The Holy Quran - English Translation with Original Arabic Text

DETAILS : 

• Author : Abdullah Yusuf Ali
  
• Publisher : Kitab Bhavan
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎1000 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary, meticulously prepared by the distinguished Islamic scholar and civil servant Abdullah Yusuf Ali, is widely recognized as one of the most celebrated, influential, and widely read English translations of Islam's central religious text. First published in installments beginning in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1934, this monumental work has been printed globally by dozens of premier publishers, including Amana Publications, Tahrike Tarsile Qur'an, and Islamic foundations worldwide. The core philosophy of this text is to open the sublime spiritual, ethical, and metaphysical depths of the Quran to the English-speaking world, bypassing raw linguistic barriers by combining a highly elegant, lyrical translation with an expansive, multi-layered apparatus of cross-references, historical context, and philosophical reflections.

The book is structured into a highly sophisticated, three-column or parallel-page layout designed for serious study. It features the original, unaltered Arabic text in classical calligraphic script side-by-side with Yusuf Ali’s poetic English translation. The most defining attribute of this volume is its treasure trove of more than six thousand extensive footnotes and comprehensive, rhythmic introductions written in verse for each of the 114 Surahs (chapters). Rather than delivering a dry, word-for-word literal substitution, Yusuf Ali employs a deeply contextual methodology (Tafsir). He unpacks the specific historical occasions of revelation (Asbab al-nuzul), resolves linguistic metaphors, and harmonizes theological themes, providing readers of all backgrounds with a comprehensive guide to Islamic jurisprudence, spiritual purification, and global ethical principles.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1872–1953) was an elite British-Indian Islamic scholar, barrister, and civil servant who graduated from the University of Cambridge and served as a high-ranking member of the elite Indian Civil Service (ICS). Later in life, he served as the principal of Islamia College in Lahore, dedicating his final decades to extensive travel, cross-cultural diplomacy, and immersive scriptural research.

Yusuf Ali’s writing and translation style is uniquely majestic, solemn, and deeply eloquent, utilizing an elevated, almost biblical English register that matches the rhythmic grandeur of the original Arabic text. He consciously acts as a bridge-builder, utilizing his immense mastery of Eastern theology and Western literature to present a moderate, deeply compassionate, and intellectually rigorous interpretation of Islamic philosophy. His timeless translation remains the definitive academic and devotional anchor for English-language Islamic studies worldwide.