The Gracious Quran

While reviewing the original edition of this work which appeared in two volumes in 2007, I had expressed the hope that ‘this monumental English translation is destined to meet many needs for the years to come’ (Muslim World Book Review 30:1, 2009, pp. 19-21). It is gratifying that as many as 21 editions of Hammad’s translation have seen the light of day in less than a decade. Equally satisfying is that the work under review, being an abridged edition in a single volume, with an identical title, retains all the rewarding reader-friendly features of the original. Judging by the publication history of this work, it appears that it is bound to set a new record as the most popular English translation of the Qur’an, surpassing the earlier highly popular translations by Abdullah Yusuf Ali and M. M. Pickthall. However, it must be pointed out at once that the present abridged edition leaves out the following sections of the original: explanatory notes, general notes and some background essays. Of these, the dropping of explanatory notes is a serious loss to readers. Annotations in a Qur’an translation are not only helpful but are rather essential for non-Arab readers who cannot readily decode the varied Qur’anic allusions, terms and concepts. It is earnestly hoped that the next abridged edition will include, at least, some explanatory notes.