PDFEnglish (with Arabic surah headings)
The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930 first edition)
Translated by Marmaduke Pickthall
Original 1930 edition, public domain. Formal older English. Scanned book, 710 pages.
Source: archive.org · 44 MB
PDFArabic / English
The Holy Quran: Text, Translation and Commentary (original 1934 edition, 3 parts)
Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Original 1934 Lahore edition with commentary notes (not the later revised editions). In 3 files.
Source: archive.org · 53 MB
Parts I–X (53 MB) · Parts XI–XX (44 MB) · Parts XXI–XXX (74 MB)
Read online (HTML / EPUB)English
Three Translations of the Koran Side by Side (Yusuf Ali, Pickthall, Shakir)
Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Marmaduke Pickthall, M. H. Shakir
Free in HTML, EPUB and Kindle formats. Useful for comparing translators verse by verse.
Source: Project Gutenberg
PDFArabic / English
The Noble Quran – Translation of the Meanings in English
Translated by Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali & Muhammad Muhsin Khan
King Fahd Complex edition with explanatory notes in brackets. 1,232 pages.
Source: islamhouse.com · 11 MB
PDFArabic / English
The Qur’an – Saheeh International translation
Translated by Saheeh International (Umm Muhammad, Amatullah Bantley, Mary Kennedy)
Clear modern English, close to the Arabic. Distributed free through islamhouse.com.
Source: islamhouse.com · 23 MB
Read onlineEnglish
The Clear Quran
Translated by Dr. Mustafa Khattab
Simple, readable modern English (2015). Copyrighted: free to read online, no official PDF.
Source: theclearquran.org (publisher)
Read onlineEnglish
The Qur’an: A New Translation
Translated by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (Oxford University Press, 2004)
Fluent modern English (Oxford, 2004). Copyrighted: free to read online only.
Source: quran.com
Read onlineEnglish
Meanings of the Noble Qur’an
Translated by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani
English translation by Mufti Taqi Usmani. Free to read online.
Source: quran.com
Read onlineEnglish
Towards Understanding the Qur’an (Tafhim al-Qur’an)
Translated by Sayyid Abul A‘la Maududi (tr. Zafar Ishaq Ansari)
Translation with Tafhim commentary notes. Free to read online.
Source: quran.com
Read onlineEnglish
The Holy Quran – Abdullah Yusuf Ali (read online)
Translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
The Yusuf Ali translation as a web page.
Source: quran.com
Links open the publisher's free copy, a public-domain scan or an official read-online page. Prefer it on your phone? Ask us on WhatsApp and we'll send it.
An English translation helps you understand what you recite. Every translation is a human attempt to convey the meaning of the Arabic, so many readers compare two or three. Below are the most widely used English translations, with a legitimate free PDF where one exists and a read-online link where the translation is still under copyright.
Which translation should I choose?
- Marmaduke Pickthall (1930): formal, older English; public domain.
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali (1934–38): poetic style with extensive commentary notes; the original edition is public domain.
- Sahih International (1997): clear modern English, close to the Arabic; very widely used online.
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali (The Noble Quran): includes explanatory notes in brackets; distributed free by the King Fahd Complex.
- Dr. Mustafa Khattab (The Clear Quran, 2015): simple, readable modern English, popular with young readers.
- M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (Oxford, 2004): fluent modern English; copyrighted, so we link to free reading online rather than a PDF.
Tips for reading a translation
- Read the Arabic first, then the translation of the same verse.
- Compare two translations when a verse is unclear.
- Use a tafsir (commentary) or ask a teacher for verses that need context.
