Recommended Quran version?

rlparker · 09-09-2010, 03:02 PM

What with all this talk about burning Qurans, I decided that I'd like to read it for myself. Here are my questions:

1. Is there a translation of the Quran that is considered superior? On Amazon, looks like I have a choice between Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Yahiya Emerick, The Monotheist Group (?), and maybe a couple of others.

2. To get a broad view of major religious viewpoints, what other holy books (besides the Quran and Bible) should I read?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

durkinrobinson · 09-09-2010, 03:16 PM

Taking a nasty event and using it as motivation to become more aware and educated - I'm impressed. It'd be nice if something good came out of the Gainesville debacle. (I live in Tampa and cringe whenever a fellow Floridian makes us look dumber than we are.)

Not sure about the Quran version, but my people's holy book is the Torah. What a hoot! You can find fun stories about dysfunctional families mixed in with child rape, slavery, and warnings about shrimp cocktails.

A fun holy book without all the murder and homophobia is the Bhagavad Gita. (It helps to burn some incense and play Ravi Shankar in the background while reading it.)

Dianetics? The Book of Mormon? Are You There God, It's Me Margaret?

I've read them all. Guess which one I liked best.

L'Shana Tovah,
Catherine

jgaiser · 09-09-2010, 04:33 PM

This site recommends the M. A. S. Abdel Haleem translation from Oxford University Press (ISBN-10: 0199535957 ISBN-13: 978-0199535958)

Also a good resource is Holy Ebooks.

rlparker · 09-09-2010, 04:33 PM

Hi Catherine,

Thanks for the suggestions. Um, I'll guess "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret", but the others sound pretty good too. I'll add 'em all to my list.

jgaiser · 09-09-2010, 05:44 PM

Also noticed that the Haleem translation is available on Amazon for $7.16

rlparker · 09-09-2010, 06:16 PM

Hi jgaiser, thanks for the info. Do you know if the Haleem translation is considered "better" than the others?

NormHart · 09-09-2010, 06:23 PM

Hum...

You can't burn an ebook.

jgaiser · 09-09-2010, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlparker

Hi jgaiser, thanks for the info. Do you know if the Haleem translation is considered "better" than the others?

Better is subjective. It is considered the best "modern english" translation.

Worldwalker · 09-09-2010, 06:44 PM

Don't forget to check the free versions. I believe Gutenberg has several.

ellimak · 09-09-2010, 07:20 PM

My favorite version of the Qur'an is the Muhammad Asad translation: The Message of the Qur'an. I have it in hardback, but it's also available online: http://www.islamicbulletin.com/free_...quran_asad.htm.

The hardback version of this translation is beautiful; it's full color with side-by-side transliteration as well as the original Arabic text. Beyond that, Asad provides really helpful, extensive context and commentary for most of the verses. While Asad's interpretation (because that's all any translation is, really) is certainly progressive, I believe it maintains the spirit of the original text quite well.

WT Sharpe · 09-13-2010, 01:03 PM

Thanks to all who have recommended a translation, and to all those who will.

beppe · 09-14-2010, 11:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlparker

2. To get a broad view of major religious viewpoints, what other holy books (besides the Quran and Bible) should I read?
.

hi rlparker, with holy books you certainly mean the starting point, the founding corner stone or similar.

I think that to get a broad view of major religious viewpoints one might find more proficient to read someone who has studied the major religions.

I use : The World's Religions by Huston Smith.

rlparker · 09-15-2010, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beppe

...I think that to get a broad view of major religious viewpoints one might find more proficient to read someone who has studied the major religions....[/URL][/COLOR].

Hi beppe, thanks for your very good suggestion. I've put the book on my TBR list.

I bow to your and your wisdom!

rlparker · 09-15-2010, 10:28 AM

I went to check out the book at Amazon. Here's the list from the "What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?" section:

The World's Religions, Revised and Updated by Huston Smith Kindle Edition
God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter by Stephen Prothero
Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions by Encyclopedia Britannica
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

For some reason that last one struck me as funny.

WT Sharpe · 09-15-2010, 11:06 AM

Deleted (double post). Sorry!

09-09-2010, 03:02 PM	#1
rlparker Ars longa Posts: 1,179 Karma: 17404 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: north carolina, usa Device: Kindle K1, K3 wifi	Recommended Quran version? What with all this talk about burning Qurans, I decided that I'd like to read it for myself. Here are my questions: 1. Is there a translation of the Quran that is considered superior? On Amazon, looks like I have a choice between Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Yahiya Emerick, The Monotheist Group (?), and maybe a couple of others. 2. To get a broad view of major religious viewpoints, what other holy books (besides the Quran and Bible) should I read? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

09-15-2010, 10:28 AM	#14
rlparker Ars longa Posts: 1,179 Karma: 17404 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: north carolina, usa Device: Kindle K1, K3 wifi	I went to check out the book at Amazon. Here's the list from the "What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?" section: The World's Religions, Revised and Updated by Huston Smith Kindle Edition God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World--and Why Their Differences Matter by Stephen Prothero Britannica Encyclopedia of World Religions by Encyclopedia Britannica The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle For some reason that last one struck me as funny.

09-15-2010, 11:06 AM	#15
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	Deleted (double post). Sorry! Last edited by WT Sharpe; 09-15-2010 at 11:19 AM. Reason: Delete double post.

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09-09-2010, 03:16 PM	#2
durkinrobinson Lovechild Posts: 90 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Device: Kindle	Taking a nasty event and using it as motivation to become more aware and educated - I'm impressed. It'd be nice if something good came out of the Gainesville debacle. (I live in Tampa and cringe whenever a fellow Floridian makes us look dumber than we are.) Not sure about the Quran version, but my people's holy book is the Torah. What a hoot! You can find fun stories about dysfunctional families mixed in with child rape, slavery, and warnings about shrimp cocktails. A fun holy book without all the murder and homophobia is the Bhagavad Gita. (It helps to burn some incense and play Ravi Shankar in the background while reading it.) Dianetics? The Book of Mormon? Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? I've read them all. Guess which one I liked best. L'Shana Tovah, Catherine

09-09-2010, 04:33 PM	#3
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	This site recommends the M. A. S. Abdel Haleem translation from Oxford University Press (ISBN-10: 0199535957 ISBN-13: 978-0199535958) Also a good resource is Holy Ebooks.

09-09-2010, 05:44 PM	#5
jgaiser Omnivorous Posts: 3,283 Karma: 27978909 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Rural NW Oregon Device: Kindle Voyage, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle 3, KPW1	Also noticed that the Haleem translation is available on Amazon for $7.16

09-09-2010, 06:16 PM	#6
rlparker Ars longa Posts: 1,179 Karma: 17404 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: north carolina, usa Device: Kindle K1, K3 wifi	Hi jgaiser, thanks for the info. Do you know if the Haleem translation is considered "better" than the others?

09-09-2010, 06:23 PM	#7
NormHart Semper Carpe Bufo Posts: 537 Karma: 21676 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Napa Valley, California Device: Kindle2 & Kindle3	Hum... You can't burn an ebook.

09-09-2010, 06:44 PM	#9
Worldwalker Curmudgeon Posts: 3,085 Karma: 722357 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: PRS-505	Don't forget to check the free versions. I believe Gutenberg has several.

09-09-2010, 07:20 PM	#10
ellimak I spit hot fire Posts: 91 Karma: 13464 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: USA Device: Nook, or as I call him, Sir Nookington	My favorite version of the Qur'an is the Muhammad Asad translation: The Message of the Qur'an. I have it in hardback, but it's also available online: http://www.islamicbulletin.com/free_...quran_asad.htm. The hardback version of this translation is beautiful; it's full color with side-by-side transliteration as well as the original Arabic text. Beyond that, Asad provides really helpful, extensive context and commentary for most of the verses. While Asad's interpretation (because that's all any translation is, really) is certainly progressive, I believe it maintains the spirit of the original text quite well.

09-13-2010, 01:03 PM	#11
WT Sharpe Bah, humbug! Posts: 39,072 Karma: 157049943 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chesapeake, VA, USA Device: Kindle Oasis, iPad Pro, & a Samsung Galaxy S9.	Thanks to all who have recommended a translation, and to all those who will.