Understanding and implementing the message of the Holy Quran in daily life can be challenging for young Muslims who don’t speak or understand Arabic. Dr Mustafa Khattab, a Canadian-Egyptian authority on interpreting the Quran identified this challenge and took it upon himself to produce an easier translation for young students.
Dr. Khattab has created “The Clear Quran” for kids, which is a unique translation edited by a team of students with the help of qualified Islamic and public school teachers, as well as professional editors.
“I have worked diligently with a team of students from grade two to five to identify difficult words and replace them with easier ones that carry the same meaning. As for the words we couldn’t replace, they are explained in the glossary, along with the Arabic terms used in this book,” Dr. Khattab revealed in an interview on YouTube channel ‘Let the Quran Speak.’
“We’ve filled the book with tons of stories, to explain verses and chapters and also illustrations that were done professionally by kids,” he added.
At the beginning of each Surah, there’s a section of learning points, which sum up the lessons of each chapter. There’s also a background story section that provides context and reason why certain passages were revealed. “I made sure that all Background Stories are authentic, citing the book of ḥadith or tafsir from which the story was taken,” said Dr. Khattab in a statement on the Clear Quran’s official website.
The book also contains historical, contemporary, and personal side stories that may help students better understand a passage or a surah. One will also find words of wisdom throughout the book that highlight some of the lessons that one can learn from a passage.
Dr Khattab himself memorized the Quran at a young age, and later went on to study Islamic Studies in English with Honors from Al-Azhar University’s Faculty of Languages & Translation in Egypt.
Speaking about his interest in translating the Quran Dr Khattab said, “Most of the translations were done in old English. We as Muslims or many of us, have this false assumption that the translation has to be very complicated and very archaic to make it sound holy and sacred. But Allah in the Quran has said, ‘We have made the Quran easy to read, to understand and remember.’ So why do you make it so difficult?”
“Most people don’t go past page 3 when reading the Quran in difficult English, and that’s why I decided to make it accessible,” he added.
Giving an example of the 23rd verse from the 89th Surah Al Fajr on his blog, Dr. Khattab wrote:
Other translations: On that day man will take admonition but what will the admonition avail him?
The Clear Quran for kids: This is when each ‘evil’ person will remember ˹every sin˺. But what is the point of remembering then?
This demonstrates how simple and straightforward the translation in the book is. The Clear Quran makes it easy for students to understand the Quran, and appreciate its message and relevance to their daily lives.
The book has been approved and endorsed by several Islamic organizations around the world, including Al-Furqaan Foundation in Illinois, Al-Azhar University in Egypt, Islamic Society of North America and Canadian Council of Imams.
