the quran in plain english

Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm

Ramaḍān Kareem.  Ramaḍān Mubarak.

This is a project my late wife Alicia encouraged me to undertake for several years. 

In her honor, and out of the necessity of my soul I have done so. 

There have been many worthy efforts at casting versions of the Qurān into languages

other than Arabic. The Qur’ān in Plain English is an effort to convey the direct message

of the most noble book as clearly as possible in English, without any frills, changed verb

tenses, added words, or other interpretive embellishments etc.

It is the intention that this version most closely preserve the spare, elegant beauty of

the original recitation, while still being easily understood in English, insha’Allāh.

Reading the Qur’ān is always a blessed endeavour, and working on these versions

of the ayāt this past year has brought great relief to my heart. 

Insha’Allāh, may these verses from the noble book bring ease and understanding to you.

Included in this first group of sūrahs posted are:

1   Sūrat al Fātiha ~ the Opening, is the prayer a muslim says more times per day

than any other verses of the Qur’ān.  It is the essential component of every rakāh.

12   Sūrat Yūsuf, the story of Joseph’s betrayal at the hands of his brothers,

thrown in a well to be found and sold as a slave by passing caravanseri, his

prophetic dreams, his rejection of seduction by a king’s wife, his imprisonment

nonetheless, and his eventual redemption.  The saga portrayed in Sūrat Yūsuf is

often characterized as “the most beautiful story every told.”

 

18   al Kahf ~ the Cave, is perhaps the most enigmatic surah in the Qur’ān.

It covers the answers revealed to the prophet Muḥammad, ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhī

wa ’ālihī wa sallam, in response to the questions of Jewish doctors. 

 

This provokes the original revelation of the meaning of insha’Allāh, instructing

us to understand all future events in the context of “if God wills,” an awareness

essential to the development of piety and consciousness of God, of taqwā.

 

This section is followed by the story of Moses being guided through

some very difficult lessons by a waliyy of God identified by some as Khidr,

events that are among the most analyzed and discussed parts of the Qur’ān,

addressing in an allegorical way the eternal question of theodicy.

 

19   Sūrat Maryam ~ Mary, covers much of the life of ‘Īsā, Jesus Christ,

‘alayhi as salām.

 

31   Sūrat Luqmān is about the nature of wisdom, as granted by God to its namesake.

It is a thorough examination of what it means to be wise.  One of its more seemingly

modern caveats is the admonition to avoid buying and reading trivial tales for amusement.

 

55   Sūrat ar Raḥmān ~ the Merciful, is an exhortation to the population of men and jinn,

containing some of the most beautiful recitations of the blessings of God upon humanity,

followed each time by the question:  So which of the blessings of your Rabb do you deny?

 

71   Sūrat Nūḥ  ~ Noah, presents a very different Noah than seen in the Book of Exodus. 

Noah in the Qur’an is plagued by the iniquity of man, and begs God for a solution.

 

72   Sūrat al Jinn ~ the Jinn, wherein jinn who are surrendered to God piously

speculate upon the fate of humanity on the earth.

74 Sūrat al Muddaththir ~ the One Enveloped, is an early Makkan sūrah that presents 

reassurances to the prophet Muḥammad, ṣallā llāhu ‘alayhī wa sallam, about the

revelations, followed by stark statements concerning metaphysical realities.

112  Sūrat al Ikhlās ~ Sincerity, is the essential statement of tawḥeed within the Qur’ān,

as beautiful and clear in the original form as it can possibly be in its statement of the unity

of God, of Allāh, known by so many names, but nevertheless Only One.

This version of the Qur’ān will remain freely available in all digital media formats, and in print (once completed),

without cost, insha’Allāh.  Please feel free to download the text and to share links to the ayāt on your social media. 

God willing, I will post a new version of a medium length sūrah each week during the month of Ramanḍān 1442,

and strive to maintain a similar pace for the next two years through Ramaḍān 1444.

Please give zakāt to support this project if you find it worthy (links are on website).

Anything at all you contribute will be deeply appreciated, including your prayers.

Salām and thank you from the heart.

Asante.  Terima kasih.  Aap ka shukriya.  Gracias.  Grazie.  Merci bien.  Hvala ti.  Bayarlalaa.  Obrigado.  

Arigatō gozaimashita.  Blagodaryu vas.  Danke.  Xièxiè nǐ.  Teşekkür ederim.  Matur nuwun. 

Rexmet eytimen.  Dhan’yabāda.  Teshekkür. 

Jazakum Allāhu khairan.

~ Rasheed al Ḥajj Abū Muṭahhar, 1 Ramaḍān 1442