The Koran (Penguin Classics) [Paperback]

Dawood's 1956 translation of the Qur'an has seen several editions and revisions, and many printings by Penguin Books. It's not the most popular, nor the most esteemed by academics, but has sold well and endured so presumably is seen by most Arabic linguists as reasonably accurate to the original text. I can't personally confirm the accuracy of translation, as despite having worked in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states my Arabic language skills remain basic and not up to the task.

For the curious reader unfamiliar with the Qur'an, this might be a good place to start as this edition is inexpensive, light and portable, and easy to read. The pages lack the extensive footnotes and commentaries found in more scholarly translations but this is no disadvantage to the reader who simply wants to read the text and get a flavour of the message.

As many readers will know, the Qur'an was originally "revealed" (or "channelled") in episodic bite-sized chunks known as "Suras", variously written down on palm leaves, pieces of cloth or stones, or simply committed to memory. The original Kufic script used to write all this down contained very limited vocabulary and no vowels, so various interpretations are possible and recognised by scholars as of equal merit. This is in contrast to for example the Old Testament mainly written in Hebrew, a very precise language allowing little nuance or ambiguity, and the New Testament written mainly in Classical Greek, a language with a huge vocabulary and sophisticated grammatical structure allowing precision of meaning unmatched by any other classical language. Inevitably, the limitations imposed by the ambiguities inherent in the original Kufic script lead many suras in the Qur'an to be given a range of meanings all considered equally valid, so in short, dogmatic insistence on any one meaning would be futile as no-one really knows for sure precisely what they say.

The suras were assembled in various random ways until some common agreement was reached under the caliphate of Othman around 650 AD and a kind of "authorized" order for the 114 chapters was agreed. Dawood abandons this "traditional" arrangement and changes the order in which the suras are presented according to his own system, beginning with the "more biblical and poetic" and ending with the "much longer and often more topical" chapters. His claim is that, like many before him, he has tried to represent the chapters chronologically as they were "revealed." He is, of course, absolutely entitled to do this, as at the end of the day the Qur'an does not tell a story, but is a series of pronouncements explained and elaborated on various aspects of how you should live and what you should believe, so as with the Kufic translations, any order of presentation is as good as any other.

On the content, many readers unfamiliar with the Qur'an may be surprised, even shocked by the frequently bloodthirsty and violent narratives threatening damnation and torment for unbelievers in contrast to eternal rewards for those who accept the message and do God's will. The text is very simplistic "stick & carrot" probably because it was aimed originally at an unsophisticated audience and wanted to get the message across. Many suras repeat the texts of various parts of the Hebrew Old Testament verbatim, and some refer to parts of the New Testament. There is a great deal of repetition, especially in the heavenly rewards v infernal damnation department. Some of the suras though are quite poetic, and the whole text much shorter than either of the major parts of the Christian Bible. Everyone should read the Qur'an at least once, and due to its brevity and pocket-size portability, this is a good edition to consider if you want to buy one.

An excellent translation, clear, concise, in good English (which is more than can be said for a lot of other translations). The translator has also tried to put the various suras in chronological order, capturing something of the 'whirlwind' effect of Islam as its message thundered into the world, recapturing the best of the spirit of the Old Testament and the earlier New Testament versions, especially Mark and Matthew, both of which appear to be reaching back to a still earlier verion of the New Testament, usually referred to as the Q version. Overall, a life-changing book and a splendid piece of work by Mr Dawood - though not one that meets with much approval from either snooty liberal secular atheists or politically correct muslim apologists. Ignore them and buy it. You will not regret it.

As a non Muslim studying the Koran I have been referring to several translations of the Koran and found this version to be a rather poor and misleading translation with no helpful commentary. Much better translations and commentaries are provided by Yusuf Ali and Muhammed Asad. The latter is a convert to Islam and therefore sensitive to the questions which might be posed by non muslims and those not familiar with the Muslim faith. I would not recommend this translation.