Reddit reviews The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an (English and Arabic Edition) - Pocket size

http://www.amazon.com/Meaning-Holy-Quran-English-Arabic/dp/1590080165/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

"The Study Qur'an" cites multiple tafsir, which I quite like.



The problem is that many of the more readily available tafsir are more conservative, or have a wahabi bend to them, which can give you a false impression that all Muslims agree with certain statements. The Hilali-Khan translation/tafsir is just a summarized version of Ibn Kathir, which is a Salafist interpretation. (Again, I urge that anyone study tafsir from multiple schools of thought, and I am not bashing any one sect, it's just that there are many, many, many interpretations of the text and a knowledge of more than one is beneficial.)



Yusuf Ali's commentary is good, and in fact his Qur'an was the gold standard for the last 100 years in English. It's probably a bit old fashioned for most, though.



Muhammad Assad's is very good. Extremely good, and the one 90% of people would reccomend, and one you should just get anyway. Though some of his commentary is not inline with Islamic thought (his views on Jesus, for example, are controversial in general), but you should read any tafsir with a grain of salt.


Ma'ariful Qur'an is an excellent modern tafsir. Usmani was a Hanbali or Hanafi, I believe, but manages to be neutral and quite moderate in his commentary. The cost of the full 8 volume set is a bit much, but you can get a cheap version from India for a low price if you don't mind imperfect binding (I found all 8 volumes in a local shop for around 60$ CAD, which is awesome.).



If you want to read an AMAZING Shi'a commentary (you likely are not Shi'a, but still.....people should understand multiple views on any topic whether or not you agree), then Tafsir al-Mizan is incredible. It's not 100% translated into English yet, but it is available for free online. Whether Shi'a or Sunni, I think it can be agreed that Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba'i was a great scholar.


The only work in English which includes multiple tafsir from multiple schools and multiple writers is the Study Qur'an, and it is insanely exhaustive, listing all of the sources and even telling the reader where to go and read most of the tafsir cited on the internet. It's amazing. Spend the money and also buy some "Bible highlighters" (the kind that work on thin pages). (I have been using a regular Staples brand "Hype!" highlighter and it doesn't bleed through, though, so the pages are quite tough despite being thin. Pen doesn't go through either, as I have been underlining quite a lot and have had no problems, but I would still recommend a .005 fine line marker just in case.]


If you are a cheapskate, go to altafsir.org, which is what "The Study Qur'an" advises also. You can either search for individual verses and pull up different classical tafsir for that verse, or just download/read a PDF of an entire tafsir if you prefer. Tafsir al-Jalalayn is, as I understand, the most universally used in teaching Qur'an because it is short, and only provides the context of revelation for verses. You may want more in-depth tafsir, but al-Jalalayn has been the jumping off point for Muslims for 500 years. And is available on altafsir.


tl;dr - "The Study Qur'an"

What you're looking for is Abdullah Yusuf Ali's The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an. This translation underwent extensive scrutiny from different scholars and checked and double checked for accuracy in its commentary. It's the best translation + commentary in English, no other copy comes close.

If you want just the best translation, I'd recommend Zaki Hammad's The Gracious Qur'an. It's light on the commentary but the translation is the best out of all the ones in English.

The one you want to avoid is The Study Qur'an. It's making a ruckus because the editor is a big name in academia and they're trying to position the book as similar to the Study Bible but it falls short in so many ways. You'll be left more confused than you started and in the meantime, you'll have read more commentary than Qur'an.

Dewrdman,

I'd recommend this. The translation is not the best but the commentary that comes with it puts it heads and shoulders over most other translations. Here's the official website. Make sure you don't get a copy with just the translation. The commentary is what you're really getting it for.

Best,

TheMuslimShrink

2:191- and slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the sacred mosque, unless they first fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them.

such is the reward of those who suppress faith.


2:192- but if they cease, allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful.


2:193- and fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression,and there prevail justice and faith in allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression.



where does it in anyway mention to kill non-believers try reading an actual quran instead of reading bollocks on the internet.



here i will help you