Yesterday I posted my first vidcast “Tips for New Muslims: Approaching the Qur’an,” but I thought I’d do a written post on the topic as well. This is for those who can’t/don’t want to view vidcasts and also to make the content searchable in the future.

Introduction

The Qur’an, the holy scripture of Muslims, was revealed in the Arabic language to the Prophet Muhammad , peace be upon him, over fourteen hundred years ago. Muslims believe the Qur’an in its Arabic original is literally the word of God (not the word of Muhammad). As such, the English texts we read are really translations of the meanings of the Qur’an.

This post assumes that readers have little to no knowledge of Arabic, and is designed for those who have never read an English translation of the Qur’an.

Purifying intentions

Traditionally, Muslims perform ritual ablutions (a ritual ablution), purifying the bodies and souls, before touching a copy of the Qur’an. This isn’t a concern if you are simply reading an English translation, but it is good to make an intention that you want to read the translation of the Qur’an for the sake of Allah . This is because the intention behind any action is extremely important according to Islamic belief.

The holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “Actions are only by intention, and every person shall only have what he intended.”

Before you begin

It is normal to begin reading the Qur’an by saying: “I seek refuge in Allah , from Satan the rejected,” followed by: “In the name of Allah , the Infinitely Compassionate, the Infinitely Merciful.”

By this, we have sought refuge in the one true God from our avowed enemy (Satan, who tries to tempt us away from the path of goodness), and are intending to do an action solely in the name of the merciful and compassionate God.

Reading the Qur’an

The Qur’an is like a mirror to the soul. If your soul is tarnished and rusty, it may be that all you see in the mirror’s reflection is the tarnish and rust of your own soul. On the other hand, Allah says (in translation):

This is the blessed divine writ which We have revealed unto thee, [O Muhammad,] so that people may ponder over its mes­sages, and that those who are endowed with insight may take them to heart. (38:29)

Small portions

I recommend choosing small portions to read at any one sitting, perhaps five to ten minutes worth, and not necessarily cover-to-cover as the Qur’an is ordered neither chronologically (in the order Prophet Muhammad received them) nor thematically (concentrating on single themes at a time).

You may like to start with selections from the ‘back’ of the book, as these are mostly the earlier revelations and are generally considered to be a little easier for beginners to approach.

Muslims who grow up in a Muslim environment are exposed to the smaller revelations first as children, and usually aurally rather than as a written text.

Confusing?

The Qur’an might seem unclear without much knowledge of the history of Islam. Don’t stress too much, this is something you will acquire over time. If you’re desperate to learn something of the history of Islam, particularly the life of the Prophet, I recommend Martin Ling’s Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources.

Choosing a translation

There are so many translations of the Qur’an available, although the average bookstore seems to contain just a few of the worst (trying not to see a conspiracy here). The one I am currently recommending to English readers is Thomas Cleary’s The Qur’an: A New Translation. It does not contain an index, and does not have a footnoted commentary, but the English is beautiful and very readable.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s translation (available in many different editions such as The Holy Qur’an) is a classic, so you can’t go too wrong there.

Pickthall’s The Glorious Qur’an is the King James version, so if you have grown up with the King James Bible (and enjoyed it) you will like Pickthall. Others find the “thee”s, “ye”s and “thou”s a little alienating.

Muhammad Asad’s translation The Message of The Qur’an is also excellent, but it is expensive and contains vast footnotes full of commentaries. You may find it difficult not to get distracted by these.

Stay away from Khan and Hilali; Dawood; Rodwell and Sale (for reasons I won’t go into here, but there is generally a consensus in the Muslim world that these are pretty awful translations).

When reading

It may help to reflect on the idea that each verse (known in Arabic as “ayah” or “sign” of God) is addressing you directly: you are having a conversation with your Creator. Think about how you might implement the small portion you are reading directly into your life.

You may also like to keep a Qur’an journal to record your reflections. You are not necessarily pretending to be a scholar deepened and wise, the point of a Qur’an journal is to keep a record of your thoughts on how the Qur’an–the words of your Beloved–are touching your soul.

Conclusion

Over time, inshallah, you will develop greater insights and awareness of this beautiful scripture.

I pray that this post has been of some benefit to you. As always, any good is from Allah , and may He forgive me any mistakes in it.