QURAN: THE FINAL SCRIPTURE
QURAN: THE FINAL SCRIPTURE (Authorized English Version)
Translated from the Original by Rashad Khalifa, Ph.D
Imam, Mosque of Tucson - Tucson, Arizona
Copyright 1981 by ISLAMIC PRODUCTIONS
739 E. 6th Street, Tucson, AZ 85719 USA
Of the several English translations of the Quran I have read, my favorite is the alleged Authorized English Version titled: QURAN: THE FINAL SCRIPTURE. It has an easy to read, modern writing style with tactfully used quotations explaining various situations. The translator was Rashad Khalifa. Most likely, you are not familiar with this individual but you may have heard about his scholarly work concerning the uniqueness of the number 19 in the Quran. In short, he discovered that the first verse of the Quran (19 letters), the number of suras (114=19x6), and many other similar examples have the number 19 or multiples thereof in the Arabic Quran.
Although Dr. Khalifa became famous in the Islamic world because of this research, unfortunately, it also cost him his life. Partly due to this so-called Quranic miracle he came to openly criticize the supposed overemphasis among Muslims on the hadith and sunna of the Prophet. His position on this sensitive subject became so disturbing that in spite of his scholarly contributions he made quite a few enemies. While living in Turkey, I read in a newspaper that he was murdered by Islamic fundamentalists while he was inside the Mosque of Tucson of which he was the Imam.