i would like to read the Quran, only problem is i don't read Arabic, would the Quran be accurate, in English

Question

if this is possible, what would be the best english, translation to get and where

why am i getting hostile, answers.
would you like to be told what to read no dont think so.

Answer 1

I'd first like to applaud you for not feeding into all the hype and wanting to find some things out for yourself. The beloved Prophet Muhammad teaches us, "Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave."

In my opinion, the best translation is my Muhammad Pickthall, which I'm sure you could order over the internet. But if you're impatient like me, you could go here (http://www.islam.tc/quran/), here (http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/SURAI.HTM), or here (http://www.jannah.org/qurantrans/quran1.html) to read it online. All of the above sites are easy to nagivate and very helpful.

I hope you find your answers, but above all, I hope you find peace.

Answer 2

Most Muslims can't speak Arabic. Myself, I can pray and arabic and recite some Quran but can't speak or read fluently. Any English translation is good, just remember that it is a translation of the Quran and not a true Quran. So it is possible some things could be lost in translation but it's still about as good as it get's for another language. The translators took very good care to make it accurate.

Answer 3

I was really pleased by your question, actually Quran cannot be that accurate in any other language than Arabic, but you can see the translation of it so that you know the meaning of its verses and it's my pleasure to recommend you the website I refer to when I need to look up the English meaning of some verse in Quran;

http://www.qurancomplex.com

1 - The home page will load in the default language, Arabic.
2 - Wait till it finishes loading then you can see in the upper right corner a "Language" button, when you just stop the pointer on it, a drop menu will appear, choose English from it.
3 - After loading the page in English language, you'll find a menu on the left hand side, click on "Translations" then on "Translations of the meanings of the noble Quran".
4 - On this page, you can specify the Surah (Chapter) and verse to show, also you can search for some text, but this is valid only for Arabic words as Quran contains only Arabic words.

I hope it was beneficial to you, please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any help.

Answer 4

the fact of the matter is this, the qu'ran has only be translated from a pure Arabic form into a pure English form by only two or three translaters , Yusuf Islam being one of them. What you need is an interpretation of the interpretation (kind of like sparknotes for an English classic). Now these can differ from one another according to the authors own beliefs and biases. Really you should read around and make your own decision about which interpretation you would rather follow.

Secondly, do not read any Qu'ranic material online since a lot of them are not run by Muslim organisation and can contain a lot of prejudice material - which explains why so many people on here are so ignorant - The internet was meant to spread knowledge, not further entrap people within their own ignorance!


For some supplementary reading on Islam and women try "Believing women in Islam - unreading patriarchal interpretations of the Qu'ran" by Asma Barlas - It really is a groundbreaking piece of work and answers many questions surrounding the so called gender "inequality" prevalent within Islamic societies.

Answer 5

I will only say this...from a purely linguistic standpoint ALL translations are inaccurate to one degree or another. IF it is possible you should read the text in its original language to get the full understanding. That goes for ANY written work not just the Koran. You best bet, in all actuality would be to contact a local Mosque and ask them about which translatin they feel is the closest to the original, and then you should still have someone who is familiar with the original language and text help you understand where the discrepancies are and clarify things from the point of view of the original text.

Answer 6

In my reading, several authors have suggested that translation from the Arabic is not always as clear in English. This is true of several languages. They suggest that it is fundamentally accurate in English with some troubled areas that may have subtle changes in meaning. The authors were Muslims.

Pastor John

Answer 7

The translation into English is not called the Quran but it is called the "meaning of the Quran".

It is a good first step and most verses are clear and simple so the translation is suitable.



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Answer 8

the translation will not be accurate like arabic ,but there are some good translations of the Quran that help like..
- Yusuf Ali Translation

- Pickthall Translation

- Shakir Translation

well I 'll give you down a well trusted website that will give you basic keys to study and read quran:

http://www.islamonline.net/surah/english/index.asp

http://www.islamonline.net/English/Living_Shariah/QuranTheReminder/SearchTheQuran/Archive_01.shtml

this is a link for translation of the holy quran:
http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/SURAI.HTM

Answer 9

They are about 90% accurate; some things have been mistranslated than and again in certain versions. Check out the religion section at the book store, and pick up a few books on Islam as well as the Quran. "No god but God" by Reza Aslan is a really enlightening read, I recommend it; it's about fifteen USD.


Good luck. :)

Answer 10

if you want to read Qur'an for broading your knowledge or understanding the Qur'an or Islam it's ok to find the closest translation to the original like some ppl already mentioned b4 & recommended websites you should visit.
However, if you want to read it as for being a moslem (i.e for worshiping/shalat) you should learn to read the Arabic. Many moslems can't understand Arabic but they have to pray & read Qur'an as in the original text.

Just like other religions (hindu, budhist etc.) when they pray they use the original language.