Dr Bakhtiar is doing an excellent job of translating the Quran correctly. The previous translators mostly translated the Quran through 8th century biases or lenses I might add. In otherwords through the eyes of the hadith writers and not from the Quran Itself. The previous writers never used tasreef ( where the Quran explains itself from different angles) and they did not have a knowledge of the dialect in which the Quran was revealed. Thirdly, they subscribed to the idee of Asbaab Unuzul - reason for revelation which made the Quran Mahjoor.

However, QXP, a translation by the esteemed scholar Dr Shabbir Ahmed has been translating these verses the same way as our Dr Bakhtiar for the last 4 or 5 years. The QXP translation or understanding of the Quran is freely available on the ourbeacon website for scrutiny.

Furthermore, there are many websites that have moved away from the 8th century imams and they all spread the same message that the Quran explains Itself.

Ridwaan, Cape Town, South Africa

What did Jesus do with the woman who was accused of adultery ? Protected her from stoning. Saying he who is without sin, let him cast the first stone. Well, nobody stoned her because ALL SIN. This includes muslims. ALL ARE SINNERS. None are above sinning.

Kat, nada, Tenn.

I suggest that all who take an interest in scripture of any tradition should purchase a copy of Sankara Saranam's book, God Without Religion. After a thorough reading of it, there can be no further arguments for or against any tradition. When we expand the parameters of our sense of self, we will experience Unity in place of separation and begin to enjoy the promise of all scripture.

Carole Ligi, Ellijay,

I find the intolerance of the first 3 commentators above disturbing and disheartening. It is when we dehumanize and cast others as inherently "different" that war and violence occurs, and we debase ourselves. Religions including Islam and Christianity have been subjected to patriarchal interpretation for centuries. I hardly think that if women had interpreted the Quran for centuries that they'd be prescribing wife-beating as acceptable behavior. And by the way, there is plenty of violence in the holy books of what Jim Matlock of Denver, above, describes as "more tolerant" faiths -- the Bible prescribes stoning to death for many offenses.

Angela Stephens, Washington, DC

This must be the islamic version of the Monasticism that wasted the time of countless Christian monks through the mideival centuries of Europe (how many angels can dance on the head of a pin was a seriously argued question). Good luck to Dr Bakhtiar. when she gets tired of the arguments maybe she can convert back to a more to a more tolerant faith, there are any number to choose from - but she can't.

Jim Matlock, Denver,

Interpretation and scholarly criticism of the Koran? Possibly R Samara is referring to 'ijtihad' which was rejected by all four Islamic schools by the 11th century! Also, ijtihad was meant to be undertaken by islamic legal scholars within very clearly and tightly delineated parameters. As to 'inner jihad' as a means to become a good moslem, that does not stand up to the Koran which deals emphatically and unmistakeably with jihad as permanent violent efforts to forcibly convert, subjugate or kill non-moslems. Also, the notion of 'inner jihad' relies on a 'weak' hadith (Muhammad commenting at the end of his career as a warlord that inner jihad was more difficult than outer jihad), so does not really have currency among moslems themselves.

interested reader, london,

Taqiyya alert here. According to Al-Azhar University, the foremost islamic school, referring specifically to Koran 4:34 verse:

"If admonishing and sexual desertion fail to bring forth results and the woman is of a cold and stubborn type, the Qur'an bestows on man the right to straighten her out by way of punishment and beating, provided he does not break her bones nor shed blood. Many a wife belongs to this querulous type and requires this sort of punishment to bring her to her senses.

Al-Azhar's scholars haven't confused 'beating' with 'tapping!'

The reason we are seeing items like this attempt to 'reinterpret' the Koran is because Muslims realise the modern Judaeo-Christian world finds Islam's teachings repugnant. Islam teaches that nothing can be added, taken out or changed in their Koran. Islam cannot be reformed and Westerners should emphatically reject it and its adherents who practise these doctrines.

student of Islam, london,

Interpretation, and scholarly criticism of the Qu'ran has traditionally been a duty for all educated Muslims. It is only relatively recently that such activity has been misclassed as "heresy". Far from revisionist, it is actually a requirement. Whether or not Dr. Bakhtiar's work is ultimately accepted by the community as a whole (or if it is even correct), such study should be applauded and encouraged, wherever possible. If any false claim is made in whole or part, one might expect it to be knocked down through open and clear debate. As a practicing Muslim myself, I have always considered the "beating" of wives/children/anybody as an utterly horrible prospect.

Rami Samara, Croydon, Surrey

I gather it was the ambiguity inherent in the scriptures of all of the Abrahamic faiths which led Mana to write his scriptures in pictorial form. Of course, what he forgot to take into account was that it is this very ambiguity which gives faiths their temporal power, and which attracts the men who would exploit them. That's why today most people have never heard of the Manichean faith.

The only truly eternal law of faith is Murphy's: anything that can be mis-interpreted for political gain, will be mis-interpreted for political gain.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

well, there must be complete accuracy and perfect in translation of Holy Quran.If there is not there will be laying and faking .The same principle can be applied to Bible and other holy books.And then let people believe what they believe .Faith does not need to enhance its constitutes.
respectfully

Yacoub, Iraq,

All the new and old translations reflect organic crisis of Islam. More reflective of Islam's messy household is the idea that a woman who abandoned Christianity to become a Muslim had to resort to deforming the original translation to protect her gender from the savagery of her fellow Muslim men. Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar’s conversion to Islam and then attempting to reform the faith sounds to me too fantastic. It is like abandoning a passive husband for a violent one and then seeking therapeutic restraints for the infantile wife beater. The best remedy is for women in Islamic societies is to reverse the text: run away from abusive husbands.

Tseggai Isaac, Rolla, Missouri, USA

more medieval rubbish. When will we learn?

Tom Katz, Weybridge, UK