Table Of ContentTHE GRACIOUS
...........__URAN
AM ODERN-PHRASED INTERPRETATION IN ENGLISH
ARABIC-ENGLISH PARALLEL EDITION
SIXTH PRINT
Ahmad Zaki Hammad, Ph.D.
ANNOTATED CONTENTS
FOR THE GRACIOUS QURAN
A MODERN-PHRASEIDN TERPRETATIIONNE NGLISH
1. SuraAtl -Fati]:i��ah � 2
Thes urathh aitsT HE OPENING tot heQ uraann dt ot hes traiwgahyto fG od.
2. SAu raAtl- Baqahr a-:'.W. V.d\�,'_/'/ 3
Thes urathh amte ntiotnhses toroyfT HE COW designabtyeG do dfo r
sacrifoiffceirailnw gh,e rebHye testtehdes inceroiffat iyt ohf t heC hildroefn
Israaeflt tehre idre liverfraonmc Peh araoh.
3. SuraAlt 'Imran�� _____ ____ 83
The surahm etnhtaitot nhsa Gto dh asc hosetnh ed escendoanfTt HsE FAMILY
OF 'IMRAN toi nherpirto phethaoboodv teh ep eoploefa llt hew orld.
4. SuAr aAtl- N.1 As' a �'\�/�':'.I\�_}./'() -- --· 127
Thes urathh aetn shritnheess p iritpuraolp-e,r tlyi-n,e agaen-dm, a rriage
righatnsdo bligatoifoWnOsM EN.
5. SuraAtl -Ma'idViBl.\Mah _ 172
Thes urathh amte ntiotnhses toroyfT HE TABLE-SPREAfrDo m Heaven
thaGto ds endto wna tt her equeosftt heD isciptlobe esa c leasri gtno t hem
oft heu nambiguotursu tthh aJte su�1s wasi,n deetdh,ea waitMeeds siaanhd
ProphoeftG od.
6. SiiraAtl -An'am�'i) \j)� . ____ _ 207
Thes urathh adte bunkassa m erefo rgerayg aintshteL awo fG odt hefo rbidden
practiocfPe rse -IslAarmaibciw ai trhe gatrodt hes acrifdiicset,r ibuatnido n,
consumptoifoC nA TTLE-andal l sucshy stetmhsa atr bitriamrpiolsyue p on
peoplmee aninglseascsr ifoiffceersi,n agnsdp, r ohibitiinto hnens a meo fu ngodly
ideaasn dl ifeildeoslsws h,i clhe aidn varitaobt lhyei mpoverishomfew notm en
andt hep oora,n dth ei nstitutionatlhiezraetboiyfio, nn fa,n ticide.
XX!
ThGera ciQouursa An M:o dern-PhIrnatseerpdri enEt nagltiisohn
--------
7. Slirat Al-A'raf 248
The surah that depicts the final separation of the believers and unbelievers on
the Day of Judgment by an unsealable edifice called THE that
veils them from one another; but upon it stand men and women who can see
both the people destined for Paradise and those fated for Hell, while their
own harrowing verdict remains as yet undeclared by God.
8. Stlrat Al-Antal 292
The surah that answers the question that the believers put to the Prophet
regarding how God and His Messenger would have them distribute
�
THE SPOILS OF after the believers had differed among themselves
about its disbursement.
308
The surah that announces for time that God granted to His Prophet to
all �'
the Emigrant and Helping Companions, and to three errant but honest
believers and that He offers the same opportunity to the
unbelievers and the hypocrites, provided they forever renounce hostility,
idolatry, and duplicity; and which further demonstrates the faithfulness of this
offer in God's decree of amnesty for the truly repentant idolaters who fought
the believers at a place called f:u:l nayn.
10. Slirat Yunus 339
The surah that mentions the repentance of the people of the Prophet
�1 as an exception among the communities to whom the prophets
came. They heeded Jonah's call. Thus, God shed His grace upon them and
exempted them from ruin.
11. Surat Hud 3 2
__________ 6
The surah that m�_ention_@ s an ancient prophet after Noah �1 named �1,
whom God sent to the mighty people of 'Ad, the dwellers of a great pillared
city called Iram.
12. Surat Yusuf 387
The surah that narrates the edifying and enthralling life experience of the
noble prophet and exceptional interpreter of dreams, �1-son of
Jacob �1, son ofisaac �1, son of Abraham �1-calling it "the fairest of
stories," an inspirational triumph of morality and faith.
XXII
AnnotCaotnetde nts
13. Surat Al-Ra'd 408
��
The surah that translates into human experience the overpowering meaning of
what THE THUNDER says when it resounds through the sky and God
sends bolts to the earth.
14. Slirat Ibrahim - --- - - ------- 420
�1@ --
The surah that records the prayer of ABRAHAM -Father of Prophets-
;;81
for the security and perpetual godliness of the barren valley of Makkah, when,
at God's command, he settled his beloved spouse Hagar and first son Ishmael
;;81 there, in order to establish the perennial rites of the Prayer, as well as other
forms of worship, for all time on earth.
15. Surat Al-l:-Iijr 431
The surah that mentions the ancient and mighty people ofThamud who
carved out their homes in the mountain caves of THE STONE VALLEY,
and whom God destroyed because they belied with extreme prejudice His
miraculous signs and messengers.
16. Surat Al-Nabl 442
W�
The surah that mentions BEES-dwelling in mountains, trees, and man-made
hives; eating freely of fruited plants; and giving forth variously colored honeys
that hold both healthful delight and healing qualities-as a clear sign of the
wondrous bounty of God's creation.
17. Surat Al-Isra' - - --- 467
�&1�1 ---- - --- -------
The surah that mentions the miracle of THE NIGHT JOURNEY, wherein
God transported His servant Muhammad in a single night from the Sacred
�
Mosque ofMakkah to Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, to show him some of
His most wondrous signs.
18. Slirat Al-Kahf 490
The surah that mentions the wondrous story of a group of youthful believers
who retreated from their unbelieving people to the hills and the seclusion of
THE CAV E wherein God caused them to sleep for three hundred and nine
lunar years as a sign to their people that God shall, indeed, raise the dead-and
that also mentions the narratives of other marvels beyond ordinary human
conception.
XXIII
ThGer acQiuoruasAn lvl:o dern-PIhnratseerdp irnEe ntglaitsiho n
19. Surat 511
The surah that mentions the miracle-filled story of MARY 1-the purest
�
woman of all time--and how, though an untouched virgin, she gave birth to
Jesus �1, the true Messiah and a human messenger of God to the Children of
Israel.
20. Slirat Ha 524
e:;;J:J.IB ------------
The surah that opens with the discrete Arabic letters
21. Surat 541
The surah that mentions the names of sixteen PROPHETS and Mary
illustrating the unity of the divine message.
22. Slirat 558
�_@ -- - ---------------
The surah wherein God commands Abraham �1 to proclaim to all humanity
the obligation of THE to the Ancient House of God-
the Ka'bah-in Makkah.
2 3. SuA rat Al- Mu ' m• muA n ���.:;,.&?-;:'\\I])_,;,<�"/ --- -- ---- --------------- 575
The surah that declares the ultimate success of THE BELIEVERS in One
God, without partner, and that describes the irreproachable standard of their
spiritual and moral virtues.
24. Surat JIJ-Nur 590
The surah that contains the inimitable verse that celebrates God as THE LIGHT
of the heavens and the earth, guiding to Himself whomever He so wills.
25. Surat 605
The surah proclaiming the Quran that God bestowed upon Muhammad
,§c
to be, in its finality and totality, THE CRITERION of everlasting salvation
for humankind until the end of time.
all
26. Slirat Al-Shu'ara' 618
The surah that mentions the aimless meandering of unbelieving POETS in
their creative effort to versify, and how their own actions belie their artistic
messages, though it exempts from this censure poets who are believers and act
with justice and righteousness.
XXIV
AnnotCaotnetde nts
------ . ----·-----
27. Surat Al-Naml 637
---·---
The surah that speaks of the Valley ofTHE ANTS, through which the hosts
of Solomon �1 were once marching, wherein God miraculously enabled
Solomon �1 to hear one of them as she warned the others to flee into their
homes before being crushed-a miracle of audition and understanding for
which Solomon thanked God profusely.
�1
28. Sfaat Al-Qa�a� 654
The surah that mentions how Moses came to the wells of Midian and
�1
related to the aged believer, whose daughters he had helped, the series of
events and THE STORIES of his flight from Egypt; and that mentions, as
well, the stories of Moses' call to prophethood and confrontation with
�1
Pharaoh, his Exodus with the Children ofisrael, and that ofKorah ofisrael,
whom God destroyed.
29. Surat Al-'Ankabut 674
·-
The surah that mentions the practical fragility of the webbed home of
THE SPIDER as an analogy for those who take false deities as a shelter.
30. Surat Al-Rum 689
----- ------�--- ------- - -----
The surah that mentions the defeat of THE BYZANTINES and the divine
promise of their forthcoming victory in several years-and in prophesying
this, implying martial triumph for the Muslims over their idolatrous
adversaries at the same time. The surah is occasioned by the celebration of the
idol-worshipping opponents of the Prophet � at the news of the Byzantine
defeat by the Persians, for they drew an analogy between themselves and the
fire-worshipping Persians as defenders of polytheism in opposition to the
monotheism of the Muslims and Byzantine Christians.
31. Surat Luqman 701
6,\Sij:f_0 _____
The surah that mentions the judicious and poignant admonitions of
(whom some call Lokman, the Wise, a man of faith) as he spoke
them to his beloved -son.
32. Surat Al-Sajdah 709
The only surah beginning with the discrete Arabic letters Alif Ldm Mlm that
also contains a verse (32:21) which requires one who recites it to perform a
prostration of BOWING DOWN to the ground before God in worship at
.the mention of God's revealed signs.
xxv
TheG racQiuoruasAn M:o dern-PhIrnatseerpdri enEt nagltiisohn
33. Surat 715
�);k'ij� __ ____ ___ ________ ___ ____ _
The surah that mentions THE FEDERATED CLANS of the unbelievers,
who besieged Madinah, the City of the Prophet � with an overwhelming
'
force, but whom God routed with winds and a sandstorm in what became
known as the Battle of the Ditch, in reference to the digging of a wide trench
around the city as a barrier to invasion, an unprecedented practice in Arabia,
34. Surat Saba' 733
The surah that mentions the gracious dwelling place of the prosperous people
of SHEBA in Yemen, whom God whelmed away for their rejection of God's
blessings by causing the great 'Arim Dam to break, drowning their spectacular
parallel orchards.
35. Slirat 746
�B:;_@ ---------------
The surah that opens with the praise of God as the SOLE ORIGINATOR of
the heavens and the earth.
36. Surat Ya Sl'n 756
The surah that opens with the discrete Arabic letters and which the
Prophet � called the "Heart of the Quran,"
37. Surat 767
The surah that oplt\1\2;1ens with,� the oath_ o__f t h_e D ivine One swearing by the angels
arrayed before Him in DEVOTIONAL RA1\.1KS and, thereafter, by other
angels propelling the clouds, dispelling evil, and reciting God's praise.
38. Surat 781
�_@ __ ____________
The surah that opens with the single discrete Arabic letter
39. Surat Al-Zumar 792
f)tlljW __________ __ _______ _
The surah that mentions THE COMPANIES of the unbelievers who shall be
driven to Hell in the Hereafter, and the companies of the God-fearing who
shall be ushered to Paradise in honor,
40, Ghafir 808
The surah that describes the Divine Being in its third verse as the one and
only God, who is THE FORGIVER of Sin, the Acceptor of Repentance, but
also the Severe in Punishment,
XXVT
AnnotCaotnetde nts
41. Surat Fu$silat 825
�_@ --------
The surah that describes the Quran as THE LUCIDLY DISTINCT Heavenly
revelation for those who would give it heed.
42. Surat Al-Shura 837
The surah that mentions mutual CONSULTA TI ON among the believers as
the godly means by which to conduct their affairs and as a virtuous sign that
they will gain the reward of God in the Hereafter.
43. Slirat Al-Zukhruf 849
��
The surah that mentions the solid GOLD ORNAMENTS, and other
precious commodities and appointments, which God would have granted in
this life to all the unbelievers-had it not been that this would have driven
humankind to unite in godlessness-for the trinkets of life are the true hearts'
desire of the ungodly. Yet fleeting are all the things of this world, and far finer
and everlasting the joy of Paradise for the believers; and that is their true
hearts' desire.
44. SuratAl-Dukhan 862
G.\_�� ---------·----···- __
The surah that mentions a divine portent of an evil destiny that will come in
the appearance of something unknown called THE SMOKE. It manifests in
the sky and enveils the unbelievers on the earth, until they cry in vain to God
that they shall believe in the Quran and its Messenger if only He delivers
m
them from this torment.
45. Stirat 868
The surah that mentions THE KNEELING of every community around the
brink of Hellfire on the Day of Doom in wait of its divine judgment.
46. Surat 875
The surah that mentions the fatal lesson of the ancient people of 'Ad who
dwelled in THE DUNE VALLEYS whose prophet warned
them to give up idolatry and worship only God, but to no avail.
885
·-
The surah that declares that God absolves of misdeeds, and sets right the
intellects, of those who work righteousness and who believe in all that God
has sent down upon His final Messenger to humankind, MUHAMMAD/$.
xxvn
ThGer acQiuoruasAn 1\1:o dern-PhIrnatseerdpi rnEe ntglaitsiho n
-
--- ----------- - ----- ----
48. Surat 893
&J� ------
The surah that opens by acclaiming THE MANIFEST TRIUMPH of peace
that God accorded His Prophet in the truce he agreed to with the
,�
Makkans at a place called I:Iudaybiyyah.
49. Surat Al-Bujurat 901
���
The surah that criticized as ill-mannered and uncouth those who would stand
behind THE CHAMBERS of the Prophet's wives and call him forth for
discourse with raised voices.
50. Surat 906
The surah that opens with the single discrete Arabic letter
51. Surat 913
The surah that opens with the oath of the Divine One swearing by
THE SCATTERING WINDS that stream far and wide bearing the rain
clouds of His mercy.
52. Surat 919
JcW,lj)� ------··--·-· --
The surah that opens with the oath of the Divine One swearing by
MOUNT of Sinai, where the Torah was revealed to Moses
TUR ;£11.
53. Surat Al-Najm 924
The surah that opens with the oath of the Divine One swearing by every one
of THE STARS, as they descend and disappear beneath the horizon, that
Muhammad is indeed God's awaited Messenger.
5
54. Surat 930
The surah that opens with the unnerving, cataclysmic sign of the end of the
world coming and THE MOON having split apart.
55. Surat 936
The surah that crowns the Quran and opens with the chant of a single word
proclaiming one of God's most beautiful names, THE ALL-MERCIFUL.
56. Sfuat -- - --- -- -- ---- - - 942
�,� -
The surah that opens by naming the occurrence of the end of time with the
title THE INDISPUTABLE EVENT; for all who deny that it is corning will
never belie it when finally it happens.
XXVIII
AnnotCaotnetde nts
--------------------- ------- ----·--·�----------
57. Surat Al-tradid 948
The surah that mentions the heavy metallic element IRON as being sent
down by God from the heavens to endow the earth itself with mighty force,
and humanity with the many benefits of its malleable and structural strength,
and all the great tests of faith that arise from this.
58. Sl'lrat Al-Mujadilah 956
W5\'.A� __ __ _ _ __ _____ _
The surah that mentions the complaint ofKhawlah bint Tha'labah to the
Prophet as SHE WHO ARGUED for the dignity of women against the
abominable practice whereby husbands estranged their wives from intimacy
on false pretext.
59. Surat Al-trashr 963
The surah that mentions God's expulsion of the clan ofBanu Al-Nadir from
their prodigious fortress-settlement near Madinah, in THE MUSTERING it
calls the first of its kind; for they had betrayed their covenant of mutual
defense by aiding idolaters against monotheistic believers.
60. Surat Al-Mumtahanah 969
�IP� __ _ _ _ ___________ __ _
The surah that instituted for lone female Emigres to Islam the swearing of a
sacred oath as THE TEST OF FAITH, establishing publicly that their
migration was purely for the sake of God, without worldly motive, so as to
vouchsafe to them full protection and rights in the Muslim community.
61. Surat Al-Saff 974
The surah that declares God's love of all those believers who maintain
THE SOLID RANKS of unbreachable communal unity in selflessly and
fearlessly defending God's cause against aggression.
62. Slirat Al-Jumu'ah 977
The surah that enjoins the believers to proceed at once to the ritual Prayer of
THE FRIDAY CONGREGATION and to quit all commercial transacting as
soon as they hear the call to the Prayer.
63. Slirat Al-Munafiqun 980
@lt4� ----- ---------- ------ ----
The surah that declares that God bears witness that the false profession of faith
by THE HYPOCRITES is uttered only as a screen to hide their duplicity.
XXIX
