Critical review
Introduction
The Quran is an Islamic holy book believed to have been revealed to the prophet Muhammad (Haleem, 2001, p.7). Since the creation of the Quran it has been translated into various languages around the world to cater for all Muslims speaking a variety of language around the world (Ahamed, 2006, p. 23),. Abdel Haleem's translation of the Quran is a fine translation of the book. This is because of the author's mastery both English and Arabic languages. He author is an expert lexicographer and is, therefore, a master of both ancient and modern Arabic languages. This makes it easy for him to translate the book into modern English.
The introduction of the book speaks about the life of the Prophet. It also speaks to the historical background of the book leading to the introduction of the prophet in the Quran. The introduction also contains the translation of Arabic terminology to English for the benefit of the reader. One of the major characteristics of the introduction of this book is the brevity of it all. This has been enabled by the expertise of the author and his mastery of both the English and Arabic languages.
Summary
The Quran is the supreme authority on everything Islam (Haleem, 7). This means that it should be used in every aspect of a Muslims life as a guide (Haleem, 7). Everything including the Arabic language is made to sever the Quran. The Quran is important since it is believed to be the word of God (Haleem, 8). The Prophet was born in Mecca during a time when most of the people belonged to the polytheist religion. His parents and grandfather had died before he was 8 (Haleem, 9). He got married to his employer who admired him for his good work ethic. During their marriage, the Prophet at the age of 40 got his first revelation about the Quran (Haleem, 9). Advocating the worship of only one God earned an opposition from merchants in Mecca. This later escalated to war. Two events in his life known as “The Night Journey” and “Ascension to Heaven” (Haleem, 9-10) gave him some solace. Afterwards, his followers gave him asylum in Yathrib. The prophet got the revelation that the Muslims could defend themselves militarily (Haleem, 9). All through the revelations that he got, The Prophet ensured that his followers chronicled all his teachings to become the Quran (Haleem, 13).
Critical Analysis
Structure
The structure used in this text is a secondary source. The author uses materials from a variety of sources. They include the Quran itself and translations of the Quran. The structure of the text is simplistic in nature making it easy for the reader to understand whatever message that the reader is trying to put across. Complex Arabic terminologies are explained in simple terms in order to help the non-Arab speaking readers understand the text. Since the text is a secondary source, the author tries to use other translations of the Quran and the Quran itself to simplify the message and remove any ambiguities in the earlier translations of the Quran or that are associated with the Quran. The author has tried to rewrite the Quran in the simplest form to deliver a clear message to the reader. The organization of the article is superb. The author has followed clear steps so as not to lose the reader. The introduction starts from what the Quran is, to where it came from, and finally to its application on daily life. This flow eliminates any ambiguity. The author might have considered analyzing a contrary source with the purposes of credibility. All the works used in this text are of a similar opinion which makes the work look biased and lacking integrity.
Methodology
This material uses qualitative research. The author tries to explain the Quran to the best of his ability and in doing so; the quality of his translation is seen throughout his text. The methodology has one simple weakness. The text may be biased due to the author's religious affiliations. The text does not have a contrary opinion for the purposes for comparison. This makes it one sided and hence could be biased along the religious inclinations of the author. To counter this weakness, the author could have used another reference that has a contrary opinion and discredit it using sound evidence. This could have further increased the validity of the work. This work fulfills its functions of translating the Quran. The translation follows the Quran to the letter therefore it addresses the hypothesis.
Evidence
Conclusion
The materials used to come to the conclusion that the author did are accurate and are supported by fellow researchers in the same field. The historical materials that the author has used in his book are open for public viewership. This increases the credibility of his work. The interpretations by the author are conceivable since they are supported by other religious scholars. The work contributes a lot when it comes to understanding the Quran. The author has used simple language, therefore, simplifying and clarifying the message he is trying to pass across.
Works Cited
Ahamed, Syed V..English translation of the message of the Qur'an. 2nd ed. Lombard, IL.: Book of Signs Foundation, 2006. Print.
Dawood, N. J..The Koran. 5th rev. ed. London, England: Penguin Books, 1990. Print.
Haleem, M. A..Understanding the Quran themes and style. London: I.B. Tauris, 2001. Print.
Haleem, M. A..The Quran. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. Print.
