The Koran (Penguin Classics S.) by N.J. Dawood (PDF)

Description

Across the language barrier Dawood captures the thunder and poetry of the original’ The TimesThe Koran is universally accepted by Muslims to be the infallible Word of God as first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel nearly fourteen hundred years ago. Its 114 chapters, or surahs, recount the narratives central to Muslim belief, and together they form one of the world’s most influential prophetic works and a literary masterpiece in its own right. But, above all, the Koran provides the rules of conduct that remain fundamental to the Muslim faith today: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimage to Mecca and absolute faith in God and His apostle.Also available from Penguin: The Koran with Parallel Text 9780141393841

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐excellent

⭐Yes it was very helpful for my class

⭐Quite different in spirit from his 2006 translation. However N.J. Dawood’s translations from Arabic are always good, and after recieving an Iraqi state scholarship from his home of Baghdad to study in London and opening his own translation company, his translation of the Koran was his most prized life work.

⭐2nd copy purchases! Bought both at Amazon. In these tumultuous times, this should be read in order to have a broader knowledge base. In concert with ‘The Children of Abraham’, excellent reading. Make no mistake, I am a Christian who is not afraid of opposing beliefs.

⭐My first Koran (college 1981).I remembered the edition.As a book of quotations,makes a great Co gift with Mao’s *Little Red Book.I like to gift as “compare & contrast,” with books & films.Just my thing.LOL!

⭐Fantastic

⭐I am not an expert in Arabic, but I have read two different translations of the Koran, one by A. J. Arberry and the Penguin classic edition translated by N. J. Dawood. The Penguin edition is far superior in readability, although the basic teachings of the Koran can be recognized from either translation. Most striking to me is how disjointed and random the teachings seem to be in comparison to the Bible (with which I am far more familiar). “Love your enemies” and “Turn the other cheek” from the Bible stand in contrast to the more militaristic tone of the Koran which encourages adherents to “Make war on them [the unbelievers] until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme” (The Spoils, 8:40; see also Prohibition, 66:9). Heaven is pictured as a place of sensuous delights designed especially for men, who “shall sit with bashful, dark-eyed virgins, as chaste as the sheltered eggs of ostriches” (The Ranks, 37:48). Although women have some protection and rights in the Koran, God has made men superior to women and given men permission to “beat them” (Women, 4:34 or 4:38 in other translations). There are numerous allusions to people whose names appear also in the Bible, but always with a different slant. Abraham’s significant son becomes Ishmael instead of Isaac, and Jesus is mentioned, but his relationship to God as the Son of God is denied (The Believers, 23:91). In stark contrast to the biblical emphasis on salvation by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9), the Koran teaches that salvation comes to those whose good deeds weigh heavy on the scales. Those whose deeds are light forfeit their souls and abide in Hell forever (The Believers, 23:104). In the Koran, the earth is created in two days instead of six. Revenge is acceptable. In divorce, he gets the children! Most disturbing, perhaps, are instructions on what to do with those who abandon Islam and have become disbelievers. “Do not befriend them,” “Seize them and put them to death wherever you find them” (Women, 4:90). The Koran does, indeed, make for significant reading.

⭐OK, I have an Arabic speaking friend who criticizes all English translations of the Koran. Because Dawood wasn’t available online, as are Pickthal, Shakir, and others, I bought a copy, and as far as translations go, it’s probably as good as you’re going to get in English. Yusuf Ali is *soft* in his rendering, and you’re going to need supporting books like the Tafsirs, Hadiths, and Sira to get as much understanding of Mohammad as possible. Make no mistake, Islam is Mohammad and his belief system. Know the man behind the cloak of this religion, and you’ll have a far better understanding of the images coming out of Islam on a daily basis. A Koran might be a gateway, but it will not bring you to understand Mohammad’s character; that will be more clearly revealed by his Sunnah.Good luck, and fasten your seatbelts; it’s a very bumpy ride.

⭐The reasons for my one star rating are nothing to do with this particular version of the Koran by Penguin. On the contrary, Penguin’s explanatory notes and references to comparable verses in the Bible are very helpful. No, the reasons for my one star rating relate to the Koran generally and are as follows:1) The Koran is incredibly badly organised. The chapters are presented in order from the longest to the shortest. Accordingly, unlike the Bible, there is no sensible continuity from one chapter to the next.2) The chapters are very repetitive and hence incredibly tedious. Chapter after chapter after chapter states that God is great, that He is generous to mankind, that Muslims are grateful to God, that unbelievers are ungrateful, that Muslims will be welcomed into Paradise and that unbelievers will burn in hell.3) The Koran contains a number of instances of hatred towards unbelievers, such as the following from chapter 47: “When you meet the unbelievers, strike off their heads and, when you have wreaked widespread slaughter amongst them, bind your captives firmly.” It goes on to encourage martyrdom: “As for those who are slain in the cause of God….He will admit them to Paradise.”4) The Koran describes Paradise frequently in the basest terms designed to appeal to a 7th century man of the Arabian desert, with “running brooks”, “rivers of clarified honey”, “abundant fruit and drink” and “virgins chaste and fair”.The ideological ingredients for holy war are there. Those who believe that Islam is a religion of peace, or that so-called “Islamism” is a perversion of Islam, need to read this book.

⭐The book itself is an amazing translation of the Qur’an. Captivating, well-written and easy to read. Unfortunately my copy arrived with minor signs of wear and tear, which is disappointing as i like to keep my books in oristine condition. However, i won’t like that deduct any points from the book itself.

⭐I read the old version of this book, which was written with the object of showing as well as possible (in translation) what a marvellous poet Mohammad was. The PC mafia, however, have descended and now the book is “divine”, etc., which is profoundly ironic given the PC mafia’s attachment to atheism. But then, liars don’t need to be consistent. Mohammad, for instance, tells us Alexander the Great found the western edge of the World (the west pole?). I could mention Mohammad telling us the mother of Jesus was a sister of Moses. I could go on, but…

⭐An excellently accessible translation, though the material is not in the traditional order, but the author has attempted a chronological ordering. Later editions restore the traditional order. The translation is contemporary without being banal, and at times rises to a sort of very simple poetic eloquence. There are absolutely no archaisms. It is probably comparable in feeling to contemporary English renderings of the Bible, that’s to say, its the language of today, clear, straightforward and transparent.

⭐I want for my Study of Islam an authentic Translation from the Quaran, this Book was the best Choice for me with a clear and complete Form

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