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The Islamic Society of North America through it’s President Ingrid Mattson, issued a statement supporting Dr. Bakhtiar’s translation. Read more

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The First English Translation of the Quran (Koran) by an American Woman

How does this translation of the Sublime Quran by Laleh Bakhtiar, Ph. D., differ from other English translations?

• It is an universal, inclusive translation with no parenthetical expressions
• The translation has internal consistency and reliability
• There is a different English equivalent for each Arabic grammatical form
• Words not appearing in the Arabic but necessary for English are in italics
• The translation is presented line by line and not verse by verse
• Symbols for how a line is recited in Arabic are placed at the end of a line
• Reverts 4:34 and “to beat” back to its original interpretation meaning “to go away”

DISCLAIMER: While this translation was done by an American woman, it is not to create a gender divide.

Reverts 4:34 and “to beat” back to its original interpretation meaning “to go away”

With the blessings of God, this is the first complete English translation of the Quran that uses the original meaning of “to beat” in 4:34 which was “to go away.” The translator gives three arguments for why this is so:

1. The words “beat them” in 4:34 are a command, an imperative form of the verb. Yet the Prophet, peace and the mercy of God be upon him, never carried out this command. Even if one were to say that just because a word in the Quran is grammatically a command does not mean that the Prophet had to carry it out; it means it is permissible for him to do or not to do. The retort: He chose not to do it. Therefore, whoever follows the Sunnah of the Prophet should also choose not to do it.
2. The word interpreted as “to beat” for over 1400 years in the Islamic world has over 25 meanings. Why chose a meaning that goes against both the legal and moral principles of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet?
3. The strongest argument for why the Arabic word does not mean “to beat” but rather means “to go away” is because interpreting the Arabic word as “to beat” contradicts another verse in the Quran. We start with a premise: Islam encourages marriage and while divorce is allowed, it is discouraged. The Prophet said: Marriage is half of faith. He also said: Divorce is deplorable.

In 2:231 the Quran says as translated in the Sublime Quran: “When you divorce wives, and they (f) are about to reach their (f) term, then hold them (f) back honorably or set them (f) free honorably; and hold them (f) not back by injuring them so that you commit aggression, and whoever commits that, then indeed he does wrong to himself; and take not the Signs of God to yourselves in mockery; remember the divine blessing of God on you and what He sent forth to you of the Book and wisdom; He admonishes you with it; and be Godfearing of God and know that God is knowing of everything.” All English translations translate this verse in a similar way.

That is, a husband may not hold back his wife from divorce by hurting, harming, injuring her or using force against her. Reading this verse as if for the first time, it suddenly occurred to the translator that what the Quran says in 2:231 contradicts the way 4:34 has been interpreted over the centuries by everyone except the blessed Prophet. The translation in the Sublime Quran of 4:34 reflects the interpretation as the blessed Prophet understood it: “Men are supporters of wives because God has given some of them an advantage over others and because they spend of their wealth. So the ones (f) who are in accord with morality are the ones (f) who are morally obligated, the ones (f) who guard the unseen of what God has kept safe. But those (f) whose resistance you fear, then admonish them (f) and abandon them (f) in their sleeping place, then go away from them (f); and if they (f) obey you, surely look not for any way against them (f); truly God is Lofty, Great.”

In 4:34, as translated in a similar manner by all present English translations except the Sublime Quran translation, Muhammad Asad, for example translates 4:34 in the following way: “Men shall take full care of women with the bounties which God has bestowed more abundantly on the former than on the latter, and with what they may spend out of their possessions. And the righteous women are the truly devout ones, who guard the intimacy which God has [ordained to be] guarded. And as for those women whose ill-will you have reason to fear, admonish them [first]; then leave them alone in bed; then beat them; and if thereupon they pay you heed, do not seek to harm them. Behold, God is indeed most high, great.”

What this tells us (and all present English translations) is that if a woman wants a divorce, a husband is forbidden from harming, hurting, injuring or using force against her while for a woman who wants to stay married, it is permissible for her husband to beat her!!! Recall our premise: Islam encourages marriage. If women were aware of this contradiction, what woman would chose to stay married and be beaten rather than be divorced and unharmed?

The Arabic Word of God was, is and remains the Word of God. There is no change in the Arabic. The change is in our perception, our interpretation. The understanding of saying “go away” is a revert interpretation to how the blessed Prophet understood it. Whoever believes in and follows the Sunnah should logically agree with reverting the interpretation to the way that the blessed Prophet understood it.

We refer back to the first two arguments: 1. The word “beat” is a command which the Prophet chose not to carry out; and 2. The Arabic word “beat” has 25 meanings so why chose a meaning that does not follow the legal and moral principles of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet? 3. Interpreting the word as “beat” contradicts 2:231 and fosters divorce rather than marriage, commands to immorality and prohibits morality which is one of the definitions of a hypocrite in the Quran (see 9:67).

While I have personally been blessed by my contacts with the most understanding and compassionate of men in my lifetime, and I have never found myself in a situation of being physically threatened or beaten, reading about and hearing first hand stories of women who have, I felt the deep sense that I am essentially and spiritually one with them by my very existence. The question I kept asking myself during the years of working on the translation: How could God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, sanction husbands beating their wives?

The feeling, however, did not rise to the surface until the day I first publicly presented the results of this translation of the Sublime Quran at the WISE (Women¹s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equity) Conference (November, 2006), in particular in reference to 4:34. There were 150 Muslim women from all over the world who had gathered to discuss the possibility of forming a Women¹s Islamic Council. I gave the logic as to why the word “to beat” in 4:34 has to revert to its original interpretation as understood by the Prophet Muhammad, peace and the mercy of God be upon him.

At the end of the session, two Muslim women approached me. They said that they work in shelters for battered women and that they and the women in the shelters have been waiting for 1400 years for someone to pay attention to this issue through a translation of the Quran. The heavy weight of responsibility suddenly fell upon my shoulders. I had to publish my findings as soon as possible  so that, with the Will of God, one less woman: wife, mother, sister, daughter, cousin, friend, in general, or Muslim wife, in particular, would be beaten at all and especially not in the Name of God; so that by initiating a dialogue, the minds of the exclusivists will awaken to consciousness and conscience; they will counsel those husbands who place their hand on the Word of God and give themselves permission to beat their wives, that they have neither the legal nor the moral right to do that. It is the prayer of all women throughout the world that all future translations of the Quran, in whatever language, will revert the interpretation back to the legal and moral principles of the Quran and Sunnah of the blessed Prophet, inshallah. God knows best.

It is a universal, inclusive translation with no parenthetical expressions

This translation of the Quran is a universal translation, for all times, related to the Quran’s eternality and not to it as a text frozen in the time period of its revelation. To this end, there are no parenthetical phrases further interpreting and elaborating a verse, thus allowing the translation to be free of any transient political, denominational or doctrinal bias.

In addition to the translation being unbounded by time, in several sensitive cases, the word chosen to translate an Arabic word is also of a universal rather than a particular nature. This then broadens the perspective and scope of the Quran so that it becomes inclusive rather than exclusive to one particular group of people. In other words, in this way a larger audience can relate to its message. Examples of this would be the translation of the derivatives of k f r, literally meaning: To hide or cover over something. Most English translations use the verb “to disbelieve” making the active participle “one who disbelieves” or “one who is an infidel.” In the present translation the more inclusive viable terminology is used, namely, “to be ungrateful,” the active participle being “one who is ungrateful.”

The Quran itself declares its timelessness and universality. Therefore, its understanding or interpretation must also be eternal and for all time, inclusive of all of humanity rather than exclusive to one group of people. Applying the above criterion to the word aslama, “he who submits,” in the eight times that it appears in the form of islam, it is translated according to its universal meaning as “submission,” and the forty-two times that its form as muslim, it is translated according to its universal meaning, “one who submits.” Or the word for religion, a word clearly misunderstood and even denigrated by some, the word din actually means “way of life” in its universal sense and is so translated in the Sublime Quran.

The translation has internal consistency and reliability

After having spent many years studying the various English translations of the Quran and realizing the sincere efforts of the translators in this great, divinely blessed task, it has become clear to me that English translations lack internal consistency and reliability.

Clearly no translation of the Quran can compare in beauty and style with the original Arabic, which has been described as: “by turns, striking, soaring, vivid, terrible, tender and breathtaking.” (Notes by Mohammad Khalifa to the translator). However, I found, when the context is the same, if the same English word is not used for the same Arabic word throughout the translation, it becomes difficult for someone who wants to learn to correlate the English and the Arabic to be able to do so. In other words, the twenty or so English translations put emphasis on interpreting a Quranic verse without precisely representing the original Arabic word. For example, in one translation, the English verb “to turn” is used for over forty-three different Arabic words and the noun “sin,” twenty-three.

For the Muslim, the Quran is the Word (Logos) of God much as Jesus is the Word of God for Christians. Just as a Christian believer wants to learn as much as possible about the life of Jesus, so the Muslim wants to know more about each word that God chose for His revelation through the Quran. This realization, in turn, prompted this present translation, an attempt to give the sense of unity within the revelation to a non-Arabic speaking reader.

The method used by English translators of the Quran to date is to start at the beginning of the sacred text and work through translating until the end. I used the same method in translating over thirty books before I earned a Ph. D. in educational psychology much later in life. Armed with this science, I began this translation as a scientific study to see if it was possible to apply these principles to a translation by finding a different English equivalent for each Arabic verb or noun in order to achieve a translation of a sacred text that has internal consistency and reliability.

There is a different English equivalent for each Arabic grammatical form

For every Arabic verb¹s perfect (past tense), imperfect (present and future tense), and imperative form, the same basic English equivalent is used adjusted according to whether it is past, present or a command. A different English equivalent is used for a verbal noun, an active or passive participle, and a noun, again, adjusted according to its usage. The English equivalents for these verbs and nouns are then studied in context and, where necessary for correct meaning, an alternative equivalent that has not been previously used elsewhere in the text is used. This resulted in 5800+ unique English equivalents. I then added the some 50,000+ particles (adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions or interjections not listed in the al-Mujim al-mufahris to complete the data base.

Beginning this process seven years ago with the words instead of the first sentence, I later learned that this was much the method, called formal equivalence, used in the translation of the King James Version of the Bible first published in 1611 CE. This translation, then, is one of formal equivalence in order to be as close to the original as possible. This is the most objective type of translation, as compared to a translation using dynamic equivalence, where the translator attempts to translate the ideas or thoughts of a text, rather than the words, which results in a much more subjective translation.

Words not appearing in the Arabic but necessary for English are in italics

Words not appearing in the Arabic, but necessary for English, have been put in italics along with interpretative words or phrases to clarify the context. An example is that often the Quran refers to someone¹s being struck blind, deaf and dumb. The meaning refers to someone who is “unwilling to see, hear or speak,” not someone who is physically disabled. Therefore, I have added in italics the word “unwilling.”

The translation is presented line by line and not verse by verse

In terms of presentation, most English translations of the Quran presently available translate and present the translation Sign by Sign (or verse by verse), much like a translation of the Old or New Testament. As the Quran was revealed in the oral tradition and is still recited in Arabic as it was revealed, this English translation is arranged to match the Arabic oral recitation.

Symbols indicating how a line is recited in Arabic is indicated

There are various marks used in the science of recitation that are marked in the English translation as well so that one can read the English translation as one listens to the recitation. This will be even more useful in the bi-lingual edition to follow. There, also, the English translation will be more exact for those who wish to learn Quranic Arabic. That translation will distinguish between 2nd person singular (i.e., thee, thou, thine) and 2nd person plural (you) which the present translation does not do. This is by special request from English speaking readers who find it difficult to relate to the usage of thee, thou and thine and the relevant verb forms. As a compromise to them, when the reader finds the word you in bold (you), that indicates that the original was thou or thee and (your) was thy or thine in the Arabic.

The sign ^ before and after a phrase, as worked out by early commentators of the Quran, indicate that the phrase can either be recited as part of the previous phrase or as the beginning of the next one.

A warning not to stop (as a stop would change the meaning) is designated by (l[) in the Arabic followed by the symbol: € in English. This is placed in the column to the left of the English translation. The Arabic letter (m) indicates a necessary stop. This is marked at the end of a line of English translation with a period (.) followed by the symbol: €. The Arabic letter (j) indicates a non-obligatory, but preferred stop. This is marked at the end of a line of English translation with a period (.) followed by the symbol: °. The Arabic letters (~l) indicate that a pause is preferred and permissible. This is marked at the end of a line of English translation with a semi-colon (;) followed by the symbol: °. The Arabic letters (ql) mark a permissible stop, but continuing is better. This is marked at the end of a line of English translation with a comma (,) followed by the symbol: °. The Arabic letter (< ayn) appears inside a circle in an Arabic text denoting the end of a Sign and indicating a stop unless it is superceded by a contrary symbol written above it to continue. The reader will find a period (.) at the end of a line of English translation unless the discussion continues to the next Sign. When the English sentence requires a ? or an ! and it is followed by °, the Arabic text may be indicating a (j) or (ql) or (sl). A period (.), question mark (?) or exclamation point (!) not followed by ° has been used by the translator as normal English punctuation. Each section (ruk]) of each Chapter has been indicated in the margin and numbered consecutively. The fourteen Signs where a prostration is obligatory are indicated at the end of the English line of translation with the symbol: ý.

The First English Translation of the Quran by an American Woman

Just as I found a lack of internal consistency in previous English translations, I also found that little attention had been given to the woman¹s point of view. So when words in a verse refer directly to a woman or women or wife or wives and the corresponding pronouns such as (they, them, those), I have placed an (f) after the word to indicate the word refers to the feminine gender specifically. Otherwise, in the Arabic language (as in Spanish), the masculine pronoun may be used generically to include both male and female human beings.

While the absence of a woman¹s point of view for over 1440 years since the revelation began, clearly needs to change, it must be acknowledged that there are many men who have been supportive of the view of women as complements to themselves, as the completion of their human unity. To them, I and other Muslim women are eternally grateful. They relate to women as the Quran and Hadith intended. The criticism women have is towards those men who are not open to this understanding, who are exclusive in opposition to the Quran and Sunnah¹s inclusiveness.

Clearly the intention of the Quran is to see man and woman as complements of one another, not as oppressor-oppressed or superior-inferior or thinking-feeling. Consequently, in the introduction and translation, I address a main criticism of Islam in regard to the inferiority of women, namely, that a husband can beat his wife (4:34) after two stages of trying to discipline her.

Click to Enlarge

All floral paintings are from 19th century Quran covers in the Golistan Museum, Tehran, Iran.

Laleh Bakhtiar, The Sublime Quran, first published 2007

2:231: When you divorce wives, and they (f) are about to reach their (f) term, then hold them (f) back honorably or set them (f) free honorably; and hold them (f) not back by injuring them so that you commit aggression, and whoever commits that, then indeed he does wrong to himself; and take not the Signs of God to yourselves in mockery; remember the divine blessing of God on you and what He sent forth to you of the Book and wisdom; He admonishes you with it; and be Godfearing of God and know that God is knowing of everything.

4:34: Men are supporters of wives because God has given some of them an advantage over others and because they spend of their wealth. So the ones (f) who are in accord with morality are the ones (f) who are morally obligated, the ones (f) who guard the unseen of what God has kept safe. But those (f) whose resistance you fear, then admonish them (f) and abandon them (f) in their sleeping place, then go away from them (f); and if they (f) obey you, surely look not for any way against them (f); truly God is Lofty, Great.

Marmaduke Pickthall: The Glorious Koran, first published 1910.

2:231: When ye have divorced women, and they have reached their term, then retain them in kindness or release them in kindness. Retain them not to their hurt so that ye transgress (the limits). He who doeth that hath wronged his soul. Make not the revelations of Allah a laughing-stock (by your behaviour), but remember Allah’s grace upon you and that which He hath revealed unto you of the Scripture and of wisdom, whereby He doth exhort you. Observe your duty to Allah and know that Allah is Aware of all things.

4:34: Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali: An English Interpretation of the Holy Quran, first published 1934.

2:231: When ye divorce women, and they fulfil the term of their (‘iddah), either take them back on equitable terms or set them free on equitable terms; but do not take them back to injure them, (or) to take undue advantage; if any one does that, he wrongs his own soul. Do not treat Allah’s Signs as a jest, but solemnly rehearse Allah’s favours on you, and the fact that He sent down to you the Book and Wisdom, for your instruction. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is well-acquainted with all things.

4:34:Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband’s) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance): For God is Most High, Great (above you all).

Arthur J. Arberry, The Koran Interpreted, first published 1955

2:231: When you divorce women, and they have reached their term, then retain them honourably or set them free honourably; do not retain them by force, to transgress; whoever does that has wronged himself. Take not God’s signs in mockery, and remember God’s blessing upon you, and the Book and the Wisdom He has sent down on you, to admonish you. And fear God, and know that God has knowledge of everything.

4:34: Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property. Righteous women are therefore obedient, guarding the secret for God’s guarding. And those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them. If they then obey you, look not for any way against them; God is All-high, All-great.

S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali, The Holy Qur’an, first published 1964

2:231: And when ye have divorced women and they reach their prescribed period then (either) retain them in fairness or set them free with fairness, and do not retain them to hurt them that ye may transgress, for whosoever shall do this, he indeed is unjust to his (own) self; and take not the signs (commandments) of God a joke and remember the bounty of God upon you and what He hath sent down unto you of the Book and Wisdom, admonish you thereby; and take shelter in God and know ye that God is the Knower of all things.

4:34: Men have authority over women on account of the qualities with which God hath caused the one of them to excel the other and for what they spend of their property; therefore the righteous women are obedient, guarding the unseen that which God hath guarded; and as to those whose perverseness ye fear, admonish them and avoid them in beds and beat them; and if they obey you, then seek not a way against them; verily, God is Ever-High, Ever-Great.

Muhammad Mohsin Khan: The Noble Quran, first published 1977.

2:231: And when you have divorced women and they have fulfilled the term of their prescribed period, either take them back on reasonable basis or set them free on reasonable basis. But do not take them back to hurt them, and whoever does that, then he has wronged himself. And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allah as a jest, but remember Allah’s Favours on you (i.e. Islam), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet’s Sunna – legal ways – Islamic jurisprudence, etc.) whereby He instructs you. And fear Allah, and know that Allah is All-Aware of everything.

4:34: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband’s absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their chastity, their husband’s property, etc). As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (next, refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly, if it is useful), but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance). Surely Allah is Ever Most High, Most Great.

Muhammad Asad: The Message of the Quran, first published 1980.

2:231: And so, when you divorce women and they are about to reach the end of their waiting-term, then either retain them in a fair manner or let them go in a fair manner. But do not retain them against their will in order to hurt [them]: for he who does so sins indeed against himself. And do not take [these] messages of God in a frivolous spirit; and remember the blessings with which God has graced you, and all the revelation and the wisdom which He has bestowed on you from on high in order to admonish you thereby; and remain conscious of God, and know that God has full knowledge of everything.

4:34: Men shall take full care of women with the bounties which God has bestowed more abundantly on the former than on the latter, and with what they may spend out of their possessions. And the righteous women are the truly devout ones, who guard the intimacy which God has [ordained to be] guarded. And as for those women whose ill-will you have reason to fear, admonish them [first]; then leave them alone in bed; then beat them; and if thereupon they pay you heed, do not seek to harm them. Behold, God is indeed most high, great.

M. H. Shakir, Holy Qur’an, first published 1982.

2:231: And when you divorce women and they reach their prescribed time, then either retain them in good fellowship or set them free with liberality, and do not retain them for injury, so that you exceed the limits, and whoever does this, he indeed is unjust to his own soul; and do not take Allah’s communications for a mockery, and remember the favor of Allah upon you, and that which He has revealed to you of the Book and the Wisdom, admonishing you thereby; and be careful (of your duty to) Allah and know that Allah is the Knower of all things.

4:34: Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great.

Translation Committee, The Holy Qur’an with English Translation, first published 1992

2:231: hen you have divorced your wives, and they have reached the end of their waiting periods, then either retain them in kindness or let them go with kindness. But do not retain them in order to harm them or wrong them, lest you transgress. Whoever does this wrongs his own soul. Do not make the revelations of Allah a mockery. Remember the favours He has bestowed on you and the Book and the wisdom which He has revealed, wherewith He does exhort you. Fear Allah, and know that He has knowledge of all things.

4:34: Men are the protectors of women, because Allah has given the one more than the other (strength), and because they spend of their property (to maintain them). So righteous women are the devoutly obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah had guarded. As for those from whom you fear disloyalty, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and beat them (lightly, without visible injury). Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. For Allah is High, Sublime.

Ahmad Zidan and Mrs. Dina Zidan, The Glorious Qur’an: Text and Translation, first published 1993

2:231: And if you divorce women, and they complete the term prescribed, then either retain them in kindness or release them in kindness, but do not take them back merely to harass them, and whoever does that harms his own soul. Do not take GOD’s commands in mockery, but remember GOD’s blessings on you, and what He has revealed to you of the Book and the Wisdom. He admonishes you by it, and fear GOD and know that GOD is All-Knowing of all things.

4:34: Men are supporters of women because of what GOD has bestowed on the one more than the other, and for what they have to provide (for them) from their resources. So the righteous women are obedient and protect in the absence of their husbands that which GOD ordains to be protected. But those women in whom you fear recalcitrance, admonish them, then if they persist, forsake their beds, and if they still persist, hit them in gentle manner (in no way physically harming). But if they return to obedience do not take punitive measures against them. And surely GOD is the Most High, the Supreme.

Saheeh International, The Qur’an: Arabic Text with Corresponding English Meanings, first published 1997

2:231: And when you divorce women and they have fulfilled their term, either keep them according to reasonable terms or release them according to reasonable terms, and do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [against them]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself. And do not take the verses of Allah in jest. And remember the favor of Allah upon you and what has been revealed to you of the Book [i.e., the Qur’an] and wisdom [i.e., the Prophet’s sunnah] by which He instructs you. And fear Allah and know that Allah is Knowing of all things.

4:34: Men are in charge of women by [right of] what [qualities] Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [in support] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [women] from whom you fear defiance – [first] admonish them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed Allah is ever Exalted and Grand.

Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik, English Translation of the Meaning of al-Qur’an, first published 1997

2:231: When you divorce women and they have reached the end of their waiting period (‘iddat) either allow them to stay with honor or let them go with kindness; but you should not retain them to harm them or to take undue advantage; if anyone does that, he wrongs his own soul. Do not take Allah’s revelations as a joke. Remember the favors of Allah upon you and the fact that He sent down the Book and Wisdom for your guidance. Fear Allah and know that Allah has knowledge of everything.

4:34: Men are overseers over women because Allah has given the one more strength than the other and because men are required to spend their wealth for the maintenance of women. Honorable women are, therefore, devoutly obedient and guard in the husband’s absence what Allah requires them to guard (their husband’s property and their own honor). As to those women from whom you fear disobedience, first admonish them, then refuse to share your bed with them, and then, if necessary, beat them. Then if they obey you, take no further actions against them and do not make excuses to punish them. Allah is Supremely Great and is aware of your actions.

Abdalhaqq and Aisha Bewley, The Noble Qur’an: A New Rendering of its Meaning in English, first published 1999 (using a different numbering system of the verses).

2:229: When you divorce women and they reach the end of their ‘idda, then either retain them with correctness and courtesy or release them with correctness and courtesy. Do not retain them by force, thus overstepping the limits. Anyone who does that has wronged himself. Do not make a mockery of Allah’s Signs. Remember Allah’s blessing to you and the Book and Wisdom He has sent down to you to admonish you. Have taqwa of Allah and know that Allah has knowledge of all things.

4:34: Men have charge of women because Allah has preferred the one above the other and because they spend their wealth on them. Right-acting women are obedient, safeguarding their husband’s interests in his absence as Allah has guarded them. If there are women whose disobedience you fear, you may admonish them, refuse to sleep with them, and then beat them. But if they obey you, do not look for a way to punish them. Allah is All-High, Most Great.

M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur’an, first published 2004.

2:231: When you divorce women and they have reached their set time, then either keep or release them in a fair manner. Do not hold on to them with intent to harm them and commit aggression; anyone who does this wrongs himself. Do not make a mockery of God’s revelations; remember the favour He blessed you with, and the Scripture and wisdom He sent to teach you. Be mindful of God and know that He has full knowledge of everything.

4:34: Husbands should take full care of their wives, with [the bounties] God has given to some more than others and with what they spend out of their own money. Righteous wives are devout and guard what God would have them guard in their husbands’ absence. If you fear high-handedness from your wives, remind them [of the teachings of God], then ignore them when you go to bed, then hit them. If they obey you, you have no right to act against them: God is most high and great.

Thomas Cleary, The Qur’an: A New Translation, first published 2004.

2:231: When you have divorced women and they have reached their term, then either keep them amicably or let them go amicably. And do not keep them by violence, to brutalize them; whoever does that has wronged his own soul. And do not take the signs of God for a joke: remember God’s favor to you, and the fact that God has revealed scripture and wisdom to you to instruct you. Be conscious of God, and know that God is perfectly aware of everything.

4:34: The men are supporters of the women, by what God has given one more than the other, and by what they provide from their property. So women of integrity are humble, guardians in absentia by God’s protection. As for those of whom you fear perversity, admonish them; then leave them alone in bed; then spank them. And if they obey you, then seek no means against them, for God is knowing, aware.

Zakir Naik, English Translation of the Meaning of the Quran, 2005

2:231: And when you divorce women, and they fulfill the term of their waiting period (of three monthly courses), either take them back on just and fair terms or set them free on just and fair terms; but do not take them back to hurt them (or) to take undue advantage (of them); if anyone does that, he wrongs his own soul. Do not treat Allah’s Signs lightly but sincerely recite Allah’s favors on you, and the fact that He sent down to you the Book and Wisdom, for your instruction. And fear Allah and know that Allah is All Knowing (Aleem) of all things.

4:34: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, becuase Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husbands) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part you fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, caution (and warn) them (against the specific faults at first), refuse to share their beds (next), beat them (lightly, at the very last); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of angering them): Truly, Allah is Most High (Ali’i), Most Great (Kabir).

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The English Edition of The Sublime Quran is out now. In January 2008 we come out with:

The Concordance of the Sublime Quran Compiled by Laleh Bakhtiar
ISBN 1-56744-1 EAN 9781567447514 1800 pages $99.95 hbk

Due January 2008. ISBN: 1-56744-751-1 EAN 9781567447514 2000 pages hbk $99.95	Part 1: The ContentsThe Contents lists the 3800+ numbered root words of the Quran, numbered according to the Arabic alphabet and their basic subroot or derivative form followed by the page number in the Concordance (Part 2: The Text) where the word can be found.
Part 2: Text In Part 2, a part of each verse in the Quran under the relevant root letters and derivative can be found. There the reader can not only find a specific verse they are looking for as well as the reliability of the translation using the same English equivalent for an Arabic word where the Arabic context allows.	Part 3: The Index Part 3 Index of the Concordance lists each of the 5000+ English words that appear in the translation followed by the number, Arabic root word and page number where it is to be found in Part 2: The Text of the Concordance.

As I am unlettered, so to speak, in modern Arabic, I relied upon my many years of
tutoring in classical Quranic Arabic grammar. It was at that time that I had become
familiar with the al-Mu jim al-mufahris: al-lafad al-quran al-karim (Arabic
Concordance). The Arabic Concordance lists every Arabic root and its derivative(s)
found in the Quran as verbs, nouns and some particles (adverbs, prepositions,
conjunctions or interjections). Each time a specific word appears, the relevant part of the
verse containing that word is quoted with reference to Chapter and Sign (verse). They are
listed under their three-letter or four-letter roots. I transliterated the words according to
the system of transliteration developed by the American Library Association/ Library of
Congress 1997 Romanization Tables in preparing an accompanying Concordance. I then
found a viable English equivalent that I would not repeat for another Arabic word. I
found that there are 3600+ different Arabic verbs and nouns, excluding most
prepositions, that appear at least one time in the Quran. Only in some 50+ cases was it
necessary to use the same English word twice for two different Arabic words. For
example, there are two different Arabic words for parents, or the number “three,” or the
word “year,” and three for the word “time.”

At this point I should say that there will be those who see me as a person having a
particular Muslim point of view. Let me assure the reader that I am most certainly a
Muslim woman. I have been schooled in Sufism which includes both the Jafari (Shia) and
Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki and Shafii (Sunni) points of view. As an adult, I lived nine years
in a Jafari community in Iran and have been living in a Hanafi community in Chicago for
the past fifteen years with Maliki and Shafii friends. While I understand the positions of
each group, I do not represent any specific one as I find living in America makes it
difficult enough to be a Muslim, much less to choose to follow one sect or another.
However in this translation I have not added any indication of differences in
interpretation between the sects so that it does represent the majority view. At the same
time, I have chosen to continuously engage in the greater struggle of self-improvement.
This is the beginning stage of the Sufi path and I cannot even claim that I have moved
beyond that. God knows best.

I grew up in the United States with a single parent, a Christian, American mother.
My father, an Iranian, lived in Iran. I was an adult before I came to know him. He was
not religious, but spiritual, devoting his life as a physician to help to heal the suffering of
people.

My mother was not a Catholic, but she sent me to a Catholic school. At the age of
eight I wanted to become a Catholic, to which she had no objection. When I was twenty-
four, I went to Iran for the first time as an adult, not speaking a word of Persian, with my
former husband and our children. I began taking classes taught in English at Tehran
University. The classes on Islamic culture and civilization were being taught by Seyyed
Hossein Nasr. One day he asked me what religion I followed, and I said that I had been
brought up as a Christian. He said: Well, now that you are in Iran and your father is
Muslim, everyone will expect you to be Muslim. I said: I don’t know anything about
Islam. He said: Well, learn! And that was the beginning of my journey culminating in this
translation.

Read Curriculum Vita
Laleh Bakhtiar’s books

Curriculum Vita
LALEH BAKHTIAR
3023 W. Belmont Avenue
Chicago IL 60618
Tel: 773-267-7001; FAX: 773-267-7002
Email: laleh@bakhtiar.org

EDUCATION:

University of New Mexico
College of Education
Ph.D. Educational Psychology, 1994

University of New Mexico
College of Education
M. A. Counseling Psychology, 1991

University of New Mexico
College of Arts and Sciences
M. A. Philosophy with Concentration in Religious Studies, 1991

Tehran University
College of Arts and Sciences
Studied Islam, Islamic Culture and Civilization
Arabic Grammar

University of Pittsburgh
School of Law, 1960-61

Boston University
School of Law, 1961

Harvard University
College of Arts and Sciences
Special Student, 1962

Chatham College
Pittsburgh, PA
B. A. History, 1960

Discipline and Areas of Study

Counseling Psychology
Religious Studies

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

University of Chicago
Lecturer, Lutheran School of Theology

Board of Advisors
Center for Religion and the Media
Northwestern University, Chicago IL
Board of Trustees
Council for the Parliament of the World¹s Religions, 2000-2001

Illinois Licensed Mental Health Counselor, 1995

Nationally Certified Counselor (NBCC), 1991

Counselor, High Risk Pregnant Women
USPHS
American Indian Hospital, 1991

Institute for Traditional Psychoethics and Guidance
President

AUTHOR:
PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES:

Journal of Counseling and Values
Muslims in the United States: An Exploratory Study of Universal and Mental
Health Values, 1996. 40:206-218. This was done in conjunction with the George
Washington University Department of Counseling/Human and Organizational
Studies

BOOKS:

SUFI Expressions of the Mystic Quest

Muhammad’s Companions: Essays on Some Who Bore Witness
to His Message

God’s Will Be Done: Volume 1: Traditional Psychoethics and Personality
Paradigm

God’s Will Be Done: Volume 2: Moral Healer’s Handbook:
The Psychology of Spiritual Chivalry

God’s Will Be Done: Volume 3: Moral Healing Through
the Most Beautiful Names: The Practice of Spiritual
Chivalry

Sufi Women of America: Angels in the Making

Islamic Ethics: The Moral Education Textbook Series: An Interfaith Perspective
Grade 1

Islamic Ethics: The Moral Education Textbook Series: An Interfaith Perspective
Grade 2

Islamic Ethics: The Moral Education Textbook Series: An Interfaith Perspective
Grade 3

Al-Ghazzali His Psychology of the Greater Struggle

EDITOR:

Ramadan: Motivating Believers to Action: An Interfaith Perspective

Ahadith for Children

Quran for Children

CO-AUTHOR:

The Sense of Unity: The Sufi Tradition in Persian Architecture
University of Chicago Press rights sold to ABC International Group, Inc.

Encyclopedia of Muhammad¹s Women Companions and the Traditions
They Related
ABC International Group, Inc.

Helen of Tus: Her Odyssey from Idaho to Iran
ABC International Group

Abol Ghassem of Tus: The Epic Journey of Abol Ghassem Bakhtiar, M.D.
ABC International Group

ADAPTER:

Encyclopedia of Islamic Law: A Compendium of the Major Schools

TRANSLATOR:

Fatima is Fatima

The Modest Dress

Religion vs. Religion

Iqbal: Manifestation of the Islamic Spirit

The Sublime Quran

PRESENTATIONS:

National Enneagram Conference

ISBN-10 1-56744-752-X
ISBN-13 9781567447521
1096 pages, 2 vols. cloth $59.95

The English Edition is out now. In September 2008, we will come out with an edition that has both Arabic and English.

The Arabic will appear line by line with the English translation in order to make learning Quranic Arabic easier. Indications of the signs of the Arabic recitation will be given at the end of each line where they appear, mirroring the Arabic text.

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