An Introduction to the Quran
The Quran is the Book of God preserved for all time to come. It is written originally in Arabic and accessible through its translations to the non-Arabic knowing world. English is truly the international language. The Quran Complex, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, in a research on the English translations of the Quran, concluded: “Despite 47 English Quran translations, none has received the acceptance of the modern world.” [Bibliography of the Translations and the Meanings of the Quran in English (1649–2002)] To fill this gap, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan worked tirelessly to translate the Quran into English, published in 2008 under the title The Quran. Edited by Professor Farida Khanam, the translation is in contemporary English, lucid, easy to understand and has received universal acceptance. In its introduction, the Maulana explains that the Quran aims to bring about an intellectual revolution within man, called maarifah (realisation of truth) (5:83) and make him aware of the Creation plan of God. The purpose of the Quran is to tell man why God created this world, the purpose of settling man on earth, what is required from man in his pre-death life span, and what he will confront after death.
The Quran, thus, serves as a guide for the man in this world as well as in the Hereafter.