Bausani Il Corano.pdf -
Because the search for is often frustrating, many scholars are shifting to legitimate alternatives.
Bausani’s work has had a lasting impact on how the Italian-speaking world perceives Islam. By presenting the Qur'an as a living document of profound literary and spiritual value, he helped foster a more nuanced dialogue between the Mediterranean’s Christian and Islamic traditions. For contemporary students and scholars, the PDF versions of his work serve as an essential resource, offering a window into a mid-20th-century scholarly tradition that sought universality through specific, meticulous study.
Bausani's version is celebrated for its "historico-religious sensitivity" and its attempt to capture the emotional impact of the original Arabic style, though some modern critics note that the Italian language used has aged since its mid-20th-century origins. Bausani Il Corano.pdf
Before diving into the text, it is important to understand where this translation stands in the landscape of Islamic studies in Italy.
Since its initial release in 1955, Bausani's Il Corano has never gone out of print. This fact alone testifies to its enduring value. Because the search for is often frustrating, many
Bausani rejected the conventional “elegantizing” approach typical of 19th and early 20th-century European translations, which often rendered Qur’anic Arabic into predictable, classical Italian prose. Instead, he pursued a principle of . Key features include:
During Bausani’s era, many Western translations were produced by Christian missionaries or Orientalists with ideological agendas. Bausani, raised a Catholic but later a scholar of Bahá'í history, managed to produce a translation that is neither apologetic nor polemical. He presents the text as a historical-linguistic artifact, offering empathy toward the Muslim view of the text as revelation while maintaining critical scholarly distance. For contemporary students and scholars, the PDF versions
For students, researchers, or those interested in interfaith dialogue, the "Bausani edition" is the primary reference point in the Italian-speaking world.
Whether you manage to find a scanned copy through academic channels or purchase a physical edition, Alessandro Bausani’s Il Corano remains the gold standard for Italian readers who believe that understanding the Quran requires understanding its language, its history, and its unique literary genius.
In his extensive introductory essay (often published separately as L’Islam or included in the front matter of Il Corano ), Bausani frames the Quran as the verbal incarnation of the Divine Logos in an Islamic key. He compares its function to that of Christ in Christianity: just as Christ is the eternal Word made flesh, the Quran is the eternal Word made book. This analogy, while not orthodox for either religion, opened a comparative space for Western readers to approach the Quran with a form of “secular reverence.” Bausani taught his audience to listen to the text, not just analyze it.
