The Clear Quran: A Thematic English Translation

The Clear Quran is an English rendering of the meanings of the Qur'an by the Canadian–Egyptian scholar and imam Mustafa Khattab, and one of the most popular English Qur'an translations in print today. ^{1 2}

It was first published by the Book of Signs Foundation in Lombard, Illinois: in 2016 according to the Global Qur'an project's review, in 2015 according to the translator's English Wikipedia biography; both years are kept. ^{1 2} In 2020 it became the default translation on quran.com; Darussalam distributes it at a low price, and it has grown into a whole series in many formats, among them a version for children (2020) and a dictionary (2021). ^{2 1}

Khattab recounts in his introduction how a conversation with a non-Muslim taxi driver about the Qur'an's supposed hostility to non-Muslims opened his eyes to misrepresentations in English translations and to the need for a better one. ¹ His biography adds that a common mistranslation of the Arabic word dabbah was an early motivation. ²

The translation is in contemporary Canadian English, avoids the archaic King James style, and uses the English word "God" for the divine name, though some online editions changed this. ¹ Brief explanatory insertions sit in unobtrusive half brackets, technical information goes to footnotes, the text is set in thematic paragraphs with headers, and each sura opens with an introduction summarising its themes and its link to the suras before and after it. ¹

The translator's biography states that the translation was officially approved by Al-Azhar and endorsed by the Canadian Council of Imams and many other Muslim organisations and scholars. ² Johanna Pink judged that Khattab combined existing approaches in a way readers looking for an accessible translation appreciate, while noting that some of its success may be owed to skilful marketing and Darussalam's wide distribution. ¹

• Johanna Pink, "Qur'an translation of the week #204", The Global Qur'an, 2024. ¹
• English Wikipedia, "Mustafa Khattab". ²