Learning Tajweed sites

There are some good Tajweed sites:
About Tajweed.com/

Tajweed.com

but I have come across some more that are also helpful:
Quranic Arabic Webinars

The language of instruction is English, and the presentation is good, including good diagrams for Mukharij. Their videos are hosted on youtube, and although they have a policy of not allowing downloads from their site, these can be downloaded from youtube. It is helpful, because most of us do not have fast, reliable net connections round the clock.

Qari Khushi Muhammad's videos are hosted on aswatalislam.net: He teaches Tajweed in Urdu. He was a familiar face on TV during the Zia era in Pakistan. There are no diagrams for makharij in these videos.


Learn Tajweed with Qari Khushi Muhammad (Urdu)

 

These are also available on youtube. You can download from either.

Insha`Allah, in due course, I will create buttons and link these at bottom of page, but you will have to be patient, and pray for me.

Quran/Arabic programs

Update: all in this post now linked with buttons at bottom of page.

Many moons ago, I introduced here a standalone pacakage (beta version) by "Taha Zarrouqi". It was the beta version of Arabic Verb Conjugator "qutrub". I spoke highly of it, although there are a few things that I would like Taha to attend to in the next version. Download link is near end of page:

Another Arab developer (Assem) has released  a standalone Quran Search Engine, called "alfanous". It is also a beta version. I have only just started using it, but expect to find it useful, too. The example phrase in this package: "الحمد لله" returned 22 finds, while the online search engine Tanzil.net gave 21, the searchtruth.com site gives 26, and the standalone program "Quran with Tafseer" gives 23 results.

This does not mean that searchtruth always finds more than or equal to other search engines. I have not yet started thinking and researching the reasons for these discrepancies.

search for "رسول الله" gives 17 results here, Tanzil finds 17, searchtruth also 17, QWT also 17. One has to enclose the search phrase in quotes for an exact search in all these except QWT. Note the use of quote symbols.

Maybe this discrepancy is due to not using quotes " " for the first search "الحمد لله"

That brings me to "Quran with Tafseer 1.0". I talked about it, but I will more info here. This is also a standalone program. with many features:

• Arabic text of Quran: * Uthmani text as in Madina Mushaf * Simple text.

• Urdu Translation: * Jalandhri * Mahmoodul Hasan * Jonagarhi.

• Urdu Tafseer: * Tafseer Ibn-e-Kaseer * Tafseere Usmani * Tafseere Salahudin * Tafseere Ateeq.

• English Translation: * Justice Taqi Usmani * Abdullah Yousuf Ali.

• English Tafseer: English translation of Tafseer Ibn-e-Kaseer.

• Subjects of Quran Para wise from Tafseer-e-Usmani.

• Para wise Tafseer-e-Ateeq .

• Tafseer with show/hide text.

• Search in Quran, Translations and Tafseer text with active marker 'highlight text' display.

• Builtin Urdu and Arabic virtual keyboards.

• Different View modes (Para, Sura, Fixed Aya, Tafseer).

• Fonts changing of Arabic, Urdu and English text.

• Internet Explorer style Favourites for Ayas.

• View styles of reading text from Right to Left (Urdu) and Left to Right (English).

• Changing of Different Color Themes at run time.

• Print Preview/ Copy text to other applications.

• Quick search: jump to any (sura:aya) quickly.

• Sura and Para Details: Sura No, Name, Revelation, Place, Para name, No.

• No need to install Urdu/Arabic language support.

• Sajda Ayas: Jump directly to Sajda Ayas.

• Highlighting Sura as makki or madni.

All in all, a very good package that does not need a net connection.

To download qutrub, go to this link:

qutrub download

For alFanous:

and for Quran with Tafseer 1.0:

On this blog's page, the link for Qutrub appears near the end of page, but the others have not been linked to yet. Have patience.

Quran: verse by verse, & QWT

This is a fantastic site, where recitation is split verse by verse. It is a lot of work, so if anyone can donate, it will inshallah earn him ajr.

and the following is Quran with Tafseer 1.0 - a standalone program that has many iseful features.

beware: source of deen

beware of where you take your deen from

I do not remember if I have talked about Dr Khalid Zaheer, whom I heard on TV. He had a softly, softly approach, and on a question of three talaqs in one go, he disagreed with the validity of such a course. I considered his answer to be the correct, as validity of three talaqs in one sitting is against the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (saw).

I visited his blog, but ... read the full post here

witness-pioneer.org

Another authentic site:

http://www.witness-pioneer.org/

I_A: dispelling untruths

some sources for tafsir

The Qur'an and Qur'anic Interpretation (tafsir)

Table of Contents

The Qur'an: Introduction, including a glossary of terms used in the Qur'anic sciences.

The History of the Compilation of the Qur'an

Critique of the Prevailing View of the Qur'an's Compilation and Rebuttal

Searchable Translations and Indices of the Qur'an Online Recitations of the Qur'an, including the science of Qur'anic recitation (tajwid)

click here for full article: primary sources for tafsir

Islamophobia

Tracing Islamophobia in the Oldest Holy Qur'an Translations

	Language of the Qur'an
Dahlia Sabry      25 November 2007 -
Lecturer of English language at the Language and Translation Centre, Academy of Arts in Giza, Egypt Qur'an translations can be said to be extremely important yet gravely serious. Their crucial importance stems from the fact that they represent the primary source of information for those who do not know Arabic – Muslims and non-Muslims – and who want to fathom the depths of Islam through reading its very revealed word. They are the major recourse of the former who, due to the language barrier, are deprived of approaching their revealed Book in Arabic, and those of the latter who are curious to pursue familiarity with Islam through first-hand knowledge instead of simply "imbibing received opinions and attitudes without individual thought and reflection", as Thomas Cleary (1993) puts it (p. X). Their seriousness lies in the great role they play in formulating recipients' opinion about Islam. About the benefit of reading the Qur'an by non-Muslims, Cleary (1993) states:   For non-Muslims, one special advantage in reading the Qur'an is that it provides an authentic point of reference from which to examine the biased stereotypes of Islam to which Westerners are habitually exposed. Primary information is essential to distinguish between opinion and fact in a reasonable manner. This exercise may also enable the thinking individual to understand the inherently defective nature of prejudice itself … (1993, p. VIII). click here for full article

Missionary deception

Language of the Qur'an

M S M Saifullah      09 December 2003

Jochen Katz wrote: 1) How many 'versions' of the holy Qur'an is there today? At least two, probably more (I am pretty sure about the third > one, but can't prove it yet, so I am not going to say where and > what just yet), but it is common knowledge that the Hafs text and the Warsh text (mainly used in Northwest Africa) are different not only in the vowels but also in some consonants. The differences are small, but they are there. And both of them are for sale and in use today. Hafs is the much more common one. The third version I have heard about has by far more substantial differences in comparison to the other two. For the Warsh and Hafs differences see a few examples at: It has become a standard method of deception by Christian missionaries like Jochen Katz to superficially project issues that have been exhaustively addressed by both Muslims and Orientialsts, as we will see soon, inshallah. These missionaries are well aware of the difference between a transmission and a text (to be discussed in detail below). click here to see full article: versions-of-quran

English translations: MoQ

-- a comparative study by Clay Smith

Following is a comparison by Clay Smith, a revert. It covers many translators, but the comparer admits that he does not know Arabic and has limited awareness of Islamic scholarship. So he may have made positive comments about deceptive works, e.g. those of the Qadianis/ Ahmedya Lahoris. His short biography of Rashad Khalifa is also different from what I have read.

He finds little to criticize in almost all translations, even from non-Muslims with an agenda to twist meanings and to attack Islam.

His attempt to be comprehensive is to be commended, but be careful with his conclusions. Note that the Quran cannot be translated. What is commonly called Quran translation is actually a translation of the meanings of the Quran, as understood by the translator. 

-- timbuktu

Quran Translations: by Clay Smith (Updated 2009.07.17)

In May 2001 I began looking into the Quran.  Using a variety of English Quran translations and a few commentaries, I read, compare, and reflect.  Being illiterate in Arabic and having limited awareness of Islamic scholarship, I rely on some of these various translations (and their commentaries) to give me confidence I am seeing reliable meanings intended in the Quran. 

click here to see full article: quran translations comparative study

survey: Eng translations: MoQ

Kidwai's is perhaps the better known review of English translations of the meanings of the Quran. He regards Hilali's work of 1977 as not a significant venture in this field. But he has not reviewed Hilali and Khan's later work that has become the official version for distribution by the Saudis. --- timbuktu

Translating the Untranslatable:

A Survey of English Translations of the Quran

by A.R. Kidwai

Despite the historical fact that the early Muslim community's stand on the translation of the Arabic text of the Quran was ambivalent, as indeed, the general Muslim attitude remains so to this day, the act of translation may be logically viewed as a natural part of the Muslim exegetical effort. However, whereas the idea of interpreting the Quran has not been so controversial, the emotional motives behind rendering the Quranic text into languages other than Arabic have always been looked upon with suspicion.

This is obvious as the need for translating the Quran arose in those historic circumstances when a large number of non-Arabic speaking people had embraced Islam, and giving new linguistic orientations to the contents of the revelation - as, for instance, happened in the case of the 'New Testament' - could have led to unforeseeable, and undesirable, developments within the body of the Islamic religion itself.

click here for full article

Deceitful translations: MoQ

Bismillah Al-Rehman Al-Raheem Anti Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam
18th July 2003



Deceitful Translations of the Qur'an into Foreign Languages
Submitted by Anonymous

Introduction/Objective

In the ongoing effort to ensure people are depending on Reliable Qur'an translations, research has been undertaken into the various translations of the Holy Qur'an in different languages. This research involves locating translations in a given language, followed by looking into the background of the translator, authority, or group behind the translation. This is necessary in order to ascertain whether there is any sectarial bias or motive in mis-translating for the benefit of a specific group or sect.

52 And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other). 53 But people have cut off their affair (of unity), between them, into sects: each party rejoices in that which is with itself. Qur'an, 23.52-53 (Al-Mumenoon [The Believers])

78. There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues: (As they read) you would think it is a part of the Book, but it is no part of the Book; and they say, "That is from Allah," but it is not from Allah: It is they who tell a lie against Allah, and (well) they know it! Qur'an 3.78 (Aal-E-Imran [The Family of Imran])

Qur'an translations which are to be avoided are the ones which pose a threat to the integrity of the Holy Qur'an as revealed from the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

28 (It is) a Qur'an in Arabic, without any crookedness (therein): in order that they may guard against Evil. Qur'an, 39.28 (Az-Zumar [The Troops, Throngs])

click here to see full article

tanzil.info accurate Quran text

The tanzil.info

Quran text is reputed to be the most accurate on-line text: This is a growing list of websites and applications that are using Tanzil quran text. Please let us know if yours is missing here. Note that not all of these are authentic sites.

Click to see this partial list:

Social Religion

Social Religion combines social bookmarking with Quran browsing to create an easy way for you to read the Quran, Bookmark and Tag Verses and share them with your family and friends.
Created by Tariq Bashir
Arabic Quran text provided by the Tanzil Project
English Quran translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Another site, nothing new

with Abdullah Yusuf Ali's commentary.

http://www.islamitexts.org/

on-line Quran

Not authentic, as it also provides translations from submitters (Edip, Turkish), and Ahmed Ali (Ahmedya?) plus Ahmed Raza Khan Barelvi and Tahirul Qadri are active supporters of Sufi bid3a.

One site owner says that the reason for use of these translations is because they are available in unicode format. The builder of that site found it easier to accommodate unicode on his  site.

http://al-quran.info/?x=y#&&sura=85&aya=1&trans=en-yusuf_ali&show=both&ver=2.00

Guided Ways

This gives Tafsir ibne Katheer, and of Tabary. May be considered authentic as provides Hadith from Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Malik, etc.


http://www.guidedways.com/index.php

Quran, meanings, Tafseer

Here is one site that gives Quran text, menaings of interpretation, three tafaseer namely:

• ibne Katheer,
• Jalalayn,
• Maududi.

It maybe considered authentic, as they take Saheeh AHadeeth into account. Maududi is the founder of Jamaate Islami, and not ahle Hadith.

http://iknowledge.islamicnature.com/quran/

Sections (rukus) of Quran

This is text and meanings of interpretation arranged according to sections (rukus) as opposed to Surahs (Chapters). The concept of ruku (section) is somewhat unique to people of the Indo-Pak subcontinent. A ruku may be thought of roughly as a paragraph which deals (usually, but not always) with the same subject matter. I haven't been able to log on to the link providing the history of this development.

http://www.soquran.com/#

Update: The text is from tanzil.info, so it should be all right. The recitation is from Quran MP3, which provides recitation from different qaris on an ayah to ayah (verse to verse)  basis. They are trying to get it right, and make corrections when any problems/mistakes are reported. The soquran.com site also has a nice feature in that it provides meanings and some grammatical (subject, etc) for each word when the mouse hovers over it. What is the translation, and whose is the recitation, it does not say, but they are trying to be accurate.

Read Verse: authentic

An easy search facility with several search engines: for:
single word,
two words, (gives the root and derivatives too),
root,
Surah (chapter) and verse,
provides translation in English from Hilali, Shakir, Pickthal, Yusuf Ali
topic search (don't know how comprehensive it is)

Very good search facilities. Perhaps best for words and roots, but no grammar:

readverse.com: Root_search_engines