Best Books for Learning Quranic Vocabulary and Word-by-Word Translation
Question:
Kindly guide me to a book that helps in recognizing the words of the Qur’an—that is, a word-for-word translation through which I can independently understand the meanings of the Qur’an. The book should be simple and easy to comprehend.
Answer by: Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wakīl Nāṣir ḥafiẓahullāh
Although word-for-word translation can be a challenging task, alḥamdulillāh, several reliable and accessible resources are now available that offer literal translations of the Qur’an.
Recommended Books for Word-for-Word Quranic Translation
❖ Misbāḥ al-Qurʾān – Author: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Ṭāhir
A useful book for learning word-for-word translation of the Qur’an.
❖ Maʿānī al-Qurʾān al-Karīm – Author: Ḥāfiẓ Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf رحمه الله
This book explains the meanings of Quranic words and is helpful in deepening one’s understanding of the Qur’an.
❖ Dr. Farhat Hashmi’s Translation of the Qur’an
In my opinion, this is among the best resources because:
- It points toward the root words (mādah) of the Arabic terms.
- The translation is done in a simple and comprehensible style.
Conclusion
These three books are excellent for recognizing and understanding Quranic vocabulary. Select any one of them for consistent study—in shāʾ Allāh, you will benefit greatly.
“And Allah knows best what is correct.”