There are very few writings in English that relate to the Holy Quran and have been written and published in Pakistan. Sirajuddin Aziz’s In God’s Words is a welcome addition for readers of Quranic translations in English. Students of the Quran will benefit especially from the book’s content and structure. It offers a quiz format and includes over 800 questions directly derived from verses of the Quran, with answers from the same. It is, therefore, easy for the reader to relate one to the other.
Initially, it is not clear how the questions were formulated and whether they follow a specific theme or point. A few pages down, the book reveals that the questions are based on a chronological order of reading the Quran and follow from Surah to Surah in their sequence. They focus on events, God’s commands, and the situations of both believers and non-believers during the period when the Quran was being revealed. At many places, the context of the question is also given, thus shedding light on the issue at hand.
The reader’s expectations when they open the book are that they will find answers to questions that trouble Muslims today. The state of the world, the injustices that are perpetrated, the misogyny, and the inequalities that are instituted in the name of Islam, mainly in Muslim countries, all raise doubts in the mind of a thinking Muslim about some Quranic injunctions. However, only a few questions are related to these aspects. The questions posed are as if they were from a textbook from which answers can be easily extracted, without much analysis.
The book, therefore, conforms to a textual and traditional reading of the Quran as opposed to a beyond-the-text and contextualized reading. This is perhaps because the answers are supported by quotations from Abdullah Yousuf Ali and Mohammad Asad’s translations and commentaries. Both scholars are from the traditional group of Quranic scholars. These commentaries add to the clarity of the answers and explain many of the verses. In addition to these commentaries, the author frequently expresses his own views, adding a personal touch to the book.
For the serious reader, it might be necessary to have an authentic English translation at hand, as well as the Arabic Quran for reference, since the questions and answers flow from Surah to Surah. The book would have benefited from less repetition, as many questions and answers appear multiple times. Some tight editing and the removal of typos would enhance the book’s usefulness. Some answers do not seem relevant to the question, and some commentaries are out of context with the answers. In a few places, the context is missing.
It is unclear whether the translation is from Abdullah Yousuf Ali’s or whether it is also from the author himself. The source should have been given.
The presentation of the book is pleasant: hardbound with a jacket.
All in all, In God’s Words is a handy, useful reference book for students of the Quran, as well as for general readers, and a valuable addition to Pakistani writings on the Quran in English.
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