User's Guide & Site Help

8. Qur'anic Studies

The Qur'anic Studies area is located on the global navigation bar. It contains a main page with links to all of the Qur'an and Concordance Content, and a drop-down menu with options to browse the two translations of the Qur'an and A Concordance of the Qur'an by Hanna Kassis.

8.1. Qur'anic Studies Access Points

Users may access Qur'an and Concordance content via several access points:

The main Qur'anic Studies page, which includes links to browse the Qur'anic works and to the advanced search forms for the Qur'ans and Concordance; some basic information, and links to introductory content on the Qur'an and A Concordance fo the Qur'an.
The Verse Lookup tool located next to the main navigation menus
The Qur'an Search form located in the SEARCH main navigation menu
From Quick Search results under the Qur'anic Studies content tab
Hotlinks to the Haleem translation text from cited chapters and verses within the text of articles and other content on the site.

8.2 The Qur'ans

Two English-language interpretations of the Qur'an are included within the site: a verse edition by A.J. Arberry and a prose translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.

These translations can be studied individually or side by side. One or both versions can be accessed throughout the site.

When you are within the text of one or both Qur'an interpretations, a version of the toolbar below will be located above the texts, providing options for text selection, navigation, and display:

The on-screen display of both interpretations preserves the translators' original presentation of verse numbers, verse numbering systems, and layout.

Verse Numbering Systems

Arberry's verse interpretation is written in pentads, with the number of every fifth verse shown at the side. The verse number system used by Arberry is that of Gustav Fluegel, which differs from the more frequently seen "Cairo" numbering system used in the Haleem translation.

While the Arberry verse interpretation lists every fifth verse number at the left of the text, the verse numbers in the Haleem prose translation are located within the paragraphs. During searches and within the side by side text display, corresponding verses are aligned as closely as possible for ease of use.

Arberry:

Haleem

To simultaneously view corresponding chapters or verses in the Arberry and Haleem interpretations, click the Side by Side option.

8.3 The Concordance

For the fullest possible understanding of the use and structure of A Concordance of the Qur'an, please read the description and Introduction to the work, available from the Qur'anic Studies Pages.

Some tips for getting started follow.

THE INDEX

The Index contains all of the words translated from the Arabic vocabulary in the Qur'an. Each English word entry from the Index is followed by links to transliterated Arabic word entries corresponding to the English translations, and links to the entire root word sections in the Concordance. Clicking an Arabic word or root word will open its entry within the main part of the Concordance.

A note about root words

Like many languages, Arabic words are built upon roots generally consisting of a few consonants. The root provides the underlying concept, and further words based on the root are built with the addition of various vowels, prefixes and suffixes. As an example, the three-consonant root word "k t b" concerns marking, or writing; Arabic words based on this root are "kutub", which can be translated as "books," maktaba, a word referring to a library or literature, and words for office and school.

Quick Search can be used the search the Index for English terms.

To conduct a more tailored search of the Concordance, use the Concordance search form.

ARABIC WORD ENTRIES

After searching for "pride" and clicking the link to the word 'ala pictured above, you are taken to the main word entry for 'ala.
The entry cites each chapter and verse occurrence of 'ala in the Qur'an, with the corresponding passages as interpreted by Arberry.
Clicking an English passage will take you to the cited text within the Qur'an translation.
Using the "Select Translation" option, you may choose to view the Arberry version, the Haleem, or study both in a side by side display. In any Concordance/translation display, you can click through the concordance passages to compare interpretations of each verse cited.

Clicking a root link such as ʿL W leads to the full Concordance entry for that root, permitting you to browse other Arabic words based on that root that are used in the Qur'an.

Those who wish to browse further can see that the first letter of this root begins with ʿ, the transliteration of the Arabic letter 'ayn. It is possible as well to click the link to the section for the letter 'ayn to browse all roots that begin with this letter.

VERSE NUMBERING WITHIN THE CONCORDANCE

In a chapter and verse citation such as 28:4 (3), the number "4" refers to the Cairo numbering system used by Haleem.
The number in parentheses, "(3)" corresponds to the Fluegel system on which Arberry based his verse numbers (as mentioned elsewhere, the different verse systems are aligned during browse, search, and use of the Concordance for ease of use).

A view of the concordance and both Qur'an translations: