Since there have been several Bibles highlighted today, I thought I would also point out that there is a translation of the Koran/Quran at a bargain price as well. The Quran - A Pure and Literal Translation
($0.95) translated by The Monotheist Group, claims to be an unbiased, non-denominational, literal translation. Of course, literal translations often fail to convey the intended meaning, as even in the same culture there are cultural drifts and round-about ways of describing things can change (after all, how many of us have heard dozens of, often hilarious, guesses as to what ails those with "the vapors" in recent classical literature?). Nonetheless, the few reviews of this translation are mostly positive: one complained of the classification in Amazon's store, nothing to do with the book at all, which had not even been purchased or read by the "reviewer", while the only two-star review wanted to see the original arabic as well, while the remaining reviews are all five stars. If you just are curious as to the text of the Koran (after all, we see references in news stories daily) or want a translation for daily use, this one seems to fit the bill.Synopsis
Over the course of centuries, Islam has undergone a process of sub-categorization into numerous denominations. As such, nearly all translators have belonged to one school of thought or another, allowing the influence of such denominations to come across in their interpretation of specific words or verses, and how they choose to translate them.
The Quran - A Pure and Literal Translation is the result of a group effort by people who do not belong to any denomination, and for the first time in many centuries, are simply proud to call themselves Muslims as God had named us centuries ago.
The Quran - A Pure and Literal Translation is also unique in the fact that it uses neither footnotes nor comments, letting the text speak for itself and delivering to the reader as close a rendition of the pure message of the Quran as physically possible.
About the Translators
The Monotheist Group is a pen name used by the Free-Minds Organization which is an Islamic reform movement that began in 1997, dedicated to the promotion of God alone. The movement seeks the abandonment of all sectarian innovations through a return to the principles of the Qur'an. The Free-Minds Organization has attracted the attention of a number of think tanks (namely the Rand Corporation in its Building Moderate Muslim Network report) as well as some noted authors in the field of Islamic Reform.
