This book “The Human Being In The Qur’an” (Insan dar Qur’an) is the fourth of a seven-volume series which bears the general title, An Introduction to The world view of Islam (Moqaddima hii bar Jahanbini-i Islamic). Mutahhari has attempted in these books to expound some basic and controversial Islamic concepts and principles in a language so clear as to be easily understandable by both the masses and the elite.

The effort to translate this book arose firstly from the translator's interest in its subject matter, and secondly from an interest to introd uce the author's ideas to the English­speaking community outside the country. It is, of course, admitted that this is not the most perfect translation of the original, or a literary replica of the author's views and understanding of Islam and the Qur’an. It is, however, the nearest to the author's understanding.

The source for the translation of the Qur’anic verses has been J.M. Rodwell's translation of the Qur’an (1909 A.D.), with slight alterations in some of the verses by this translator. This translation endeavors to reproduce the exact feelings of the author regarding his understanding of the beliefs of Muslim and non-Muslim thinkers.

Therefore, his quotations from Eastern and Western writers have been re­translated from his Persian rather than copied from the original works. Exceptions to this rule where the originals are cited are: the quote from page 25 of Albert Einstein's The World as I See It and the quote from page 89 of Muhammad Iqbal' The reconstruction of religious thought in Islam.

Persian poems in the text, although having been rendered into English by such great scholars as R.A. Nicholson, A.J. Arberry and others, appear in this translation in a new version with less complex terminology which resemble more closely the original 'easy but difficult' (Sahl-u- Momtani') form of versification, characteristic of great Persian masters like Rumi, Saadi, and so forth.

H.V. Dastjerdi