The Message of the Qur'an

About this book

Muhammad Asad was born Leopold Weiss in what is now Ukraine, worked as a journalist across the Middle East, embraced Islam in the 1920s and spent much of his life in Arabia and South Asia. The Message of the Qur'an, completed after nearly two decades of work, is his life's great achievement.

Asad's translation aims to convey the meaning of the Quran as it would have been understood by its first Arabic-speaking listeners. His extensive footnotes are the heart of the book: they draw on classical commentators like az-Zamakhshari, ar-Razi and Ibn Kathir, discuss the Arabic language in depth, and explore the reasoning behind verses. He places great emphasis on the Quran's appeal to reason and reflection.

Readers should know that on some points Asad adopts interpretations that differ from the majority of classical scholars, which he explains openly in his notes. For that reason it is often recommended as a thoughtful companion alongside a more conventional translation.

What's inside

• A complete translation with the Arabic text
• Detailed footnotes on language, context and meaning
• References to classical commentators
• Appendices on symbolism, the 'mysterious letters' and other topics
• Introduction by the translator