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{{Short description|2015 English-language Quran translation}}
{{Infobox book
{{Infobox book
| image = Study_Quran_cover.jpg
| italic title = The Study Quran
| caption = Cover for the first edition.
| image = File:Study_Quran_cover.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Cover for the first edition.
| editors = [[Seyyed Hossein Nasr]], [[Caner Dagli]], [[Maria Massi Dakake]], [[Joseph E. B. Lumbard|Joseph Lumbard]], [[Mohammed Rustom]]
| image_size = 200px
| country = United States
| editors = Hossein Nasr, Caner Dagli, [[Maria Dakake]], Joseph Lumbard, Mohammed Rustom
| country = United States
| language = English
| publisher = [[HarperOne]]
| language = English
| publisher = [[HarperOne]]
| pub_date = 2015
| pub_date = 2015
| pages = 2048
| pages = 2048
}}
}}


'''''The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary''''' is an English-language edition of the [[Quran]] edited by [[Seyyed Hossein Nasr]] and published by [[HarperOne]]. Caner Dagli, [[Maria Dakake]], and [[Joseph E. B. Lumbard|Joseph Lumbard]] also served as general editors and Mohammed Rustom contributed as an assistant editor. Alongside a new English translation and extensive commentary, ''The Study Quran'' features numerous essays, maps, and other material.
'''''The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary''''' (TSQ) is a 2015 English-language edition of the [[Quran]] edited by [[Seyyed Hossein Nasr]] and published by [[HarperOne]]. Fellow Muslims [[Joseph E. B. Lumbard|Joseph Lumbard]], [[Caner Dagli]] and [[Maria Massi Dakake]], prepared the translation, wrote the commentary, and also served as general editors, and [[Mohammed Rustom]] contributed as an assistant editor by checking the translation and writing some of the commentary. Alongside a new English translation and extensive commentary, ''The Study Quran'' features numerous essays, maps, and other material.


== Development ==
== Development ==


The idea of an English-language Quran for scholars and students was originally proposed to Nasr by HarperOne (then HarperSanFrancisco), who wanted Nasr as the [[editor-in-chief]]. Nasr initially declined, but after the publisher told him that the book would not happen without him, he felt obligated to lead the project.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|last1=Nasr|first1=Hossein|title=Dr. Sayyed Hossein Nasr, "The Study Quran"|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pSAt45aYyQ|date=2016|website=YouTube|publisher=Politics and Prose bookstore}}</ref> Nasr had several conditions for the work: firstly, that it would avoid modernistic and fundamentalist interpretations of the Quran, instead favouring a range of traditional interpretations. He also insisted that all the editors would be [[Muslim]].<ref name="auto"/> Nasr chose Dagli, Dakake, and Lumbard, all Americans and former students of his, as General Editors. Sections of the translation and commentary were apportioned to the three editors, who worked under the oversight of Nasr and in consultation with each other to preserve the unity of the project.<ref name="auto"/> Nasr recruited Rustom as an assistant editor after the translation and essays had been completed.<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|last1=Nasr|first1=Hossein|title=<i>The Study Quran</i>|date=2015|publisher=HarperOne|chapter=Introduction}}</ref> ''The Study Quran'' took ten years to complete.<ref name="burke">{{cite news|last1=Burke|first1=Daniel|title=Could this Quran curb extremism?|date=2016|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/25/living/study-quran-extremism/index.html|publisher=CNN}}</ref>
The idea of an English-language Quran for scholars and students was originally proposed to Nasr by HarperOne (then HarperSanFrancisco), who wanted Nasr as the [[editor-in-chief]]. Nasr initially declined, but after the publisher told him that the book would not happen without him, he felt obligated to lead the project. Nasr had several conditions for the work: firstly, that it would avoid modernistic and fundamentalist interpretations of the Quran, instead favouring a range of traditional interpretations. He also insisted that all the editors would be [[Muslim]]. Nasr chose Dagli, Dakake, and Lumbard, all Americans and former students of his, as General Editors. Sections of the translation and commentary were apportioned to the three editors, who worked under the oversight of Nasr and in consultation with each other to preserve the unity of the project. Nasr recruited Rustom as an assistant editor after the translation and essays had been completed.<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|last1=Nasr|first1=Hossein|title=The Study Quran|date=2015|publisher=HarperOne|chapter=Introduction}}</ref> ''The Study Quran'' took ten years to complete.<ref name="burke">{{cite news|last1=Burke|first1=Daniel|title=Could this Quran curb extremism?|date=2016|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/25/living/study-quran-extremism/index.html|publisher=CNN}}</ref>


== Content ==
== Content ==


On ''The Study Quran''’s English translation, Nasr writes:
On ''The Study Quran''{{'}}s English translation, Nasr writes:


{{bquote|We have sought to make use of the full possibilities of the English language without the pretext of wanting to be so up-to-date in word usages that our rendition would soon become out-of-date. We have also sought to be as eloquent as possible, in an effort to reflect something of the inimitable eloquence of Quranic Arabic.<ref name="auto1"/>}}
{{bquote|We have sought to make use of the full possibilities of the English language without the pretext of wanting to be so up-to-date in word usages that our rendition would soon become out-of-date. We have also sought to be as eloquent as possible, in an effort to reflect something of the inimitable eloquence of Quranic Arabic.<ref name="auto1"/>}}


''The Study Quran''’s commentary references 41 older commentaries which represent a variety of Islamic perspectives, including Sunni and Shiite sources, and linguistic, philosophical, mystical, and historical commentaries. It is the first edition of the Quran to combine commentaries with disparate and often conflicting interpretations in this way.<ref name="auto"/> The source commentaries are traditional rather than contemporary, and are dominated by [[Medieval]] works; the most recent commentators are [[Muhammad al-Tahir ibn Ashur|Ibn Ashur]] and [[Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i|Tabataba'i]], who both died in the 20th century.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|last1=Vaid|first1=Mobeen|title=The Study Quran: A Review|date=2015|url=https://muslimmatters.org/2015/12/14/the-study-quran-a-review/|website=Muslimmatters.org}}</ref>
''The Study Quran''{{'}}s commentary makes use of at least 41 traditional commentaries that represent a variety of Islamic perspectives, including Sunni and Shiite sources<ref name="bahar">{{Cite journal |author=Bahar Davary |title=The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary |date=8 November 2016 |journal=Horizons |volume=43 |issue=2 |pages=397–401 |doi-access=free |doi=10.1017/hor.2016.108}}</ref> among them linguistic, philosophical, mystical, and historical commentaries.{{citation needed |date=July 2022}} The book provides analysis and thorough summary of them, including in it disagreements between commentators. Its primary value has been characterized as it giving an English-speaking audience access to important commentaries which are in Persian and Arabic in a single manuscript, despite the commentaries sometimes spanning tens of volumes.<ref name="bahar" /> It is the first edition of the Quran to combine commentaries with disparate and often conflicting interpretations in this way. The source commentaries are traditional rather than contemporary, and are dominated by [[Medieval]] works; the most recent commentators are [[Muhammad al-Tahir ibn Ashur|Ibn Ashur]] and [[Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i|Tabataba'i]], who both died in the 20th century.


The book also includes 15 essays written on related topics, including "How to Read the Quran", "The Quran as Source of [[Islamic Law]]", and "Conquest and Conversion, War and Peace in the Quran". The essay topics were selected by Nasr and written by a variety of contributors.
The book also includes 15 essays written on related topics, including "How to Read the Quran", "The Quran as Source of [[Islamic Law]]", and "Conquest and Conversion, War and Peace in the Quran". The essay topics were selected by Nasr and written by a variety of contributors.
Line 30: Line 30:
== Reception ==
== Reception ==


''The Study Quran'', according to [[Bahar Davary]], is a "great resource for students and scholars in the fields of theology and religious studies and can be a useful reference in other fields of the humanities."<ref name="Davary 2016 pp. 397–401">{{cite journal | last=Davary | first=Bahar | title=The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary | journal=Horizons | publisher=Cambridge University Press (CUP) | volume=43 | issue=2 | date=2016-11-08 | issn=0360-9669 | doi=10.1017/hor.2016.108 | pages=397–401| s2cid=171115764 | doi-access=free }}</ref> Mobeen Vaid praises ''the Study Quran'' as "a monumental contribution to the field of Quran studies".<ref>{{cite journal | last=Vaid | first=Mobeen | title=The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary | journal=Islamic Sciences | publisher=Center for Islamic Sciences | date=2016 |volume=13|issue=2| url=https://muslimmatters.org/2015/12/14/the-study-quran-a-review/ | doi= | pages=105–118}}</ref> In a review of the book, [[Bruce Lawrence]] said: "No one will be able to offer a basic course on Islam, or to propose an in depth study of the Quran, without reference to this monumental achievement by a team of devoted scholars".<ref name="Lawrence 2016 pp. 633–638">{{cite journal | last=Lawrence | first=Bruce B. | title=The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary SeyyedHossein Nasr, Editor-in-Chief General Editors: Caner K.Dagli, Maria MassiDakake, Joseph E. B.Lumbard Assistant Editor: MohammedRustom San Francisco: HarperOne, 20152048pp. Cloth, $59.99, {{text|ISBN}}: 978-0061125867 | journal=The Muslim World | publisher=Wiley | volume=106 | issue=3 | date=2016-02-09 | issn=0027-4909 | doi=10.1111/muwo.12136 | pages=633–638}}</ref>
''The Study Quran'' has received praise from scholars of Islam for its academic rigor and nonsectarian perspective. Bruce Lawrence, Professor Emeritus at Duke University, writes, "No one will be able to offer a basic course on Islam, or to propose an in depth study of the Quran, without reference to this monumental achievement." Asma Afsaruddin of Indiana University praised ''The Study Quran'' as "the most comprehensive study of the Quran to date." [[Faraz Rabbani]] called ''The Study Quran'' a “deep, rich, valuable study companion for any English-speaker seeking to deepen their understanding and appreciation for the Book of Allah”, but warned readers not to “take it as “the final word” or an authoritative reference on matters of theology or law”.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rabbani|first1=Faraz|title=Do you recommend the Study Quran?|url=http://seekershub.org/blog/2015/12/the-study-quran/|website=seekershub.org|date=2015}}</ref>


[[Faraz Rabbani]] called ''The Study Quran'' a “deep, rich, valuable study companion for any English-speaker seeking to deepen their understanding and appreciation for the Book of Allah”, but warned readers not to “take it as “the final word” or an authoritative reference on matters of theology or law”.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rabbani|first1=Faraz|title=Do you recommend the Study Quran?|url=http://seekershub.org/blog/2015/12/the-study-quran/|website=seekershub.org|date=2015}}</ref>
In his review for Muslimmatters.org, Mobeen Vaid criticised "regrettable instances in which [''The Study Quran''] has departed from consensus", but called it "a monumental contribution to the field of Quran studies, offering perhaps the first proper exegetical work on the Quran in the English language." He further writes:

{{bquote|...the SQ is ''not'' a work colored by the ideologies and agendas of [[secular liberalism]] (in its many forms). It makes no apologies for verses that appear inegalitarian, malevolent, or otherwise discordant with the metaphysical commitments of contemporary liberal society. Instead, the SQ contextualizes, elucidates the tradition, and offers an understanding of those verses within terms that the Muslim community (or at least some portion of it) has understood them for over a thousand years.<ref name="auto2"/>}}


Appraisal by mainstream American publications focused on ''The Study Quran'''s capacity to counter extreme or fundamentalist interpretations of Islam. A report by [[CNN]] entitled “Could this Quran curb extremism?” placed the work in the context of the recent [[November 2015 Paris attacks|Paris attacks]], emphasising that the book refutes the extremist interpretations of the Quran by ISIS and other groups.<ref name="burke"/> Similarly, an article in [[The Daily Beast]] presented ''The Study Quran'' as a “challenge” to the ultra-conservative [[Salafi]] scholars who “have monopolized English-language Muslim resources”.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zavadski|first1=Katie|title=The American Quran Pissing Off the Saudis|date=2016|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-american-quran-pissing-off-the-saudis?ref=scroll|publisher=The Daily Beast}}</ref>
Appraisal by mainstream American publications focused on ''The Study Quran'''s capacity to counter extreme or fundamentalist interpretations of Islam. A report by [[CNN]] entitled “Could this Quran curb extremism?” placed the work in the context of the recent [[November 2015 Paris attacks|Paris attacks]], emphasising that the book refutes the extremist interpretations of the Quran by ISIS and other groups.<ref name="burke"/> Similarly, an article in [[The Daily Beast]] presented ''The Study Quran'' as a “challenge” to the ultra-conservative [[Salafi]] scholars who “have monopolized English-language Muslim resources”.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Zavadski|first1=Katie|title=The American Quran Pissing Off the Saudis|date=2016|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-american-quran-pissing-off-the-saudis?ref=scroll|publisher=The Daily Beast}}</ref>
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{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=GVSzBgAAQBAJ The Study Quran] (Google Books Preview)

{{Portal|Islam|Books}}
{{Seyyed Hossein Nasr}}
{{English Quran translations}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Study Quran, The}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Study Quran, The}}
[[Category:2015 books]]
[[Category:2015 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:HarperCollins books]]
[[Category:English translations of the Quran]]
[[Category:English translations of the Quran]]
[[Category:HarperOne books]]
[[Category:Quran translations]]
[[Category:Tafsir works]]
[[Category:Seyyed Hossein Nasr]]

Latest revision as of 09:49, 3 October 2024

The Study Quran
Cover for the first edition.
EditorsSeyyed Hossein Nasr, Caner Dagli, Maria Massi Dakake, Joseph Lumbard, Mohammed Rustom
LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperOne
Publication date
2015
Publication placeUnited States
Pages2048

The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary (TSQ) is a 2015 English-language edition of the Quran edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and published by HarperOne. Fellow Muslims Joseph Lumbard, Caner Dagli and Maria Massi Dakake, prepared the translation, wrote the commentary, and also served as general editors, and Mohammed Rustom contributed as an assistant editor by checking the translation and writing some of the commentary. Alongside a new English translation and extensive commentary, The Study Quran features numerous essays, maps, and other material.

Development

[edit]

The idea of an English-language Quran for scholars and students was originally proposed to Nasr by HarperOne (then HarperSanFrancisco), who wanted Nasr as the editor-in-chief. Nasr initially declined, but after the publisher told him that the book would not happen without him, he felt obligated to lead the project. Nasr had several conditions for the work: firstly, that it would avoid modernistic and fundamentalist interpretations of the Quran, instead favouring a range of traditional interpretations. He also insisted that all the editors would be Muslim. Nasr chose Dagli, Dakake, and Lumbard, all Americans and former students of his, as General Editors. Sections of the translation and commentary were apportioned to the three editors, who worked under the oversight of Nasr and in consultation with each other to preserve the unity of the project. Nasr recruited Rustom as an assistant editor after the translation and essays had been completed.[1] The Study Quran took ten years to complete.[2]

Content

[edit]

On The Study Quran's English translation, Nasr writes:

We have sought to make use of the full possibilities of the English language without the pretext of wanting to be so up-to-date in word usages that our rendition would soon become out-of-date. We have also sought to be as eloquent as possible, in an effort to reflect something of the inimitable eloquence of Quranic Arabic.[1]

The Study Quran's commentary makes use of at least 41 traditional commentaries that represent a variety of Islamic perspectives, including Sunni and Shiite sources[3] among them linguistic, philosophical, mystical, and historical commentaries.[citation needed] The book provides analysis and thorough summary of them, including in it disagreements between commentators. Its primary value has been characterized as it giving an English-speaking audience access to important commentaries which are in Persian and Arabic in a single manuscript, despite the commentaries sometimes spanning tens of volumes.[3] It is the first edition of the Quran to combine commentaries with disparate and often conflicting interpretations in this way. The source commentaries are traditional rather than contemporary, and are dominated by Medieval works; the most recent commentators are Ibn Ashur and Tabataba'i, who both died in the 20th century.

The book also includes 15 essays written on related topics, including "How to Read the Quran", "The Quran as Source of Islamic Law", and "Conquest and Conversion, War and Peace in the Quran". The essay topics were selected by Nasr and written by a variety of contributors.

Reception

[edit]

The Study Quran, according to Bahar Davary, is a "great resource for students and scholars in the fields of theology and religious studies and can be a useful reference in other fields of the humanities."[4] Mobeen Vaid praises the Study Quran as "a monumental contribution to the field of Quran studies".[5] In a review of the book, Bruce Lawrence said: "No one will be able to offer a basic course on Islam, or to propose an in depth study of the Quran, without reference to this monumental achievement by a team of devoted scholars".[6]

Faraz Rabbani called The Study Quran a “deep, rich, valuable study companion for any English-speaker seeking to deepen their understanding and appreciation for the Book of Allah”, but warned readers not to “take it as “the final word” or an authoritative reference on matters of theology or law”.[7]

Appraisal by mainstream American publications focused on The Study Quran's capacity to counter extreme or fundamentalist interpretations of Islam. A report by CNN entitled “Could this Quran curb extremism?” placed the work in the context of the recent Paris attacks, emphasising that the book refutes the extremist interpretations of the Quran by ISIS and other groups.[2] Similarly, an article in The Daily Beast presented The Study Quran as a “challenge” to the ultra-conservative Salafi scholars who “have monopolized English-language Muslim resources”.[8]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Nasr, Hossein (2015). "Introduction". The Study Quran. HarperOne.
  2. ^ a b Burke, Daniel (2016). "Could this Quran curb extremism?". CNN.
  3. ^ a b Bahar Davary (8 November 2016). "The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary". Horizons. 43 (2): 397–401. doi:10.1017/hor.2016.108.
  4. ^ Davary, Bahar (2016-11-08). "The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary". Horizons. 43 (2). Cambridge University Press (CUP): 397–401. doi:10.1017/hor.2016.108. ISSN 0360-9669. S2CID 171115764.
  5. ^ Vaid, Mobeen (2016). "The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary". Islamic Sciences. 13 (2). Center for Islamic Sciences: 105–118.
  6. ^ Lawrence, Bruce B. (2016-02-09). "The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary SeyyedHossein Nasr, Editor-in-Chief General Editors: Caner K.Dagli, Maria MassiDakake, Joseph E. B.Lumbard Assistant Editor: MohammedRustom San Francisco: HarperOne, 20152048pp. Cloth, $59.99, ISBN: 978-0061125867". The Muslim World. 106 (3). Wiley: 633–638. doi:10.1111/muwo.12136. ISSN 0027-4909.
  7. ^ Rabbani, Faraz (2015). "Do you recommend the Study Quran?". seekershub.org.
  8. ^ Zavadski, Katie (2016). "The American Quran Pissing Off the Saudis". The Daily Beast.
[edit]