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The Koran Interpreted: A Translation Paperback – December 11, 1996

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 134 ratings

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From Simon & Schuster, The Koran Interpreted is an English translation of the Muslim holy book portrays the spirit, rather than the exact context and rhythm, of the original Arabic text.

The Koran Interpreted is universally recognized as not only the most authoritative translation but also the most beautiful one in the English language.
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Arthur John Arberry, as Head of the Department of Classics at Cairo University, acquired a firsthand knowledge of literary and social conditions in the Islamic Middle East. Between 1947 and 1969 he served as Sir Thomas Adams Professor of Arabic at Cambridge University. He published some twenty books in Islamic studies during his lifetime, many dealing with mysticism and poetry. Professor Arberry died in England in 1969.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Touchstone (December 11, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 708 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0684825074
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0684825076
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.38 x 1.8 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 134 ratings

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4.4 out of 5 stars
134 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the translation of the Koran into English amazing and useful. They appreciate the idiomatic expressions that breathe life into the translation. The book is worth reading for insights into beliefs and consider it a good and Holy Book.

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15 customers mention "Translation"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the translation of the Koran into English useful. They appreciate the idiomatic expressions that breathe life into the translation and make it easy to understand. The explanations are nice, making it clear that this is the written Word of God.

"...of Jesus Christ, the Psalms, etc... as these are clearly the written word of God...." Read more

"...to match the English to the poetry of the Arabic makes the Koran more understandable. Perhaps even Carlyle might modify his opinion...." Read more

"...it, the Koran, as it is written in the origional Arabic, is very poetic, and Arberry did his best to convey this in his translation...." Read more

"...The Koran interpreted by Arthur Arberry is an amazing translation of the Quran into English...." Read more

3 customers mention "Value for money"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book a good value for money. They say it provides insights into beliefs and is a Holy Book.

"...I enjoyed His word and it brings me closer to Him. It is a good and Holy Book...." Read more

"...It is worth reading if just to gain a little insight into the beliefs of Muslims as compaired to Christians and Jews...." Read more

"Worth Reading Again and Again..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2016
    I am not worthy to judge the Koran of Islam, no more than I am worthy to judge the Torah of the Jews, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Psalms, etc... as these are clearly the written word of God. As for this translation of the Koran by Arberry, I am not able to translate Arabic. Like any translation, some meaning may be lost or misinterpreted. I read this Koran from cover to cover and believe this as God's word for Islam. I enjoyed His word and it brings me closer to Him. It is a good and Holy Book. I suspect Arberry's translation of the Holy Koran is not without flaws....again, this translation, not the Koran itself as God's word. For this reason, I assigned 4 stars to the translation, but a perfect score to the Holy Word of God as written in the Koran.
    Be that as it may, OUR God is a merciful, compassionate, forgiving, and loving God. He is the God of Islam; the God of the Jews-His chosen people; the Father God of Jesus Christ as the way for Christians. Our Father God has found ways to bring All His creation to Him. Father God has a way through the religion He assigns to us, for All His people to worship Him through His religions. They are All religions of One Faith in Our Father and Creator. One God! It is Our shared Faith in God that is important to glorify Him alone. We worship in different ways assigned to us by Him. I am a believer in our God. We are All His creation and His children. Our compassionate and merciful God wants us to love and forgive eachother as He loves and forgives us. We all sin and fall short of His Glory. He knows All our faults and sins and He alone will be the Judge of our fate. It is not up to us to judge one another for Him.
    As a Christian, I am "supportive" of other religions as that people's way to have faith in One God. We All believe in the same God as my Father who sent His Son, Jesus Christ - the Word of God, as the way for me to God. Like me, if you believe in God, He has provided you a religion and way to worship and Glorify Him. God gives us all a way to repent and be forgiven, for we All have sinned. As believers, w are brothers and sisters as God's children is faith. Let's live in peace. Please. God wants peace.
    Now I will read and study Islamic sacrid law...Reliance of the Traveller. Peace!
    15 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2017
    Since I believe that every literate person ought to be familiar with the Bible and the Koran, I struggled for decades to finish the Penguin Classics edition translated by N.J.Dawood. After several decades of false starts, I finally completed it; however, I had to agree with Thomas Carlyle who wrote the following in Heroes & Hero Worship: "I must say it is as toilsome reading as ever I undertook. A wearisome, confused jumble, crude, incondite, endless iterations, long windedness, entanglement...unsupportable stupidity in short. Nothing but a sense of duty could carry any European through the Koran." The Dawood edition re-arranged the 114 chapters from the original order. It does have a chronological table of the basic events in Mohammed's life. It does not have numbered verse lines which makes it difficult if not impossible to check on citations, such as Koran 24:2. Therefore, I was in search of another edition which permitted quick verification by chapter and line. Since I do not read Arabic, it made no sense to get a dual language edition. I scouted about to learn what was generally deemed a good English translation - A.J. Arberry was often cited. So, I looked at a copy to satisfy myself that checking on references would be easy to accomplish. That's what I wanted, so I bought a soft backed edition. This edition has volume I, suras 1-20, and volume II, suras 21-114, bound together with prefaces for each volume. Arberry's affection for the work as well as his expressed desire to match the English to the poetry of the Arabic makes the Koran more understandable. Perhaps even Carlyle might modify his opinion. Or, he might not.
    24 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2011
    It is a somewhat difficult read and does not give a whole lot of insight into the Muslim religion as it appears to be practiced today. As I understand it, the Koran, as it is written in the origional Arabic, is very poetic, and Arberry did his best to convey this in his translation. It is worth reading if just to gain a little insight into the beliefs of Muslims as compaired to Christians and Jews. I was quite suprised at the frequent references to Jesus, Mary, Moses, Abraham and numerous other individuals found in the Old Testament.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2018
    Thank you. The Koran interpreted by Arthur Arberry is an amazing translation of the Quran into English. In fact the Arberry interpretation is undoubtedly one of the finest. A scripture revealed to Muhammad the Messenger of God (Peace be upon him) requires a sincere heart and mind;and Mr. Arberry has certainly delivered.May God be pleased with him.
    Thank You
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2015
    I have just started reading "The Koran Interpreted" a translation by A. J. Arberry, first published in 1955. Unlike other English translations I read, this translator joined together individual verses into groups (paragraphs?) in order to enable readers to discern "how the discourse originally ran". The inclusion of idiomatic expressions made me feel much closer to and more appreciative of the early believers.
    4 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2021
    super well made and nice to have
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2016
    The best English translation of the Koran available to non-Arabic speakers. Excellent for those who want to read this important religious text.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2012
    This is not an interpretation of the Koran. It is simply an English translation of its complex phrases and esoteric language for which clerics are appointed to help people comprehend.

    For this reason, the first half of the title is incorrect, and the second half is correct. Ergo, the one star.

    If you're looking for a translation in understandable everyday English don't make the same mistake of ignoring the title as I did, keep searching.

    Ron DiGiovanni
    Easton, PA
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • azim sikandar
    5.0 out of 5 stars Alhumdulilah nice
    Reviewed in India on June 23, 2018
    Alhumdulilah a very understandable and beautifully translated version. Written in the prose poem format. I would highly recommend it.
  • Joseph Robertson
    5.0 out of 5 stars As It Should Be
    Reviewed in Canada on March 13, 2015
    This is the best translation of the Qur'an I have ever read. The author had such an understanding of both languages that even in English he was able to keep a rhythmic, melodic quality in the words. While there are no footnotes to explain obscure points the beauty of the words more than makes up for it. This edition is definitely for a reader who wants faithfulness to the original text while capturing of the soul of the book.
  • paul
    5.0 out of 5 stars Reading Koran today is like event of reading “Revelation” mentioned above and reading it ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 9, 2015
    Imagine being a human in year 3500. And you decided to study a “Revelation” that's been revealed in year 2000. “Revelation” recorded on human built computers connected to - this miraculous in its simplicity of idea - thing called “internet”. You already smile, but you carry on studying. “Revelation” is from God and it tells about God but not only. It also gives the idea of living in society without war between sexes (obvious absurd: imagine male and female dog fighting to death...). It mentions society culling itself by mutual agreement not by wars and diseases. It also mentions possibility of reaching distant galaxies without extending human life from laughable 80 years to 2 million (just for argument's sake). “Revelation” tells you many things humankind could not possibly know in year 2000 although they've become some sort of primary school knowledge in year 3350...

    Reading Koran today is like event of reading “Revelation” mentioned above and reading it in year 3500. God decided that since year 610 we're still not in need of another “Revelation” so read one we've already been given and stop wasting your time on multiplying your prehistoric “opinions” about it. Amen.
  • hind Merheb
    1.0 out of 5 stars Seulement pour ceux qui sont verser dans le style de shakespear
    Reviewed in France on April 21, 2014
    Malheureusement ce bouquin utilise un langage très compliquée plutôt du style de Shakespeare qui n’est pas du tout facile à lire à moins qu’on soit vraiment verser dans le style de Shakespeare et j’estime que les gens qui le sont de nos jours sont très rares. En tout cas, moi je ne le suis pas.
  • M.S. Sheikh
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on July 18, 2017
    Excellent