The Study Quran: A Study of the Quran with Classical Commentary

As an avid and humble student of Islamic teachings for many years who has sat at the feet of various Traditional scholars of Islamic law (fiqh), Quranic exegesis (tafsir) and Prophetic traditions (hadith) as well as Islamic spirituality (tassawuf) and learned from them intermittently, I fully endorse the Study Qur'an. In this process I have read various Commentaries of the Qur'an in English (from Mawdudi's Tafisr, to Ma'ariful Qur'an, to Allamah Tabatabai's al-Mizan, to Yusuf Ali, etc). After reading over 300 pages of this commentary already, I have found that this Study Qur'an is the best Tafsir/Commentary to date in the English language. And this for the following reasons: It is a very eloquent English translation of the Qur'an which, comparable to the eloquence of the King James Version of the Bible. It includes diverse sources of commentary, from commentary traditions within Islamic civilization, namely Sunni, Shiite commentaries from authorities ranging from those who were legalists (fuqaha), theologians, (mutakalimun), philologists, as well as spiritual authorities or saints. It is of no wonder that such a vast array of deeply informed perspectives (both mainstream, popular, and otherwise) took about 10 years to collate and integrate into one volume of commentary. The Study Quran is a monumental intellectual achievement in Islamic studies in the West, and truly anywhere in the world! To be sure, no single commentary on the Qur'an, even a commentary which brings diverse levels of Islamic references and commentaries to its own commentary, can be fully complete. That is not possible when considering the infinite wisdom contained in the eternal Word of God as manifested in the Qur'an for those who believe in it. However, the Study Qur'an is a kind of watershed event of intellectual achievement for Islamic studies and for Islam as a religious tradition in the West. It is a sign that Western Muslims (both born Muslim and converts) are living the wisdom of Islam and applying it to the current context of the West and Western civilization, and striving to live harmoniously with their surroundings without compromising their Islamic principles. The quality of bringing together in an inclusive spirit, diverse and divergent scholarly Muslims views of various Quranic verses is unique to this Study Qur'an and is a response to this very need in Islamic discourse in the West. This is the case, whether we look at the Study Qur'an from an Academic point of view or from a purely Muslim point of view. In this sense the Study Qur'an is a most welcome commentary on the Qur'an in the context of all other commentaries in English. It is a great step in the right direction of bringing the depth and breadth of the wisdom of Qur'anic and Islamic teachings to a wider audience, both Muslims and non-Muslims. I hope the next edition includes the actually Sacred Arabic text of the Qur'an. Yet, the challenge of including that, on top of a text which includes one million words is truly difficult. To those who may criticize the Study Qur'an for certain or perceived intellectual or theological biases of the editors, through cherry picking verses here and there and reacting to how those verses were presented, especially if the dominant voice or perspective in the commentaries in those contexts do not fit one's view, is to do a major disservice to the text of the Study Qur'an. Again, I welcome the Study Qur'an and deeply admire it for all the great qualities it has and brings to the table of Qur'an and Islamic studies. I also see it as an ongoing contribution to the field, which deserves critical appraisals from all sides, Academic, non-Academic, Muslims and seekers or believers of other Faith and Wisdom Traditions. May God bless the editors for their effort, which was obviously a labor of love, intellectual erudition, and faith.

Absolutely essential and excellent for tadabur/ deeper reflection of the Noble Quran. It offers numerous viewpoints of earlier tafsir including Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and Tabari including many others. Almost every surah has its own footnote with explanation and analysis. Very deeply researched and a monumental contribution.

An epic work concordant with its celestial origins, the Study Quran in panaromic fashion reflects the ever present message of the Sacred as penned by it's traditional authorities only to be rendered imaginable by a vision of Islam as encompassing as Dr. Nasr's to mirror the infitnite depth in finite breadth. This work certainly raises the bar for religious literacy, understanding, and challenges parochial mindsets and interpretations. Dr. Nasr and his editorial team are to be congratulated on this historic achievement in fulfilling the promise of the pertinency of Islam's tradition for not only advancing a metric for Quranic scholarship, but revealing the timeless message of the Quran in a polarized time riddled with misunderstandings, all the while widening the scope of Islam's transcendent and universal vista. After having read a couple hundred of pages: This review is being written after having read over a couple hundred pages of The Study Quran; and there is little doubt in my mind, being an amateur, in the etymological sense of the word, and observer of scholarship in Islamic studies for over past two decades, and gauging the pulse of Muslims in America, that this is the most important study of the Quran in the western hemisphere. Granted, there other valuable translations of the Quran, and works of commentary on the Quran, but what distinguishes this massive, yet manageable, tome—over two-thousand pages, and over a million words—is the spectrum of pre-modern commentaries and those that continue that tradition into the modern period. Thus, the Study Quran establishes itself as one the most important “tools” amongst the Quranic related works for Muslims and non-Muslims to come to terms with the Quran, its message, and its traditional commentary pedigree from within a perspective concordant its spirit, without sacrificing its legal precepts. For this reason alone, Dr. Nasr, and each of the editors, is to be warmly congratulated on publication of this volume that has been nearly ten years in the making. Following a lengthy introduction by Dr. Nasr, who outlines the nature, dimensions, and the meaning of the Quran to Muslims, the heart of the project begins with a translation and running commentary. This verse-by-verse commentary is similar in style to many other classical commentator styles, some which run to dozens of volumes in fine print. Dr. Nasr and his team of editors have surveyed over three dozen of these commentaries, hence studying hundreds of volumes, which reflect the traditional paradigm of commentary traditions from various points of view, whether theological, legal, philological, philosophical, or mystical. Then they synthesize these perspectives into a series of brief comments, often with reference to the traditional commentators. Some of these synthesized comments run into several pages for just a handful of verses of the Quran. Thus, the editors reveal depth of possible meanings and present to readers context, inter-texuality, subtext, and ultimately meanings that move from their outward meaning to their inward meaning of the text. The final sections of the Study Quran, contain quiet literally, a book within a book, with a series of essays on various topics of the Quran; a deeply useful Index; citation of Hadith (oral traditions of the Prophet Muhammad) found in the text; and maps of the region of Arabia where the Quran was revealed. As to the essays, they are like a series of peaks in the valley of the Quran itself they help synthesize various topics found across the Quran that cannot be fully exposited in the commentary. Thus, the reader can gain a fuller view of a particular subject by reading an essay, or use the index and read through the variety of verses and comments related in order to a certain topic. The Study Quran is useful tool for personal study, group study, in both informal and formal academic settings. For Muslims, in addition to the function that the Study Quran can play for non-Muslims, it first and foremost aids in establishing a relationship with God. By knowing God’s word on one level, brings one closer to Him. And it reveals to Muslims the vast array of interpretations to the Quran, especially amongst the pre-Modern Islamic scholarship. Hence, for Muslims who have been largely fed Islam at the level of the common denominator, the Study Quran presents various linguistic and symbolic subtlety of the text, along with clarifying its meanings within a range of opinions. In the process of reading the Study Quran, which includes interpretations from various perspectives of Islam, like Sunnism, Shi’ism, and Sufism, for Muslims it underscores that all these perspectives in the abode of Islam originate and return to the Quran, and that no one interpretation holds a monopoly. Rather it reveals the level of sincerity and intellectual fortitude exemplified by the commentators to understand God’s word, as opposed to delimiting it for ideological ends--one only has to read the biographies of these commentators to realize their level of sincerity, and in many cases sanctity. Thus, various interpretations that appear in opposition can be held and respected since they are grounded in a reading of the fount of Islam itself, the Quran. And yet at the same time, confirm a particular classical understanding promoted by a certain perspective. Therefore, the Study Quran balances its interpretations between an outward understanding of a verse and its inward, and between particular points of view, and a universal center that looks out to the vista of understanding. This is very helpful since many Muslims themselves, arrogate orthodoxy to themselves at the exclusion of others, perhaps as a psycho-social reaction to the lack of authentic human experience in the modern world and desire for stability in a liquid sociology. Regardless of the cause, the effect is that Muslims today, even amongst themselves have reduced orthodoxy to certain interpretations, scholars, schools, and the like, thereby explicitly or implicitly reducing the expression of Islam, in both spirit and form to a few localized geographic or intellectual strains. The net effect is that Muslims often conflate unity for uniformity, and thus, breed suspicion and paranoia for those Muslims that may not think or practice like them—the same contours of thinking can be applied between religions as well. Let it be clear, Sunnis have differed amongst themselves, as with Shi’ites, as with Sufis, and yet there have been also large areas of agreement—even across perspectives, borrowing from each other; hence, neither should these similarities and differences be exaggerated or marginalized, but understood within its rightful context; nevertheless, I do concede it is not possible to generalize without the risk of distortion on this subject given its complexity. That said, for our context today, it behooves us to envision orthodoxy, in a post-traditional anthropology, to allow for intellectual confirmation for the particular and exclusivist tendencies, while at the same time provide deeper insights into the universal nature of Truth as such (i.e. ineffable)—this is between perspectives within a religion, or between religions themselves—hence, the sense of orthodoxy must operate on a higher plane of discourse then mere dogmatic and or discursive theology towards the "via negativa," especially if it is to dovetail exclusivity with inclusivity in relative harmony which was implicit more or less in the spirit of traditional Islam. But today such implicit moorings require explication due to the fracturing of the human spirit writ large, where various Islamic perspectives are interacting with each other in the public sphere, and that confusion persists due to lack of meaningful exchange, some due in part to religious chauvinism. Hence, the Study Quran widens the scope of orthodoxy for Muslims, confirming exclusivist views along side inclusivity, all while challenging fringe distortions, by raising the discourse along intellectual and spiritual trajectories. For Muslims the Study Quran is a much needed platform from which to consider and discuss these subjects, come to understand various views without prejudice; and, though it is natural for Muslims to differ with each other even then, at least recognize it for what it is, maintain constancy in their own view, while still harbor care and love for their fellow Muslims since they too return to the Quran. In effect, by reading the Study Quran, the Muslim should feel a sense of humility towards other views, since it is not the only view, and yet, pride in their view, since it is a view in the broader tapestry of the tradition in Islam. So, Muslims maybe wondering who is an orthodox or not? It is those who are spiritually, ethically, and morally advanced than you—those with God consciousness, regardless of tribal affiliation. Other approaches of orthodoxy very easily veer off into tribalism or are marred with Judeo-Christian subtext, as with the complex term “religion.” Now, some will take umbrage with the fact an outmoded use of English is employed to translate. I am aware that most things written today for the average reader is at an middle to high-school grade reading level—and that is a conservative estimation. Hence, the masses constantly seek to read everything at some homogenized level. However, I think the translation is eloquent and flows masterfully; akin to reading Shakespeare—which most educated people have read at some point in their experience. Thus, as opposed to succumbing to vulgar populism, which will obsolete in the few years, it would be better to retain a timeless English prose, with a touch of poetry, similar to Shakespearean English. Put another way, a sacred text, requires as close to a sacred sensibility in form in the target language to express the aura of distinction between the sacred and profane. To those that complain about the language, my recommendation is that they elevate their reading capacity, and perhaps their consciousness (and practically keep a dictionary handy). If some want to read “newspeak” Quran, there are plenty around for ease—which maybe also an indication of how some Muslims approach Islam, as a matter of intellectual laziness and lack of literary taste. And in some cases contributes to the dumbing down of Islam, and hence, dumb thoughts of some Muslims, as with dumb actions committed by them. Upon receiving the Study Quran, many will quickly note the beauty and aesthetic quality of the production of the text. This is to reclaim the once beautiful production of texts and binding in the Islamic world, and revive it to some extent in the modern period. Many Qurans available are printed usually on cheap paper and poor binding, with little care for detail. This artistic presentation of the Quran is entirely different, and exceeds expectations. However, some will gripe about the paper quality, that it is too thin. I believe the paper quality is perfect for the tome, especially since an important target audience are students that seek to gain some sense of the Quran through its classical commentators. Hence, it is portable for students who may be moving from one class to the next. The paper quality is on par, if not better, than that used in the hefty Norton Anthology to Literature volumes (students who study the humanities in the West will be familiar with these tomes); and thus, for how thin is the paper the quality is durable to the extent that the ink of one side does distort the text on the other side. To conclude, I mentioned earlier that the Study Quran is a tool, albeit an important one in understanding the Quran from the traditional Islamic perspective; a perspective that rarely gains the necessary attention in the West due to political ideologies or intellectual ideologies antithetical to the spirit of Quran itself. The Study Quran is one means of studying the sacred script of over a billion peoples, and to obtain a taste of the ways in which it has been experienced and commented by those down through the past 1400 years. Many people in this day of instant gratification, info-glut, with googlesque mentality, seek one place for everything to be sought and found, even the sacred, and holy. The Study Quran resists this since it is limited by only surveying a little more than three dozen commentaries, under the editorial eyes of five individuals, for a nearly decade; and thus, is not perfect; but neither is any commentary perfect or the "final" word. Just like any “study” it will be revised and parts reconsidered upon re-reading the commentaries; only the timeless word of God stands the test of time, and with Him is its ultimate of meanings. Instead, what the Study Quran conveys is an important intention, that each verse has various meanings of depths, and thus challenges any Muslim perspective that promotes one interpretation to the expense of the others; and it portends that classical scholars from various perspectives considered alternate and opposing points of view—something I believe Muslims today could benefit; often, concluding with “God knows better”—and this is something I believe Muslims can also benefit. This work will not be without its critics given the sheer immensity of the research that went into it; and I invite them critique the work constructively. Not destructively by cherry picking certain verses without considering the full range of verses and commentary related to a particular theme or topic (the index comes in handy here); this attitude is only revealing of their souls. Or, raise paranoia, and suspicion with regard to Dr. Nasr, in that he is a Shi’a, and envisions the heart of all authentic revelations with the eye of the heart in light of the eternal wisdom that originates in the bosom of the One Divine, termed usually as the perennial philosophy (Ar. al-Din al-Hanifa, al-Hikma al-Khalida, Javidan Khairad); to them I say, you cannot reject that which was never offered to you. If this sounds elitist, then consider why must you assume yourself and your intellect to be common denominator of all Islam from time immemorial; or, is your metric, quoting R.W. Emerson, “The difference from me, is the measure of insanity”? If this is the case, then you have larger issues to deal with than critiquing the Study Quran, like your own ego. I recommend, instead help the Study Quran editorial team, in order for it to become a better and useful text for the needs of Muslims and Non-Muslims. Or, publish another Study Quran, hence another tool in the service of seekers and students. Since the work’s publication there has been much reaction on the part of Muslims and Non-Muslims, and rightfully so; since, perhaps the greatest insult is to be ignored. And whether you agree or disagree with Dr. Nasr’s philosophical position (and by philosophy I do not mean man-made rationalist/scientific discursive constructs, but transcendent wisdom that flows from the niche of prophecy [see Dr. Nasr's philosophical works, in particular Knowledge and the Sacred]), and his editors, going forward, any study of the Quran cannot ignore him and his work, especially if they are to validate the traditional perspective, the various perspective that have unfolded in time and space, and to defend the tradition from perspectives that aim to deconstruct it with a host "isms" generated in the post-medieval period. However, those who seek Truth-in-itself, will understand its place in relationship to themselves; and if you seek a particular truth as it relates to certain people, a certain mode of "Islam," in certain times and places, then such is your Rizq (divine apportionment), and you will derive your ordained benefit. Either way, I will give Frithjof Schuon the final word on this subject, when he says, "if there were no human margin, no abrogation would be possible."

Alhamdulillah to receive this copy. Has searched many commentary books of Quran..But found it as the best among all...A complete & authentic explanation of Quranic verses.

De inhoud van het boek is erg goed en ik raad het daadwerkelijk aan om het te lezen. De bladzijdes daarentegen zijn heel erg dun, licht en slap. Dit zorgt ervoor dat je erg voorzichtig met de bladzijdes van het boek om moet gaan om te zorgen dat er geen scheuren/kreukels, ect ontstaan. Voor een erg groot boek met meer dan 2000 bladzijdes vind ik dit een probleem. Dit is namelijk omdat het een boek is die langdurig mee moet gaan, vanwege de grote inhoud.

Gloriosa edizione. Soprattutto per l'apparato di note, che è esasutivo da ogni punto di vista e copre fonti tradizionali delle diverse scuole islamiche. In italiano avevamo l'ottima edizione del Corano a cura di Zilio-Grandi ma Mondadori l'ha messa fuori catalogo inspiegabilmente. Cosí dobbiamo rivolgerci all'inglese.

I decided to look for a new Quran because my previous translation's tafsir was so onerous and verbose, it was tiring to read. This one has completely surpassed my expectations. It is very well written, providing ample historical context to each chapter and set of verses along with well-researched interpretations. The best thing about it is probably the same reason why some people have left 1-star reviews: balance. It provides the opinions and interpretations of different schools of thought: Shia, Sunni and Sufi, without trying to sway you one way or the other, and allowing you to make your own mind up. Let's face it: no one can really put hand on heart and say with full conviction they completely understand the Quran. It is open to interpretation in many places, and so I think approaching it with an open mind is key. I'm still making my way through it - it's no quick read - but very pleased with my purchase.

Ce live est bien fait. Il est complet et donne une interprétation moderne/érudite du Coran et en même temps basée sur l'histoire de l'Islam. A ce titre c'est l'outil idéal pour combattre les idéologies obscurantistes de toutes sortes propagées par les terroristes de tout bord