The Message - A Translation of the Glorious Qur'an

"This is the Scripture in which there is no doubt, a guide for the righteous." (The Qur'an 2:2)

Updated July 26th, 2015

(click to download pdf copy)

This work represents a translation of the divine words revealed in the Quran over 1,400 years ago and in no way is the translation itself divine or perfect. Any shortcomings are purely due to human error and the reader is always advised to independently verify what he/she reads as the only absolute truth is with God.

"And do not uphold what you have no knowledge of. For the hearing, eyesight, and mind, all these you are responsible for." (The Qur'an 17:36)


 

Dedication

To God. This work is a very small way of saying "Thank You" for all Your blessings and mercy upon us, beyond measure, and beyond limits. May You overlook our constant shortcomings, and never abandon us to our destructive tendencies and desires.

Please report any errors or comments to free@free-minds.org

Preface

"A.L.R, a Scripture which We have sent down to you so that you may take the people out of the darkness and into the light." (The Qur'an 14:1)

During the seventh century A.D. a man by the name of 'Mohammed,' who was from the lineage of Abraham, was given the overwhelming task of being God's messenger to deliver the words of the Almighty to mankind.

The message that was given to this prophet represented a culmination of all previous teachings/laws, as well as a recording of the most accurate human history in relation to God.

"And We have sent down to you the Scripture with truth, authenticating what is present of the Scripture and superseding it. So judge between them by what God has sent down, and do not follow their desires from what has come to you of the truth. For each of you We have made laws, and a structure; and had God willed, He would have made you all one nation, but He tests you with what He has given you; so strive to do good. To God you will return all of you, and He will inform you regarding that in which you dispute." (The Qur'an 5:51)

The inspiration and guidance that was achieved in the early days of the message was enough to create an empire whose legacy in science, mathematics, and medicine are still with us today. An empire who understood that the message contained within its pages the blueprint for the best social, economic, scientific, and justice systems as designed by the Almighty for the benefit and advancement of mankind.

With the progression of time, and even though its words were continually recited, the essence of the message became lost to people until the point where the spark and meanings that had been an inspiration to generations became empty words...

This tragedy has been carried with us all the way into the 21st century whereby the bulk of 1.2 billion people who claim to be the inheritors of God's words are struggling with poverties, wars, economic set-backs, and social injustices...A legacy that has been prophesized in the scripture whereby the messenger's complaint against his followers is that they will abandon the very message he struggled to deliver:

"And the messenger said: 'My Lord, my people have deserted this Quran.'" (The Qur'an 25:30)

Perhaps it is now time for mankind to once again walk in the footsteps of our great patriarch Abraham and those prophets who came after him...Perhaps it is now time for us to once again study and contemplate the words of the Almighty as they deserve to be studied and contemplated.

Welcome to the path of God Alone.

Welcome to The Message.

Methodology For This Translation

This work is the culmination of years of group research and study into the Scripture and its nature, and is an attempt to reintroduce people to God's words with authenticity and objectivity.

The most significant changes that the reader needs to be aware of with regards to this translation are as follows:

1. Chapter Headings

In reviewing the oldest written records of the Scripture, it was found that no actual chapter names as used in current printed editions ever existed (e.g. 'the cow, the family of Imran, the women, etc.') and that they were later insertions to ease reference.

While this translation does use numeric chapter headings to ease reader reference, the removal of the 'names' has been done to maintain authenticity of the revealed text.

2. The 'Basmallah'

All existing printed editions of the Scripture treat the 'Basmallah' (the title which reads: 'In the name of God, the Almighty, the Most Merciful') as a verse on its own and is thus not numbered or included in the body text with the exception of verse 1:1.

A study of older copies of the Scripture have shown that all the 'Basmallahs' are in-fact part of the revealed text and were previously separated by a '*' or an '/' as were all the other verses.

This translation has included the Basmallah's in nearly all chapters while following the common convention of not numbering them with the exception of 1:1.

3. Different Versions/Meanings

One of the least known facts regarding the Scripture is the existence of slight textual variations between existing printed versions (upto 10 different versions are accepted, with the two most prominent being known under the names of 'Hafs' and 'Warsh').

While there is no variation with regards to the bulk text of the Scripture (i.e. nearly the same number of words and sequence of words in all versions), there is a difference in the meaning, pronunciation, and spelling of certain words.

The approach taken in this translations has been to compare all variations and follow the 'best' meaning in light of the overall spirit of the Scripture and our knowledge regarding the essence of God being 'goodness'.

4. Hafs/Warsh Verse Numbering

In addition to the textual variation between the existing printed versions, there is also the issue of the verse 'stops' which significantly differ from one version to the other.

Although the 'Warsh' style of separating the verses is found to be more in-line with the older surviving texts, the approach of this translation has been to remain with the common 'Hafs' numbering of verses as being the most prevalent amongst Muslims (Warsh being limited mainly to parts of North Africa).

5. The Missing 'Basmallah'

One of the strangest aspects of the printed Scripture is the lack of a 'Basmallah' at the beginning of chapter 9. Information written regarding this subject indicates that there is confusion as to whether the Scripture is comprised of 114 chapters, or whether it is comprised of 113 chapters (some scholars have argued that a merger of chapters 8 & 9 is possible due to the lack of the 'Basmallah').

In reviewing the older written texts, it was found that the ability to realize the separation between chapters 8 & 9, without a 'Basmallah', was nearly impossible without referring to the man-made injection of the chapter name to highlight the beginning of a new chapter.

Although this translation retains the structure of having 114 chapters, it is being pointed out for the sake of transparency that the beginning of chapter 9 is only possible to be maintained with manual effort without the presence of a Basmallah.