The Qur’an
(First edition 1911-1912)
The Qur’an
Description
Abu’l-Fazl (1865–1956), native Bengali, moved to Allahabad in India, was an Islamic scholar and the first Muslim to present a translation from the original Arabic text of the Quran into English. Fazl arranged the chapters chronologically, mostly according to the chronological sequence suggested by Theodor Nöldeke and John Medows Rodwell but differed in a few places. The translation was published in two volumes in 1911 (volume 1, chapter 1-77) and 1912 (volume 2, chapter 78-114). Fazel was driven to produce a faithful translation, free from sectarianism and to take on the missionaries and refutation of the Bible “with a view to bringing out the superiority of the Quran.” The language is not always consistent, and at times it tends to be crude and too literal.
About the author
Abu’l-Fazl
- Born: 1865
- Died: May 1956 (aged 90–91)
- Full name: Abu’l-Fazl
- Other names: Abu’l Fadl Mirza Abu’l-Fazl Abu al-Fadl Gulpayigani
- Creed: Muslim
Editions
First Edition published in two volumes in March 1911 (volume 1, chapter 1-77) and 1912 (volume 2, chapter 78-114). Some have wrongfully credited Fazl’s translation to have been published in 1910, while others prefer to credit him for 1912 as the full translation is published by the second volume in 1912. Fazl’s last edition appeared in 1955, a year before he died in May 1956, the 5. edition is a commentart by Dr. Hasanuddin Ahmed.