# Koran: Excellent translations?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 17, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285 "2003-04-17T12:54:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285/1 "2003-04-17T12:54:20Z")

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What is a / are some excellent translation(s) of the Koran?  
I’m interested in learning about Islam. The copies of the Qu’ran I’ve seen are kind of thick. Before I commit to reading the tome I’d like to know that I’m going to be getting my time’s worth.  
thanX.

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**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285/2 "2003-04-17T13:03:05Z")

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“Interested” from a purely academic, intellectual point of view, or "interested "as in “I’m thinking of converting and would like to know more”?

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**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285/3 "2003-04-17T13:26:11Z")

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Would it make a difference as to the suitability of the translations?

I’m unlikely to convert to theism.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285/4 "2003-04-17T13:45:44Z")

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Here’s an earlier thread on this subject, and ad the bottom of it there is a link to an even earlier thread:

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=155587](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=155587)

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**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285/5 "2003-04-17T14:55:18Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by SimonX \*  
> \*\*Would it make a difference as to the suitability of the translations?
> 
> I’m unlikely to convert to theism. \*\*

Not really, no. I was just curious, is all. 🙂

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**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285/6 "2003-04-17T20:48:41Z")

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I googol’d for _quran translations_ and found [this Institute of Al-Islam site](http://members.tripod.com/iaislam/quran.htm) that reasonable and _sans_ underlying agenda.

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**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\
**Post date:** [April 17, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/koran-excellent-translations/169285/7 "2003-04-17T20:51:46Z")

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those \* are **not** pillars of islam. Merely mark-up stupidity on my part. :smack: