Bridges Translation of the Ten Qira'at of the Noble Qur'an

462 Pages·2020·28.468 MB·English

by  Fadel Soliman

Bridges’ translation of the ten
Qira’at of the Noble Qur’an
Fadel Soliman
Fadel Soliman
© 2020 Fadel Soliman. All rights reserved.
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transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
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ISBN: 978-1-7283-9074-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-7283-9073-4 (e)
Published by AuthorHouse 02/12/2020
This work is dedicated to my sheikh, Dr. ʻAbbas Anwar Al-Masry, and to
his student, the sheikh of revolutionaries, Sheikh ʻEmad ʻEffat.

مِ يحِ رَّ لٱ نِ مَٰ حۡرَّ لٱ هِ َّللٱ مِ سۡ ِب
In the name of Allah,
the All-Merciful, the Bestower of mercy
All praise is due to Allah, the Creator, the Cherisher, and the Sustainer of the universe. I express
my sincere love and devotion to the Final Messenger of Allah–Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon
him, as well as to his companions who changed the course of history, and for those who have striven
throughout the centuries to serve Islam, and particularly the Holy Qur’an.
Throughout my life I have known many companions, some of whom were helpful and sincere,
but the most helpful and sincere of them all has by far been the Qur’an.
Studying the Qira’at (the modes of recitation) of the Qur’an was an important milestone in my life,
a turning point after which my views about life, death and the hereafter changed completely. It always
troubled me to see most Muslims, especially non-Arabs, unaware of the greatest linguistic miracle, the
Qira’at of the Holy Qur’an.
So as an application of the saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) “None of you truly
believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself”, I decided to translate the Qur’an in
a way that embraces the Qira’at as well as some other phenomena like grammatical shifts, in order to
present to non-Arabic readers a translation that is closer to the spirit of the Holy Qur’an, allowing them
to ponder the Holy Qur’an even though they do not know Arabic.
By the blessings of Allah and through the efforts of dedicated Muslims, today English-speaking
Muslims can enjoy the first translation of the ten Qira’at of the Holy Quran.
Allah’s servant, desperate for his Lord’s forgiveness,
Fadel Soliman

CONTENTS
Prefacev
Reflective Reading (Tadabbor) of the Qur’an ������������������������������������������������������������viii
How can the reader practice spiritual Tadabbor? �����������������������������������������������������xii
The Ten Qira’at of the Qur’an ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xvi
Some examples of the seven dialects (aḥrûf) ������������������������������������������������������������xxii
About Bridges’ translation of the ten Qira’at of the Holy Qur’an ����������������������xxxiv
About Bridges Foundationxxxv
Translation team members and linguists �������������������������������������������������������������xxxvi
References ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xxxvii

Preface
Profound messages lie within the depths of the words of the Qur’an. It is unlike ordinary books
written by humans. Whereas every other book was written in this world for the world to read, the Qur’an
descended from outside the world for the world to read. It is the connection between the earth and
Heaven, between the physical realm and the metaphysical realm, a divine scripture that the Creator of
the universe has revealed to mankind. With His Might He created sane beings, and with His Wisdom He
communicated with them to guide them.
ميكِ حَ لْا زِ يزِ َعلْا هِ لَّلا نَ مِ بِ اَتكِ لْا لُ يزِ نَْت
(1 رمزلا)
“The bestowal of the Scripture from on high is by Allah the Almighty, the All-Wise.”
(Qur’an 39:1)
The Qur’an’s grandeur lies in its ability to revive the dead heart and cure its ailments: rage,
boredom, wrath, hatred, anger, greed, selfishness, envy, laziness, and all the other dangerous diseases
that impair the human heart. The Qur’an is therefore described by God as a spirit, as well as a medication
and a cure.
اَنرِ مْ َأ نْ مِّ احً ورُ كَ يْ َلِإ اَنيْ حَ وَْأ كَ لَِذٰ كَ وَ
)25 ىروشلا(
“And thus have We revealed to you a spirit by Our command.”
(Qur’an 42:52)
نيِنمِؤْ مُ لّْلِ ٌةمَ حْ رَ وَ ءٌ اَفشِ وَ هُ امَ نِ آرْ ُقلْا نَ مِ لُ زِّ َنُنوَ
(82 ءارسلإا)
“And We send down of the Recital that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers,”
(Qur’an 17:82)
نيِنمِؤْ مُ لّْلِ ٌةمَ حْ رَ وَ ىًدهُ وَ رِ وُدصُّ لا يِف امَ ّلِ ءٌ اَفشِ وَ مْ كُ ِّبرَّ نمِّ ٌةظَ عِ وْ مَّ مكُ ْتءَ اجَ دْ َق سُ اَّنلا اهَ ُّيَأ اَي
(57 سنوي)
v
“O mankind, there has come to you an admonition from your Lord, and a cure for what lies within
the chests and guidance and mercy for the believers.”
(Qur’an 10:57)
When readers humbly recite the words of the Qur’an and contemplate them, seeking divine
inspiration, it will touch their hearts and minds as attested in Allah’s words, and it will become not only
the source of tranquility and comfort, but the source of guidance as well, for those who faithfully seek
them.
ُهَّللا مُ كُ مُ ّلَِعُيوَ َهَّللا اوُقَّتاوَ
(282 ةرقبلا)
“And be mindful of Allah, and Allah teaches you,”
(Qur’an 2:282)
It has the power and force to literally change lives if carefully pondered. However, if not properly
dealt with, it will touch neither the heart nor the soul. When Prophet Muhammad complained to Allah
about people who do not deal properly with the Qur’an, he probably meant those who read with their eyes
only, but block their hearts and senses.
ارً وجُ هْ مَ نَ آرْ ُقلْا اَذهَٰ اوُذخَ َّتا يمِوْ َق نَّ ِإ بِّ رَ اَي لُ وسُ رَّ لا لَ اَقوَ
(30 ناقرفلا)
“And the Messenger said, “O My Lord, my people have dealt with this Recital by deserting it.”
(Qur’an 25:30)
Notice that the Messenger did not say that his people had deserted the Qur’an completely. Rather,
they deal with it in a manner equivalent to desertion. They read it but they do not understand it. They
memorize it but they do not contemplate it. They compete with each other in the number of times they
read it all through, but not in the number of its instructions that they comprehend and follow.
A frequently asked question is: Why did God not explain the Qur’an Himself, instead of leaving
it to be interpreted by humans who differ a lot about its exegesis? Would that not have been an easier
approach, allowing people from all nations to read its words and comprehend them fully? But therein
lies one of the greatest miracles of the Qur’an. A book of such magnificence is the only book known to
mankind that, no matter how many times it is read, reveals something different each time. It is like a
sea filled with pearls within its depths: as the diver goes deeper, more pearls appear in sight. No other
vi