islam itself considers all translations wrong

isnt true, and the evidence is that there are some arabic muslims who translate the qur'an in different languages
because there are some guys who miss translate the qur'an"translate it according to their wrong believes" and they aren't muslims too and trying to gave abad picture about the islam , this why zhukov said so
thats all
salam friend (peace on you)

 

[m_a_brown]

I appreciate the links. There was more there to absorb than I am capable of in one sitting.

Would you recommend the Penquin addition?

 

[Zhukov]

what zhukov said isnt true

I had read there was an admonition against translating the Quran into any language other than arabic inside the Quran itself. But I'm sure you would know more about that than I would.

 

[Arabian]

I had read there was an admonition against translating the Quran into any language other than arabic inside the Quran itself. But I'm sure you would know more about that than I would.

dear zhukov
i didn't mean to attack you
i just explain
we prefare that when you read qur'an that you know the arabic language
let me ask you
if you are good in two languages(english and spanish for example) and you translate a verse from spanish to english and your friend translate it too
won't their be some difference in the translation
??
this is the point
but the best translation would be if you understond the verse well
that is the view the islam meant
but Islam isnt againest the translation of the qur'an because not all people could speake arabic or read arabic and the Islam sent for the whole universe so it isn't against the translation of the qur'an
but its perefered if you studied arabic
did you got my point ??
i hope you did
and im sorry if my words appeared as an attacking to you
i hope you aren't angry fellow because i dont wanna loose a good friend
who send a good posts on the board

 

[Arabian]

I appreciate the links. There was more there to absorb than I am capable of in one sitting.

Would you recommend the Penquin addition?

listen my friend
actually i don't know a pen quin right now
because i've never read the qur'an in english
except in the sites
especially from
http://fares.net/
but i will ask some of my friends and i hope they could help you
part me friend if i dont know :$
but i will search for you
and those site could help you to understand the Islam well
and in the http://www.sultan.org/index.html
in the begining of it there is alink called
books
you could found what you are searching for in it
but i will ask my friends too if you want
salam

 

[Arabian]

hi friend
This is a very good reference of translated Holy Quran:
The Meaning of the Glorious Koran
An Explanatory Translation by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall
i hope you could find it
salam
and i will search for more too
and send them to you friend
salam again

 

[Zhukov]

but its perefered if you studied arabic
did you got my point ??

I understand completely. I actually considered it a good idea to dissuade people from translating away from the original language because any translation was bound to be at least slightly different than the original, and there exists a chance that meanings might become at least confused if not completely changed.

As for the translation I provided, I previously did some research in the matter myself and I found a general consensus that Dr. Khalifa's translation was far superior to any other.

Incidentally, during that research I read the Penguin translation was horrible.

 

[Said1]

I had read there was an admonition against translating the Quran into any language other than arabic inside the Quran itself. But I'm sure you would know more about that than I would.

I believe this was the case until the 1920's. Translating it into other languages would be a sign of getting with the times, helping spread the word and convert people little easier.