Biographies of Three Popular Qur'an Translators

By: Dr. S. Bahmanpour

Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
(1875-1936)
Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall (1875-1936) was an English traveler, novelist, polemicist, and educationist who embraced Islam in 1917. His travels throughout the Muslim world formed the basis of several novels set in the Middle East and allowed him to become fluent in Arabic, Turkish and Urdu. After his conversion, he served as the acting imam of the London Mosque (Notting Hill), worked for 15 years with Muslims in the Indian subcontinent as the editor of Islamic Culture (Hyderabad, Deccan), and served as the Nizam's advisor and publisher. The meaning of the glorious Qur'an: An explanatory translation is his best-known work. While familiar with European Qur'anic criticism, he also spent time in Egypt with various scholars to acquaint himself with their views. In later years, his work served as the basis for the Portuguese (Mozambique) and Tagalog (the Philippines) language editions.

Abdullah Yussuf Ali
(1872-1953)
In 1872, Abdullah Yussuf Ali was born in Surat, India. His father, a merchant, was a very religious man who made sure that his son learned Qur'an before anything else. He taught his young son Abdullah the entire Qur'an to memory. In addition to studying contemporary knowledge at school, Abdullah continued to receive lessons in Arabic language and never ceased in his studies of the Qur'an. He was a superior student who excelled in academic achievement and won the much-coveted Indian civil award. Abdullah was easily able to absorb English literature and was considered to be among the best of his fellow countrymen in writing English. Many of the most well known scholarly magazines in India published his works and expressed their appreciation for his beautiful literary style. Later Abdullah Yussuf Ali left India for Europe and visited many European capitals and eventually resided in London for a considerable period of time. While in London he was exposed to many translations of the Qur'an and continued to have tremendous interest in it and its studies. He than began to closely study the Qur'an giving special interest to its various interpretations, both old and new. After studying what was written about the Qur'an in both European and Eastern languages, he returned to India and took up new residence in Lahore where he became the Dean of the Islamic College. He than began his monumental work of translating and commenting on the Qur'an and later died in London in1953.

Mohammad Habib Shakir
(1866-1939)
Mohammad Habib Shakir was an Egyptian judge, born in Cairo and a graduate from Al-Azhar University. He occupied many prominent positions, such as: Sudan's Supreme Judge for four years, Dean of Alexandia's Scholars, Al-Azhar Secretary General, and a member of its board of directors and Legislative Committee. He died in Cairo in 1939 AD. Some of his famous works include: an English translation of the Holy Qur'an and Explanation of the Primary Lessons in Religious Belief.