'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.
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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
