A major event in religious publishing, this second edition offers * important new translations of Qur'anic suras, * a new preface addressing the ongoing controversy over teaching about Islam and the Qur'an in American universities * Introduction to the Qur'an * commentaries of the suras * a glossary of technical terms * chapters discussing the sound nature and gender aspects of the Arabic text Here are brilliant translations of the short, hymnic chapters, or suras, associated with the first revelations to the Prophet Muhammad. Complex and powerful, most appear at the end of the Qur'an's written text and are commonly reached only by the most resolute reader of existing English translations. Containing the Qur'an's prophetic and revelatory passages, the suras offer a vision of a meaningful and just life that anchors the religion of one-fifth of the world's inhabitants. With a CD of Qur'anic reciters chanting several early suras, an opportunity to hear the Qur'an in its original form.