This book was recommended to my brother and now that he has ordered it I've found it to be a great translation and one of the most clear and accurate and very exceptional, esp for shia muslims. I recommend this book for its english translation.

This is an excellent English Translation of the Quran that is a must for any realy sincere student of religion trying to learn about Islam. The translation is easy to understand but still has some old engligh in it that makes it difficult to understand at times. The best part of this Qur'an compared to most others is the commentary and notes that accompy the text. Not only is there notes on the meaning of a verse but also an introduction to the chapter and an introduction to Islam and the Quran in general. This commentary is an excellent source of information and a huge help when trying to understand the enviroment at the time of the verses were reveled and so forth. I only wish this book had a better subject index. But I have found great search engines on the web that allow for searching for a specific subject, word, multiple word, and so forth. ...

It is most praised and most wonderfull book that ever man has written about somalia.if you want the truth of somali socio-religious culture read this book.It can satisfy you.But the book is incomlete because of Ali jimale forget to mention in his Book the owners of somalia.THE MIDGAANS,or BOON thier origins,culture, status,and their Genealogies. are they somalian or not ? ! this is only his limitation. No body can prove the reality,but this book is closest.I agree with author most of his ideas. I called " this book."CLAN IN SOMALIA IS SOMETHING JOINED TOGETHER"

The president of Somali United Minorities

Only a rebel can say words as deep and meaningful as
Aaaj Ka Naam Aur Aaaj Ka Gham Ka Naam
Zard patton ka Gham jo mera Dees hai
Zard ki Anjoman jo mera dees hai

Faiz is a poet of beauty and love. His message is the reign of beauty and love in the country. The passion for enjoying the beauty of life, his deep attachment to love of self and the agony of the world, his love of humanity, his patriotism, his passion for revolution, his sense of justice, are all metaphors of the agony of love. That agony of love which is the soul of his imagination and feeling, on account of which he illuminates the beauty of both worlds with the desolation of his heart. For Faiz, the testing power of beauty is in its creativity. Beauty is not mere artistic value, it is also a social and moral value:
The candle of a look, the star of imagination, All these illuminations have come from your gathering.
Whichever be the source of pain, we ascribe it to you,
Whatever complaints we have, are on account of you.

If it be the agony of the world, if it is the beloved's face or the hand of the rival,
We responded towards all of these with love.
Faiz wrote a sad revolutionary battle-song, the like of which is not be found in any language of the world:

For the love of your flower-like lips,
We were sacrificed on the dry branches of the noose,
For the desire of the candles of your hands
We were killed on half-dark paths.
And with revolutionary dignity:
On our lips the words of the ghazal,
And the torch of misery in our hands,
Gather our banners from the place of murder,
Caravans of other lovers will emerge,
For whose path our feet have shortened the distances of pain.

In the Lenin Peace Prize speech he had said:
I believe that humanity which has never been defeated by its enemies will, after all, be successful; even now and at long last, instead of wars, hatred and cruelty, the foundation will rest on the message of Hafiz, an old Persian poet: "Every foundation you see is defective, except the foundation of love, which is faultless.
And Faiz Sahib prays:

Let us too lift our hands,
We who do not remember the customary prayer,
We who do not remember any idol or God except love.

This agony of love is not only a part of the human condition but it is a relationship which extends from one end of the world to another. Faiz Sahib's love for humanity is free from the prejudices of race, colour or nationality. The new literature of protest suggests a radical change and, in the words of Faiz, it confers on us the power of "forcefully spurning the hand of the killer". It does not accept defeat because it is convinced that darkness should and must end.
When personal sorrow drank the elixir of world-sorrow, the lovers' love became doubly strong:

My heart repents neither this love nor the other,
My heart is spotted with every kind of sorrow,
Except the mark of repentance.

Faiz is one of the best known poets in the Urdu tradition, so his work in translation is bound to be the object of much scrutiny and criticism. While it is impossible to recapture the rythms and music of Faiz's originals, this translation is indeed a beautiful one. Agha Shahid Ali has done a wonderful job of capturing the essence of the words. Faiz was a passionate politician, and that aspect of his personality comes out in his poems as musically and intensely as his writings of love. I am not much of a poetry reader, but it is impossible not to read and savor the work of Faiz!

faiz was one of the modern best poets of the world, though his most poems are about the labour class but at the same time he touches the heart of the humans by his sensitive words. after reading him one can very easily say , he is the best.

Ahmed Ali poignant storyline acts as a prelude to the social events to follow that would change the city and it's people forever. It allows us to go back in time and be a part of old Delhi, now nonexistant. The introduction (written much later) is a confusing blend of history of the city and author's post-independence experience. I disagree about his comments regarding Rammohan Roy, which is inconsistent in the prose. But all in all, Thoroughly enjoyable!

I have just finished reading a great novel ( Twilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali ) (not for its plot but in its descriptions and language) set in Delhi, just after the War of Independence (1857) about the life and times of an upper middle class Muslim family...this novel is now deemed a classic and was written in 1940 by Ahmed Ali and initially banned by the British...for obvious reasons if you read it!

But it is highly recommended, and describes a lifestyle which is now, sadly, vanished for ever...

If you are a Muslim you will find this book especially poignant and moving but for all Subcontinentals it tells of how much the British Occupation actually did to destroy Indo-Muslim heritage and culture; will be of interest to all those who want to know what a real Islamic culture was like and the effect of imperialism on it. Especially relevant in light of recent events in NYC. Stunning.

Those who know Arabic, and who can read the Qur'an in Arabic, should simply read Qur'an in Arabic, as all Muslims know there is no substitute for Al-Qur'an. However, the millions of readers who know no Arabic at all will likely find this to be the most readable, insightful, and hopefully inspiring English translation of The Holy Qur'an. Personally, as I unfortunately seem to have no facility whatsoever for other languages besides English, Ahmed Ali's translation has served me well as a guide to a greater and deeper understanding of a faith and way of life of which I would otherwise know virtually nothing. As the best translators know, absolute accuracy of translation is irrelevant if the end product is clumsy and unnecessarily difficult. I am not in a position to determine whether Ahmed Ali's translation is entirely accurate -- I must leave that task to great masters of scholarship -- but I do know what I like, and the elegant English is simply superb.

I have found Ahmed Ali's translation to be the best English translation of the Qur'an. The language of Ahmed Ali's translation is befitting and beautiful. Ali has managed to retain the Qur'anic poetry and cadences in his translation of this holy book into English, which makes it a joy to read. I am very moved by the poetic quality of this translation. It is also easy to read and to understand. It gives the reader a clearer insight into Islam and its concepts and I would recommend it to readers of all ages and creeds around the globe.

If there is an English translation to recommend, this would be it. I have researched and searched many English translations of the Quran and became dissapointed in how the translation effort was presented. In some cases, I identified at least 5 different translations of the same verse!! As a Muslim Arab, I have to stress that the Arabic language of the Quran that was revealed 1400 years ago is different from contemporary Arabic. Suffice to say that many Arabs themselves don't understand the Quran accurately. Consequently, many Arabs fall into the pitfall of interpreting the verses in reference to todays Arabic. The words in the language, like any other, have gone through an evolution in syntax, structure, and context. I studied Arabic literature throughout my formal education. Moreover, I am fluent in reading, writing, and speaking it. The author has relied on an extensive research of ancient Arabic by referring to great literary works such as "Lisan Al-Arab", an 18 volume dictionary, thesaurus, and grammer set that mentions every Arabic word root and all its derivatives and how they were used in varying contexts and meanings, as well as "Al-Muheet". For those who doubted the translation, criticized what the book offered, and accused it of being contradictory, I say this:

First, If read correctly and studied thoroughly, one will discover that the Quran is not contradictory. Attention must be paid to whether a chapter is Makki or Medini, what were the circumstances surounding its revelation, what other verses in other chapters does it tie into, and finally what did the Prophet Muhammad himself relate to these verses in his life (Hadeeth and Seerah). Only through that analysis and cohesion of concepts can the accurate meaning and context of an Arabic word (with many meanings) be pin-pointed. Second, this book is a literal translation of the Quran, not an explanation of the Quran. Even in Arabic, there are literary works called "Tafsir" that expand on explaining the verses. This is not a Tafsir book, it is a Quran. Two different works. Third, the translation is very authentic, and I say this as a student of Arabic literature. Unfortunately, there aren't many organizations that oversee these translation efforts, and so it can't be kept in check. If there was such a council, only one English version of the Quran would be available, just as one Arabic version is available. Translating the Quran needs to be a regulated and stringent practice that endorses the highest credentials of the author and bears a seal of approval from an International Muslim Council to stop others, whether intentionally or unintentionally, from distorting the Quran.

My advise is to seek a learned Muslim if you have questions or come up against what might seem to you as a contradiction. A visit to a Mosque and a conversation with an Imam will address any concerns. God bless you all.

This a well written factual study of African civil wars. It clearly addresses the crisis without taking sides or introducing any ideological or other agendas. The chapters on Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Mozamique and Rwanda are outstanding. Moreover, the conclouding chapter brings in an outstanding and fresh perspective. In short this is an excellent book.

Akbar S Ahmed's book undoubtedly will rank amongst the important books written on Mohammed Ali Jinnah. Though I feel that Akbar Ahmed fails to explain adequately the reasons behind Mr.Jinnah's conversion for the 'Best Ambassador of Hindu Muslim Unity' to an Apostle of Pakistan.

I am further dismayed at the reader (rahul) from MD's comments. Sadly the reader forgot to leave his belligerant nationalism at home. He claims that 9/10 authors will have another view.. I wonder what authors is he talking about. The acclaimed biographies of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, like 'Stanley Wolpert's Jinnah of Pakistan', 'Bolitho's Jinnah', and even the famed Indian writers' books like Dr.Ajeet's 'Secular And nationalist Jinnah', Raj Mohan Gandhi (Gandhi's Grandson)'s book 8 muslim lives, and Sailesh Kumar Bandopadhaya's 'Quaid e Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah' seem to take the same view.. an Honest upright incorruptible Leader, who fought hard for Hindu-Muslim Unity and a United India but in the end got convinced of Pakistan. I am yet to read an author which divulges from this view. Kindly enlighten us what authors you have been reading Mr.Rahul.

Like Patrick French said 'Jinnah is the most underrated statesman of 20th century, his achievements deserve a much greater place'. Perhaps it time to give credit where its due.

Excellent book! Any fair-minded person cannot deny the fact that Jinnah is one of the greatest political leaders from South Asia. I do realize that India-Pakistan tensions make it very difficult for both sides to accept Jinnah (for Indians) and Gandhi (for Pakistanis) as great leaders but both sides cannot deny these great men their due place in history.

For an American reader, the book presents a fascinating story of a leader who single-handedly changed the course of history by creating a nation and a country in just one lifetime. The author rightly emphasizes the fact that Jinnah was a secular leader and demanded Pakistan on the basis of ground realities. I do agree with Jinnah's vision that a Hindu dominated society, with extreme elements on both sides, would have caused a civil war for decades to come. Hindu fundamentalism is on rise in India and burning of churches / mosques and killings of Christians / Muslims in various parts of India is very common. For example, last year 2000+ Muslims were killed (women raped, properties torched etc.) by Hindu mob (in just 2 days) in Indian state of Gujrat. I think the current sad plight of minorities in India (especially Muslims!) and Hindu fundamentalist BJP government in power clearly indicates that Jinnah was so right in demanding a separate homeland for his people and he did it with great success and got freedom for about 2/3 of Muslims of South Asia (living in Pakistan and Bangladesh).

An excellent book which clearly indicates that how the negative propaganda against Mr. Jinnah has obscured the fact that he is one of the greatest political leader ever produced by sub-continent. The book clearly explains that how Jinnah, once an adovacate of Hindu-Muslim unity, became a Muslim leader due to rise of Hindu fundamentalism in India starting in late 1920s (example: birth of hindu fundamentalist party RSS in late 1920s which also assasinated Mr. Gandhi after partition). Last chapter of the book (Is Jinnah Still Relevant?) is very interesting. The author has done a good job in explaining rise of Hindu fundamentalism in India which coincides with the current realities in India. For example, BJP, which has its roots in RSS (the Hindu Fundamentalist party which arranged the assasination of Mr. Gandhi) is ruling India right now and minorities in India are in great trouble. The very recent example is burning of churches and killing of Christians in various parts of India. Also, the riots against muslims in various parts of India are very common. Kashmir is burning and Muslim majority of Kashmir is facing state sponsored terrorism by Indian security forces. This book is a must read if you belong to subcontinent (India, Pakistan or Bangladesh) and if you read it with open mind, you will really enjoy it.