Al-Quran: A Contemporary Translation
by Professor Ahmed Ali (Biography and Interview), internationally highly respected Muslim novelist, diplomat and scholar.

In one of the most popular English, and bilingual, versions of the Qur'an, Professor Ahmed Ali has succeeded in bringing all of the subtlety, depth and spiritual power of Islam into his translation of this peerless scripture. Without distorting the English, Ahmed Ali, a highly regarded author in his own right, renders the poetry of the original Arabic into lines of elegance and rhythm. And not wanting to leave the reader with a false belief in the ability of one language to fully capture another, Ali retains the Arabic side by side with the English, exhorts the reader to refer to it, and offers significant explanatory notes where necessary. For the curious, the convert or the devout, Professor Ahmed Ali's translation of 'Al-Qur'an' will bring all readers closer to the glory of Allah, the one true god..

Ahmed Ali, the distinguished Pakistani novelist, poet, critic, and diplomat, presents this elegant and poetic translation in a contemporary and living voice. On each page, the original Arabic and the translated English sit side by side, encouraging the reader to draw from both texts. Professor Ali also includes notes where necessary, providing the full meaning of each word and phrase. This accessible volume is truly essential for both scholars and followers of Islam.

ENDORSEMENTS:
"This translation of the Qur'an aims at doing something new--it seeks to bring out the original rhythms of the Quranic language and the cadences. It also departs from traditional translations in that it gives more refined and differentiated shades of important concepts." - Islamic Scholar Fazlur Rahman Malik, University of Chicago

"Ahmed Ali's work is clear, direct, and elegant--a combination of stylistic virtues almost never found in translations of the Qur'an . His is the best I have read." - Professor Francis Edward Peters, New York University

Al-Qur'an is highly recommended by Islamic Scholar Reza Aslam in his phenominal 2005 book 'No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam'

REVIEW:
"I recieved the book a while ago and have started to read the brave attempt by Ahmed Ali to translate the magnificent Quran from its original Arabic supremacy of style, content and wording which can not be matched. I have read other attempts before of the translation of the Quran but at first glance the wording seemed very "latin-esq" (very offputiing) and used very very old English words as substututes which not only makes the reading hard but over time increasingly annoying. Profesor Ahmed Ali's attempt is more akin to "normal" English, with the occasional use (where needed) of so-called "majestic" English, which would have to be expected for a Holy Scripture. The Arabic and English sit side-by-side and odd footnotes are scattered across the translation to help the reader make more sense of some areas of reading. Although the picture in Amazon of the cover of the book seems dull, upon seeing it i can say that it has a beautiful front cover and back. Due to the copying clarity in the picture, you can not really tell the intrecate lace of gold that makes the cover shimmer and reflect light falling onto it. The only downshot is that its a paperback and a hard-back would have been more suited to the content I think - but nevertheless the paperback does not for one second undermine its status. For a practicing Muslim in the UK such as myself - who is of Bangladeshi origin, who can read Arabic but can not fully understand the meaning and truth behind what he is reading, Al-Quran, translated by Ahmed Ali is an excellent starter to further uncover the truth. If anyone is considering of purchasing a translation of the Quran, i strongly recommend this edition."

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*First published, hardcover, in 1984 by Akrash Publishing
- Second revised edition in 1986 by Akrash Publishing

*Oxford Univiersity Press India, 1987

*Revised definitive edition and first paperback printing, published in 1988 by Princeton University Press
- Final revised edition in 1994, Princeton University Press
- Ninth paperback printing, newly comprising revisions last made by the trabslater, printed in 2001 by Princeton University Press - Bilingual edition (2 Jul 2001) - 2nd Revised edition, Corr. Ed edition (1 Jul 1992) .

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