Interpretation of The Meanings of The Noble Qur'an In The English Language

The Interpretation of the Meanings of the Noble Qur'an by Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan is an English translation distinguished by its detailed bracketed explanations within the text, its footnotes drawn from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Sahih al-Bukhari, and other classical sources, and its grounding in the Salafi scholarly tradition.

This compact paperback edition makes the full Qur'an with its classical commentary notes portable and accessible for daily reading, travel, and study.

About This Translation

Classical Commentary Built Into the Text

Unlike translations that give only the bare meaning of a verse, this edition includes bracketed clarifications within each verse — drawn from the tafsir of Ibn Kathir, the statements of Ibn Abbas, and authenticated hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari and other collections. The reader receives not just the translation but the interpretive layer that the scholars established for these verses.

Grounded in the Salafi Tradition

Both translators were connected to the Islamic University of Madinah: Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali had been a professor of Islamic faith and teachings there, and Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan served at the university. The completed translation carries a seal of approval from the Islamic University of Madinah and from the Saudi Dar al-Ifta, and it reflects the aqeedah and methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah throughout. The explanatory notes address matters of the names and attributes directly, affirming them as the Arabic states them.

Compact and Portable

The paperback format suits keeping on a nightstand, carrying during travel, or using as a daily reading copy alongside a larger mushaf for recitation.

Who This Book Is For

Muslims who want an English translation grounded in classical tafsir scholarship. New Muslims building their understanding of the Qur'an. Anyone who wants the meaning of the Qur'an in English with the interpretive notes of the classical scholars built in — in a format light enough to carry. Published by Darussalam Publishers.

Continue Reading

If you cannot yet read Arabic script, the same translation is available with a full Roman-script transliteration as The Noble Qur'an with Transliteration — which lets you sound out and recite the Arabic of your prayers. Both editions are in the al-Hilali & Muhsin Khan collection. To compare this against Saheeh International and the other options, see our buyer's guide to the best Qur'an translation in English, and browse the full Qur'an collection.