The Message of the Qur'an Kindle Edition

Salam-Shalome-Peace be upon you!If there were only 1 translation of the Holy Quran that I could takewith me on a desert island, it would be this one.The Message of the Quran is a translation of the Holy Quran byMuhammad Asad (who, interestingly, was a Jew before he became aMuslim), the holy book of Islam which, without the commentary, isabout the size of the New Testament. Humanity seems best representedby kindness and gratitude, not to mention faith; but, faith withoutreason is blind, and, like power, easily corruptible. This is why Ilike the Quran in general, and Asad's translation in particular:rather than explaining verses through a mid-evil perspective, heskillfully combines the best elements from both the East and the West,allowing the words to shine forth through the light of faith, while,as an extension and at the same time, illuminated by the light ofintellectual reason. Hope and love are more powerful than fear andhatred.This copy (The Message of the Qur'an: The full account of the revealedArabic text accompanied by parallel transliteration (English andArabic Edition)--and, contrary to what others have said, it has a general index (about 10 pages in length)--is most dear to me because it has three necesaryaspects: the translation and commentary, the original Arabic text, anda Roman-alphabet transliteration of the Arabic in to English. AlthoughI am a blind individual (I love the artwork:)!) who reads books electronically, this is one of the very few books that I physically own (and would like to own),deriving pleasure from its mere honorable existence. Its pages feel shiny and glossy; it is written on that private-university textbook paper. The 2003 edition is slightly better than the newer 2008 edition because it is about 2 pounds lighter in weight; subsequently, the 2012 reprint is from the 2003 edition, which also is 4 ppounds as compared to the six pound 2008 printing.The binding for the 2008 text seems as if it will last, but, because of the size and ni6 pound weight of the book, physical care should be taken. All three printings come with a ribbbon (part of the book) that can be used as a bookmark.One thing I must say before hand though: the Quran does not read likethe Bible. It talks about a story, deals with the theme and moral, andthen moves on to another point. It is very emphatic (I.E., itemphasizes particular themes over and over again, but with a differentapproach.As compared with the Yusuf Ali translation, Asad's text, which usesbrackets (allowing translation-based explications without divergingfrom the original Arabic meaning to augment the text), is moreconcise, stressing the fundamental, elemental, and symbolic aspects ofthe messages of the Quran (sometimes elucidated through juxtaposition[as he points out]), without focusing on the details to the exclusionof all else. Asad's commentary gives reasons and facts (when anopinion of interpretation arises, he, through the use of precedent,gives a logical chain of rationality to explain his viewpoint), ratherthan laying out, sometimes as does Yusuf Ali, a pattern of incumbentthoughts or actions expressed by "we should" or "they should." Inshort, Asad's translation relies on reason, elucidation, and conciseexplication; it provides extensive footnotes, but not in such quantityas to overshadow the original text.For comparison of style, word choice, and commentary (whereapplicable), see (below) the translations of Chapter 113 (and chapter 1) by A.J.Arberry (who must be commended for his nigh literal translation thatflows with poetic grace [it does not use parentheses or brackets]),Yusuf Ali, and Asad, respectively.--------------------CXIII DAYBREAKIn the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate113:1 Say: 'I take refuge with the Lord of the Daybreakfrom the evil of what He has created,from the evil of darkness when it gathers,from the evil of the women who blow on knots,113:5 from the evil of an envier when he envies.'--------------------Yusuf Ali 113:This early Makkan Surah provides the antidote to superstition and fearby teaching us to seek refuge in Allah from every kind of ill arisingfrom outer nature and from dark and evil plottings and envy on thepart of others.C.293 (The running Commentary, in Rhythmic Prose)It is Allah Who brings forth light from darkness,life and activity from death, spiritualEnlightenment from ignorance and superstitionBanish fear, and trust His ProvidenceNo danger, then, from the outer world,No secret plottings from perverted wills,No disturbance of your happiness or goodCan affect the fortress of your inmost soul.1. Say:I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn,2. From the mischief of created things;3. From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads;4. From the mischief of those who practice Secret Arts;5. And from the mischief of the envious one as he practices envy.C6301. In Allah's created world, there are all kinds of forces andcounter-forces, especially those put in motion by beings who have beenendowed with some sort of will.The forces of good may be compared to light, and those of evil to darkness.Allah can cleave the depths of darkness and produce light (6:96), andtherefore we should cast off fear and take refuge in divine guidanceand goodness.C6302. Falaq is the Dawn or Daybreak, the cleaving of darkness and themanifestation of light.This may be understood in various senses:1. literally, when the darkness of the night is at its worst, raysof light pierce through and produce the dawn;2. when the darkness of ignorance is at its worst, the light ofAllah pierces through the soul and gives it enlightenment: (24:35);3. non-existence is darkness, and life and activity may betypified by light.C6303. See n. 6301 above.Our trust in Allah is the refuge from every kind of fear andsuperstition, every kind of danger and evil.Three special kinds of mischief are specified in the next threeverses, against which our best guard is our trust in Allah, the Lightof the heavens and the earth. They are:1. physical dangers, typified by darkness.2. physical dangers within us, typified by Secret Arts, and3. physical dangers from without us, resulting from a pervertedwill, which seeks to destroy any good that we enjoy.C6304. The darkness of the night, physical darkness, is a good type ofphysical dangers and difficulties. Many people are afraid of physicaldarkness, and all are afraid of physical injuries, accidents, andcalamities.We should not fear, but having taken reasonable precautions, trust in Allah.C6305. Those (feminine) who blow on knots', this having been afavourite form of witchcraft practised by perverted women. Such secretarts cause psychological terror.They may be what is called magic, or secre plottings, or the displayof false and seductive charms (3:14), or the spreading of false andsecret rumours or slanders to frighten men or deter them from rightaction.There is fraud in such things, but men are swayed by it. They shouldcast off fear and do their duty.C6306. Malignant envy, translated into action, seeks to destroy thehappiness or the material or spiritual good enjoyed by other people.The best guard against it is trust in Allah with purity of heart.--------------------Muhammad Asad:The Hundred-Thirteenth Surah Al-Falaq (The Rising Dawn) Mecca PeriodWHEREAS most of the commentators assign this and the next surah to theearly part of the Mecca period, some authorities (e.g., Razi, IbnKathir) consider them to have been revealed at Medina, while yetothers (e.g., Baghawi, Zamakhshari, Baydawi) leave the question open.On the basis of the scant evidence available to us it appears probablethat both these surahs are of early Meccan origin.In The Name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:113:1 SAY: "I seek refuge with the Sustainer of the rising dawn,1(2) "from the evil of aught that He has created,(3) "and from the evil of the black darkness whenever it descends,2(4) "and from the evil of all human beings bent on occult endeavours,3(5) "and from the evil of the envious when he envies."41 The term al-falaq ("the light of dawn" or "the rising dawn") isoften used tropically to describe "the emergence of the truth after [aperiod of] uncertainty" (Taj al-'Arus): hence, the appellation"Sustainer of the rising dawn" implies that God is the source of allcognition of truth, and that one's "seeking refuge" with Him issynonymous with striving after truth.2 I.e., the darkness of despair, or of approaching death. In all thesefour verses (2-5), the term "evil" (sharr) has not only an objectivebut also a subjective connotation - namely, fear of evil.3 Lit., "of those that blow (an-naffathat) upon knots": an idiomaticphrase current in pre-Islamic Arabia and, hence, employed in classicalArabic to designate all supposedly occult endeavours; it was probablyderived from the practice of "witches" and "sorcerers" who used to tiea string into a number of knots while blowing upon them and murmuringmagic incantations. The feminine gender of naffathat does not, asZamakhshari and Razi point out, necessarily indicate "women", but maywell relate to "human beings" (anfus, sing. nafs, a noun that isgrammatically feminine). In his explanation of the above verse,Zamakhshari categorically rejects all belief in the reality andeffectiveness of such practices, as well as of the concept of "magic"as such. Similar views have been expressed - albeit in a much moreelaborate manner, on the basis of established psychological findings -by Muhammad Abduh and Rashid Rida (see Manar I, 398 ff.). The reasonwhy the believer is enjoined to "seek refuge with God" from suchpractices despite their palpable irrationality is - according toZamakhshari- to be found in the inherent sinfulness of such endeavours(see surah 2, note 84), and in the mental danger in which they mayinvolve their author.4 I.e., from the effects - moral and social- which another person'senvy may have on one's life, as well as from succumbing oneself to theevil of envy. In this connection, Zamakhshari quotes a saying of theCaliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz (called "the Second Umar" on account ofhis piety and integrity): "I cannot think of any wrongdoer (zalim) whois more likely to be the wronged one (mazlum) than he who enviesanother."----------------------------------------I THE OPENING(Arberry)In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate1 Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being,the All-merciful, the All-compassionate,the Master of the Day of Doom.5 Thee only we serve; to Thee alone we pray for succour.Guide us in the straight path, the path of thosewhom Thou hast blessed, not of those againstwhom Thou art wrathful, nor of those who are astray.--------------------SURA 1. Fatiha, or the Opening Chapter. (Yusuf Ali)1. In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.2. Praise be to Allah, The Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds;3. Most Gracious, Most Merciful;4. Master of the Day of Judgment.5. Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek.6. Show us the straight way,7. The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, Those whose(portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.Introduction and SummaryC.42 - The running Commentary, in Rhythmic ProseFirst comes that beautiful Surah,15. Each chapter or portion of the Quran is called a Surah, whichmeans a Degree Or Step, by which we mount up.Sometimes whole Surahs were revealed, and sometimes portions, whichwere arranged under the Prophet's directions.Some Surahs are long, and some are short, but a logical thread runsthrough them all. Each verse of the Surah is called an Ayah (plural,Ayat), which means also a sign.A verse of revelation is a Sign of Allah's beautiful handiwork in thematerial creation or His dealings in history are signs to us, if wewould understand. Some Ayat are long, and some are short.The Ayah is the true unit of the Quran.The Opening Chapter of Seven Verses,16. Fatihah: Opening Chapter.17. These seven verses form a complete unit by themselves, and arerecited in every prayer and on many other occasions.Cf. 15:87.Rightly called the Essence of the Book.It teaches us the perfect Prayer.For if we can pray aright, it meansThat we have some knowledge of AllahAnd His attributes, of His relationsTo us and His creation, which includesOurselves; that we glimpse the sourceFrom which we come, and that final goalWhich is our spiritual destinyUnder Allah's' true Judgement: thenWe offer ourselves to Allah and seek His light.C.43Prayer is the heart of Religion and FaithBut how shall we pray? What words shall conveyThe yearnings of our miserable ignorant heartsTo the Knower of all? It is worthy of HimOr of our spiritual nature to askFor vanities, or even for such physical needsAs our daily bread? The Inspired OneTaught us a Prayer that sums up our faith,Our hope, and our aspiration in things that matter.We think in devotion of Allah's name and His Nature;We praise Him for His creation and His Cherishing care;We call to mind the Realities, seen and unseen;We offer Him worship and ask His guidance;And we know the straight from the crooked pathBy the light of His grace that illumines the righteous.18. By universal consent it is rightly placed at the beginning of theKoran as summing up in marvelously terse and comprehensive words,man's relation to Allah in contemplation and prayer. In our spiritualcontemplation the first words should be those of praise If the praiseis from our inmost being, it brings us closer to Allah. Then our eyessee all good, peace, and harmony. Evil, rebellion, and conflict arepurged out. They do not exist for us, for our eyes are lifted up abovethem in praise. Then we see Allah's attributes better (verses 2-4).This leads us to the attitude of worship and acknowledgment (verse 5).And finally comes prayer for guidance, and a contemplation of whatguidance means (verses 6-7). Allah needs no praise, for He is aboveall praise; He needs no petition, for He knows our needs better thanwe do ourselves; and His bounties are open without asking, to therighteous and the sinner alike. The prayer is primarily for our ownspiritual education consolation, and confirmation. That is why thewords in this Sura are given to us in the form in which we shouldutter them.19. The Arabic words "Rahman" and "Rahim " translated "Most Gracious"and "Most Merciful" are both intensive forms referring to differentaspects of Allah's attribute of Mercy. The Arabic intensive is moresuited to express Allah's attributes than the superlative degree inEnglish. The latter implies a comparison with other beings, or withother times or places, while there is no being like unto Allah. Mercymay imply pity. longsuffering, patience, and forgiveness, all of whichthe sinner needs and Allah Most Merciful bestows in abundant measure.But there is a Mercy that goes before even the need arises, the Gracewhich is ever watchful. and flows from Allah Most Gracious to all Hiscreatures, protecting them, preserving them, guiding them, and leadingthem to clear light and higher life. Opinion is divided whether theBismillah should be numbered as a separate verse or not. It isunanimously agreed that it is a part of the Koran in Sura An-Naml.Therefore it is better to give it an independent number in the firstSura. For subsequent Suras it is treated as an introduction orhead-line, and therefore not numbered.20. The Arabic word 'Rabb', usually translated Lord, has also themeaning of cherishing, sustaining, bringing to maturity. Allah caresfor all the worlds He has created.21. On realizing in our souls Allah's love and care. His grace andmercy, and His power and justice (as Ruler of the Day of Judgment),the immediate result is that we bend in the act of worship, and seeboth our shortcomings and His all-sufficient power. The emphatic formmeans that not only do we reach the position of worshipping Allah andasking for His help, but we worship Him alone and ask for His aidonly. For there is none other than He worthy of our devotion and ableto help us. The plural "we" indicates that we associate ourselves withall who seek Allah, thus strengthening ourselves and strengtheningthem in a fellowship of faith.22. If we translate by the English word "guide", we shall have to say:Guide us to and in the straight Way". For we may he wanderingaimlessly, and the first step is to find the way; and the second needis to keep in the Way: our own wisdom may fail in either case. Thestraight Way is often the narrow Way, or the steep Way, which manypeople shun (Sura 90:11). By the world's perversity the straight Wayis sometimes stigmatized and the crooked Way praised. How are we tojudge? We must ask for Allah's guidance. With a little spiritualinsight we shall see which are the people who walk in the light ofAllah's grace, and which are those that walk in the darkness of Wrath.This also would help our judgment.23. Note that the words relating to Grace are connected actively withAllah: those relating to Wrath are impersonal. In the one case Allah'sMercy encompasses us beyond our deserts In the other case our ownactions are responsible for the Wrath,-the negative of Grace, Peace,or Harmony.24. Are there two categories?-Those who are in the darkness of Wrathand those who stray? The first are those who deliberately breakAllah's law; the second those who stray out of carelessness ornegligence. Both are responsible for their own acts or omissions. Inopposition to both are the people who are in the light of Allah'sGrace: for His Grace not only protects them from active wrong (if theywill only submit their will to Him) but also from straying into pathsof temptation or carelessness. The negative 'gair' should be construedas applying not to the way, but as describing men protected from twodangers by Allah's Grace.--------------------The First Surah Al-Fatihah (The Opening)Mecca Period THIS SURAH is also called Fatihat al-Kitab ("The Openingof the Divine Writ"), Umm alKitab ("The Essence of the Divine Writ"),Surat al-Hamd ("The Surah of Praise"), Asas alQur'an ("The Foundationof the Qur'an"), and is known by several other names as well. It ismentioned elsewhere in the Qur'an as As-Sab' al-Mathani ("The SevenOft-Repeated [Verses]") because it is repeated several times in thecourse of each of the five daily prayers. According to Bukhari, thedesignation Umm al-Kitab was given to it by the Prophet himself, andthis in view of the fact that it contains, in a condensed form, allthe fundamental principles laid down in the Qur'an: the principle ofGod's oneness and uniqueness, of His being the originator and fostererof the universe, the fount of all life-giving grace, the One to whomman is ultimately responsible, the only power that can really guideand help; the call to righteous action in the life of this world("guide us the straight way"); the principle of life after death andof the organic consequences of man's actions and behaviour (expressedin the term "Day of Judgment"); the principle of guidance throughGod's message-bearers (evident in the reference to "those upon whomGod has bestowed His blessings") and, flowing from it, the principleof the continuity of all true religions (implied in the allusion topeople who have lived - and erred - in the past); and, finally, theneed for voluntary self-surrender to the will of the Supreme Beingand, thus, for worshipping Him alone. It is for this reason that thissurah has been formulated as a prayer, to be constantly repeated andreflected upon by the believer. "The Opening" was one of the earliestrevelations bestowed upon the Prophet. Some authorities (for instance,'Ali ibn Abi Talib) were even of the opinion that it was the veryfirst revelation; but this view is contradicted by authenticTraditions quoted by both Bukhari and Muslim, which unmistakably showthat the first five verses of surah 96 ("The Germ-Cell") constitutedthe beginning of revelation. It is probable, however, that whereas theearlier revelations consisted of only a few verses each, "The Opening"was the first surah revealed to the Prophet in its entirety at onetime: and this would explain the view held by 'Ali.1:1 In the name of God, The Most Gracious, The Dispenser of Grace:11:2 ALL PRAISE is due to God alone, the Sustainer of all the worlds,2(1:3) the Most Gracious, the Dispenser of Grace,(1:4) Lord of the Day of Judgment!1:5 Thee alone do we worship; and unto Thee alone do we turn for aid.1:6 Guide us the straight way(1:7) the way of those upon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings,3not of those who have been condemned [by Thee], nor of those who goastray!41 According to most of the authorities, this invocation (which occursat the beginning of every surah with the exception of surah 9)constitutes an integral part of "The Opening" and is, therefore,numbered as verse 1. In all other instances, the invocation "in thename of God" precedes the surah as such, and is not counted among itsverses. - Both the divine epithets rahman and rahim are derived fromthe noun rahmah, which signifies "mercy", "compassion", "lovingtenderness" and, more comprehensively, "grace". From the very earliesttimes, Islamic scholars have endeavoured to define the exact shades ofmeaning which differentiate the two terms. The best and simplest ofthese explanations is undoubtedly the one advanced by Ibn al-Qayyim(as quoted in Manar I,48): the term rahman circumscribes the qualityof abounding grace inherent in, and inseparable from, the concept ofGod's Being, whereas rahim expresses the manifestation of that gracein, and its effect upon, His creation - in other words, an aspect ofHis activity.2 In this instance, the term "worlds" denotes all categories ofexistence both in the physical and the spiritual sense. The Arabicexpression rabb - rendered by me as "Sustainer" embraces a widecomplex of meanings not easily expressed by a single term in anotherlanguage. It comprises the ideas of having a just claim to thepossession of anything and, consequently, authority over it, as wellas of rearing, sustaining and fostering anything from its inception toits final completion. Thus, the head of a family is called rabb ad-dar("master of the house") because he has authority over it and isresponsible for its maintenance; similarly, his wife is called rabbatad-dar ("mistress of the house"). Preceded by the definite article al,the designation rabb is applied, in the Qur'an, exclusively to God asthe sole fosterer and sustainer of all creation - objective as well asconceptual - and therefore the ultimate source of all authority.3 i.e., by vouchsafing to them prophetic guidance and enabling them toavail themselves thereof.4 According to almost all the commentators, God's "condemnation"(ghadab, lit., "wrath") is synonymous with the evil consequences whichman brings upon himself by wilfully rejecting God's guidance andacting contrary to His injunctions. Some commentators (e.g.,Zamakhshari) interpret this passage as follows: "... the way of thoseupon whom Thou hast bestowed Thy blessings - those who have not beencondemned [by Thee], and who do not go astray": in other words, theyregard the last two expressions as defining "those upon whom Thou hastbestowed Thy blessings". Other commentators (e.g., Baghawi and IbnKathir) do not subscribe to this interpretation - which would implythe use of negative definitions - and understand the last verse of thesurah in the manner rendered by me above. As regards the twocategories of people following a wrong course, some of the greatestIslamic thinkers (e.g., Al-Ghazali or, in recent times, Muhammad'Abduh) held the view that the people described as having incurred"God's condemnation" - that is, having deprived themselves of Hisgrace - are those who have become fully cognizant of God's messageand, having understood it, have rejected it; while by "those who goastray" are meant people whom the truth has either not reached at all,or to whom it has come in so garbled and corrupted a form as to makeit difficult for them to recognize it as the truth (see 'Abduh inManar 1,68 ff.).

This is a beautiful, beautiful copy of the Koran---stunningly illustrated in black and gold. I bought this translation by Muhammad Asad since many scholars indicate that it is the best translation in English. The set is VERY heavy but came very fast from England. I imagine that the printing and postage are subsidized because I think the postage alone to send it to the U.S. would be around what I paid for the set. Highly recommended.

SHORT VERSION: EXCELLENT TRANSLATION, HIGHLY RECCOMEND, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO ENJOY TO THINK. JUST BE SLIGHLTY CAUSTIOUS OF A BIT OF THE UNORTHODOX VIEWS.I must say, I was and continue to be impressed by this work. It will be clear to anyone who reads it that Muhammad Asad invested a lot careful thought and time reading in order to convey an accurate translation and interpretation of the words of the Qur'an.His in-depth knowledge of classical Arabic, a type of knowledge that is unfortunately dwindling in the modern world, gave him a great intellectual freedom in analyzing various Qur'anic verses. This ability allows him to convey the message of complex verses in the Qur'an to any English speaking person (hence, "Message of the Qur'an"). That is not to say, of course, that he goes to just follow his own whims all the time. He gives great respect and reference to many classical Quran'ic commentators such as Al-Razi, Zamakshari, Baghawi, Ibn Kathir, etc and owes the interpretation of many verses to them. HOWEVER, it should be made aware to the reader that he will occasionally slip in his own understanding of a verse that goes against traditional Islamic theology. For example, he holds some parts of the story of Adam & Eve to be allegorical (therefore not literal) and believes that humans, like other species, were a product of God-guided gradual biological evolutionary processes (essentially Darwin's theory except involving God as described in the Qur'an). In another example, he in the footnote of a verse that is commonly used a basis for the Qur'anic doctrine of abrogation (that is, verses that were revealed by God and then removed later) explains that it is actually not referring to how the Qur'an is abrogating verses within itself but replacing messages from earlier times (like those in the books of the Bible) with one that is better.Now, this is not to say that all these deviant views are wrong (some of them, of which I've not listed here, I'm actually inclined to believe, such as his view on the Crucifixion of Jesus), and in the end of the day these views are a small % of his actual footnotes. I just want to let any potential reader know that a footnote here or there may not be in line with the common belief of Muslims today.