Short answer
No translation is the Quran itself, and each has strengths. Widely used ones include Sahih International (literal and clear), The Meanings of the Noble Quran by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani (with helpful notes), Pickthall, and Abdel Haleem (modern English). Choose one by a scholar of sound belief, and read it with a tafsir.
Reading a translation to understand the Quran is good and rewarded. A translation is an explanation of the meaning, not the Quran, so salah is not valid with it and it does not take the place of learning to read the Arabic. Choose one by a translator of sound Sunni belief, ideally with notes, and read it alongside a tafsir.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
Allah sends every messenger with the language of his people so that the message is clear (14:4). Today most English-speaking Muslims first meet the Quran through a translation. That is a blessing, as long as you remember that a translation carries one person's understanding of the meaning.
Commonly used translations:
- Sahih International: close to the Arabic, with words added in brackets. AmalKit uses it on its Quran pages.
- The Meanings of the Noble Quran (Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani): careful and readable, with short explanatory notes. Popular with Hanafi readers.
- Marmaduke Pickthall: an early translation in older, formal English.
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali: poetic English. Some of his notes are questioned by scholars, so later editions revised them.
- M.A.S. Abdel Haleem: smooth modern English, easy for new readers.
How to choose:
- Look at the translator's belief and training. Translations by people who reject hadith or hold unusual views can mislead.
- Use a literal translation for study and a smoother one for flowing reading.
- Pair it with a tafsir so you understand the context. See which tafsir to read.
- Keep learning the Arabic, even a little at a time. See how to learn to read the Quran.
For the rulings on translations, see is a translation still the Quran and reading the Quran in English only.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Ibrahim 14:4
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِۦ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ۖ فَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ﴿٤﴾
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
The message is meant to be understood, which translation serves.
Quran, Surah Al-Qamar 54:17
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ ﴿١٧﴾
And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?
Allah made the Quran easy to take lessons from.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Durr al-Mukhtar, Kitab al-Salah, discussion of reciting in Persian. Establishes that a translation is not the Quran and does not count as recitation in salah.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.