The Koran: With a Parallel Arabic Text (Penguin Classics)

Rating:
Summary: Worst Translation Out There
Review: I have six translations of the Qur'an, and this is by far the worst. Yes, it's easy to read, but it's not the Qur'an. Dawood not only leaves out a lot, he distorts the meaning. Sometimes the verses are unrecognizable, so much so that I have to wonder if the distortion was deliberate (for example, in one verse, the exact same Arabic phrase is translated differently when it refers to men than when it refers to women). He doesn't come close to capturing the poetic quality of the Qur'an (whatever your beliefs, in terms of literature it is an astounding work of poetry), and he doesn't even convey the meaning.

The best translation of the Qur'an is Muhammad Asad's "The Message of the Qur'an." It has really clear, understandable footnotes, and he spent years with the Bedouin Arabs to learn their language because it's the closest to the Qur'anic Arabic of 1400 years ago. (Asad was a Jewish journalist who spent time in the Middle East and then converted to Islam.)

Another good book to start with is John Williams' "The Word of Islam" in which he uses verses of the Qur'an and intersperses them with his own explanatory commentary.

Whatever you do, don't get this one.

Rating:
Summary: AUTHENTIC, ACCURATE AND COMPREHENSIVE
Review: N.J. Dawood did a humble job in translating this version of "The Koran". It is a very good effort.
The fact that he included a parallel Arabic text (on every page) authenticated his accuracy and intention. Translations are hardly perfect, but this one really came close.
First published in 1956, subsequent editions (and reprints) of this Koran have maintained its tradition of using simple language. Any English speaker who want to know what Muslims believe in should read this book. It is very easy to understand.

Rating:
Summary: oversimplified translation
Review: NJ Dawood has a very straightforward style of translating. This makes for an easier read, but unfortunately he makes a lot of mistakes when translating the parts of the Quran that are more subtle and require a deeper understanding of the Arabic language.This becomes evident in his tranlation of some of the parables and also many of the verses that make reference to historical events. For a more accurate translation I would recommend Muhammad Asad or Nooruddin.


Rating:
Summary: love
Review: religion and love and marriag