Reviews
Dr. S.M. Jafar
6 months ago
Pakistan Science Foundation
This is the most profound scholarly work of Brother Badr Hashemi. His monumental translation and annotation serves as a matchless aid to understanding the Holy Book of Islam and provides in itself a complete education in the faith. If one is new to the Holy Qur’an, I hope that this Book will provide a balanced view of the heart of the Qur‘an. If one is already a student of the Holy Qur’an, I hope this will perhaps awaken a new appreciation for the universal spiritual wisdom of the Book. May people profit from this and may Allah be pleased with his efforts. (Ameen).
Muhammad Zahirul Hassan, Ph.D
6 months ago
Portage, MI. USA
The entire paradigm of rendering something in translation be of Holy Qur’an or any Heavenly Revealed Scripture is immensely a daunting adventure. Yet neither do we feel such an indication nor does the translator’s language flicker a bit. It is an honest effort and this contribution in the service of the Holy Book deserves praise in every sense of the word. This translation is yet another step in order to better understand the Message of Almighty. It is and invaluable contribution in the translation and understanding of the Qur’an.
Prof. Wathiq Ahmed Khan
6 months ago
National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad
Brother Badr Hashemi has included himself in the honorable list of writers on the Qur’an. He has devoted his exceptional talents and energies to this labor of love for several years and has delved in the depths of this shoreless ocean. He continues his utmost intellectual concentration on understanding the Qur’an with great zeal and fervor. In the present work brother Badr Hashemi has made a commendable effort to relate the Message of the Qur’an to the pressing problems of modern man as well as draw parallels with similar issues in the Biblical literature. The value of the author’s effort lies in his earnest attempt to elaborate the contents of the Qur’anic Sacred Text wherever such an elaboration was required by the brevity of Qur’anic Statements. When the Qur’an enters a theme of significance, its discourse is supplemented by similar Statements at other places in different contexts. The author has assembled all relevant Statements at one place to make the reader‘s task easier. Moreover, often times, the Qur’anic discourse proceeds on the basis of given premises. These premises are intrinsic to the Qur’anic universe of knowledge and guidance. Without due notice of this epistemological and teleological framework in which Qur’an speaks to man, it is not easy to make sense of the Qur’anic Message. The author of this work has supplied this necessary clue to the Qur’anic world-view to the readers. This has been an essential task of every commentator of the Qur’an. He deserves our admiration and gratitude for this noble contribution. May Allah accept his service to His Book, and enable his readers - especially students in colleges and universities - to make the best use of this valuable contribution to the study of the Qur’an.
Dr. Mobeena Ihsan
6 months ago
Inter-Faith Moderator, New York, USA
Writing a tafseer of the Qur’an is hard work and doing so in the form of an encyclopedia that encompasses all three of the major religions of the world while drawing parallels and making comparisons is an even more difficult endeavor. This version of the explanation of the Holy Quran is not only complete in its capacity to inspire curiosity and anticipation in the reader, but the references to linguistic nuances of Arabic and Hebrew make it an even more fascinating read. It forces readers to contemplate and immerse themselves in the message of the Quran and simultaneously gives them the point of view of our counterparts practicing Christianity and Judaism. The easy-to-read language used in this version, in addition to the references made to the works of other Muslim scholars, makes it easy to understand and engaging, as if reminding the reader that difference of opinions among scholars is a form of khayr and lively debates are signs of a lively nation. The melody of the Arabic language is majestic, but being able to understand the stories Allah (Exalted and Almighty) tells us in the language is divinity itself. While Dr. Hashemi breaks down every word in every Ayah to its roots, he takes us on a journey and enables us to do a deep dive into our collective intellects and derive our own conclusions from the words he writes. The story of Yusuf (peace be upon him) is fraught with trials and tribulations and forces one to pause and think about one’s own situation and conditions of one’s own heart and soul. As children and young adults, we were always encouraged to look to the stories of the Prophets to draw a code of conduct for our lives: the “how” of the concept always being shrouded in mystery. This tafseer makes one realize how uncomplicated that task was in reality. The constant references to the story as narrated in the Genesis came as welcome reminders of how similar the bedtime stories were for children in the vast majority of the world. We may be divided amongst ourselves on the deities we worship and the words of the King of Mankind, but at the heart of all the differences is one concept that we all agree on: the belief in a higher Being, which gives us reason to exist. While the turmoil in the world never ends, Dr. Hashemi has found a way to unite multiple religions and sects across the world, with a literary treat that is subtle and elegant in its invitation for all to read. May this be the beginning of many more dialogues to come.
Professor Dr. Sohail Hasan
1 year ago
International Islamic University, Islamabad
Brother Badr Hashemi has devoted care and attention to the tone and approach of the Exegesis of The Qur’an/Tafseer which is non-sectarian, true to the spiritual intent of Allah-consciousness, sincere toward leading to piety and righteousness, and not adhering dogmatically to any particular school-of-thought. It is a brilliant piece of research that has stretched over almost 23 years of his life time. The style of presenting the translation, paraphrasing in italics, the scholarly explanatory notes, and other textual material is persuasive that is inviting both for Muslim readers and others. Comparatively, at more than several places, citations from the Torah, the Psalms and the Injeel/ Bible viz-a-viz the Qur‘an put an issue in perspective from all three monotheistic faiths originating from the common patriarch Abraham, peace be upon him. Reading a good exegesis/tafseer such as this one can help us not only gain wisdom but also articulate this wisdom for others. I trust it would equally help in refining and fine tuning what everyone knows about the Qur’an, Islam, and Muslims and its interfacing with other leading monotheistic religions of the World.
Prof. Dr. Justice Muhammad Al-Ghazali
1 year ago
Supreme Court of Pakistan
Brother Badr Hashemi has dedicated several years to translate the Qur’anic Arabic text into easy lucid English. He has also laboured hard to write informative footnotes that are useful to elaborate the meaning and context of the text where he deemed necessary. This attempt is a welcome addition to the existing English translations of the Qur’an. This new work would be especially beneficial for those readers who are not versed in Arabic lore. The translation proceeds smoothly in strict conformity with the Sacred Arabic Text. However the author has added in italics relevant words and phrases to make the text more comprehensible where he found necessary. This effort is exclusive of its kind, which seeks to bring together three principal Followers of the Abrahamic Faith – Jews, Christians and Muslims - to realize how close knit they should have been in brotherhood and yet how estranged they are from each other.
Kh. Zaheer Ahmed
1 year ago
Formerly Secretary to the Government of Pakistan
Masha Allah my learned brother Dr. Badr Hashemi has accomplished this landmark Treatise - The Qur’an: Treasure of the Faith of Islam. Based on an exhaustive review of a vast body of literature from credible sources of respective Faiths, without distracting from Al-Qur’an’s thematic domains, this seminal work is an invaluable addition; it has extensively flagged areas of convergence among three Divine Religions deemed conducive for advancing Interfaith Harmony and mutual understanding for peaceful co-existence. Brother Badr’s analytical abilities were refined by working and living across many continents, and sharpened in best academic centers and institutions in South Asia, Europe and the United States. His intellectually insatiate appetite fruitfully assessed the pulses of the educated from other faiths to further strengthen his resolve to actualize contours of his thoughts in the Service of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, and in the memory of his noble parents, his first great teachers and mentors from cradle who laid foundations of his resolve. But for those founding bricks, such an unprecedented brilliance will not have been possible, in the least distracted by the worldly strains and stressful claims on his health.
Professor F. Muhammad Malik, S.I.
1 year ago
Former Rector, International Islamic University, Islamabad.
English Translation and Paraphrasing of the Qur’an by Dr. Badr Hashemi is not just another addition to the pool of intellectual thought process, it is a piece of distinguished scholarship where he has introduced the concept of translation blended with paraphrasing to make understanding of the meaning of the Qur’an easily accessible and comprehensible. He places the subjects of each Surah within its historic perspective and cultural context. This creates the effect of relating the subjects not only to the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)but also to today’s world thereby transforming it into a source of practical guidance and a reference for dealing with contemporary issues. Explaining the meaning of the Qur’an is a challenging task. It is demanding as well as complicated as it weaves into the translation an optimized level of details with the same flow, rhythm and smoothness. This challenge has been handled with great care and outstanding skill by Dr. Badr. His work is simple, direct and hits a mid-point between poetry and prose where he tries, as much as possible, to present the Message of the Qur’an. This was a difficult task but he has successfully handled it in a beautiful manner. The language and the choice of words is striking and beautiful. The fact that Dr. Badr has endeavored to present a non-partisan translation makes it all the more respectable and acceptable than many other existing translations. During these crucial times, this remarkable effort of Dr. Badr seeks to kindle in some hearts the desire to set out on the journey of the Qur’an and for it to serve as their companion.