English Koran?

[Nicole730]

Does anyone know what the best (most identical to the original text) English version of the Koran is? I have a friend who wants to read it and she's having trouble finding out which one she should buy.

TIA!!

[lilyka]

[Liquesce]

For readability, relative neutrality on the part of the translator, and judicious, actually helpful footnotes, personally I generally recommend M.A.S. Abdel Haleem's.

[Nicole730]

Originally Posted by Liquesce

For readability, relative neutrality on the part of the translator, and judicious, actually helpful footnotes, personally I generally recommend M.A.S. Abdel Haleem's.

Thank you!

[umsami]

Disclaimer: I haven't read the one Liquesce recommended.

Personally, I like Mohammed Asad's translation as well as Yahiya Emerick's. You can find many of these online.

There's a website called the Online Quran Projectwhich has many. www.al-quran.info (I think )

I'd also really recommend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding the Qur'an" (as well as the one on Islam).

[Amatullah0]

I can't comment on the above suggestions, as I don't remember if I've read them, but I would (additionally)recommend the Saheeh International translation

I'm sure you are aware though, that no translation of the Qur'an can completely convey the same message as the arabic version. Assuming your friend cannot read arabic(why else would s/he be asking about an english translation ) I would suggest s/he read many different translations of the same verse at once, in different languages if possible.

like this one http://www.islamicity.com/QuranSearch/
or this: http://www.shaplus.com/free-quran-so...r-features.htm

or this http://www.quranexplorer.com/quran/

and theres many more online too. just make sure it is actually the qur'an if you use an online version. there are quite a few groups out there that have "fake qur;ans" online

[nurunannesi]

I just recently got the edition translated by Ali Unal, published by Tughra Books in New Jersey, so it should be easy to get a hold of a copy if you're in the states...you can just go to their website (tughrabooks.com) It's in modern English, which I like, and has copious and really helpful footnotes. I second the suggestion to read multiple translations side by side, though, since it is a translation and you can get a fuller sense of it that way...plus the older translations often have footnotes relating to arabic grammar and that sort of thing, which is interesting in itself and helps one keep in mind that it *is* a translation, not the original.