Meaning of the Holy Qur'an - Abdullah Yusuf Ali (HB)

The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an, translated by Abdullah Yusuf 'Ali — Arabic text with revised English translation, commentary and index. This is the hardback edition.

Edition Highlights

• Arabic numerals replace Roman numerals
• Surah names transliterated
• Juz' division markers included
• Arabic text in Madinah script, newly reset and improved
• More appropriate index and revised commentary

Why This Translation Endures

Yusuf Ali's rendering has been in print since the 1930s and remains among the most widely read English versions ever produced. Its distinguishing feature is the commentary, which is extensive, literary, and unusually willing to draw out the beauty of a passage rather than only its meaning.

For readers who want a translation that reads as literature, there is nothing else quite like it. The English is more elevated than modern versions — which is a virtue or an obstacle depending on the reader, and worth knowing before buying.

What the Revision Changed

The listed highlights matter more than they look. Resetting the Arabic in Madinah script means the text now matches the mushaf most readers use elsewhere, and the juz' markers make it navigable in the way a mushaf is.

Also Available

• Meaning of the Holy Qur'an — the same edition in flexicover
• Qur'an Saheeh Intl — the Saheeh International translation
• Al-Qur'an by Farooq Malik — Farooq Malik's contemporary American English

Available Editions