T. B. Irving, The Qur’an: The First American Version; Translated and Commentary (1985)

This new version of The Noble Reading which I am presenting has a serious purpose, which is to make its clear message available for the English-speaking world at the end of the twentieth Christian, or the beginning of the Islamic fifteenth century, which started in the last weeks of 1980 a.d. This task is comparable to translating any great classic like Homer, Virgil, Quijote or Faust, since it involves a transfer of true literature into the medium of a parallel culture. It is a problem more for the quality which must be matched in English than for any inherent difficulty or obscurity in the text itself.

This present version is not addressed so much to scholars as to godly minds and especially to those who are growing up speaking English, and thus need a simple, clear text of the historic writ to guide them. The Qurʾān itself says: “We have not sent any messenger unless he was to explain to them in his folk’s own tongue” (14:i). For this reason, any attempt at translation has validity if each nation is to receive its message in its own language. It should be a document one can read, and it also, if possible, must offer a basis for ongoing research. We should respect the sacred text, yet interpret it accurately and reverently. This is not an intellectual game but has a serious purpose.

The Qurʾān could be considered untranslatable, because each time one returns to the Arabic text, he finds new meanings and fresh ways of interpreting it. It is a living document. I have at all times tried to find the simplest word so the Muslim child can understand it easily, and thereby feel strengthened by it. Any translation which is to have a use in divine worship must be simple yet noble, and not overladen with higher criticism. No translation should confuse, but teach and make things holy: we do not need criticism so much as constructive explanation. I myself must remember to act as a Westerner before this document in order to keep its meaning from being blurred. It must be translated respectfully for our own worship, and so that we and others can understand its message. The forms of piety are important, as well as the thought and mood which they engender. In our faith this leads to direct contact with God, with no need of any intercession, a condition achieved through literal and moral purification, and through prayer.

The Islamic world is growing again, its centre is widening, and Muslims everywhere, especially throughout the English-speaking part of it, need a version of their Scripture they can confidently give to their children as well as to friends who have not yet captured the full message of Islam. Our aim is to give pride to young English-speaking Muslims in North America especially, and also in Britain, the West Indies like Trinidad and Guyana, and the English-speaking parts of Africa. It can also be used by college students and interested non-Muslims who want a contemporary translation of this great world classic.

I have tried to be as objective as possible, but yet to provide the basis for evaluation by English-speaking readers who know no Arabic. This should make it usable so the intelligent person engaged in research can quote the Qurʾān in today’s English. There is a necessity for an American version in contemporary English, to help in the revival of the Qurʾānic