Reddit reviews The Qur'an: English translation and Parallel Arabic text

My preferred English translation is M.A.S. Abdel Haleem's translation. It is not a Shi'i text, but I know Shi'i Muslims who recommend it. It's sort of the standard text used in academia. The hardcover version has parallel arabic text that is a replication of one of Uthman Taha's calligraphic "Mus'haf al-Madinah" renditions of the Arabic text of the Qur'an.

If you want a hardcover English translation that has been translated by a Shi'i Muslim, I think the standard contemporary edition is is Ali Quli Qarai's phrase-by-phrase translation; see the hardcover version here. I don't feel the word choice and prose style is as fluid and lucid as Abdel Haleem's.

I understand the desire for a Shi'i translation, since any translation is a mini-commentary of sort, but I think as long as you avoid translations that try to heavily insert an ideological point of view, and stick to Shi'i sources for commentaries, insha'Allah you will be fine.

3 books about our religion...

Muhammed: His life based on the earliest sources

The Qur'an (M.A.S Abdel Haleem translation, very nice).

The Road To Mecca (Highly readable, written by Muhammad Asad, a Jewish convert. Even if you're not religious, it's an enlightening book.)

My favorite translation of the meaning to share is the one by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. It's easy to read and written in paragraph form. Great for Da'wah.

English only version:
The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199535957/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_0qk7BbTH2BWR8

Arabic/English Version
The Qur'an: English translation and Parallel Arabic text https://www.amazon.com/dp/019957071X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_hsk7Bb21HDDFP

+1 For Abdel-Haleem. Since OP asked for it, here's it is in Amazon, and here's the version with Arabic text in parallel.

Today's Ayat for Tuesday, 2016-11-22 / 22 Safar 1438

You [believers] are permitted to lie with your wives during the night of the fast: they are [close] as garments to you, as you are to them. God was aware that you were betraying yourselves, so He turned to you in mercy and pardoned you: now you can lie with them- seek what God has ordained for you- eat and drink until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct from the black. Then fast until nightfall. Do not lie with them during the nights of your devotional retreat in the mosques: these are the bounds set by God, so do not go near them. In this way God makes His messages clear to people, that they may guard themselves against doing wrong.

-- al-Baqarah 2:187 as rendered by Abdel Haleem

أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ لَيْلَةَ الصِّيَامِ الرَّفَثُ إِلَىٰ نِسَائِكُمْ هُنَّ لِبَاسٌ لَّكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لِبَاسٌ لَّهُنَّ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ أَنَّكُمْ كُنتُمْ تَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَعَفَا عَنكُمْ فَالْآنَ بَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَابْتَغُوا مَا كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

http://www.islamawakened.com/quran/2/187/

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IslamAwakened is now available as an Android App

I don't know about your library, but this is an excellent copy you can purchase.

The Qur'an: English translation and Parallel Arabic text https://www.amazon.com/dp/019957071X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zVGNyb030XRBG

I highly recommend this text. MAS does a great job translating into modern English which makes understanding the Arabic meaning really easy

Welcome Castro

"Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Styles" by M. A. Abdel Haleem from Oxford is a useful book:
http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Quran-Muhammad-Abdel-Haleem/dp/1845117891

Prof. Abdel Haleem also produced a translation of the Qur'an which I have not yet read, but understand to be one of the best so far:

http://www.amazon.com/Quran-English-translation-Parallel-Arabic/dp/019957071X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411451704&sr=1-2

Happy reading :)