The Koran (Penguin Classics)

Dawood's translation was, I believe, the first one that I ever read. As I am not a Muslim, I can't judge very well on matters of interpretation, but on a scale of 1 to 10 I'd say:
Accuracy - 5. Given a choice, Dawood prefers clarity to accuracy. Please understand that translating everything the Quran says, or even a small part of what it says, is impossible.
Poetic Sense - 8. Dawood is really pretty good in letting some of lilt get through.
Depth - 3. It's just not there.
I'd probably recommend him over Pickthall, even though Pickthall was a Muslim. Pickthall was very aware of the sense behind what he was translating, and he tried to bring more of it through than could be done; he also has a bit too much baggage from the bible with him. My favorite translation is Yusuf Ali, who is interested in being as clear and accurate as possible even at the expense of elegance. If you want elegance too, learn Arabic and read the original.

Im rating the Koran, not this translation. ISIS is not perverting the message if Islam,, they are doing exactly what the prophet did and what the Koran enjoins.

You have to know the doctrine of abrogation (16:3) - in case of conflict later verses replace earlier. You have to know the putative order of the verses. If you do that, you will understand the Koran just as Islamic jurists have understood it for 1000 yrs. Here is the 14th century Hanbali jurist , Ibn Taymiya: "In ordering Jihad Allah has said: 'Fight them until there is no persecution and religion becomes Allah's'. Allah has, in fact, repeated this obligation [to fight] and has glorified jihad in most of the Medina suras he has stigmatized those who neglected to do so, and treated them as hypocrites an cowards. It is impossible to count the number of times when jihad and its virtues are extolled in the Book and the sunna. Jihad is the best form of voluntary service that man consecrates to Allah.

Therefore, since jihad is divinely instituted, and its goal is that religion reverts in its entirety to Allah and to make Allah's word triumph, whoever opposes the realization of this goal will be fought, according to the unanimous opinion of Muslims. Jews and Christians as well as Zoroastrians, must be fought until they embrace Islam or pay the jizya without recriminations.

The wives of infidels must also be reduced to slavery and the possessions of infidels must be confiscated. It is lawful to besiege infidels in their towns and in their fortresses and to use flooding fire and the machines of war against them, and to attack the unawares at night, all of this without regard for the presence in their midst of Muslim prisoners or merchants for whom these means of mass destruction are equally dangerous. " Cited in Bat Ye'or Islam and Dhimmitude p 44,45

Here is a modern variant, strategist of the Muslim brotherhood Sayyid Qutb writes: "When we understand the nature of Islam, ...we realize the inevitability of jihad, or striving for God's cause, taking a military form in addition to its advocacy form. We will further recognize that jihad was never defensive, in the narrow sense that the term 'defensive war' generally denotes today. It is this narrow sense that is emphasized by the defeatists who succumb to the pressure of the present circumstances and to the Orientalists; wily attacks.(p. 49,50). "As Islam works for peace, it is not satisfied with a cheap peace that applies only to the area where people of the Muslim happen to live. Islam aims to achieve the sort of peace which insures that all submission is made to God alone. This means that all people submit themselves to God, and none of them takes others for their lords. We must form our view on the basis of the ultimate stage of the Jihad movement, not on the early or middle stages of the prophet's mission" (The Sayyid Qutb Reader A.J. Bergesen ed, Routeledge 2008, p.50)

This is the evident and obvious interpretation of verses like (there are many):
- Kill them wherever you find them. Drive them out of the places from which they drove you. Idolatry is worse than carnage. (Koran 2 :193) [new edition "idolatry is more grievous than bloodshed"]
- "Say 'To fight in this month is a grave offence; but to debar people from the path of God, to blaspheme against Him and against the Holy Mosque, and to expel its worshipers from it, is more grievous in God's sight. Idolatry is more grievous than bloodshed'"(Koran 2, 217)
- "Fight against them until idolatry is no more and Allah's religion reigns supreme(Koran 2 :193)
- "Make war upon them until idolatry shall cease and God's religion shall reign supreme. (Koran 8:40)...
- "Enjoy therefore the good and lawful things which you have gained in war, and fear Allah. (Koran 8:68)
- "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. (Koran 9:4)
- "Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given as believe neither in Allah nor in the Last day, who do not forbid what Allah and His apostle have forbidden, and do not embrace the true faith, until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued (Koran 9:26)
- "If you do not fight, He will punish you sternly and replace you by other men (Koran 9:38)
- "Believers, do not make friends with any men other than your own people. (Koran 3:117)
- "Believers, do not make friends with those who are enemies of mine and yours (Koran, 60:1)
- "Believers, do not befriend your fathers or your brothers if they choose unbelief in preference to faith (Koran, 9:19).
- "Believers, Take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends. They are friends with one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers. (Koran, 5:49)

I'll spare you most of the verses on women except one, which was revealed when one of the prophet's wives caught him, in her house on her night, copulating with his favorite Christian concubine:
- "Prophet, why do you prohibit that which Allah has made lawful to you, in seeking to please your wives? Allah is forgiving and merciful. Allah has given you absolution from such oaths. Allah is your master. He is the Wise One the All-knowing. When the prophet confided a secret to one of his wives; and when she disclosed it and Allah informed him of this, he made known to her one part of it and said nothing about the other. And when he had acquainted her with it, she said Who told you this?' He replied The Wise One, the All-knowing , told me'. If you two turn to Allah in repentance (for your hearts have sinned) you shall be pardoned; but if you conspire against him, know that Allah is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous among the faithful. The angels too are his helpers. It may well be that, if he divorce you, his Lord will give him in your place better wives than yourselves, submissive to Allah and full of faith, devout, penitent, obedient and given to fasting; both widows and virgins. (Koran 66:1)

Mohammad also received verses relating his person:
- "You [Muhammad] may have whomever you desire; there is no blame (Q.33:51)
- "Allah gives his Messenger Lordship and Power over whomever He wills (Q.59:6)
- "You [Muhammad] are an exalted character of tremendous morality. Soon you will see, and they will see which of you is afflicted with madness (Q.68:4)

You'll also want to learn that the sun sets in a sea of black mud.(18:86), that you may not force your slave girls into prostitution (24:33), though of course slavery is allowed, that Allah changes wayward Jews into apes and pigs. (2:62, 5:57)

This all raises serious questions about religion and morality. Indeed the Old Testament is equally immoral, if less obsessive. The Catholic church has managed to discover the obligation of burning heretics and justification of slavery in the New Testament. Can an otherwise immoral act become moral because god commands it, or in so doing does god himself become immoral?

While our philosophers and ethicists debate the meaning of "good", the separation of mind and matter, whether turning my head is a voluntary act etc we let god get away with murder. We need to know more about the limbic system....of god worshippers and philosophers

NJ Dawood has a very straightforward style of translating. This makes for an easier read, but unfortunately he makes a lot of mistakes when translating the parts of the Quran that are more subtle and require a deeper understanding of the Arabic language.This becomes evident in his tranlation of some of the parables and also many of the verses that make reference to historical events. For a more accurate translation I would recommend Muhammad Asad or Nooruddin.

I was not impressed by what is essentially Bible 3.0. I was expecting something neater and understandable. Instead, the author of the Koran let me down by repeating the same mistakes he made in his previous books: The Jewish Bible and the New Testament. You would think the author learned how to write a better book, but no. The author continues with his traditional writing style that is replete with violence, intolerance, unscientific teachings (flat earth, for example), and other strange teachings (bringing back a corpse by slapping it with cow meat).

Other than the strangeness of this book, it was very boring. At least the Jewish Bible (the author's first book) had some cool stories about werewolves (Daniel 4:33) and a zombie army (Ezekiel 37). Much to my chagrin, these stories have not been included in the Koran. What we are left with is the author’s attempt to bash his previous audience: the Jews and Christians. Yes, they had been critical of the author’s works in the past, but that hardly justifies what he said about them in the Koran (Hint: it isn’t good). I don’t know what purpose it was supposed to serve, since we already know the Jews and Christians will continue to transgress. At least the author built up the courage to move on to a more receptive audience, the Arabs. I am glad for him.

Another problem I have is with the author’s fickleness. He said the Jewish bible was his last book, but then went on to write the New Testament declaring it would be his last. Then, the author comes back with a third book, the Koran. When will the author truly stop writing? I heard rumors that the author has come out with another book, the Book of Mormon, which I heard has pictures (yay). I should know better than to have high expectations considering this author’s lack of consistency, but I can’t help but be optimistic that he will finally write something entertaining. One can only hope.

Arabic is my mother tongue, Although I have been tought English from an early age and have been using English primarly in the last 10 years or so. The most accurate translation that I have found when it comes to clarity and capturing the directness as well as the simplicity of the original arabic text can be found in the Second Edition of Dr.Rashad Khalifa translation called "The Final Testament".

Like most sacred books this one is no different. It teaches what all religions teach, a sense of self-loathing and fear of punishment. It teaches contempt for women, hatred for other beliefes and lifestyles, disgust for those that would seek answers through science, reason and logic. Like Christianity it's past is filled with unethical idealologies such as slavery, murder, ethnic cleansing, rape and torture. Also there is the blatant errors of ancient cosmology which are proof in themselves that this and other religions are anything but divinely inspired. So, do I have contempt for religion? Yes. Do I have contempt for the people who practice it? No. I wish more people would study not only their religion but other beliefs as well. I've gone through many emotions in my years researching religion. Many different feelings have come to mind while reading sacred books. But you know one emotion that I've have yet to experience. Laughter. Yep, you heard me right. When is the last time you ever read a holy book and burst out laughing? Think about it. As for Mr. Dawood this review is no reflection on him or his translation.

I encourage everyone to read the Koran and draw your own conclusions based on logic, reason and human compassion and not on fear or coercion.

this book provides nice and comprehensive rendering of the qur'an. it has the most authoritative rendering of qur'an i have ever read. best for the first time reader of qur'an and regular readers as wel.

Do NOT buy this book, it is riddled with remarkably blatant changes to the Qur'anic text. One of the lighter changes is mutating the verse "...Oppression is worse than killing...", which is a verse in the Qur'an that signifies the need for man to be free physically and spiritually (man was born free by the will of G-d [Or "Allah"] and therefore it was his right to speak, live, think and express as he saw fit.) That verse is changed to "...Idolatry is worse than carnage."

This translation of the Qur'an is a fine example of demonazation of the religion.

If you truly wish to read the Qur'an I HIGHLY recommend "The Holy Qur'an", translated by: Yusef Ali. You can buy it on the store in both paperback and hardback. You can also get it free from a mosque or freequran(dot)com.

There are wonderful sites that you can visit that can help you on a journey to understanding. The point is to build bridges between the interfaith community and middle-east/west.

understandingislam(dot)com
Islamicity(dot)com
islamonline(dot)net

May peace be upon all of you! :)

One of the questions which puzzled the ancient Arabs was, "Where did the sun go when night time came?" The Qur'an gave them Allah's answer.

He [i.e. Zul-qarnain] followed, until he reached the setting of the sun. He found it set in a spring of murky water.

(Surah XVIII ( Kahf) vs. 85-86)

We agree with Muslim scholars that Zul-qarnain refers to Alexander the Great (see Yusuf Ali's appendix on this subject in his translation of the Qur'an). According to this surah, Alexander the Great traveled west until he found out what happened to the sun. It went down into and under the murky waters of a pond. When it was completely covered by the water, darkness fell upon the earth.

To the early Muslims, this surah gave the divine answer as to why darkness fell when the sun set in the West. They assumed that the sun, like the moon, was the size perceived by the human eye, about the size of a basketball. Darkness came when with a mighty hissing roar it went down under the dark waters of a pond. They boldly and proudly proclaimed that this marvelous answer proved that the Qur'an was indeed the Word of God.

Today, modern Muslims are quite embarrassed by this passage and try to ignore it or to quickly dismiss it as poetry. But the passage is not part of a poem. Thus it cannot be dismissed as figurative language or poetic license. In the context, it is part of a historical narrative which relates several historical incidences in the life of Alexander the Great.

The mistake was based on the erroneous assumption that the earth was flat. The authors of the Qur'an did not know that the earth was a sphere which revolved around the sun.

One of the questions which puzzled the ancient Arabs was, "Where did the sun go when night time came?" The Qur'an gave them Allah's answer.

He [i.e. Zul-qarnain] followed, until he reached the setting of the sun. He found it set in a spring of murky water.

(Surah XVIII ( Kahf) vs. 85-86)

We agree with Muslim scholars that Zul-qarnain refers to Alexander the Great (see Yusuf Ali's appendix on this subject in his translation of the Qur'an). According to this surah, Alexander the Great traveled west until he found out what happened to the sun. It went down into and under the murky waters of a pond. When it was completely covered by the water, darkness fell upon the earth.

To the early Muslims, this surah gave the divine answer as to why darkness fell when the sun set in the West. They assumed that the sun, like the moon, was the size perceived by the human eye, about the size of a basketball. Darkness came when with a mighty hissing roar it went down under the dark waters of a pond. They boldly and proudly proclaimed that this marvelous answer proved that the Qur'an was indeed the Word of God.

Today, modern Muslims are quite embarrassed by this passage and try to ignore it or to quickly dismiss it as poetry. But the passage is not part of a poem. Thus it cannot be dismissed as figurative language or poetic license. In the context, it is part of a historical narrative which relates several historical incidences in the life of Alexander the Great.

The mistake was based on the erroneous assumption that the earth was flat. The authors of the Qur'an did not know that the earth was a sphere which revolved around the sun.

I would like to ask the fanatical defenders of the koran who wrote the reviews here a question. Why does the koran have no prophecy? Yes thats right..NO PROPHECY! You find 1/3 of the Bible has prophetic statements that predict the rise and fall of empires and nations. It calls a Persian king by name (Cyrus) and predicts that he will reign hundreds of years before he was even born. It predicts the fall of cities like Tyre, Nineveh, Babylon, etc. Its historical accuracy is validated by archeology time and time again.

I ask again...why does the koran have no Prophecy? BECAUSE IT IS CAME FROM ONLY A MAN - NOT FROM GOD!!! If allah is a true God and the koran is the "final revelation" to man....then why would this god allah not tell us what is going to happen in the future? Why does the koran not have in it writings like the Book of Revelation in the New Testament? Christians know what is going to happen soon on the world scene because of the Bible's Prophetic content.

My poor Muslims...your god is a weak dead god who cannot see into the future. Why worship a deaf, dumb and blind god like him?

By the way...why did mohammed tell his followers to drink Camel's Urine? Yes..that what this "prophet" said to do....

Introduction

I write this as a believing christian giving my honest reaction to reading the text. Having found other religious texts pleasing and sometimes insipirational (Buddhist texts in particular), I was open minded to receive something similar from Islam's relgious text. My earnest hope is that Muslims will show similar curiosity and open our Bible as well.

Claim to clarity?

One of the key claims of muslims is that the Qur'an is clear. Indeed, this claim for clarity is important because it is one of their basis basic arguments against jews and christians that they cannot agree about the meaning of their texts. A basic function of the Qur'an in Muslim tradition is its clear teaching about Divine matters. Now, does a reading of this book prove or disprove their point? I am afraid a careful reading of the book shows that the claim for clarity is manifestly and blatantly untrue.

As scholars of classical arabic point out, 20% of the book does not at all make sense. Some of this can be put down to the assembling of the suras by the compilers under Uthman, the third caliph, but a good measure of it must go down to the workings of the brain of the messenger himself. A careful reading shows frequent mental shifts taking place within the context of single paragraphs - a kind of mental gymnastics. I am not referring here to the short (so called Mecca suras) which are quite pleasing and poetic but to the so called Medina suras. Another point is that the text is full of places where the translator is really taking the best guess. No one knows what the text means, not even the Hadith compilers (circa 150-200 years post the messeneger's death).

Grammatical issues

Another important claim of muslims is that this is the most beautiful and unrepeatable texts ever because it proceeds from the mouth of God. And yet, as scholars point out, the book has grammatical errors in it

Recyling of religious material from jews and christians

A Jewish or Christain reader of the Qur'an cannot but be struck by the degree of recyling of jewish material from the Old Testament. Not only that, the same stories re Moses, Noah, Lot, Joseph etc get re-told in different variant forms. Not only that, the stories often rely for meaning and clarity on the assumption that the reader knows more than is the Koran. Indeed, if one does not know more than what is in the Koran, one is left baffled. Why is this so for a text which is claimed to be perfect?

The rule of abrogation and the claim that Islam is a religion of peace

The attentive reader of the text will be struck by contradicitions (Muslims Scholars vary on the numbers, ranging from 5 - 250 or so contradictions). Leaving aside the allowing and then disallowing alcohol, the famous Medina Sura of the sword (when the messenger was poweful and strong) is often contrasted with the religious tolerance of the Meccan (when the messenger was in a weak position politically) sura. The scholars well aware of these contraditions propose the rule of abrogation usually simplified to the later sura knocks out the earlier one. The problem with the Sura of the Sword is that is the later one and its encouraging the slaughter of the infidel should logically abrogate the tolerant and earlier Meccan one. My reading outside the Qur'an on the opinions of muslims scholars on this point have not given me a good answer to this. Logically, the claim that islam is a religion of peace is a claim to be proven.

The key underpinning of Islam is one of recapitulation and clarity?

The frequent references to the Jewish stories together with the key Jewish prophets, the support for the Torah and for the gospel (noting here that Jesus is really a cardboard cut our figure in the Qur'an) leads one to legitimately to ask the question: what is the purpose of this text?

If the purpose is one of recapitulation, it fails. Whilst the Meccan suras are pleasing and rightfully proclaim the grandeur of God, the derivative nature of the rest of the material, the fact that the recyled material is re-told in a manner which is less clear and less satisfying than as told in the Jewish scriptures, the fact that the content of the gospel is completely lost means that the claim that this book is a clear recapitualtion of what God had formally revealed before the messenger is utterly preposterous!

Having enjoyed great success with his first book, The Bible, God followed up (after a gap of centuries; writer’s block?) with The Koran.

I am cognizant that Muslims hold the book sacred. But all ideas offered in the public arena must be subject to critical examination. This does not mean attacking personally the people holding the ideas; their acceptance by others is instead the issue. Thus, having read it, I present my objective review of The Koran’s content.

Muslims consider it God’s (Allah’s) word, transmitted to the prophet Mohammad, over two decades. Mohammad preached it but wrote down little or nothing; followers compiled the book after his death. It’s not a sequel to The Bible; indeed, a very different book. Whereas The Bible was written mainly in the third person, The Koran is mostly in the first person, with God directly addressing the reader (or hearer). And while The Bible is full of narrative story-telling, The Koran is mainly exhortation. It does rehash some biblical stories, like Noah, Joseph, and (especially) Moses*, but only in disjointed bits and pieces interspersed among other matter.

We are often told the book’s poetic language (in Arabic) is extremely beautiful. I can’t say; I read a translation by N.J. Dawood (Penguin edition) and if there was beauty in the language it didn’t come through. But meantime the book could have used a good editor. It’s way overlong, completely disorganized, and numbingly repetitive.

The Koran sets forth a lot of rules, such as for inheritance and marriage; but unfortunately doesn’t deign to explain any rationales for them, so they come across as rather arbitrary. A widow must wait four months and ten days before making the scene again. Four months might seem reasonable, but why the ten days? God doesn’t tell us.

Curiously, while stating that some verses have precise meaning, the book acknowledges opacity in others, whose explanation unbelievers will maliciously demand – “But no one knows its meaning except God.” (3:8) (It’s a mystery, you see; just get with the program.)

Christians may be pleased to see some praise of Jesus as a prophet; but the author denies paternity, saying “God forbid” he should have had a son. And while The Koran does talk a lot about treating others fairly and kindly, it certainly doesn’t incorporate Jesus’s message. Turn the other cheek? No – “If anyone attacks you, attack him as he attacked you.” (2:194) And “Fighting is obligatory for you, much as you dislike it.” (2:216) And “If you do not go to war, [God] will punish you sternly.” (9:39)

Religion of peace? I don’t think so.

But mainly the author pounds away relentlessly on two basic themes: (1) how great he is; and especially (2) unbelievers are “evil-doers” who will be punished severely.

As to the first, he claims omniscience and omnipotence; he knows all, and can do anything. It’s mostly braggadocio; much more telling than showing. He insists he is greatly to be feared. “Fear God” is repeated endlessly. And yet he also repeatedly says he’s merciful and forgiving; it’s even okay to break his rules, if you have a reasonable excuse.

But the one thing he’s unforgiving about is unbelief. This he hammers on so compulsively – unbelievers will get “woeful punishment,” “grievous punishment,” etc. – that he can’t go very long without bringing it up, sometimes irrelevantly while talking about something else. “Unbelievers will be punished” – that’s The Koran in a nutshell. It’s kind of bizarre, really, considering all the awful atrocities people commit – the “foulest deeds” can be forgiven, if you fear God – while he positively obsesses over disbelief. This is “thought crime” par excellence. In a rational appraisal, surely a mere personal belief (or disbelief), even if mistaken, cannot be the most heinous of human crimes.

I’m not a trained psychiatrist, but all of this smacks of a monumental insecurity complex. Why else the unrelenting assertions of his greatness and power, the “Fear God” refrain, and especially the fanatical concern over people’s belief? Why even “reveal” such a book? Why would he care? If omniscient God thinks he exists, and can smite anyone with a finger flick, what difference does it make whether Joe Schmoe believes it? If God is as great as he says, we humans would be as vermin to him. Sane people don’t obsess over whether termites believe in our existence and fear us.

Of course, The Koran was given through Mohammad as God’s mouthpiece. And if God’s obsession with disbelief makes no sense, it would have made perfect sense for Mohammad, who was literally fighting a war to put his new religion across among a skeptical people. In fact, The Koran sometimes acknowledges how hearers scoff at what Mohammad is saying; the answer (again) is that they will burn. Mohammad’s role also, of course, explains all the book’s exhortations to battle.

The Koran asserts, at various points, that the book itself is such a marvel that no human could have produced any of it. I would say it’s so uninspired and uninspiring that no god could have produced it. Just like The Bible, the book can be understood only as the self-interested work of its very human authors, not of some deity who, if he did do it, would be absurd. To believe he’s behind these books is an insult to God.

* At least Joseph Smith, in the Book of Mormon, made up new stories.

I have read the other reviews with great interest.

N. J. Dawood's translation of the Qur'an is as close to being worthless as it is possible for an English translation of the Qur'an to be. The errors and mistranslations are such that many consider it to be perilously close to blasphemous. At best, it is absolutely impossible to get a clear understanding of what the Qur'an is really saying from Dawood's attempt to render the Qur'an into modern English.

He changed the traditional Sura order to the chronological Sura order (i.e. the Suras in the authentic Quran are not arranged in the order in which they were revealed). This indicative of his excessive license with the work, as well as his clear contempt for the original. An Iraqi Jew, Dawood excercises considerable self-aggrandizment with his claims that Jewish and Christian teachings influenced the Prophet. These and other liberties demontrate his unwillingness and incapacity to produce an accurate and unbiased translation.

His mistakes of translation are beyond ridiculous: e.g. 'bani Adam" (correct translatied as 'children of Adam'; from al-Araf 7:31) is rendered as "children of Allah". In Al-Baqarah 2:191 'al fitnatu asyaddu minal qatl ("oppression is worse than slaughter")' is mistranslated as 'idolatry is worse than carnage". Space does not permit me to list the dozens and dozens of other errors which would be amusing if applied to any other book.

As a Muslim, my disgust for his translation is so adamate that I refuse to permit a copy of it in my home.

Because if this, I have absolutely no animosity or ill feelings towards any of those who posted vitrolic invective about the Qur'an: simply because they never read the Qur'an. They read N. J. Dawood's worthless poetry; which, of course, cannot provide them with a shred of useful information with which to make an informed choice in the matter. I will not hold people's ignorance against them.

With all the sincerity at my command, I advise all, Muslim and non-Muslim alike to shun Dawood's translation as you need not mere diseased swine.

By all means, read the Koran. I encourage you to. It is the only way you will learn the truth about the Muslim holy book and the oppressive ideology within it. I read the Koran and it woke me up to the true message of hate, violence, death, and oppression that is the central theme of the text.

Over 100 passages alone promote Jihad. The Qur’an endorses violence against non-believers. The Koran endorses slavery. The Quran treats women as property. The Koran endorses death (apostasy) for any Muslim who leaves the faith.

Unbelievers can be beheaded: “When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield, strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly” (Qur’ran 47:4)

War on unbelievers is OK: “O ye who believe! Fight the unbelievers who grid you about and let them find firmness in you, and know that Allah is with those who fear Him” (Qur’ran 9:123)

Those who aren’t Muslims must be killed: “Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them” (Quran 9:5)

Jews and Christians are the enemy: “O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but friends and protectors of each other. And he amongst you that turns to them is of them.” (Qua’ran 5:51)

Women are inferior to men: “Men have authority over women because God has made the one superior to the other.” (Qua’ran 4:34)

Women must cover themselves “Lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what must ordinarily appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except the their husband and their father (Quran 24:31)

Women can be beaten by their husbands: “Good women are obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them.” (Qua’ran 4:34)

Since Mohammed married a 6 year old, pedophilia is approved of in Islamic societies and child marriage occurs regularly. The Islamic Hadiths (Additional Holy books discussing Mohammed’s life and words) are just as bad if not worse than the Koran. Female genital mutilation, the subjugation of women and children, oppressive Sharia Law, and many more horrors are endorsed in Hadiths and other sacred Muslim texts.

These things cannot be changed because Muslims believe Mohammed was the prophet of God. As the prophet, he was perfect, and the Koran is perfect, and to follow the Quran is a duty of every Muslim. Luckily, many Muslims are ignorant of what the Koran says. They are tolerant not because they are Muslims, but because they do not follow Islam as the ‘prophet’ demands. They are tolerant in spite of Islamic law and teachings, not because of them.

All relatively tolerant passages have been canceled out by the Muslim doctrine of abrogation. Abrogation was written down by Muhammed in the Koran to assist Muslims when two verses contradict each other. Abrogation requires one to disregard earlier versus (the tolerant ones) in favor of the later versus (violent and hateful). Thus, theologically, all violent and hateful Muslims are correct. They are following the Koran and ‘word of God’ according to Mohammed’s

I truly feel sorry for human beings who were raised with this religion and ‘holy book.’ They had no choice but to be born and raised into the culture. I hope they can look beyond the ‘holy’ label of this book and see it for what it really is: the narcissist hate-filled ramblings of a very delusional man who thinks he talks to God.

The truth is, many people ARE afraid to speak out against Islamic teachings because the radical Muslims do intimidate them. The other half is ignorant of the Islamic faith because they assume the Koran teaches love and peace and thou shalt not kill as other faiths do, while in reality, it teaches the complete opposite. If you’re one of these ignorant naïve folks, please please read the Koran and see for yourself. If you’re one of those living in fear of speaking out against deadly Islamic teachings, know that you’re not alone. Join groups like ACT For America where like minded people work together to educate the world about the dangers of Islam.

Before it became politically incorrect to criticize Islam, some very famous and respected men of history understood its dangers.

Alexis de Tocqueville on the Quran: “I studied the Quran a great deal. I came away from that study with the conviction that by and large there have been few religions in the world as deadly to men as that of Muhammad. So far as I can see, it is the principal cause of the decadence so visible today in the Muslim world and, though less absurd than the polytheism of old, its social and political tendencies are in my opinion more to be feared, and therefore regard it as a form of decadence rather than a form of progress in relation to paganism itself.”

Winston Churchill: “The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property-either as a child, a wife, or a concubine-must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities…but the influences of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism (Islam) is a militant and proselytizing faith.”

Voltaire: “But that a camel-merchant [Muhammad] should stir up insurrection in his village; that in league with some miserable followers he persuades them that he talks with the angel Gabriel; that he boasts of having been carried to heaven, where he received in part this unintelligible book, each page of which makes common sense shudder; that, to pay homage to this book, he delivers his country to iron and flame; that he cuts the throats of fathers and kidnaps daughters; that he gives to the defeated the choice of his religion or death: this is assuredly nothing any man can excuse, at least if he was not born a Turk, or if superstition has not extinguished all natural light in him.”

Mark Twain “That is a simple rule, and easy to remember. When I, a thoughtful and unblessed Presbyterian, examine the Koran, I know that beyond any question every Mohammedan is insane; not in all things, but in religious matters.”

President John Quincy Adams: “In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar [i.e., Muhammad], the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. Adopting from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent God; he connected indissolubly with it, the audacious falsehood, that he was himself his prophet and apostle. Adopting from the new Revelation of Jesus, the faith and hope of immortal life, and of future retribution, he humbled it to the dust by adapting all the rewards and sanctions of his religion to the gratification of the sexual passion. He poisoned the sources of human felicity at the fountain, by degrading the condition of the female sex, and the allowance of polygamy; and he declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind. THE ESSENCE OF HIS DOCTRINE WAS VIOLENCE AND LUST: TO EXALT THE BRUTAL OVER THE SPIRITUAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE [Adam's capital letters]….Between these two religions, thus contrasted in their characters, a war of twelve hundred years has already raged. The war is yet flagrant…While the merciless and dissolute dogmas of the false prophet shall furnish motives to human action, there can never be peace upon earth, and good will towards men.”

George Bernard Shaw “Islam is very different, being ferociously intolerant…You accepted Allah or you had your throat cut by someone who did accept him, and who went to Paradise for having sent you to Hell”

Carl Jung “We do not know whether Hitler is going to found a new Islam. He is already on the way; he is like Muhammad. The emotion in Germany is Islamic; warlike and Islamic. They are all drunk with a wild god.”

Antony Flew “I would never regard Islam with anything but horror and fear because it is fundamentally committed to conquering the world for Islam... it is, I think, best described in a Marxian way as the uniting and justifying ideology of Arab imperialism. Between the New Testament and the Qur'an there is (as it is customary to say when making such comparisons) no comparison.

Islam is more than a religion; it is a political organization that takes over every country it can, by stealth or by force. Thus far 57 countries in the world are under Islamic rule and they have some of the worst human rights and women’s rights records in the history of mankind. I love Muslims and wish them well, but the ideas propagated by their faith are abominable and deserve every peace loving, human rights loving, freedom loving person’s contempt.

After reading this translation, I knew something was wrong, i've read the koran before but never found it to be so bad. Then after doing some research found out that this is a propagandistic version written by a non muslim(mr. Dawood is acutally Jewish i found out). Many passages are poorly translated(i believe purposely), to give the worst view possible about islam. You would be better off reading any version other than this(also like the plague, to avoid anything written by Robert Spencer, who also spews propaganda against Islam, and is a well known Isamophobe). If you want a Well written translation of the Koran that is easy to read, I would highly recommend Quran by Yahya Emerick. This is by far the best translation of the Koran to English that exists.

After reading the penguin classic "The Koran" and then reading the full version it is obvious to me that the Draconian murderous doctrine of the Islamic scriptures have been purposely omitted and does not give an accurate overview of this barbaric religion.We are all aware that science has long proven that these mythical gods are all a figment of mental unstable cranks, notwithstanding the doctrine is effecting the world population and its stability.I changed my opinion of religion when I was five and my level of reason was quite mature, when my puppy was killed by a bombing raid by another bunch of cranks known as Nazis I prayed in my naive child's reasoning for god to save my pup, naturally it died. My belief in the almighty took the same relevance as Santa Claus,The tooth fairy, and that reverend butcher Mohamed. Yes Penguin I would put more store in the Beano and Dandy than your efforts to wise up the world on that "religion" most people despise known as Islam.There agenda will be completed one day and they no doubt will take over the world but it will thank" Dawkins"I will be long gone from this world. There doctrine of Allah rewarding suicidal cranks with numerous virgins and little boys "pearls" sounds more from the Catholic priests handbook, but they seem to have the answer to homosexuality,although a little over the top. Allan Usherwood. Myalup WA

It's the same morals/teachings as the Bible, only a blinded sheep could see it any other way. The stories are irrelevant, this book teaches forgiveness, kindness etc the same as the western religions. I reccomend the read, there are some very nice passages at the end of the book and the early ones although hard to follow are also good reads.

this book is a terrible translation, and contains numerous errors. If you want a great translation of the koran, and don't mind spending the money, read QURAN by Yahya Emerick. After reading that translation, you'll be an islamic scholar. It is very well written, and unlike this book is not propaganda. the author of this book, NJ Dawood is not even muslim, something that doesnt sit well with me. I would never read a bible written by a muslim, just like i would never read a Koran written by a Jew(I've met Mr. Dawood, and yes he is Jewish).

I do not think the man who "translated" the Koran here is a true Muslim. One cannot shuffle and reorder the Suras to suit one's own taste. This man does not have the right to mess up our Holy Book in this way. Plue the style of writing is not nearly as engaging as the Ali version. I have not been in a Mosque yet that had this version of the Koran on its shelves. You can go into any Mosque in this country and pick up a copy of the Ali Tranlation for free. Why waste your money on this Infidel sham version?

don't waste your time with this terrible translation. this is a propagandistic version of the koran, aimed at giving islam a bad name. many verses are purposely mistranslated in the worse way possible. If you want a good translation, buy Quran by Yahya Emerick. or buy a translation by yusuf ali.

I must very earnestly agree with the reviewer called "koran vs. New Testament". I am a Jehovah's witness and I read the Greek Scriptures every day. I see Jesus as superior to Mohammad. The Koran has nothing in it to inspire and to enlighten the honorable soul. I was a Buddist and now I am a Christian and I want no more than to read the scriptures every day.

I feel very very sorry for muslims who are forced to read this book each day.

Thank you

Following the 7/7 London suicide bombings there were several articles in British newspapers by British Muslims saying that the bombers were not "true Muslims" as there is nothing in the Koran to justify such actions. Following the attempted bombings of 2 weeks later, it was reported that one of the failed bombers told his neighbour: "If a man dies loyal to Allah, he gets 80 virgins and goes to paradise". I decided to read the Koran for myself.

Here's what it says about fighting. "Slay them wherever you find them. Fight against them till idolatry is no more and God's religion reigns supreme" (Sura 2:190), "Seek out your enemies relentlessly" (4:103), "Make war on them till idolatry shall cease and God's religion shall reign supreme" (8:36), "When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, beseige them and lie in ambush everywhere for them" (9:5), "Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you" (9:121), "When you meet the unbelievers on the battlefield strike off their heads" (47:3), "Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and the hypocrites and deal sternly with them. Hell shall be their home, evil their fate" (66:7).

For those that may not be up for the fight, there are words of encouragement: "Fighting is obligatory, much as you dislike it" (2:216), "Believers who stay at home are not equal to those that fight for the cause of God" (4:93), God's will is mentioned in Sura 8:12 as "Give courage to the believers. I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers", "If you do not fight He will punish you sternly and replace you by other men" (9:37).

Should a believer decide not to fight: "Anyone who turns their backs on infidels on the march, except for tactical reasons, will go to Hell" (8:12), "If anyone thinks that God will not give victory to His apostle in this world and the world to come, let him tie a rope to the ceiling of his house and hang himself" (22:14).

Now, what about paradise. Apparently the believers are to be treated to "goodly mansions" (9:72), "soft couches, bracelets of gold, garments of fine green silk" (18:30), "bashful, dark-eyed virgins, as chaste as the sheltered eggs of ostriches" (37:48), "rivers of purest water, and rivers of milk for ever fresh; rivers of wine delectable to those that drink it, and rivers of clearest honey" (47:15), "young boys of their own, as fair as virgin pearls" (52:13), "dark-eyed virgins sheltering in their tents" (55:66), "jewelled couches and there shall wait on them immortal youths with bowls and ewers and a cup of purest wine" (56:6) and "they shall be attended by boys graced with eternal youth, who to the beholder's eyes will seem like sprinkled pearls" (76:9), "high-bosomed maidens for companions" (78:31), "pure wine to drink, securely sealed, whose very dregs are musk" (83:22).

One thing I found odd were the references to fine wine in paradise, as Sura 5:90 declares that "Wine is an abomination devised by Satan".

So far, it seemed to me that yes the Koran justifies suicide bombing, and yes there is the bait of virgins in paradise to hook in young men to perform such a deed. But there was more to disturb me!

According to Sura 65:4 if a man wishes to divorce his wife and his wife has not started menstruating then he has to wait 3 months. A footnote at the bottom of that page states that child wives were common. It appears then that pedophilia is permissible in Islam, so long as the perpetrator marries his victim. The footnote to Sura 33:50 states that Mohammed had 9 wives, apart from his slave girls; Sura 33:50 states that God gave Mohammed slave-girls as "booty". (I read in the book "Saharasia" that one of Mohammed's wives was a 9 year old girl who brought her toys with her when she moved into his tent.) Sura 4:1 states that a man may have up to 4 wives if he treats them equally, but if he can't treat them equally then he can marry any number of slave-girls.

The one scrap of positivity I detected in this book was in Sura 51:18 which states that goods should be shared with the beggars and the deprived.

Islam now appears to have split itself into sects (Shia, Sunni, Wahhabi). Therefore, according to the Koran, no-one should believe in it because of the following statement: "Have nothing to do with those who have split up their religion into sects" (6:158). Therefore, according to the Koran, it seems that no-one should have anything to do with Islam. Cool!

The Koran is a work of complete fiction. These words are the illiterate musings of someone who happened to be on his own (like Moses , Joseph Smith etc) when visited by the Archangel Gabriel (another fictional character where evidence of this beings existence is nil). Misogynistic, homophobic, intolerant of other faiths, totalitarian i thought, this book was created when superstition ruled. The hatred on each page drips with blood. Love, peace and compassion is rarely mentioned. I would suggest reading the skeptics koran instead. Thank goodness only a small percentage of Muslims take this book literally.