The Quran

Online Translation and Commentary

Albanian Quran translations

In Ploesht (Rumania) 1921, I. M. Qafezezi published the first partial translation of the Qur’an in Albanian language, which roughly includes one third of the complete text. Some eight years later in 1929, Hafiz I. Dalliu made another partial translation provided with a considerate well versed commentary.

In the 1930s several initiatives was taken for translating the whole Qur’an into Albanian language. During these years the Islamic Community in Albania formed, a commission (consisted primary of religious scholars) whose function was to translation the Quran. After several years of work, the commission succeeded in making a complete translation of the Quran; in style being loyal to the original and linguistically richness of the Arabic al-Quran text. This material is now only found as a script in archive of the Albanian Islamic Community in Tirana (Albania).

Over the coming decades, there were others who contributed to the overall Quranic translations in Albanian languages – but only partial – Hafiz Ali Korça being among one of the more well known.

Complete translation of the Quran (as available for the public) saw it breakthrough from the mid-1980s. This all began with a working group in Prishtine (Kosovo) in 1981 headed by Sherif Ahmeti. Under the supervision of the Chairmanship of Ulema’s Association of Kosovo these groups was given the task of translating the Quran into Albanian.

Feti Mehdiu

The second complete translation of the Quran into Albanian language was first published in Prishtina (Kosovo) in 1985 by Dr. Feti Mehdiu. He is an expert of Islamic studies and Arabic language in the Philological Faculty of Prishtina. This translation was broadly known as resounding success for its values in a linguistic aspect and is widely used.

Hasan Efendi Nahi

The third complete translation of the Quran into Albanian was done in 1988 by Professor Hasan Nahi (also from Kosovo). He had accomplished his studies of Islamic Science in Egypt. In his translation, as a skilled theologian, he paid much attention to being loyal to the original text. In the printed version, the translation was presented side by side with the original Arabic al-Quran text.

H. Sherif Ahmeti

The fourth complete translation of the Quran was done by Sherif Ahmeti in 1988, this under the supervision of Chairmanship of Islamic Community in Prishtin (Kosovo). It is generally considered the most complete translation of the Quran into Albanian language. In its original published print the translation was annotated with commentaries and underwent a series of revised publications.

Muhammed Zekeria Khan *

Another complete translation of the Quran, “Kurani Kerim” was seen by Muhammed Zekeria Khan* in 1990, as published by the Islam International Publications, Islamabad (Pakistan). The translation is annotated with explanatory notes. The linguistic style of the translation have been criticize as well as the overall approach that sometimes leaves the meaning of the text unclear and deficient. The translation have been conducted by the Ahmadiyya movement. A second revised edition version was published in 2003.