THE BOOK
BIBLES OF CHRISTIANITY:
THE HOLY BIBLE IN MODERN ENGLISH, Ferrar Fenton, Destiny Publishers, Massachusetts U.S.A. 1966 Edition.
THE HOLY BIBLE, AUTHORISED (KING JAMES) VERSION, Eyre and Spottiswoode (Publishers) Ltd., Great Britain.
THE JERUSALEM BIBLE, READER’S EDITION, First published 1968, Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd., London.
NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. Illustrated Dictionary-Concordance. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Camden, New York.
THE APOCRYPHA OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, Revised Standard Version, Published by Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.
Reader: A small but vital point:
Christianity is not the Bible! The Bible is not Christianity!
Despite their obvious association and a myriad of religious interpretations, in the final analysis, they are nonetheless two separate and different entities!
KORANS OF ISLAM
THE HOLY QUR’AAN WITH ARABIC VERSE. Transliteration in Roman Script by: M. Abdul Haleem Eliyasee. English Translation by: Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall. Darul-Ishaat. Urdu Bazar Karachi, Pakistan.
THE HOLY QUR’AN. ARABIC VERSE AND ENGLISH TRANSLATION. Translated by Maulawi Sher ‘Ali. Published with alternative translation of, and footnotes to, some of the verses by Hadrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad, Fourth Successor of the Promised Messiah; Under the auspices of: Hadrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. Fifth Successor of the Promised Messiah and Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama ‘at.
THE HOLY QUR’AN, with English Translation and Commentary by Maulana Muhammad Ali. Renowned author of several classic works on Islam.
THE KORAN. Based on the Original English Translation by J. M. Rodwell
THE HOLY QUR’AN: Modern English Translation of. From the original work of A. Yusuf Ali
THE QUR’AN: Arabic Verse with Corresponding English Meanings. Translated by Saheeh International, Riyadh.
We should note that the two Koranic “Scholars” who claim Fourth and Fifth “Successorships” to the Promised Messiah refers to an Islamic Messiah, their Mahdi. Were that not the case, the implication of such a claim would be very disturbing since the true Promised Messiah’s Origin can only be from the very Highest non-material Realm. A human claim to that kind of association would be a very bold one indeed.
That notwithstanding, what is of particular interest here is that we at least have the beginnings of philosopher Hegel’s “dialectic process”; vis-à-vis, our first common point of agreement between Christianity and Islam, and even Judaism ----- a Promised Messiah. On the Islamic side of the equation, however, such a claim is surely very problematic for Muslims and the Koran, as presently translated.
[Because the belief in the Coming of a Promised Messiah is a core part of both religions and the real issue here, we will flesh-out the why of the “problematic” aspect to a commensurate degree as we journey onward through the many Discourses of this book.]
Using six different translations of the Koran should offer a sufficient spread of quotes for our purpose. The primary Verses, however, will come from Maulana Muhammad Ali’s version. M.M. Ali’s fulsome commentary on every single aspect of the Koranic Verses probably offers the greater insight/explanations for the European intellect. He will therefore be the main source of Koranic content. A. Yusuf Ali and J. M. Rodwell will contribute where necessary. Commentary by Maulawi Sher ‘Ali and Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall may also provide relevant opinion throughout the Work. Where used, quotes will be notated thus: M.M. Ali, Rodwell, M.S. Ali, Pickthall, A.Y. Ali and Saheeh Int. Since the whole of Islamic discourse states that the Koran was “given verbatim” anyway, these six versions will be more than adequate for the Muslim reader.