About This Translation

This translation of the Holy Qur’an is offered as a reflective study translation, not as a definitive scholarly rendering.

I am not a classical scholar, nor do I claim formal qualifications in Islamic sciences. Rather, this work arises from long engagement with the Qur’anic text as a native Arabic speaker, combined with careful reading, reflection, and consultation of selected classical and contemporary scholarly interpretations. Throughout this process, I have paid close attention to linguistic nuance, Qur’anic structure, and historical context.

The Qur’an is not merely a text to be read fluently; it is a revelation meant to be pondered. Its language is intentionally dense, layered, and rhythmic, often prompting the reader to pause, reconsider, and reflect. For this reason, I have aimed to preserve, as much as possible, the structure, phrasing, and internal emphasis of the original Arabic, even when this results in sentence constructions that may feel unfamiliar or “unusual” in English.

This approach is intentional. The Arabic Qur’an employs flexible word order, strategic repetition, and compact expressions that carry multiple shades of meaning. Rendering these features into smooth, idiomatic English often risks flattening the text and obscuring its depth. By retaining elements of the Qur’an’s original structure and cadence, this translation seeks to reflect how the Qur’an addresses its first audience, engaging the mind, the conscience, and the heart simultaneously.

Where clarity requires it, brief explanatory phrasing is used to guide reflection, not to replace the text or impose personal opinion. Readers should therefore approach this work as a guided engagement with the Qur’anic message, rather than a purely literal or purely interpretive translation.

This translation is a work in progress and remains open to refinement. As understanding deepens, so too may expression improve. Above all, my hope is that by remaining close to the Qur’an’s language and method of address, this translation may help readers move beyond passive reading and, in time, inspire them to engage directly with the original Arabic Qur’an.

Allah knows best.

The Qur’an: A Reflective Study Translation offers an English rendering that remains intentionally close to the language, structure, and rhythm of the original Arabic Qur’an.

Rather than smoothing the text into modern idiomatic English, this translation preserves Arabic-influenced phrasing, repetition, and emphasis, inviting the reader to pause, reflect, and engage with the Qur’an as a text meant for contemplation.

Prepared by a native Arabic speaker, this work draws upon careful reading of the Arabic text alongside selected classical and modern commentaries. It aims to convey the layered meanings and distinctive style of the Qur’an while acknowledging the limits of translation.

This is not a paraphrase or simplified interpretation. It is a reflective study translation designed for readers who wish to engage deeply with the Qur’an’s message and form, and to move closer to the experience of the original Arabic.

The author does not claim scholarly authority or formal religious qualification. This work is offered in humility as an ongoing effort to remain faithful to the Qur’an’s language and meaning.

Any clarity is from Allah alone; any shortcomings are the author’s own.

This Translation Serves Best

• serious readers

• reflective Muslims

• converts

• study circles

• readers seeking moral clarity, not emotional reassurance

It is not aimed at:

• casual inspirational reading

• minimalist literalists

• those seeking purely academic neutrality