Spirit of Islam, May-June 2026

T he initiative by Goodword Books to produce a Roman Urdu translation of the Quran represents a deeply relevant and much-needed step in today’s world, where the gap between people and divine guidance is often not one of availability but of accessibility. While the Quran is widely available in Arabic and in numerous translations, a large segment of Urdu-speaking people remains unable to benefit from it fully—not because they do not understand the language, but because they cannot read the Urdu script. Urdu, though widely spoken across South Asia and among diaspora communities, is written in the Nastaliq script, which is elegant but complex. Many individuals, especially those educated in Englishmedium environments, grow up speaking and understanding Urdu fluently but never acquire proficiency in reading its script. At the same time, these very individuals are comfortable reading Urdu written in the Roman alphabet, as is common in everyday texting, social media, and informal communication. Roman Urdu has thus become a functional bridge language of the modern age. Bringing the Quran into this familiar script removes a silent yet significant barrier, allowing countless people to approach the divine message directly. ROMAN URDU TRANSLATION OF THE QURAN A Necessary Step for Wider Understanding