The Sublime Quran

Book Synopsis: HRH PRINCE GHAZI BIN MUHAMMAD, CHIEF ADVISOR FOR RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS TO H. M. KING ABDULLAH II, AUTHOR OF LOVE IN THE HOLY QURAN. Those who read translations of the Qur'an (and there are no completely accurate translations of the Qur'an in English and only a few adequate ones (these being arguably Abdullah Yusuf Ali's; Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall's), Laleh Bakhtiar's translation is arguably the most internally consistent. They are not reading the Qur'an, but rather mere subjective individual interpretations of it: the Qur'an is God's Word in its Arabic form only. The work Dr. Bakhtiar has put into her interpretation, the consistency, the method, the attention to tense, root, case, and detail is second to none. I have never seen its like before. The English reading of it is also lovely and smooth. This is clearly a blessing God has blessed her with, ma sha Allah.

H.R.H. Prince Ghazi JOHN ESPOSITO, HEAD OF GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR MUSLIM/CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING. I am very familiar with Laleh Bakhtiar's writings and her recent translation of the Quran. Sublime Quran is a major translation that, in contrast to many other translations, in clear and direct language, effectively makes the message of the Quran accessible to English-speaking audiences. It is one that I often recommend.

REZA ASLAN, AN INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED WRITER AND SCHOLAR OF RELIGIONS AND CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AT THE DAILY BEAST. I am quite a fan of your mothers and routinely talk about her Quran translation in my speeches and in my classes. Here's a quote for you: For 14 centuries the translation and interpretation of the Quran has been the sole purview of men. Only men have been empowered to define the meaning and message of the Quran, and it is no coincidence that their interpretation has often been misogynist or worse. Laleh Bakhtiar's incredible achievement has changed all that. For the first time, a woman has been able to reengage the scripture from a different point of view, thus producing a gender-neutral translation that is far more consistent with the message and spirit of the Quran than any previous translation.

REZA ASLAN SHAIDA KHAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DOMESTIC HARMONY FOUNDATION, a non-profit organization working against domestic violence within Muslim, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities (based in Long Island, NY) Laleh was the keynote speaker at their Annual Fundraising Gala on April 17, 2010, in Long Island, NY. There are numerous reasons for the importance of Laleh Bakhtiar's translation of the Holy Quran, the least of which is that her Sublime Quran provides a sensible and humanistic interpretation for the holy book. As the Executive Director of the Domestic Harmony Foundation, a non-profit organization working against domestic violence within Muslim, Middle Eastern, and South Asian communities, this interpretation of Ms. Bakhtiar's is particularly significant. We are often faced with individuals who are victimized by their partners' usage of Quranic verses to further their abusive gains, citing the controversial verse 4-34.