If one was to go to the source and see what the Qu'ran has to say, which copy should one look at? This is in preparation for the world religion series I am doing in my SS class.

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Kenneth Kneip
Member @ New St. Peter's PC (PCA), Dallas TX
Pastoral Intern @ New Covenant PC (PCA), Dallas TX
M. Div. student @ Redeemer Seminary, Dallas TX

The true Qur'an can only be read in Arabic.

However, the "Meaning of the Glorious Koran" by Pickthall is a good "translation."

Also, Google "Chronological Koran" and read the Surahs in chronological order to see the progression of MHD's thought from peaceful minority trying to make peace with the Jewsih tribes to a powerful ruler handing out civil laws and proposing the spread of religion at the point of the sword.

Also, get a copy of Ali Dashti's 23 Years: The life of the Prophet, the best biography of MHD from a secular (non Islamic) worldview.

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone

The one I assign for my seminary class is the version by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, with the text, translation, and commentary. It is a commonly used English translation and the commentary is generally orthodox (for Islam). The Arabic script is on one side and the English on the other. Commentary footnotes are at the bottom of the page.

You can order it from Amazon:

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PMBrooks
Southern Baptist Pastor
New Orleans, LA
PhD Theology

http://http://www.amazon.com/Origins-Koran-Classic-Essays-Islams/dp/157392198X/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252330034&sr=1-5

Amazon

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Jacob Peters
Layman
URC
Toronto
Canada

"My" Koran was translated by N.J. Dawood and has some photos of some nice-looking mosques, which I pray will one day become churches.

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Richard
communicant member, FCoS
Perth, Scotland UK

His Name forever shall endure;
last like the sun it shall:
Men shall be blessed in Him,
and blessed all nations shall Him call (Ps. 72:17)

I'm waiting for "Your Best Jihad Now" to be offered on TBN.

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Rich Koster
1689'er
Browns Mills NJ USA
Often Goofy Reformed Eccentric
Romans 7:14-25

The Jihad driven life?

This is the edition that I own.

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Ben
Chaplain, US Army
Ft. Riley, KS
TE Ohio Valley Presbytery, PCA

Considering how disjointed the koranic text is, you will NEED Abdullah Yusuf''s Commentary.
Another good scholarly translation is the one by Dr Richard Bell who took apart the classical koranic text and put it together again in sequential order. Bell's translation also has useful notes.