Translation: Al Qirat Ur Rashida English

Do NOT rely only on the English. The author, Maulana Nadwi, designed this book to train Arabic thinking. Follow this method:

Tip: Many students benefit from listening to audio recordings of Al Qirat ur Rashida (available on YouTube and Islamic apps) while following the English translation.

To appreciate the value of the translation, here is a famous passage from Lesson 9: The Speech of Abu Bakr (RA) after being elected Caliph. al qirat ur rashida english translation

Arabic (Transliterated): "Ayyuha an-nas, qad wullitu 'alaikum wa lastu bikhayrikum. Fa-in ahistu fa-a'inuni, wa-in zigh'tu fa-qawwimuni..."

English Translation (Literal Word-for-Word):
"O people, I have been put in charge of you, and I am not the best of you. So if I do well, then help me; and if I deviate, then correct me." Do NOT rely only on the English

English Translation (Fluid Prose):
"O people! I have been appointed as your ruler, though I am not the best among you. If I act rightly, support me; if I go astray, set me straight. Truth is a trust; falsehood is treachery. The weak among you shall be strong in my eyes until I restore their rights; the strong among you shall be weak until I take justice from them."

In the English translation, you see the rhetorical power of classical Arabic oratory. Without the translation, a learner might spend 20 minutes on grammar and miss the sheer force of Abu Bakr's humility. Tip: Many students benefit from listening to audio

Al-Qirat ar-Rashida (often spelled Al-Qirat ur-Rashida) is a classical Arabic text traditionally used in Islamic scholarship to teach the rules and recitation (tajwīd) of the Qur’an, or to present principles of Arabic grammar and rhetoric depending on which specific work is meant—there are several traditional texts with similar titles. For readers seeking an English translation, it’s important to first identify which exact manuscript or author is intended, since different works share variants of this title and scope.

Many traditional tajwīd manuals have been translated into English, but titles vary. When searching, look for translations that: