Holy Quran: A Phrase-by-phrase translation by Ali Quli Qarai is considered the best

908 Pages·2008·15.02 MB·English

THE QUR’ªN

THE QUR’ªN

With a Phrase-by-Phrase

English Translation

Translated by
‘Al¢ Qul¢ Qar¡’¢

ICAS Press
Second (Revised) Edition 2005
First Edition 2004

ISBN 1-904063-20-9

© ICAS PRESS, 2004

All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form,
or by any means, without written permission of the publisher.

Published by
Islamic College for Advance Studies Press (ICAS)
133 High Road, Willesden, London NW10 2SW

Distributed by
The Centre for Translation of the Holy Qur’¡n
[email protected]; [email protected]
Website: www.cthq.ir
Contents

Publisher’s Note ix
Translator’s Preface xi
Sources Consulted xxiii
Transliteration of Arabic Words xxvi
Prayer for Recitation on Commencing a Reading of the Qur’¡n xxvii
The Qur’¡n
No. S£rah Name Order & Place of Revelation Page

1 S£rat al-F¡ti¦ah (The Opening) 1 Makkah 1
2 S£rat al-Baqarah (The Heifer) 77 Mad¢nah 2
3 S£rat ªl-i ‘Imr¡n (Family of Imran) 80 Mad¢nah 69
4 S£rat al-Nis¡’ (Women) 85 Mad¢nah 105
5 S£rat al-M¡’idah (The Table) 110 Mad¢nah 144
6 S£rat al-An‘¡m (Cattle) 44 Makkah 172
7 S£rat al-A‘r¡f (The Elevations) 28 Makkah 204
8 S£rat al-Anf¡l (The Spoils) 79 Mad¢nah 240
9 S£rat al-Tawbah (Repentance) 109 Mad¢nah 253
10 S£rat Y£nus (Jonah) 40 Makkah 280
11 S£rat H£d (H£d) 41 Makkah 300
12 S£rat Y£suf (Joseph) 42 Makkah 321
13 S£rat al-Ra‘d (Thunder) 90 Mad¢nah 340
14 S£rat Ibr¡h¢m (Abraham) 60 Makkah 350
15 S£rat al-°ijr (°ijr) 43 Makkah 360
16 S£rat al-Na¦l (The Bee) 58 Makkah 368
17 S£rat al-Isr¡’ (The Night Journey) 39 Makkah 388
18 S£rat al-Kahf (The Cave) 57 Makkah 401
19 S£rat Maryam (Mary) 33 Makkah 423
20 S£rat ±a °¡ (±¡ H¡) 103 Mad¢nah 434
21 S£rat al-Anbiy¡’ (The Prophets) 61 Makkah 449
22 S£rat al-°ajj (The Pilgrimage) 95 Mad¢nah 462
23 S£rat al-Mu’min£n (The Faithful) 62 Makkah 475
v
Contents
24 S£rat al-N£r (Light) 86 Mad¢nah 487
25 S£rat al-Furq¡n (The Criterion) 31 Makkah 501
26 S£rat al-Shu‘ar¡’ (Poets) 35 Makkah 511
27 S£rat al-Naml (The Ant) 37 Makkah 525
28 S£rat al-Qa¥a¥ (The Story) 38 Makkah 538
29 S£rat al-‘Ankab£t (The Spider) 72 Makkah 554
30 S£rat al-R£m (Byzantium) 71 Makkah 565
31 S£rat Luqm¡n (Luqm¡n) 46 Makkah 573
32 S£rat al-Sajdah (Prostration) 63 Makkah 579
33 S£rat al-A¦z¡b (The Confederates) 81 Mad¢nah 583
34 S£rat Saba’ (Sheba) 47 Makkah 597
35 S£rat al-F¡§ir (The Originator) 32 Makkah 606
36 S£rat Y¡ S¢n (Y¡ S¢n) 30 Makkah 614
37 S£rat al-¯aff¡t (The Ranged Ones) 45 Makkah 623
38 S£rat ¯¡d (¯¡d) 27 Makkah 634
39 S£rat al-Zumar (Throngs) 48 Makkah 644
40 S£rat al-Gh¡fir (The Forgiver) 49 Makkah 657
41 S£rat Fu¥¥ilat (Elaborated) 36 Makkah 670
42 S£rat al-Sh£r¡ (Counsel) 50 Makkah 679
43 S£rat al-Zukhruf (Ornaments) 51 Makkah 689
44 S£rat al-Dukh¡n (Smoke) 52 Makkah 699
45 S£rat al-J¡thiyah (Crowling) 53 Makkah 703
46 S£rat al-A¦q¡f (A¦q¡f) 54 Makkah 708
47 S£rat Mu¦ammad 89 Mad¢nah 715
48 S£rat al-Fat¦ (Victory) 102 Mad¢nah 721
49 S£rat al-°ujur¡t (Apartments) 98 Mad¢nah 727
50 S£rat Q¡f (Q¡f) 23 Makkah 731
51 S£rat al-Dh¡riy¡t (The Scatterers) 55 Makkah 735
52 S£rat al-±£r (The Mount) 64 Makkah 740
53 S£rat al-Najm (The Star) 114 Mad¢nah 744
54 S£rat al-Qamar (The Moon) 26 Makkah 748
55 S£rat al-Ra¦m¡n (The All-beneficent) 91 Mad¢nah 752
56 S£rat al-W¡qi‘ah (The Imminent) 34 Makkah 758
57 S£rat al-°ad¢d (Iron) 88 Mad¢nah 763
58 S£rat al-Muj¡dilah (The Pleader) 97 Mad¢nah 769
59 S£rat al-°ashr (The Banishment) 94 Mad¢nah 775
60 S£rat al-Mumta¦anah (The Woman Tested) 84 Mad¢nah 780
vi
Contents
61 S£rat al-¯aff (Ranks) 100 Mad¢nah 784
62 S£rat al-Jumu‘ah (Friday) 101 Mad¢nah 787
63 S£rat al-Mun¡fiq£n (The Hypocrites) 96 Mad¢nah 789
64 S£rat al-Tagh¡bun (Dispossession) 105 Mad¢nah 791
65 S£rat al-±al¡q (Divorce) 92 Mad¢nah 794
66 S£rat al-Ta¦r¢m (The Forbidding) 99 Mad¢nah 797
67 S£rat al-Mulk (Sovereignty) 65 Makkah 800
68 S£rat al-Qalam (The Pen) 3 Makkah 803
69 S£rat al-°¡qqah (The Besieger) 66 Makkah 807
70 S£rat al-Ma‘¡rij (Lofty Stations) 113 Mad¢nah 810
71 S£rat N£¦ (Noah) 59 Makkah 813
72 S£rat al-Jinn (The Jinn) 29 Makkah 815
73 S£rat al-Muzzammil (Enwrapped) 5 Makkah 818
74 S£rat al-Muddaththir (Shrouded) 4 Makkah 820
75 S£rat al-Qiy¡mah (Resurrection) 21 Makkah 823
76 S£rat al-Ins¡n (Man) 107 Mad¢nah 825
77 S£rat al-Mursal¡t (The Emissaries) 22 Makkah 828
78 S£rat al-Naba’ (The Tiding) 67 Makkah 831
79 S£rat al-N¡zi‘¡t (The Wresters) 68 Makkah 833
80 S£rat al- ‘Abasa (He Frowned) 78 Mad¢nah 835
81 S£rat al-Takw¢r (The Winding Up) 7 Makkah 837
82 S£rat al-Infi§¡r (The Rending) 69 Makkah 839
83 S£rat al-Mu§affif¢n (The Defrauders) 74 Mad¢nah 840
84 S£rat al-Inshiq¡q (The Splitting) 70 Makkah 842
85 S£rat al-Bur£j (The Houses) 16 Makkah 843
86 S£rat al-±¡riq (The Nightly Visitor) 25 Makkah 845
87 S£rat al-A‘l¡ (The Most Exalted) 75 Mad¢nah 846
88 S£rat al-Gh¡shiyah (The Enveloper) 56 Makkah 847
89 S£rat al-Fajr (The Dawn) 8 Makkah 848
90 S£rat al-Balad (The Town) 24 Makkah 850
91 S£rat al-Shams (The Sun) 15 Makkah 851
92 S£rat al-Layl (The Night) 76 Mad¢nah 852
93 S£rat al-®u¦¡ (Morning Brightness) 9 Makkah 853
94 S£rat al-Shar¦ (Opening) 111 Mad¢nah 853
95 S£rat al-T¢n (The Fig) 17 Makkah 854
96 S£rat al- ‘Alaq (The Clinging Mass) 2 Makkah 855
97 S£rat al-Qadr (The Ordainment) 107 Mad¢nah 856
vii
Contents
98 S£rat al-Bayyinah (The Proof) 93 Mad¢nah 856
99 S£rat al-Zalzalah (The Quake) 87 Mad¢nah 858
100 S£rat al-‘ªdiy¡t (The Chargers) 103 Mad¢nah 858
101 S£rat al-Q¡ri‘ah (The Catastrophe) 19 Makkah 859
102 S£rat al-Tak¡thur (Rivalry) 11 Makkah 860
103 S£rat al-‘A¥r (Time) 10 Makkah 860
104 S£rat al-Humazah (The Scandal-monger) 21 Makkah 861
105 S£rat al-F¢l (The Elephant) 14 Makkah 861
106 S£rat Quraysh (Quraysh) 18 Makkah 862
107 S£rat al-M¡‘£n (Aid) 12 Makkah 862
108 S£rat al-Kawthar (Abundance) 108 Mad¢nah 863
109 S£rat al-K¡fir£n (The Faithless) 13 Makkah 863
110 S£rat al-Na¥r (Help) 112 Mad¢nah 864
111 S£rat al-Masad (Palm Fibre) 6 Makkah 864
112 S£rat al-Ikhl¡¥ (Monotheism) 73 Mad¢nah 865
113 S£rat al-Falaq (Daybreak) 82 Mad¢nah 865
114 S£rat al-N¡s (Humans) 83 Mad¢nah 866
Appendices
Prayer for Recitation on Completing a Reading of the Qur’¡n 867
Index of Subjects, Names and Terms 877
Key to the Signs Used in the Arabic Text 941
The Signs of Waqf 944

viii
Publisher’s Note

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Since the first translation of the Holy Qur’¡n into English in 1648, there have
appeared more than 60 other English translations by Muslim and non-Muslim
translators. Why, then, should the Islamic College for Advanced Studies ven-
ture to publish a new translation? Moreover, does not the very number of these
translations confirm the traditional belief that the Qur’¡n is untranslatable?
It is true that no literary masterpiece is ever fully translatable into another lan-
guage, let alone the Qur’¡n. The Holy Qur’¡n, according to Pikthall, is a
scripture “the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy.” How
could a text which, in the memorable words of A. J. Arberry, is “neither prose
nor poetry, but a unique fusion of both,” ever surrender its mysteries to a ren-
dering in another language? The Qur’¡n, of course, is a book of innumerable
merits, but many of them can, to various degrees, be transposed into other lan-
guages to inform and enlighten peoples of different cultures. The most impor-
tant feature of the Qur’¡n, aside from its literary excellence, is its divine guid-
ance, as it is a scripture meant for human enlightenment—enlightenment con-
cerning the most urgent and vital questions of deep concern to every human
being. It answers such questions as lie beyond the purview of mere human find-
ing: Where do we come from? Where do we stand? Where do we go from here?
Hence it describes itself as a scripture meant for reflection (12:2; 38:29). It is, in
its own words, a Book for reflective minds (ulu al-alb¡b), for those who value
knowledge (‘¡lim£n), for those who exercise their rational faculties (qawmin
ya‘qil£n), and for those who possess reason and perceptive minds (ulu al-nuh¡
and mutawassim£n).
Every translation of the Qur’¡n has its merits and shortcomings. The publica-
tion of this translation does not by any means imply that other translations have
been efforts of no value. However, some novel merits in this new translation
make it unique among the existing ones.
The translator, Sayyid ‘Al¢ Qul¢ Qar¡’¢, is a scholar who has dedicated his ef-
forts to translation of the classics of Islamic literature into English, which
makes him the most reliable authority for such an undertaking. Furthermore,
for such a rendering he has consulted major classical commentaries of the
Qur’¡n, by both Sunn¢ and Sh¢‘¢ commentators, which offer the reader a
broader understanding of some controversial verses in the Qur’¡n. Moreover,
his innovative approach in translating Arabic idioms, as explained in his intro-
ix
Publisher’s Note
duction, allows a smoother reading of the text.
However, the most outstanding feature of this translation is its new “phrasal
approach,” which is most useful for those who are eager to collate the Arabic
text with the English translation. With the painstaking efforts of the translator
and a group of international experts on Qur’¡nic sciences the reader would find
each phrase of the translation exactly opposite the corresponding Arabic
phrase, an arrangement of the source text and its translation that makes possi-
ble direct access to the Arabic verses.
The Islamic College for Advanced Studies is honoured to publish this transla-
tion of the Holy Book. We pray to God Almighty to give us the insight and
inner purity for understanding His message.

ICAS Press

Mu¦arram 1424
March 2003