The Qur’an is a Message that encompasses the essence of all the previous Divine Revelations since the beginning of time, and it will ring true till the end of time. The process of Divine Guidance was initiated with the inauguration of human existence on the earth and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last Messenger to be the savior of humanity, signaling the end of Divine Revelations and the Prophethood.

It may not be unfair to consider all former Divine Revelations a prologue for the Qur’an and all former Prophets being sent to prepare us for the arrival of Muhammad - the Seal and Gem of a Prophet - peace be upon him.

Millions of pages have been written to make the words of the Qur’an easily comprehensible by societies by and large in order to facilitate the use of The Book and the lessons it contains in all its wisdom and help humanity in the application of its lessons and verdicts to the capricious conditions of life.

In being the ultimate miracle of Allah – the Exalted and Merciful - and the abiding evidence of Allah’s Grace and Mercy, it unfolds the realities of the past and also miraculously guides human thought and action.

Its Message transcends the boundaries of space and time and will enter eschatological stages with mankind as a manifestation of Divine Communication with humanity.

It is a difficult task to bring about a comprehensive explanation of the Qur’an: an endeavor that has been a challenge for Muslim scholars since the time Shah Wali Allah first worked on translating the Qur’anic Sacred Text into Persian. That this endeavor of translation continues bespeaks the essential inadequacy of human translation of an infinite ocean of Divine Knowledge.

Yet the efforts continue and contribute to a better understanding of the Divine Message. Those that have enlisted their services in this honorable vocation are, no doubt, the fortunate ‘selected ones’ among the faithful.

Venerable Brother Dr. Badr Hashemi has dedicated years of his life to the translation of the Qur’anic Sacred Text in simple and lucid English language. The addition of relevant words and phrases in italics has proven useful in elaborating the meaning and context of the text as deemed necessary. The translation proceeds smoothly in strict conformity with the Sacred Arabic Text.

It is a welcome addition to the existing English translations of the Qur’an. However, there is not a better Translation in English anywhere.

We recommend that this Translation be included in the syllabus for teaching of the Qur’an in all universities and colleges in pursuance of the policies and directives of the Government of Pakistan.

Engr. Prof. Dr. Athar Mahboob (S.I.).

Vice Chancellor,

The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan.