I really haven't got to read this book yet but am influenced by the comment that it is considered to be the "Best" Translation of all.
This book isn't like a Novel which you can sit down and read but one which you read a small bit at a time as it is very detail so theres is a limit as to how much you can digest at one time.

I finally got around to reading this translation of the Qur'an. I gave it five stars to counter act some of the one star reviews. Im a Christian and still am. But I will admit I no longer view Islam as evil, or the Qur'an as a bad book. Quite the contrary I was pleasently surprised with beauty of the poetry, and the core message is very similar to Christianity. I would have a lot more in common with a Muslim than I would with an atheist for example. Taking the time to read through the book, I realize that living for God, regardless if you call Him Jehovah, or Allah, will lead you to live a more righteous life and to a better path on which to travel the hard road of life. The core morals taught by Muhammad line up with those taught by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of course I disagree with Muslims over the Deity of Christ, I still find their religion agrees with my morals, and is more peaceful than the media frenzy would have someone believe. I believe these terrorists are the exception, and most Muslims are good religious people if they are following the teachings in this book. God bless you.

If Arabs read this book, they wouldn't be out to kill Jews. I can't believe that a short way into the text there is a statement that Jews are acceptable to Allah because they worship Him (although by another name).

The Koran--or, the Qur'an (the recitation) as the Arabs call it--is believed by Muslims and diehard sheeple/believers to be the literal word of God as recited through Gabriel to Mohammed. However, the Koran--as demonstrated no better than in this post-911 world of incremented Muslim terrorism--has many, irreparable faults within, the chief one being that it's susceptible for the use of encouraging violence, brutality and terrorism!!!! There's a reason *sama is, sacrilegiously, a very popular name these days in the Muslim community and why the Muslim world in general scarcely protests against terrorism, or the extremists they claim only make up a "fraction" of their worshippers. The ordeal with Islam is that a larger-than-tolerable number of their practitioners believe that violence is essentially Islamic and Islamic terrorism is only religious terrorism and therefore true Islam. Aside from these already inexcusable sins of the Koran, there are also irrecoverable problems relating to misuse of science, inconsistency, historical inaccuracy and a failure of providing context for verses.

Because of all these flaws within the Koran, it's hazardously susceptible to misinterpretation by Islamic fascists and terrorists, something the Christian Bible, as an example, obviously isn't. That's why Christianity hasn't produced any extremists or fanatics who use the name of their God to kill, murder, dictate, terrorize, or otherwise harm other human beings.

The most infernal predicament with the Koran, not just extremist Islam, is that some of its own verses glorify and preach violence (leading to terrorism). One of the most infamous verses in the Koran appears to shamelessly endorse brutality, (2:194):

"The Sacred month for the sacred month and all sacred things are (under the law of) retaliation; whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and be careful (of your duty) to Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)."

This provocative verse glaringly endorses a revenge culture which, of course, dominates the minds of the Islamic terrorists who hate the West. The same sura where the above verse is featured also endorses that fighting for Allah isn't optional (2:216). Other verses implicating Islam as the opposite of the "religion of peace" include verse 4:95--which says that those who fight please Allah more than those who don't--and verse 9:19-20--which says that those who take up arms for Islam rank highest among believers!!!! The call to terrorism and violence in Koranic verses is by no means limited to these; these are just a couple of examples.

Another direly distressing feature of the Koran is its moral backsliding as practiced by Mohammed, which is a moral relapse based on the moral traditions of Judaism and Christianity and also just basic conscience. For instance, the Koran unabashedly and explicitly encourages supposedly "light" beatings to disobedient wives, with even Islamic scholars generally agreeing on this interpretation of verse 4:34. For the Muslim apologists in obstinate denial over Mohammed's endorsement of domestic violence and spousal abuse, the verse goes henceforth:

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what God would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For God is Most High, great (above you all)."

By this staggeringly disquieting verse, we can see that amoral backsliding is advocated in the Koran; Judaism and Christianity have no such call to battery.

Other irremediably terminal dilemmas with Islam concern the intractable punishment of death for apostasy, the rejection of Islam by a believer; the stoning-to-death of adulterers, particularly women; the advocation of cutting off the hands of thieves; the dea4th penalty for homosexuals; and permitting/advocating slavery. Islam has no defense against the charge it condones slavery since the "best" Islamo-apologists like John Esposito and Yusuf Ali do is admit Islam permits slavery, but also the "good treatment" of slaves!!!!

Aside from these morally distasteful encroachments by the Koran, it's also infected with historical irregularities versus what the Bible contains, but the arrogant Muslim believers justify this by denouncing the Bible as being blurred by human interference, which presumes the perfection of the Qoran. The science misused in the Koran is also unpardonable--confirming its primitive sickness--as some verses literally bait the reader into thinking the Earth is flat and that the moon gives off light instead of reflecting sunlight!

With all these irretrievably baneful ordeals in the Koran, it's no wonder that former jihadists like Walid Shoebat have had to RENOUNCE Islam and convert to Christianity to leave terrorism behind!!!! With all this putridness in the Koran, no hardline Muslim could become moderate!!!!

The Koran--or, the Qur'an (the recitation) as the Arabs call it--is believed by Muslims and diehard sheeple/believers to be the literal word of God as recited through Gabriel to Mohammed. However, the Koran--as demonstrated no better than in this post-911 world of incremented Muslim terrorism--has many, irreparable faults within, the chief one being that it's susceptible for the use of encouraging violence, brutality and terrorism!!!! There's a reason *sama is, sacrilegiously, a very popular name these days in the Muslim community and why the Muslim world in general scarcely protests against terrorism, or the extremists they claim only make up a "fraction" of their worshippers. The ordeal with Islam is that a larger-than-tolerable number of their practitioners believe that violence is essentially Islamic and Islamic terrorism is only religious terrorism and therefore true Islam. Aside from these already inexcusable sins of the Koran, there are also irrecoverable problems relating to misuse of science, inconsistency, historical inaccuracy and a failure of providing context for verses.

Because of all these flaws within the Koran, it's hazardously susceptible to misinterpretation by Islamic fascists and terrorists, something the Christian Bible, as an example, obviously isn't. That's why Christianity hasn't produced any extremists or fanatics who use the name of their God to kill, murder, dictate, terrorize, or otherwise harm other human beings.

The most infernal predicament with the Koran, not just extremist Islam, is that some of its own verses glorify and preach violence (leading to terrorism). One of the most infamous verses in the Koran appears to shamelessly endorse brutality, (2:194):

"The Sacred month for the sacred month and all sacred things are (under the law of) retaliation; whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and be careful (of your duty) to Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)."

This provocative verse glaringly endorses a revenge culture which, of course, dominates the minds of the Islamic terrorists who hate the West. The same sura where the above verse is featured also endorses that fighting for Allah isn't optional (2:216). Other verses implicating Islam as the opposite of the "religion of peace" include verse 4:95--which says that those who fight please Allah more than those who don't--and verse 9:19-20--which says that those who take up arms for Islam rank highest among believers!!!! The call to terrorism and violence in Koranic verses is by no means limited to these; these are just a couple of examples.

Another direly distressing feature of the Koran is its moral backsliding as practiced by Mohammed, which is a moral relapse based on the moral traditions of Judaism and Christianity and also just basic conscience. For instance, the Koran unabashedly and explicitly encourages supposedly "light" beatings to disobedient wives, with even Islamic scholars generally agreeing on this interpretation of verse 4:34. For the Muslim apologists in obstinate denial over Mohammed's endorsement of domestic violence and spousal abuse, the verse goes henceforth:

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what God would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For God is Most High, great (above you all)."

By this staggeringly disquieting verse, we can see that amoral backsliding is advocated in the Koran; Judaism and Christianity have no such call to battery.

Other irremediably terminal dilemmas with Islam concern the intractable punishment of death for apostasy, the rejection of Islam by a believer; the stoning-to-death of adulterers, particularly women; the advocation of cutting off the hands of thieves; the dea4th penalty for homosexuals; and permitting/advocating slavery. Islam has no defense against the charge it condones slavery since the "best" Islamo-apologists like John Esposito and Yusuf Ali do is admit Islam permits slavery, but also the "good treatment" of slaves!!!!

Aside from these morally distasteful encroachments by the Koran, it's also infected with historical irregularities versus what the Bible contains, but the arrogant Muslim believers justify this by denouncing the Bible as being blurred by human interference, which presumes the perfection of the Qoran. The science misused in the Koran is also unpardonable--confirming its primitive sickness--as some verses literally bait the reader into thinking the Earth is flat and that the moon gives off light instead of reflecting sunlight!

With all these irretrievably baneful ordeals in the Koran, it's no wonder that former jihadists like Walid Shoebat have had to RENOUNCE Islam and convert to Christianity to leave terrorism behind!!!! With all this putridness in the Koran, no hardline Muslim could become moderate!!!!

I was amazed at this internationally acclaimed tome. I have read only a small portion so far, and find it poorly written with many ill-defined references and many internal conflicts. I was also surprised at how much of it deals with punishment for disbelieving in its tenets, but the tenets were not very clearly defined.
Perhaps it gets better later, so I will not pass judgement on the book as a whole.

I am a Catholic and I was motivated to read the Qur'an Holy Scriptures after my trip to the Holy Land recently. I have really enjoyed it. I actually can't put the book to rest! If you know the Torah/Old Testament and the New Testament you will definetely realize that the Qur'an is a continuation of the these scriptures. It reiterates past teachings in the previous books and it gives you more advice from God and how to live a life respecting God. It is totally helping me to demistify Islam, which to my conclusion, is just a different practice to honor the same Jewish,Christian God/Allah. I can basically summarize it as the extension of the 10 commandments. More specific and more in detail. It is truly an inspiring holy masterpiece. It has changed my life! However, this copy it is still somewhat difficult to read as it includes old English as "Nay, and Thou". But must of the content it is understandable. I do recommend an easier to read copy. Yesterday I bough item ISBN: 9960792633
Author: Saheeh International
Publisher: Saheeh International, Abul Qasim Publishing House (Saudi Arabia) as it is supposed to be easier to understand. Read my comment about this one later as it should be on its way...

This translation of the Qur'an is marketed as a pure English translation without the Arabic or commentary by the translator - and it is exactly this. BUT, there were a few things about this book that I was unaware of when I bought it:
This translation by Yusuf Ali (a great translation by the way) was updated by someone other than him to fit "contemporary" language and style. That is, instead of "of Ye we asketh" it would say "we ask You." Also, it is not written in meter or "biblical" style, but rather in plain sentences like a novel. I feel that this takes away from the enjoyability of the text greatly.
Also, you may want to get a version with the Arabic side by side with the English. Technically, since God spoke to Muhammad in Arabic, to understand the true meaning of the Qur'an, you must know Arabic. It's good to have the "original" text in case you have a question so you can ask an Imam or scholarly Muslim who speaks Arabic and they can derive an answer from the true text rather than from the Anglicized version.

I frankly don't give a damned about anyones religious opinion. All I want to know is if the book is easy to read, clear in its content, reasonably accurate in its interpretation. and a good value. I will make up my own mind about what I believe and if I am wrong, then God and I will sort it out at my judgement.

I set out to read the entire Koran but only finished one-third of it. At that point, most of what was being said was being said for at least the second time, and I really just wanted to get the gist of it. I think I did. I can see how it inspires terrorism, but I can also see how the Bible inspired the Inquisition, colonialism and the Ku Klux Klan. But I can ALSO see how both books inspire love and peace.

The Koran is just as beautiful AND ugly as all scriptures. You yourself can decide which parts are beautiful and which are ugly. Some parts will probably bring the entire thing down for you, but you'll find real truths in others. But you can say the same thing about a thousand other great literary works, even if they're by Shakespeare, Milton, Dante...

And just to say... One passage really stuck out. I wish I'd written it down. It said, basically, to live in peace with your neighbors(non-Muslims), but if they take your land, don't stop killing them until you get it back. I know they want Isreal, but I'd never heard their view put so simply. I hope I'm not misquoting it too badly!

Read it, if you're used to a demanding read. It's educational for being written from a non-Western point of view, it's poetic(my translation was, but it wasn't this one), and it's creating our history.

I set out to read the entire Koran but only finished one-third of it. At that point, most of what was being said was being said for at least the second time, and I really just wanted to get the gist of it. I think I did. I can see how it inspires terrorism, but I can also see how the Bible inspired the Inquisition, colonialism and the Ku Klux Klan. But I can ALSO see how both books inspire love and peace.

The Koran is just as beautiful AND ugly as all scriptures. You yourself can decide which parts are beautiful and which are ugly. Some parts will probably bring the entire thing down for you, but you'll find real truths in others. But you can say the same thing about a thousand other great literary works, even if they're by Shakespeare, Milton, Dante...

And just to say... One passage really stuck out. I wish I'd written it down. It said, basically, to live in peace with your neighbors(non-Muslims), but if they take your land, don't stop killing them until you get it back. I know they want Isreal, but I'd never heard their view put so simply. I hope I'm not misquoting it too badly!

Read it, if you're used to a demanding read. It's educational for being written from a non-Western point of view, it's poetic(my translation was, but it wasn't this one), and it's creating our history.

All I want to know is if the book in questiob is an accurate translation of the Koran (Quran, whatever). There is way too much arguing and posturing in these reviews about the Koran in general and not enough discussion about the individual translation itself.

All I want to know is if the book in questiob is an accurate translation of the Koran (Quran, whatever). There is way too much arguing and posturing in these reviews about the Koran in general and not enough discussion about the individual translation itself.

The Koran--or, the Qur'an (the recitation) as the Arabs call it--is believed by Muslims and diehard sheeple/believers to be the literal word of God as recited through Gabriel to Mohammed. However, the Koran--as demonstrated no better than in this post-911 world of incremented Muslim terrorism--has many, irreparable faults within, the chief one being that it's susceptible for the use of encouraging violence, brutality and terrorism!!!! There's a reason Osama is, sacrilegiously, a very popular name these days in the Muslim community and why the Muslim world in general scarcely protests against terrorism, or the extremists they claim only make up a "fraction" of their worshippers. The ordeal with Islam is that a larger-than-tolerable number of their practitioners believe that violence is essentially Islamic and Islamic terrorism is only religious terrorism and therefore true Islam. Aside from these already inexcusable sins of the Koran, there are also irrecoverable problems relating to misuse of science, inconsistency, historical inaccuracy and a failure of providing context for verses.

Because of all these flaws within the Koran, it's hazardously susceptible to misinterpretation by Islamic fascists and terrorists, something the Christian Bible, as an example, obviously isn't. That's why Christianity hasn't produced any extremists or fanatics who use the name of their God to kill, murder, dictate, terrorize, or otherwise harm other human beings.

The most infernal predicament with the Koran, not just extremist Islam, is that some of its own verses glorify and preach violence (leading to terrorism). One of the most infamous verses in the Koran appears to shamelessly endorse brutality, (2:194):

"The Sacred month for the sacred month and all sacred things are (under the law of) retaliation; whoever then acts aggressively against you, inflict injury on him according to the injury he has inflicted on you and be careful (of your duty) to Allah and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil)."

This provocative verse glaringly endorses a revenge culture which, of course, dominates the minds of the Islamic terrorists who hate the West. The same sura where the above verse is featured also endorses that fighting for Allah isn't optional (2:216). Other verses implicating Islam as the opposite of the "religion of peace" include verse 4:95--which says that those who fight please Allah more than those who don't--and verse 9:19-20--which says that those who take up arms for Islam rank highest among believers!!!! The call to terrorism and violence in Koranic verses is by no means limited to these; these are just a couple of examples.

Another direly distressing feature of the Koran is its moral backsliding as practiced by Mohammed, which is a moral relapse based on the moral traditions of Judaism and Christianity and also just basic conscience. For instance, the Koran unabashedly and explicitly encourages supposedly "light" beatings to disobedient wives, with even Islamic scholars generally agreeing on this interpretation of verse 4:34. For the Muslim apologists in obstinate denial over Mohammed's endorsement of domestic violence and spousal abuse, the verse goes henceforth:

"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what God would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For God is Most High, great (above you all)."

By this staggeringly disquieting verse, we can see that amoral backsliding is advocated in the Koran; Judaism and Christianity have no such call to battery.

Other irremediably terminal dilemmas with Islam concern the intractable punishment of death for apostasy, the rejection of Islam by a believer; the stoning-to-death of adulterers, particularly women; the advocation of cutting off the hands of thieves; the death penalty for homosexuals; and permitting/advocating slavery. Islam has no defense against the charge it condones slavery since the "best" Islamo-apologists like John Esposito and Yusuf Ali do is admit Islam permits slavery, but also the "good treatment" of slaves!!!!

Aside from these morally distasteful encroachments by the Koran, it's also infected with historical irregularities versus what the Bible contains, but the arrogant Muslim believers justify this by denouncing the Bible as being blurred by human interference, which presumes the perfection of the Qoran. The science misused in the Koran is also unpardonable--confirming its primitive sickness--as some verses literally bait the reader into thinking the Earth is flat and that the moon gives off light instead of reflecting sunlight!

With all these irretrievably baneful ordeals in the Koran, it's no wonder that former jihadists like Walid Shoebat have had to RENOUNCE Islam and convert to Christianity to leave terrorism behind!!!! With all this putridness in the Koran, no hardline Muslim could become moderate!!!!

"And you be patient, for your patience is but from Allah; nor grieve over them: and do not distress yourself because of their plots. For Allah is with those who restrain themselves, and those who do good."
Surah 16:127-128 (Qur'an, Ali Translation)

There are those in a position to know who believe that the Ali translation is the best English language Qur'an. It has an inescapably poetic aspect (as it should, in keeping with the Arabic), which the reader may appreciate as he works his way though the Qur'ans relentlessly repetitive recountings, praises, warnings and admonishments. As one who does not speak Arabic, questions as to the quality and fidelity of the translation are beyond my ken. I defer to those experts who say this is a good translation, and move on to my own understanding of the text.

In an obvious sense, the Qur'an is a simple, direct warning. Over and again it states: live a righteous life in submission to the commands of Allah (God) and thereby earn the reward of eternity in The Gardens Beneath Which Rivers Flow, or, onward to The Blazing Fire. There is a heavy sense of paradox and conflict. Allah is at once Oft-Forgiving, and the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy, and yet, most of humanity is said to be destine for the Fire. In this sense, the Qur'an seems a bit malleable -- is Allah ("The Cherisher of the Worlds") ultimately defined by his Mercy, or by an iron will to fuel the Fire? Some Muslims take the former view, others famously take the latter. There are other paradoxes. The equality of the sexes is asserted -- both men and women are to respect the dignity and the concerns of the opposite gender. On the other hand, women are to be hidden in what is a man's world. Indeed this is a paradox, and one that will continue in The Gardens Beneath Which Rivers Flow. There, it is said, all will have "big, beautiful eyes," but we must notice that only males can be privy to this fact because paradise will be populated with women who "avert their eyes," just as they did in their mortal life. Much might be made of this curious tension (is it to be women's function in eternity to prevent inappropriate sexuality, such as inter-gender eye-contact?), but it is not a particularly large theme in the Qur'an. Female modesty is actually a very small theme, compared, for example, to commands to charity and disdain for arrogance and greed. The Qur'an is, in at least some sense, what the reader wants it to be; there are calls to violence for those who would see the world through the eyes of violence and there are calls to humility, charity, and restraint for those who would embrace peace. (This is something that certain swaggering American cowboy political executives would do well to consider more carefully! In the Qur'an, military adventures are often understood as arrogance and must inevitably inspire heightened levels of violence.)

A brief observation that can be categorized as comparative religion: In the Tanak, the Jewish scriptures, the concept of "hell" is barely even ambiguous, it is essentially absent (translators later used the common word "hell" for the Jewish "sheol" [darkness], and many have since pressed ideas into the text that were seriously foreign to the original Hebrew). In the Christian New Testament, "hell" is less prevalent and is invoked more figuratively than many misguided 'Bible-thumpers' would have us believe. The usage is generally tied to Greek ideas of Hades, clear evidence that the usage was understood to be literary and not literal. In elaborate fixations on a place of ongoing torment, many Christian traditions have departed from the Bible in favor of pagan views of a magistrate-ruled, sulfurous underworld. Of course many Christians recognize this, even if they remain a minority (unfortunately, bogus religious traditions are tough nuts to crack). In the Qur'an however, The Blazing Fire (hell) seems to be the centerpiece of every page. The Fire is said to be the destiny of all polytheists and atheists, and only a slightly softer view is allowed the People of the Book, i.e., other monotheists (Jews and Christians), some of whom, however, will be admitted to the Gardens.

The claim of the Qur'an is to be the direct words of Allah -- at least when read in Arabic. It says that some statements are allegorical and others so literal as to be non-translatable. The reader is to discern which is which and is warned not to misunderstand. At some points in the text it seems that the Messenger is speaking more narrowly to contemporaneous, even personal, events than to temporally universal conditions. An example being when he encourages men and women to remarry after the death of a spouse, while holding his own wives as an exception; they are never to be intimate with another man and are to live out their lives as widows after his death (a curious inclusion in the text, is this a concern of Allah or of Mohammed?). Similarly, it seems that Qur'anic calls to violence were often directed to 7th century events and conflicts, and were not necessarily to be universalized in the way that some extremists prefer to understand them.

A disclaimer and some closing thoughts: If my review has offended anyone, and I hope that it has not, then I ask that he post his own views in this forum, pointing out what he thinks I have missed, I'll probably read it. Knowledge is good, as are charity and civility. Hate-mongering is mere arrogant foolishness (a published cartoon image of the Prophet with a bomb was famously legitimized by certain Muslims who immediately went on bombing rampages). A codicil: I purchased the Qur'an at a small Christian bookstore, and now that I've read it may donate it to a church library. Although it may have been different at some historical junctures, Christianity today seems more open and knowledge-friendly than does Islam, even though we must be cautious in such conclusions. News media sources purport to "inform" us but broadly paint religion with a single (and generally superficial) brush. As a non-Muslim, there are some things that I find admirable within Islam (other things I do not). Unfortunately, Christians have been imprudent, even reckless, in their use of religious imagery (to the point of some supposedly seeing the Virgin Mary's likeness in tortillas!); Islam has avoided this particular foolishness, while tending toward others in recent history. Jews, Christians and Muslims obviously hold to different religious ideas and traditions and different cultural norms, but there is also deep common ground -- One God: "There is nothing whatever like unto Him . . . To Him belong the keys to the heavens . . . He knows full well all things. Surah 42:11-12

S18 v86 when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness."

This is to the error in quran ...................its is simple if you go to any beach and observed the sun you will see it setting in water(appearance) so it says in Quran that HE Zul-qarnain! found it set in a spring of murky water, it has nothing to do with creator and there is no mistake.

The Quran talks about Zul-qarnain not the shape of earth.

Read the Quran and find out shape of earth,creation of humans,plants,animals much much more. the Quran says there is not a quation that it can't answer if you have difficulty ask a muslim to help

There are more than 1000 verses in Quran dealing with science. challenge to any one to prove them wrong with proven scientific facts not assumptions

Other scriptures I could write a book, Atheism refer to the Quran you will find what, the term God means.

People - you are both wrong in what you are doing. Pro and Anti-muslim arguments really don't belong here. Information regarding the translation and accuracy maybe, but the Quran is not on trial here. Focus on the product - not it's teaching.

Frankly, it would be nice for people to know that there are no "original manuscripts" for translation and that the Quran is thousands of years newer than the Bible. I think it is interesting that there are contradicting passages that are not a contradiction because Allah can change his mind - but that isn't really a review of this particular book.

TO AMAZON.COM moderators!

I look through the reviews of the Qurans available on amazon and I see many hatemongering diatribes. I want to read reviews that tell me the quality of the book, not to read peoples religious fanaticism and political viewpoints. I see waaaay too much hatemongering in these reviews. Please clean it up or I will take my business elsewhere. Please people, don't take the bait and respond to them, instead complain to Amazon customer service.

"Those who disbelieve, among the People of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in HELL FIRE, to dwell therein. They are the WORST OF CREATURES." (Sura 98:6)

nice religion...Jews and Christians are to be hated..

"Seize them and slay them whereever you find them: and in any case take no friends or helpers from thier ranks." (Sura 4:101)

Yeah...Islam is a religion of peace....right...

"Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the last day." (Sura 9:29)

Hmmmm....yeah...I would love to be at the mercy of these people...

"For the Unbelievers are open ememies to you." (sura 4:101)

isnt that nice? What a wonderful book the the Koran is....this will realy make us better human beings if we follow this book.

One of the user "Al-Qaradawi" has written a review about a book called "The True Furqan (TTF)". It has nothing to do with Quran. Quran is the word of Allah, the creator of all the worlds. But this book (TTF) is nothing but joke! Don't waste your precious time in reading it. There is a contradiction on the very first page i.e. Blessing, ayat 4 contradicts ayat 6. Similarly, Surat Al-Mahabbah, ayat 10 contradicts Surat Al-Thalooth, ayat 2. There is a spelling mistake in Surat Al-Emaan, ayat 6! There are grammatical errors in Surat Al-Tuhr, ayat 10 & Surat Al-Gharaneq, ayat 13! Zero stars for that book! To get the full picture & real truth regarding this book, visit: http://forum.quranacademy.com/viewtopic.php?t=271

This review is regarding the Koran itself as opposed to this specific printing.

Rather than be accused of insulting what a billion people call their holy book and be accused of misleading or misrepresenting, I shall simply put a few TYPICAL excerpts from the text itself as my review.

I suppose whether you approve of such a book depends greatly on whether or not the text is referring to you and your family, also to the degree which you are able to have empathy for those with beliefs different from your own.

These few quotes are but a random sampling of literally hundreds of the same nature. Decide for yourself as to the nature of this book.......

Have no unbelieving friends. Kill the unbelievers wherever you find them. 4:89

Allah stamped wretchedness upon the Jews because they killed the prophets and disbelieved Allah's revelations. 2:61

Jews are the greediest of all humankind. 2:96

Kill disbelievers wherever you find them. If they attack you, then kill them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. 2:191

War is ordained by Allah, and all Muslims must be willing to fight, whether they like it or not. 2:216

A hypocritical Jew looks like an ass carrying books. Those who deny the revelations of Allah are ugly. 62:5

Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. 3:28

Don't believe anyone who is not a Muslim. 3:73

We shall cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Their habitation is the Fire 3:151

Slay the idolaters wherever you find them. 9:5

Fight disbelievers who are near you, and let them see the harshness in you. 9:123

Allah has prepared a Fire for the disbelievers. When they want a shower, Allah will give them a shower of molten lead to burn their faces. 18:29

Don't obey disbelievers. But rather fight against them. 25:52

Don't make friends with Allah's enemies. For those who do so, Allah has prepared a dreadful doom. 58:14-15

Refuse to obey the "rejecters" (Non-Muslims?) who seek compromise 68:8-9

Allah plots against non-Muslims. 86:16

Those who disbelieve will be fuel for the Fire. 3:10

Etc. Etc. Etc.

I ,make no value judgment in my review.....only in my mind. You too must do the same.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation of the Qur'an is without question the most accessible translation of this book from Arabic to English.

That is to say, this is only a translation of the words of the Qur'an themselves. There is no analysis of the historical context of each sura (chapter) or anything like that. I am informed that this is probably a good thing, as Ali's interpretation is at odds with mainstream Muslim thought.

It is difficult to review a translation of a book deemed scripture by a large section of the world's population without reviewing the faith itself, and as a result these remarks will be neccessarily brief. However, speaking as a student of Islamic Studies - not as a convert to Islam, which I am not - I can say with a high degree of certainty that the claims that this text "endorses terrorism" or "explains why there are no Muslim theologians the equal of St Francis of Assisi" are untrue. In the first instance, anyone believing this to be the case would be well served to read works on Islam itself. In the second instance, much the same comment can be made, with the added fact that it is important to remember that Islamic theology evolved in a very different way to Christian or Jewish theology, and to apply one's own biases to another faith is an exercise in extreme futility.

A number of Qur'an translations here at Amazon have reviews pointing out that the only way to appreciate the text here is in its entirety, and this is quite true. Simply picking and choosing certain texts - often the ones known in the West as the "Sword Verses" - will result in a very biased view of this book. The world's Muslims believe this book to be true in its entirety, and it is in that respect that we who are not Muslim must view it.

To that, I would also like to add the recommendation that anyone trying to make a serious study of Islam not only read a Qur'an but also either take the time to ask Muslims about their religion or invest in books on the subject by respected authors (Esposito's "Islam: The Straight Path" and the recently-published "Jihad: From the Qur'an to bin Laden" by Bonney are highly recommended).

However, if the object is to buy an easily understandable English translation of the Qur'an, I can unreservedly recommend Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation.

As a purely administrative note, with all due regard for what is surely a very fine translation, the print in this book is too small to support careful study. I bought this book, am glad to have it, but the publisher made a mistake in seeking to put too much small font print on each page. For a subject of this importance, what is needed is an 8.5 x 11 text with annotations and a syntopicon.

This seems to be one of three of the most accurate and complete translations (together with Shakir and Pickthal) based on the fact that the Islamic Monitor utilizes them because the Muslim Students' Association at University of Southern California uses these three. You can actually compare these translations at http://www.geocities.com/islamic_monitor/, which provides translations of selected texts side by side in making their points about Islam. If you are trying to learn about Islam and determine for yourself whether or not Islam is really a "religion of peace" compatible with a tolerant & free democracy, I would suggest, in addition to consulting the above link, that you also hear what ex-Muslims have to say about Islam at http://www.faithfreedom.org/ , especially if you don't have time for pouring over the entire Qur'an. This site, like the one above, points out the important relevant passages in the Qur'an that will answer your questions (see for instance the citations at http://www.faithfreedom.org/faq.htm ,Questions # 7 and # 21, and check out the photo Gallery).

If you're considering purchase of this book, you are either 1)a Muslim, 2)someone who wants to understand a perceived enemy, or 3)just curious. Well, here it is, the Qur'an: what Muslims will tell you is the best, truest, most lyrical, most inspiring book in the world. It is, we are told by Muslims and by the Qur'an itself, so good that it is an an absolute miracle, and that no person or spiritual entity [Angel or Jinn (Jinn are spirit beings created from a smokeless flame of fire)] could produce even one chapter that was as good as the Qur'an. There are some problems that non-Muslims will have with this claim. For example, one of the chapters (Surah 72) consists (except for the intro sentence) entirely of a conversation among Jinn, the inclusion of which disproves the Qur'an's claim with its own words. Also, the Qur'an thinks the Christian Trinity is made up of Father, Son and Mary. The Qur'an has a Samaritan help Aaron make his golden calf (while Moses is getting the 10 Commandments) 800 years before Samaria even existed. The Qur'an talks about Jesus, but while he is called the Messiah, the Qur'an strips him of his crucifixion and resurrection, and Mohammed declared on several occasions that believing in Jesus divinity is the greatest possible sin.

I gave it 3 stars because it is what it is, which should account for something, I guess.