• 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. It explains stylistic features peculiar to Arabic, and offers solutions to the difficulties of rendering these into English. Respect for the immediate context and different aspects of meaning produces greater clarity of meaning; dialogue addressed to the Prophet is identified to avoid confusion. Paragraphing and punctuation have been added to assist meaning and sentence structure. 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.
• Notes explain geographical, historical, and personal allusions and cross-referencing within the Qur'an.
• Map.
• Index in which Qur'anic material is arranged into topics for easy reference.

 
'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.