At the Eteraz.Org homepage you will see a large gray box asking for donations. We are trying to raise $30,000 to purchase 1000 copies of the Muhammad Asad Translation and Tafsir (Exegesis) of the Glorious Quran. This work is considered the most authoritative English translation/commentary and corrects a number of errors in the Saudi sponsored Qurans proliferating in the U.S.

We will provide these copies free of charge (and no shipping costs) to under resourced Muslim organizations and institutions, including mosques, universities, prisons and youth centers around the world. Any left over copies will be distributed to regular Muslim people (see FAQ # 10 below). Non-Muslims can also receive a copy for free (see FAQ # 6).

This particular translation and exegesis is one of the most authoritative in the English language. The edition we are purchasing is also very aesthetically pleasing. Pictures: 1, 2, 3. This project will be the Islamic blogosphere's first major money raising project. I believe it will be a success and will demonstrate that the global Islamic netroots is alive and powerful; and a force for positive action.

Here are some commonly asked questions about the project. 

1 - Why do you want to distribute copies of the Quran to Muslims? Muslims already own multiple copies of the Quran.

This is true. I myself own four copies of the Quran translated by various scholars. However, we are distributing this Quran because it contains a very rich and well researched exegesis/tafsir section. Most major Qurans in the English the market only contain the translation. The average believer is at a loss to understand the deeper meaning of each verse. We at Eteraz.Org believe that while the Quran is for everyone, everyone can learn a lot from an exegesis which delves into the nuances of the Arabic language, as well as providing references to some of Islam's greatest classical muffasirin (exegetes), such as Zamakhshari, Razi, Mujahid, Tabari, and others. The Muhammad Asad exegesis is concise, articulate, and in this particular edition, presented beautifully. Most importantly, having a scholarly commentary on each verse of the Quran prevents non-contextual abuses of verses by Muslim extremists. Update [2007-2-18 20:47:27 by Ali Eteraz]: For an example of a comparison of the Asad Quran against The Saudi Noble Quran on the issue of beating wives, please see here.

At the current time, the only English translation which provides in depth commentary on every verse is "The Noble Quran", distributed by the Saudi Arabian King Fahd Center For Printing of the Holy Quran. That translation does not provide any actual exegesis; merely references to various ahadith that relate to some of the verses. In that sense, it is not comprehensive; nevermind the fact that many of the ahadith themselves are far too nuanced for average Muslims with no scholarly background to understand. Hadith is a complex science that most Muslims, including myself, are not equipped to understand. It is no wonder that people reading this Quran often quote verses out of context and often for extremist causes.

The Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation does provide a commentary; however, most authorities believe that the Muhammad Asad commentary is far superior.

2 - What do you mean this translation "resolves many of the errors of the Saudi translations."

Studies by Quranic scholars have shown that the Saudi Translation interjects, via parantheticals and other devices, ideas and concepts which are foreign to the Quran, starting from Surah Fatiha itself. This is unacceptable. For example, in no previous English translation except the Saudi sponsored has Surah Fatiha contained a reference to Jews and Christians. Through the insertion of the phrases “such as the Jews” and “such as the Christians,” in Surah Fatiha, the Saudi rendition fixes the meaning of the expressions “those with anger upon them” and “those who are astray.” Such errors and additions in translations merely begin at Surah Fatiha.

Unfortunately, English speaking Muslims have not had a viable alternative because many of us receive our Qurans from free through the charity of the Saudi government. It is our hope to introduce copies of a better, more authentic translation into Muslim channels. For free, God willing.

3 - What qualifications does Muhammad Asad have? That sounds like a Pakistani name. I'm not sure Pakistanis know Arabic.

Muhammad Asad was the first citizen of Pakistan, however, he was actually an Austrian convert to Islam who came to Islam while living as bedouin in Saudi Arabia, where he picked up the purest dialect of spoken Arabic and used that knowledge, and his religious learning, to write this translation and commentary. His studies included six years in Mecca and Medina. Muhammad Asad's conversion story, The Road to Mecca, is one of the most popular books of the 20th century. In addition to writing the translation and commentary on the Holy Quran, he wrote a translation and commentary of Sahih Bukhari as well.

4 - Why do you need $30,000 bucks! That is a lot of money!

The edition we are purchasing has a shelf price of $55. We will be receiving 1000 copies for $25 per copy. That totals $25,000. The remaining $5000 we will use for shipping costs. Our calculations indicate that $5000 is not enough for us to cover shipping on all 1000 copies. However, we are figuring to hand out some copies of the Quran at local mosques and institutions so we should be alright.

5 - Can non-Muslim groups and institutions receive this Quran?

Not from Eteraz.Org. Non-Muslims groups can get it for free already through CAIR. However, feel free to donate to help advance the cause of Eteraz.Org while you're here.

6 - If I donate, is this money tax deductible?

No. Our goal, in addition to distributing the Quran, is to encourage the creation of an Islamic net roots. The idea of net roots is simple: Muslim organizing online and donating money to a public website (such as ours) and entrusting us to deliver the money to the publisher. As such, there is no need for us to spend months getting approved as a 501 c 3 non-profit organization.

7 - Does this donation count as Zakat?

I don't know. I will have to ask a scholar. Perhaps a scholar out there can tell us.

8 - How do I know you guys won't just disappear with that much money?

Alhamdulillah we all have jobs. Further, three out of four of us write prodigiously in Muslim and mainstream media. Finally, the "amin" or "trustholder" of this operation is Brother Haroon Moghul. He is the former President of the Islamic Society of New York University, author, and has served as khateeb at University of Pennsylvania, NYU, and Columbia. His information is publicly available through Columbia University where he is a Phd Candidate. You are free to email him at moghul at gmail dot com. You can also confirm he is a real person by asking the NYU Muslim Chaplain Khalid Latif who regularly books Haroon Moghul for Friday sermons.

Further, I will be providing weekly updates of how much money we have collected in the big gray box on the top of the page. 

9 - How are you going to decide who gets a copy of the Quran?

We are going to count on you to tell us which mosques, institutions, prisons and organizations are in need. Please register for an account at Eteraz.Org and provide us the name of the group, a contact name, their mailing address and a phone number (Hey, we are going to verify). Once we receive the Qurans, one beautiful hardback copy will be delivered fi sabil lillah.

10 - Forget institutions! A $55 Quran? I want one. Give me a free one, please?

In the event that we have copies of the Quran left over (which seems likely at this point), we will, free of charge, ship a copy of the Quran to you. This will be done on a first come, first served basis. In order to get in line, you must leave a message in the comments section here. If you do not have an account for Eteraz.Org, uh, now might be a good time to make one.

11 - Where do I go to donate again?

You must go to the Eteraz.Org homepage and click in the gray box. There is no other way to donate online. If you want to write a check, email Haroon at moghul at gmail dot com

12 - How much should I give?

Whatever your heart desires. Inshallah I am pledging $25. Now we need only 1200 people to donate that much.