'Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful one who taught by the pen, who taught man what he did not know.'

The Qur'an, believed by Muslims to be the word of God, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad 1400 years ago. It is the supreme authority in Islam and the living source of all Islamic teaching; it is a sacred text and a book of guidance, that sets out the creed, rituals, ethics, and laws of the Islamic religion. It has been one of the most influential books in the history of literature. Recognized as the greatest literary masterpiece in Arabic, it has nevertheless remained difficult to understand in its English translations.

This new translation is written in a contemporary idiom that remains faithful to the original, making it easy to read while retaining its powers of eloquence. Archaisms and cryptic language are avoided, and the Arabic meaning preserved by respecting the context of the discourse. The message of the Qur'an was directly addressed to all people regardless of class, gender, or age, and this translation is equally accessible to everyone.

Find the eBook on VitalSource.

Features

• A major new translation of the supreme authority in Islam, published at a time of intense interest in the Islamic religion and the Muslim world.
• The translation is accurate, easy to read and free from the archaisms, incoherence, and alien structures that mar most existing translations.
• Includes features such as: dialogue addressed to the Prophet is identified to avoid confusion; paragraphing and punctuation have been added to assist meaning and sentence structure; and the beginning of each verse is marked in small superscript type in order not to interrupt the flow or distract the reader.
• The introduction offers a brief history of the revelation and compilation of the Qur'an, its structure and stylistic features, and considers issues of interpretation in relation to militancy, intolerance, and the subjection of women.
• Provides notes that explain geographical, historical, and personal allusions and cross-referencing within the Qur'an.
• Concludes with an index that arranges Qur'anic material into topics for easy reference.

ABOUT THE SERIES

For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
The Life of Muhammad and the Historical Background
The Revelation of the Qur’an
The Compilation of the Qur’an
The Structure of the Qur’an: Suras and Ayas
Stylistic Features
Issues of Interpretation
A Short History of English Translations
This Translation
A CHRONOLOGY OF THE QUR’AN
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
MAP OF ARABIA AT THE TIME OF THE REVELATION
THE QUR’AN
1: THE OPENING
2: THE COW
3: THE FAMILY OF ‘IMRAN
4: WOMEN
5: THE FEAST
6: LIVESTOCK
7: THE HEIGHTS
8: BATTLE GAINS
9: REPENTANCE
10: JONAH
11: HUD
12: JOSEPH
13: THUNDER
14: ABRAHAM
15: AL–HIJR
16: THE BEE
17: THE NIGHT JOURNEY
18: THE CAVE
19: MARY
20: TA HA
21: THE PROPHETS
22: THE PILGRIMAGE
23: THE BELIEVERS
24: LIGHT
25: THE DIFFERENTIATOR
26: THE POETS
27: THE ANTS
28: THE STORY
29: THE SPIDER
30: THE BYZANTINES
31: LUQMAN
32: BOWING DOWN IN WORSHIP
33: THE JOINT FORCES
34: SHEBA
35: THE CREATOR
36: YA SIN
37: RANGED IN ROWS
38: SAAD
39: THE THRONGS
40: THE FORGIVER
41: [VERSES] MADE CLEAR
42: CONSULTATION
43: ORNAMENTS OF GOLD
44: SMOKE
45: KNEELING
46: THE SAND DUNES
47: MUHAMMAD
48: TRIUMPH
49: THE PRIVATE ROOMS
50: QAAF
51: SCATTERING [WINDS]
52: THE MOUNTAIN
53: THE STAR
54: THE MOON
55: THE LORD OF MERCY
56: THAT WHICH IS COMING
57: IRON
58: THE DISPUTE
59: THE GATHERING [OF FORCES]
60: THE WOMEN TESTED
61: SOLID LINES
62: THE DAY OF CONGREGATION
63: THE HYPOCRITES
64: MUTUAL NEGLECT
65: DIVORCE
66: PROHIBITION
67: CONTROL
68: THE PEN
69: THE INEVITABLE HOUR
70: THE WAYS OF ASCENT
71: NOAH
72: THE JINN
73: ENFOLDED
74: WRAPPED IN HIS CLOAK
75: THE RESURRECTION
76: MAN
77: [WINDS] SENT FORTH
78: THE ANNOUNCEMENT
79: THE FORCEFUL CHARGERS
80: HE FROWNED
81: THE ROLLING UP
82: THE BREAKING
83: THOSE WHO GIVE SHORT MEASURE
84: THE CRACKING
85: THE TOWERING CONSTELLATIONS
86: THE NIGHT-COMER
87: THE MOST HIGH
88: THE OVERWHELMING EVENT
89: DAYBREAK
90: THE CITY
91: THE SUN
92: THE NIGHT
93: THE MORNING BRIGHTNESS
94: RELIEF
95: THE FIG
96: THE CLINGING FORM
97: THE NIGHT OF GLORY
98: CLEAR EVIDENCE
99: THE EARTHQUAKE
100: THE CHARGING STEEDS
101: THE CRASHING BLOW
102: COMPETING FOR MORE
103: THE FADING DAY
104: THE BACKBITER
105: THE ELEPHANT
106: QURAYSH
107: COMMON KINDNESSES
108: ABUNDANCE
109: THE DISBELIEVERS
110: HELP
111: PALM FIBRE
112: PURITY OF FAITH
113: DAYBREAK
114: PEOPLE
INDEX

Translated by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem.

M. A. S. Abdel Haleem was born in Egypt, and learned the Qur'an by heart from childhood. Educated at al-Azhar, Cairo, and Cambridge Universities, he has taught Arabic and Islamic Studies at Cambridge and London Universities since 1966, including courses in advanced translation and the Qur'an. He is now Professor of Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is also working on An Introduction to the Qur'an and English Translation London Qur'an Studies series.

`'one of the best [translations] to have appeared in recent times'' -- Muslim News

`'accessible and compelling...a remarkable achievement'' -- New Statesman