The Qur'an

A Translation for the 21st Century

Adil Salahi

• Publisher: The Islamic Foundation
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9780860373223
• eBook ISBN: 9780860377559
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Islamic Theology

The Qur'an is God's word. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel 1, 400 years ago and has been preserved in its original form ever since, guiding humankind to the Islamic creed and legislation, informing them of the stories of earlier prophets and their communities and calling people to believe in Allah, the One.

Millions of people have learned its entirety by heart throughout every generation since it was first revealed. Nearly every Muslim memorises parts of it, and most recite a portion of it every day. No book, religious or otherwise, is read and recited or listened to as frequently as the Qur'an. Those who recite it in Arabic are always eager to do more, aware of its inimitable clarity, rhythm and brevity, yet modern English readers have had limited access to its meanings, with most reliant upon translations prepared in archaic English, unappealing to the contemporary reader.

In this new translation the renowned author and scholar Adil Salahi has endeavoured to put the meanings of the Qur'anic verses and surahs in simple and straightforward form, so that the 21st century reader may find it concise easy to access, and yet full of expansive expression.

Surah 1 The Opening

This surah sums up the Islamic concept of God’s Oneness and man’s relationship with God. It is a relationship based on God’s never-failing mercy and man’s accountability, coupled with a prayer for guidance that ensures happiness in the life to come. A Muslim is required to recite this surah in every obligatory or voluntary prayer, which means that a Muslim recites this surah at least 17 times every day mentioning God’s mercy no less than 68 times.

The Opening

1 In the Name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever-Merciful1 2 Praise be to God, the Lord of all the worlds, 3 The Lord of Grace, the Ever-Merciful, 4 Master of the Day of Judgement. 5 You alone do we worship2 and to You alone do we turn for help. 6 Guide us on the straight path, 7 The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your favours, not those who have incurred Your wrath, nor those who have gone astray.

 

1 Every surah of the Qur’an starts with the phrase Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. The only exception is Surah 9, Repentance, which exposes the nature of hypocrisy and makes clear that hypocrites are devoid of God’s mercy. The phrase itself comprises four Arabic words, the first two of which mean ‘In the name of God’. The other two words add two attributes of God derived from the same root, rahama, signifying grace and mercy. While the second of these attributes, al-Rahim, is commonly used as a superlative form of granting mercy, the first, al-Rahman, is used only to refer to God. In fact, it was never used in Arabic before Islam. It is commonly accepted as a proper noun referring to God, just like His most common Arabic name, Allah.

When we look carefully at the usage of al-Rahman in the Qur’an we note that it consistently bears connotations of power, creation, might and dominion alongside those of grace and mercy. Therefore, an accurate translation of the term should bring out these additional connotations. This is perhaps most clearly apparent where it is employed in Surahs 50 Qaf, 67 Dominion, 20 TaHa, and 19 Mary. The word occurs once in the first of these surahs, four times each in the second and the third and no less than fourteen times in the fourth. A discerning look at these instances will not fail to reveal that the connotations of creation, revelation, power, ability to punish, smite and destroy are equally, if not more, prominent than those of grace, mercy and compassion. Therefore, we can say that al-Rahman connotes ‘the exercise of mercy on the basis of free choice by one who is able to inflict severe punishment without fear of any consequence’. Therefore, it is translated wherever it occurs in this work as ‘The Lord of Grace’.

By contrast al-Rahim stresses the availability of God’s mercy in all situations and to all creatures. People only need to appeal for it and it is certain to be granted. Indeed, it is given at all times without such appeals. There are numerous aspects of God’s mercy that people enjoy, and often without appreciation or gratitude. Therefore, I render it as the ‘The Ever-Merciful’.

2 ‘Worship’ in Islam has a much wider sense than the offering of certain duties and voluntary actions, such as prayer, fasting and extolling God’s praises. As the essence of Islam is man’s submission to God in all life affairs, every action a human being does may be considered as an act of worship when it is done with the right intention, with proper observation of Islamic principles and regulations, and aimed to earn God’s pleasure.

Surah 2 The Cow

This is the longest surah in the Qur’an, composed of 286 verses of varying length. It was revealed in Madinah, over a period of seven years, yet it reflects a clear unity of theme. It consists of an introduction, four main topics and a conclusion.

The introduction takes up the first 20 verses, starting with a statement defining the Qur’an as God’s book detailing His final message to mankind, and dividing people into three groups with regard to their attitude to the Qur’an: believers, unbelievers and hypocrites. The first topic is an address to all mankind calling on them to believe in Islam and follow its guidance. This is followed by the story of the creation of man and his placement on earth. All this takes up to the end of verse 39.

The second topic is presented in 123 verses (40–162) making a special appeal to the people of earlier divine revelations to discard all the distortion they introduced into their faiths and to accept the new and final version of the divine faith, i.e. Islam. Here the discourse covers four areas: an account of the history of the Jews after Moses (verses 40–74); the Jews in Madinah at the time of the revelation of the Islamic message (75–121); an account of the believers in the divine faith since Abraham (122–134), and the Muslims at the time of Prophet Muhammad (135–162).

Once the second topic is concluded, a passage of 15 verses (163–177) provides an introduction for what is to follow. These verses focus on three points: the Oneness of the Creator; that He is the One who commands and must be obeyed; and an outline of the legislation to be detailed in the third subject which takes up 106 verses (178–283). Under this topic various areas of legislation are included, relating to worship such as fasting and pilgrimage, as well as financial transactions, looking after the poor, family relations, divorce, child care, fighting and the observance of sanctities. As this makes up a wealth of legislation, the surah provides a relaxing passage (verses 204–214) giving a general admonition to mankind and a clear advice to believers to maintain the pure faith.

The fourth subject is summed up in one verse (284) defining the highest form of belief which is attained only by the elite of the elite of believers.

The conclusion is given in the final two verses which are in perfect harmony with its five opening verses. The opening outlines essential qualities of believers and the conclusion shows them as good and devout.

The Cow

In the Name of God, the Lord of Grace, the Ever-Merciful

1 Alif. Lam. Mim.3 2 This is the Book, there is no doubt about it: a guidance for the God-fearing.4 3 Those who believe in what lies beyond the reach of human perception,5 attend regularly to prayer and give generously of what We bestow upon them. 4 Those who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and are certain of the Hereafter. 5 Those follow their Lord’s guidance, and they shall surely prosper. 6 For the unbelievers, it is alike whether you forewarn them or not, they will not accept the faith. 7 God has sealed their hearts and ears; their eyes are covered; and a grievous punishment awaits them. 8 There are some who say: ‘We believe in God and the Last Day’, yet, in truth, they do not believe. 9 They seek to deceive God and the believers, but they are only deceiving themselves, though they may not realise it. 10 There is sickness in their hearts, and God has aggravated their sickness. Painful suffering awaits them for the lies they keep telling. 11 When it is said to them: ‘Do not spread corruption in the land’, they say: ‘We are but doers of good’. 12 But, they indeed are the ones who do spread corruption, though they do not realise it. 13 When it is said to them, ‘Believe as other people have believed’, they say, ‘Are we to believe as the fools believe?’ It is indeed they who are fools, though they do not know it. 14 When they meet the believers, they say, ‘We believe’, but when they are alone with their devilish allies, they say, ‘We are with you; we are only mocking’. 15 God will put them to derision and let them continue their transgression, blundering blindly along. 16 These are the ones who barter away guidance for error. Their transaction is profitless and they will receive no guidance. 17 They are like one who sought to kindle a fire, and as it lit up all around him God took away their light and left them in darkness, unable to see anything.6 18 Deaf, dumb and blind, they can never return to the right path. 19 Or, when there is a storm-cloud, dark, charged with thunder and lightning, they thrust their fingers in their ears at every thunder-clap, for fear of death; but God encompasses the unbelievers. 20 The lightning all but snatches away their sight; whenever it flashes over them they walk on, but when darkness overtakes them they stand still. Should God will it, He would take away their hearing and their sight, for God has power over all things. 21 Mankind, worship your Lord who has created you and those who lived before you, so that you may become God-fearing. 22 He made the earth a couch for you, and the heavens a ceiling. He sent down water from the sky to bring forth fruits for your sustenance. Do not, then, knowingly set up equals to God. 23 If you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce one surah comparable to it and call upon all your witnesses, other than God, if what you say is true. 24 But if you fail, as you will certainly do, then guard yourselves against the Fire, fuelled by humans and stones, prepared for the unbelievers. 25 To those who believe and do good deeds give the good tidings that they shall reside in gardens through which running waters flow. Whenever they are offered fruits therefrom, they say, ‘We have been given the same before’, for they shall be provided with what looks similar. They shall also have pure spouses and they shall reside there for ever. 26 God does not disdain to give a parable of a gnat, or a higher creature. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord, while the unbelievers ask, ‘What could God mean by such a parable?’ In this way, God lets many go astray and gives guidance to many others, but none does He leave to go astray except the evildoers, 27 who violate God’s covenant7 after having accepted it, and cut asunder what He has ordered to be joined, and spread corruption in the land. They are the losers. 28 How can you reject God who has given you life after you were dead? He will cause you to die again then He will bring you back to life. To Him you shall return. 29 It is He who created for you all that is on earth. He then turned to heaven and fashioned it into seven heavens. He has knowledge of all things.

30 Your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am appointing a vicegerent on earth’. They said, ‘Will You appoint on it someone who would spread corruption and shed blood, whereas we celebrate Your praises and extol Your holiness?’ He said, ‘I surely know that of which you have no knowledge’. 31 And He taught Adam the names of all things and then turned to the angels and said, ‘Tell Me the names of these things, if what you say is true’. 32 They said, ‘Limitless are You in Your glory! We only know what You have taught us. Indeed, You alone are all-knowing, wise’. 33 He said, ‘Adam! Tell them their names’. When he had told them all their names, He said, ‘Have I not said to you that I know all that is in the heavens and the earth, and I know all that you reveal and conceal?’ 34 When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam’, they did so except for Iblis8 who refused, swelled in insolence, and was thus an unbeliever. 35 And We said to Adam, ‘Dwell you with your spouse in Paradise and eat freely whatever you wish of its fruit, but do not come near this one tree, lest you would be wrongdoers’. 36 But Satan lured them away from it [Paradise] and thus caused them to be ousted from where they had been. We said, ‘Get you down. You shall be enemies to one another. On earth you shall have an abode and sustenance, for a while’. 37 Thereupon Adam received from his Lord certain words, and He accepted his repentance; for He alone is the One who accepts repentance, the Ever-Merciful. 38 We said, ‘You shall all descend from it [Paradise]. Guidance shall reach you from Me. Those who follow My guidance shall have nothing to fear nor shall they grieve. 39 But those who deny and gainsay Our revelations shall have the Fire, wherein they shall abide.

40 Children of Israel! Remember My favour which I have bestowed on you. Fulfil your covenant with Me and I will fulfil Mine with you; and of Me alone stand in awe. 41 Believe in what I have revealed, confirming that which you already have, and be not the first to reject it. Do not barter away My revelations for a paltry price, and fear Me alone. 42 Do not overlay the truth with falsehood, nor knowingly suppress the truth. 43 Attend regularly to your prayers, pay your zakat,9 and bow down in prayers with those who bow down. 44 How can you bid others to be righteous and forget yourselves, even when you read the Scriptures? Do you not understand? 45 Seek strength in patient perseverance and in prayer, which is indeed a demanding task except for the devout, 46 who know that they shall meet their Lord and to Him they shall ultimately return. 47 Children of Israel! Remember My favour which I bestowed on you, and that I have preferred you over all people. 48 Fear the day when no soul shall avail another in any way, nor shall intercession be accepted from any of them, nor ransom taken from them, and none shall receive help. 49 And remember how We delivered you from Pharaoh’s people, who afflicted you with cruel suffering, killing your sons and sparing only your women. That was a grievous trial from your Lord. 50 We parted the sea for you, led you to safety and drowned Pharaoh’s people before your very eyes. 51 And [remember, too], when We appointed for Moses forty nights, and in his absence you took to worshipping the calf, and thus became wrongdoers. 52 Yet even after that We pardoned you, so that you might be thankful. 53 We gave Moses the Scriptures and the Standard [by which to distinguish ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Surah 1: The Opening
• Surah 2: The Cow
• Surah 3: Al [Imran
• Surah 4: Women
• Surah 5: The Repast
• Surah 6: Cattle
• Surah 7: The Heights
• Surah 8: Spoils of War
• Surah 9: Repentance
• Surah 10: Jonah
• Surah 11: Hud
• Surah 12: Joseph
• Surah 13: Thunder
• Surah 14: Abraham
• Surah 15: Al-Hijr
• Surah 16: The Bees
• Surah 17: The Night Journey
• Surah 18: The Cave
• Surah 19: Mary
• Surah 20: Ta Ha
• Surah 21: The Prophets
• Surah 22: Pilgrimage
• Surah 23: The Believers
• Surah 24: Light
• Surah 25: The Criterion
• Surah 26: The Poets
• Surah 27: The Ants
• Surah 28: The Story
• Surah 29: The Spider
• Surah 30: The Byzantines
• Surah 31: Luqman
• Surah 32: Prostration
• Surah 33: The Confederates
• Surah 34: Saba’ [Sheba]
• Surah 35: The Originator
• Surah 36: Ya Sin
• Surah 37: Ranged in Ranks
• Surah 38: Sad
• Surah 39: The Throngs
• Surah 40: The Forgiving
• Surah 41: Clearly Expounded
• Surah 42: Consultation
• Surah 43: Gold
• Surah 44: Smoke
• Surah 45: Kneeling Down
• Surah 46: The Sand Dunes
• Surah 47: Muhammad
• Surah 48: Victory
• Surah 49: Private Apartments
• Surah 50: Qaf
• Surah 51: The Scattering Winds
• Surah 52: Mount Sinai
• Surah 53: The Star
• Surah 54: The Moon
• Surah 55: The Lord of Grace
• Surah 56: The Inevitable Event
• Surah 57: Iron
• Surah 58: The Pleading
• Surah 59: The Gathering
• Surah 60: Women Tested
• Surah 61: The Ranks
• Surah 62: The Congregation
• Surah 63: The Hypocrites
• Surah 64: Mutual Loss and Gain
• Surah 65: Divorce
• Surah 66: Prohibition
• Surah 67: Dominion
• Surah 68: The Pen
• Surah 69: The Inevitable Truth
• Surah 70: Ways of Ascent
• Surah 71: Noah
• Surah 72: The Jinn
• Surah 73: The Enfolded One
• Surah 74: Wrapped in a Cloak
• Surah 75: The Day of Resurrection
• Surah 76: Man
• Surah 77: Sent Forth
• Surah 78: The Tidings
• Surah 79: The Pluckers
• Surah 80: The Frowning
• Surah 81: The Darkening
• Surah 82: Cleaving Asunder
• Surah 83: The Stinters
• Surah 84: The Rending
• Surah 85: The Constellations
• Surah 86: The Night Visitor
• Surah 87: The Most High
• Surah 88: The Enveloper
• Surah 89: The Dawn
• Surah 90: The City
• Surah 91: The Sun
• Surah 92: The Night
• Surah 93: The Morning Hours
• Surah 94: Solace
• Surah 95: The Fig
• Surah 96: The Clinging Cell Mass
• Surah 97: Power
• Surah 98: The Clear Proof
• Surah 99: The Earthquake
• Surah 100: The Coursers
• Surah 101: The Striker
• Surah 102: Rivalry for Worldly Gain
• Surah 103: The Declining Day
• Surah 104: The Slanderer
• Surah 105: The Elephant
• Surah 106: The Quraysh
• Surah 107: Small Kindness
• Surah 108: Abundance
• Surah 109: The Unbelievers
• Surah 110: Divine Help
• Surah 111: Fire Flames
• Surah 112: Purity of Faith
• Surah 113: Daybreak
• Surah 114: Mankind
• Index
• Backcover