The Koran is universally accepted by Muslims to be the infallible Word of God as first revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel nearly fourteen hundred years ago. Its 114 chapters, or surahs, recount the narratives
central to Muslim belief, and together they form one of the world's most influential prophetic works and a literary
masterpiece in its own right. But above all, the Koran provides the rules of conduct that remain fundamental to
the Muslim faith today: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca and absolute faith in God.
N. J. Dawood's masterly translation is the result of his life-long study of the Koran's language and style, and
presents the English reader with a fluent and authoritative rendering, while reflecting the flavour and rhythm
of the original. This edition follows the traditional sequence of the Koranic surahs.