Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation by Ahmed Ali

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(Paperback - Bilingual)

  • Pub. Date: July 2001
  • 576pp
  • Sales Rank: 170,164

    Reader Rating: (4 ratings)

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    Product Details

    • Pub. Date: July 2001
    • Publisher: Princeton University Press
    • Format: Paperback, 576pp
    • Sales Rank: 170,164

    Synopsis

    "This translation of the Qur'an aims at doing something new--it seeks to bring out the original rhythms of the Quranic language and the cadences. It also departs from traditional translations in that it gives more refined and differentiated shades of important concepts."--Fazlur Rahman, University of Chicago"Ahmed Ali's work is clear, direct, and elegant--a combination of stylistic virtues almost never found in translations of the Qur'an. His is the best I have read."--F. E. Peters, New York University

    Annotation

    This is a bi-lingual version of the Koran translated into English verse in a way which captures the energy of the Arabic religious text.

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    Customer Reviews

    Al-Qur'an : A Contemporary Translationby Anonymous

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    September 14, 2002: Ali's translation is yet another step in the long, continual process of making the Qur'an available in the form of the English language that is most widely current in our day. Except for the small bold type, which I wish were larger and in a wider column, I deeply enjoyed this translation, for it is so unlike most others in that it foregoes all the ornamentality of the language consistently found in virtually every English translation since the 17th century. Instead, through its clarity and modern English style, Ahmed Ali's text gives the reader an interpretation that is first and foremost readable, and thus enlightening. More often than not, when reading English translations of the Qur'an, one gets the sense of reading a foreign language translated literally, and thus sentences come across in English in strange contortions, leading the reader to scratch his head and reread the surah over and over in frustration. Meanwhile, in his introduction Ahmed Ali straightforwardly admits that he does not seek literal translation, but rather to translate the text's "meaning." Thus Ali does not lower, or "dumb-down" the text, but rather seeks readability. When it is evident that the text has suffered in the transmission to English, Ali includes notes with alternative words and meanings, seeking to explain the original Arabic, thereby informing the reader of alternative meanings. Ahmed Ali resisted the temptation to introduce terms and phrases that merely reflect current moods, and has tried to put the message of the Quran in simple, enduring words and elegant expressions that are worthy to stand in the great tradition of the original Arabic. I can only write this as an English reader, ignorant of the Arabic language. I will always defer to their greater understanding of this scripture, though given the many attempts to translate the Qur'an over the past 400 years, it shows just how difficult it is to render these scriptures in translation, especially English. Therefore, if you are English, I recommend reading this volume first for understanding, alongside Yusuf Ali's classic translation, which can be found at ISBN: 0940368323.

    Al-Qur'an : A Contemporary Translationby Anonymous

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    December 02, 2001: This translation of the Noble Qur'an is clear and readable and retains some of the poetic rhythm of the original Arabic. This translation is reader friendly yet still shows the different shades of meaning present in the Arabic text. Although some people criticize the translator because the translation is 'not literal enough,' it must be remembered that in a translation, showing what the text means should take precedence over showing what it says. If one were to make a truly 'literal' translation of the Noble Qur'an, no one would be able to understand it. Always keep in mind that all translations of the Noble Qur'an are flawed and that only through reading the original Arabic can we ascertain its true meaning.


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