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Quran with Urdu translation: the eight translations compared, and how to listen

One verse in eight Urdu translations side by side, what sets each apart, where to listen to the Quran with Urdu or English translation for free, and how to get a verse with Urdu translation on every Chrome new tab.

Updated · 3 min read

Ask five people which Urdu translation of the Quran to read and you may get five answers. The differences are real but small, and they’re easiest to see side by side. Below is one short verse in eight widely read Urdu translations, what sets each apart, and the free ways to listen.

In short

  • Jalandhari and Junagarhi are the closest to the Arabic; Qadri explains in brackets; Maududi and Najafi choose different words for hardship and ease.
  • For listening, mp3quran.net streams the whole Quran with Urdu translation, free.
  • To see a verse with Urdu (and English) translation every day, Pax puts one on each new tab.

One verse, eight Urdu translations

Surah Ash-Sharh 94:6, إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا, in Saheeh International’s English: “Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.”

TranslatorTranslation of 94:6
Fateh Muhammad Jalandhari(اور) بے شک مشکل کے ساتھ آسانی ہے
Muhammad Junagarhiبیشک مشکل کے ساتھ آسانی ہے
Abul A’la Maududiبے شک تنگی کے ساتھ فراخی بھی ہے
Ahmed Aliبے شک ہر مشکل کے ساتھ آسانی ہے
Ahmed Raza Khan (Kanz ul Iman)بیشک دشواری کے ساتھ آسانی ہے
Tahir ul Qadri (Irfan ul Quran)یقیناً (اس) دشواری کے ساتھ آسانی (بھی) ہے،
Zeeshan Haider Jawadiبے شک تکلیف کے ساتھ سہولت بھی ہے
Muhammad Hussain Najafiبےشک ہر تنگی کے ساتھ فراخی ہے۔

Texts as published by AlQuran Cloud.

What the differences tell you

  • Word for hardship and ease. Most use مشکل and آسانی, everyday words. Maududi and Najafi use تنگی and فراخی (narrowness and spaciousness), closer to the image in the Arabic. Jawadi uses تکلیف and سہولت.
  • “Every” hardship. Ahmed Ali and Najafi add ہر (every), reading the verse as a general promise.
  • Brackets. Jalandhari and Qadri put added words in brackets, so you can see what’s in the Arabic and what the translator added to make it read well. Qadri does this most.
  • “Also”. Maududi, Qadri and Jawadi add بھی: ease comes alongside the hardship, not only after it.

If you want to stay close to the Arabic, start with Jalandhari or Junagarhi. If you want help with meaning as you read, Qadri or Maududi. Many readers keep one literal and one explanatory translation and read them together.

Free ways to listen with Urdu translation

WhereWhat you getBest for
mp3quran.net radioA continuous stream of recitation with Urdu translation, and one with EnglishListening for a long stretch while you work
AlQuran Cloud audioEach verse read in Urdu by Shamshad Ali Khan, or in English by Ibrahim WalkHearing the meaning of one verse
Pax new tabBoth of the above from your Chrome new tab, plus a daily verse in Arabic with Urdu textA verse a day without opening an app

A verse with Urdu translation on every new tab

  1. Add Pax to Chrome, Edge or Brave, and choose Islam when setup asks about a daily reflection.
  2. In Settings › Faith, turn on Show verse of the day.
  3. Set Translation to the Urdu translator you prefer, and optionally a Second translation in English.
  4. Set Recitation to an Arabic reciter (Alafasy, Abdul Basit, Al-Husary, Al-Minshawi, As-Sudais or Al-Muaiqly) or to the Urdu translation read aloud, then press Listen.
  5. For longer listening, open Sounds › Radio › Quran. It keeps playing after you close the tab.

Other languages

The same verse can appear in English (Saheeh International, Clear Qur’an, Pickthall, Yusuf Ali), Arabic tafsir (Al-Muyassar, Al-Jalalayn), Hindi, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay, Turkish, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese or Japanese. The whole page can also be switched to Urdu, laid out right to left.

Questions people ask

Which Urdu translation of the Quran is the most literal?

In a side-by-side reading, Fateh Muhammad Jalandhari and Muhammad Junagarhi stay closest to the Arabic, in plain everyday words. Tahir ul Qadri adds words in brackets to explain, and Maududi often chooses a more interpretive word.

Where can I listen to the Quran with Urdu translation for free?

mp3quran.net streams a full recitation with Urdu translation, and AlQuran Cloud serves a verse-by-verse Urdu reading by Shamshad Ali Khan. Pax can play both from your new tab.

Can I see Urdu and English together?

Yes. In Pax, choose an Urdu translation as the first translation and an English one as the second, and both appear under the Arabic.

Which languages besides Urdu are there?

English, Arabic tafsir, Hindi, Bengali, Indonesian, Malay, Turkish, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese, 26 translations in all.

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