Literal translations of the Qur'an, may often sound irrelevant and fail to correspond to the original meaning. Therefore, many scholars recommend studying the Qur'an through interpretations with commentaries that deal with the reasons for revelation (asbab al-nudhul) and notes for specific references.
Ali Ünal is a renowned scholar and a prolific translator of works with an Islamic theme into English. He has written for many periodicals and is a columnist for Zaman Daily Newspaper.