All of us are eyeing the easing of the Lockdown, here is a gift that I recommend as a pleasant and fulfilling read – The Majestic Quran. Since the publication of the new translation in May 2018, I have been humbled by the positive comments and tributes from many readers; young and old, men and women. A young college student Nibras Malik said, “The words read effortlessly and form and reflect a sense of grace and refinement, due to the use of simple but effective vocabulary and demonstrates the achievement of its goal of accessibility, and as such its position as a project of high stature and success.”
Someone else wrote, “The insightful Quranic lessons in the margins of the Majestic Quran are gold, they are profound and help keep you motivated to read the Quran and not be overwhelmed by it. They drive home lessons extracted from the page, that gives a new level of clarity. I am fascinated by the deep insights that are drawn out from the pages of the Quran. They are well-grounded and often ask questions to challenge you.”
What is the Quran?
There is nothing quite like the Quran. This book is unique, it’s Allah’s speech. When people needed guidance, Allah gave his speech, do’s and don’ts, He spoke to His beloved Messenger (peace be upon him). He (peace be upon him) memorised it, got it written down by the scribes. The words of Allah communicate the Divine Will in clear terms, people of all generations can read it, understand it and be changed by it.
The Quran is guidance, healing for the sicknesses of the heart and mind, practical teachings, liveable instructions and it is the final authority for our faith and socio-spiritual life. A loving, reliable truth from our loving, living God. Knowing Allah and loving Him requires knowing and loving the Majestic Quran. The Quran is essential to the faith of every Muslim, it’s the foundation, the fountainhead of all wisdom and teachings. To put faith into practice you need a good understanding of Allah’s speech. The Quran is more than information, it’s more than knowledge, it’s more than understanding; it strikes the fear of Hell, longings for Heaven and enlightens us. Allah wants us to understand it and live by it so we can flourish and be saved from the harm of hell.
Why read The Majestic Quran?
It has something to say about the questions you might be asking, about your relationships, purpose of life, what is good life? How do you worship Allah? People in times of difficulty read the Quran and found it comforting and solving their problems. Allah speaks to us through The Majestic Quran, giving a message of hope, forgiveness, care and purpose. We learn that Allah loves and cares for us unconditionally and will make a difference to us today. The Majestic Quran is for all times and has been changing people’s lives for fourteen centuries.
What’s so special about The Majestic Quran?
The Majestic Quran is one book, one message. Submit to your Creator, dedicate yourself to Him, surrender yourself to your Sustainer, Allah the lord of the universe. It’s a collection of Divine revelations that tells us who Allah is and how we fit into the big story of creation. It shapes our lives today and moulds our identity. We find out that Allah loves and cares about us and has a plan for our lives. The Majestic Quran is the story of the beloved Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and how he struggled to bring stubborn and unwilling people to Allah.
The Majestic Quran is one big story with a common theme that runs throughout all the little stories. The Quran’s metanarrative is: ‘we belong to Allah and soon, will be returning to him’. We all love stories and the Quran is full of beautiful stories. These are stories of past Prophets their lives and works and they relate the history of human disobedience eloquently, as well as stories of sincere and devout people. Stories are about real life, they have a plot, contain a sense of mystery and they lead to something where we can relate to them. It’s the story of Allah: His majesty, creation, love and wrath. By providing headings to these stories, I have made it easy to recognise where a story begins and ends.
I believe that by looking at what Allah is doing in the lives of people we can see connections to our own everyday life, they show how Allah works with and through people. The Quranic stories connect the past ages with the real world of today. This translation was done with you in mind. I want you to discover the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the Quran. What does it mean and where the events occurred? Most importantly, what is it saying to you, how can you live by it today?
I have always aimed to build the confidence of my students so they believe that they can understand the Quran. That’s been my passion for translating The Majestic Quran. It combines scholarly insights with wit and charm, and the wisdom I gained over half a century from my pious teachers and Imams. I want Quran readers to feel at ease and better understand the meaning of the Divine words.
