The Devotional Quran: Beloved Surahs and Verses

Shawkat M. Toorawa (translation)
Hardback, 208 pages
9780300271942

“For all the attention that has traditionally gone into translating the ‘meaning’ of the Qur’an, its devotional value and function goes beyond its ‘meaning.’ The Devotional Qur’an brilliantly captures not only the meaning of a selection of Qur’anic verses but the meaning of the Qur’an itself for Muslims, by deftly signaling the various and beautiful ways in which ‘meaning’ is imparted, savoured, and passed on through this indefatigably sacred text.” — Sherman A. Jackson, the University of Southern California

A beautifully curated and translated collection of the Quranic surahs and verses that are most cherished and memorized by Muslims the world over

Muslim devotional practices vary greatly over time and across regions, communities, and denominations, but they share core Quranic surahs (chapters) and verses rooted in the practice of earlier figures—the Prophet Muhammad, his closest Companions, the Shiite Imams, saintly figures, learned scholars, Sufi masters, local imams and religious teachers, forebears, and parents.

This volume is the first to present a curated English translation of these core passages, offering a powerful distillation of the recitational tradition that is at the heart of Muslim faith and practice. In these translations of thirty-two surahs and some forty verses, Shawkat M. Toorawa gives attention to rhythm, assonance, and end rhyme, as well as to the musicality and emotional force of the original Arabic. He organises the selections according to devotional use and explains the place and role of the surah, verse, or passage in Muslim devotional practice.

This book is for anyone interested in the Quran, its aesthetic qualities, and its place in Muslim devotion, including any Muslims seeking a sensitive English translation of these essential surahs and verses.