Hamza Roberto Piccardo - Revision history

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	* [https://www.newtoncompton.it/index.php/persona/hamza-roberto-piccardo Publisher profile] at Newton Compton		* [https://www.newtoncompton.it/index.php/persona/hamza-roberto-piccardo Publisher profile] at Newton Compton
	* [https://www.ucoi.it UCOII official website] (archival reference)		* [https://www.ucoi.it UCOII official website] (archival reference)


			[[category:English Wikivahdat]]
			[[category:figures]]

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			[[File:Hamza Roberto Piccardo 2.jpg\|frameless\|right]]
	'''Hamza Roberto Piccardo''' (born 7 October 1952) is an Italian editor, writer, translator, and Islamic scholar. He is best known for producing the first complete Italian translation of the [[Quran\|Qur'an]]’s meaning by a Muslim. His translation has become the most widely used Italian-language Qur'an among Muslim communities in [[Italy]] and across [[Europe]] [1][3].		'''Hamza Roberto Piccardo''' (born 7 October 1952) is an Italian editor, writer, translator, and Islamic scholar. He is best known for producing the first complete Italian translation of the [[Quran\|Qur'an]]’s meaning by a Muslim. His translation has become the most widely used Italian-language Qur'an among Muslim communities in [[Italy]] and across [[Europe]] [1][3].

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	== Translation of the Qur'an (''Saggio di Traduzione Interpretativa'') ==		== Translation of the Qur'an (''Saggio di Traduzione Interpretativa'') ==
			[[File:Piccardo's Corano.jpg\|frameless\|right]]
	Piccardo's most significant and enduring contribution is his Italian translation of the meanings of the Qur'an. The full title is '''''Saggio di Traduzione Interpretativa del Santo Corano inimitabile''''' (''Essay of Interpretative Translation of the Inimitable Holy Qur'an''). He worked on the translation for five years, from 1989 to 1994, using classical Arabic sources including the tafsir works of [[Ibn Kathir]], [[Al-Tabari]], and [[Al-Qurtubi]] [4].		Piccardo's most significant and enduring contribution is his Italian translation of the meanings of the Qur'an. The full title is '''''Saggio di Traduzione Interpretativa del Santo Corano inimitabile''''' (''Essay of Interpretative Translation of the Inimitable Holy Qur'an''). He worked on the translation for five years, from 1989 to 1994, using classical Arabic sources including the tafsir works of [[Ibn Kathir]], [[Al-Tabari]], and [[Al-Qurtubi]] [4].

Peysepar: /* Subsequent editions and official adoption */

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Subsequent editions and official adoption

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	=== Subsequent editions and official adoption ===		=== Subsequent editions and official adoption ===
	1998: Second revised edition, with improved footnotes and a new introduction.		'''1998''': Second revised edition, with improved footnotes and a new introduction.
	~~- 2001: Third edition, including a topical index and transliteration table for Arabic terms~~.

	~~2005~~: ~~Fourth~~ edition, ~~published in collaboration with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy~~.		'''2001''': Third edition, including a topical index and transliteration table for Arabic terms.

	~~2010~~: ~~The [[King Fahd Complex for~~ the ~~Printing~~ of ~~the Holy Quran]] in [[Saudi Arabia]] chose Piccardo's translation for official publication and distribution worldwide [3]~~.		'''2005''': Fourth edition, published in collaboration with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy.

	~~2015~~: ~~Newton Compton, a major Italian secular publisher, released a mass-market paperback edition, marking~~ the ~~first time a Muslim-authored Qur~~'an translation ~~was distributed by a mainstream Italian publishing house~~ [6].		'''2010''': The [[King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran]] in [[Saudi Arabia]] chose Piccardo's translation for official publication and distribution worldwide [3].

	~~2020~~: ~~Digital~~ edition ~~released as~~ a ~~mobile application with audio recitation~~.		'''2015''': Newton Compton, a major Italian secular publisher, released a mass-market paperback edition, marking the first time a Muslim-authored Qur'an translation was distributed by a mainstream Italian publishing house [6].

	As of 2024, over 150,000 copies of Piccardo's translation have been sold across various editions, making it the best-selling Italian Qur'an translation in history [1].		'''2020''': Digital edition released as a mobile application with audio recitation.

			As of '''2024''', over 150,000 copies of Piccardo's translation have been sold across various editions, making it the best-selling Italian Qur'an translation in history [1].

	=== Scholarly reception ===		=== Scholarly reception ===

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	=== Subsequent editions and official adoption ===		=== Subsequent editions and official adoption ===
	- 1998: Second revised edition, with improved footnotes and a new introduction.		1998: Second revised edition, with improved footnotes and a new introduction.
	- 2001: Third edition, including a topical index and transliteration table for Arabic terms.		- 2001: Third edition, including a topical index and transliteration table for Arabic terms.
	- 2005: Fourth edition, published in collaboration with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy.
	- 2010: The [[King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran]] in [[Saudi Arabia]] chose Piccardo's translation for official publication and distribution worldwide [3].		2005: Fourth edition, published in collaboration with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy.
	- 2015: Newton Compton, a major Italian secular publisher, released a mass-market paperback edition, marking the first time a Muslim-authored Qur'an translation was distributed by a mainstream Italian publishing house [6].
	- 2020: Digital edition released as a mobile application with audio recitation.		2010: The [[King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran]] in [[Saudi Arabia]] chose Piccardo's translation for official publication and distribution worldwide [3].

			2015: Newton Compton, a major Italian secular publisher, released a mass-market paperback edition, marking the first time a Muslim-authored Qur'an translation was distributed by a mainstream Italian publishing house [6].

			2020: Digital edition released as a mobile application with audio recitation.

	As of 2024, over 150,000 copies of Piccardo's translation have been sold across various editions, making it the best-selling Italian Qur'an translation in history [1].		As of 2024, over 150,000 copies of Piccardo's translation have been sold across various editions, making it the best-selling Italian Qur'an translation in history [1].

Peysepar: /* See also */

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Peysepar: Created page with "'''Hamza Roberto Piccardo''' (born 7 October 1952) is an Italian editor, writer, translator, and Islamic scholar. He is best known for producing the first complete Italian translation of the Qur'an’s meaning by a Muslim. His translation has become the most widely used Italian-language Qur'an among Muslim communities in Italy and across Europe [1][3]. == Early life and education == Hamza Roberto Piccardo was born in Imperia, a coastal city in Li..."

2026-05-24T06:08:29Z

Created page with "'''Hamza Roberto Piccardo''' (born 7 October 1952) is an Italian editor, writer, translator, and Islamic scholar. He is best known for producing the first complete Italian translation of the Qur'an’s meaning by a Muslim. His translation has become the most widely used Italian-language Qur'an among Muslim communities in Italy and across Europe [1][3]. == Early life and education == Hamza Roberto Piccardo was born in Imperia, a coastal city in Li..."

New page

'''Hamza Roberto Piccardo''' (born 7 October 1952) is an Italian editor, writer, translator, and Islamic scholar. He is best known for producing the first complete Italian translation of the [[Quran|Qur'an]]’s meaning by a Muslim. His translation has become the most widely used Italian-language Qur'an among Muslim communities in [[Italy]] and across [[Europe]] [1][3].

== Early life and education ==
Hamza Roberto Piccardo was born in [[Imperia]], a coastal city in [[Liguria]], northwestern Italy, in 1952. He grew up in a [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] family and received a traditional Italian education [2]. As a young man, he developed an interest in philosophy, comparative religion, and travel literature. After completing his secondary education, he performed his [[Conscription|military service]] in 1974, which he later described as a formative period that led him to question materialist and secular assumptions of post-war Italian society [5].

== Conversion to Islam ==
Following his military service, Piccardo traveled extensively across [[North Africa]] and the [[Sahara|Sahara Desert]] in 1974–1975. During his travels through [[Libya]], [[Algeria]], and [[Niger]], he encountered Muslim communities whose way of life, spirituality, and social solidarity deeply impressed him [1]. He began reading introductory texts on Islam and, after several months of study, formally [[Conversion to Islam|converted to Islam]] in 1975.

Piccardo later explained that his conversion was gradual rather than sudden. In a 2007 interview, he stated: "It was not a bolt of lightning but a slow sunrise" [4]. For nearly a decade after his conversion, he identified as Muslim but did not consistently perform daily prayers ([[Salah]]) or fasting ([[Sawm]]). In 1984 he began praying regularly, and around 1989 he started observing the fast of [[Ramadan]] [2]. He has described this delayed adoption of religious practices as common among Western converts who first need to build a conceptual and social foundation for ritual observance.

== Academic and intellectual development ==
Piccardo studied [[Arabic]] informally through private tutors and self-study, never obtaining a formal university degree in Islamic studies. However, he immersed himself in classical Islamic texts, particularly in the fields of [[tafsir]] (Qur'anic exegesis), [[fiqh]] (jurisprudence), and [[sirah]] (biography of the Prophet [[Muhammad]]) [3]. He has cited the works of [[Abu Hamid al-Ghazali]], [[Ibn Taymiyyah]], and [[Muhammad Abduh]] as formative influences on his understanding of Islam's relationship with modernity [5].

In the 1980s, Piccardo began writing articles for Italian Muslim newsletters and gave lectures at Islamic centers in [[Milan]], [[Rome]], and [[Turin]]. His early writings focused on the challenges of practicing Islam in a predominantly Catholic and secular European society [2].

== Founding of UCOII and institutional work ==
In 1990, Piccardo was a founding member of the '''Union of Islamic Communities in Italy''' ([[UCOII]] – Unione delle Comunità Islamiche d'Italia). UCOII emerged as one of the largest representative bodies of Muslims in Italy, with a network of mosques and cultural associations across the country [6]. Piccardo served on its Directive Council for several years and helped draft its foundational charter, which emphasized the compatibility of Islamic principles with Italian constitutional values [4].

Between 1990 and 2007, Piccardo played an active role in interfaith dialogue with the [[Catholic Church]] and the Italian state. He participated in meetings organized by the [[Centro per il Dialogo Interreligioso]] (Center for Interreligious Dialogue) and represented UCOII at European Muslim gatherings [5]. In 1998, he co-founded the Islamic Council of Italy (Consiglio Islamico d'Italia), an organization intended to serve as a unified interlocutor for Italian Muslims in negotiations with the government on issues such as [[Eid al-Fitr|religious holidays]], [[halal]] certification, and mosque construction [6].

== Al Hikma publishing house and ''Il Musulmano'' ==
In 1993, Piccardo founded the publishing house '''Al Hikma''' (Arabic: ''Al-Ḥikmah'', meaning "wisdom") in [[Milan]]. Al Hikma specializes in Islamic literature in Italian, including works on theology, law, spirituality, and comparative religion [1]. Through this press, Piccardo sought to provide Italian-speaking Muslims with authentic and accessible religious texts that were not merely translations from English or French but adapted to Italian cultural and linguistic contexts [3].

From 1993 to 1994, Piccardo also served as director and publisher of the monthly magazine ''Il Musulmano'' (''The Muslim''), which covered topics such as Islamic ethics, European Muslim identity, and responses to anti-Muslim prejudice in Italian media [2]. Although the magazine ceased publication after one year due to financial constraints, it is remembered as one of the first Italian-language periodicals produced by and for Italian Muslims.

== Translation of the Qur'an (''Saggio di Traduzione Interpretativa'') ==
Piccardo's most significant and enduring contribution is his Italian translation of the meanings of the Qur'an. The full title is '''''Saggio di Traduzione Interpretativa del Santo Corano inimitabile''''' (''Essay of Interpretative Translation of the Inimitable Holy Qur'an''). He worked on the translation for five years, from 1989 to 1994, using classical Arabic sources including the tafsir works of [[Ibn Kathir]], [[Al-Tabari]], and [[Al-Qurtubi]] [4].

The translation is not a literal word-for-word rendering but an "interpretative translation" (traduzione interpretativa) that aims to convey the meaning of the Arabic text in natural, modern Italian while respecting classical Islamic scholarly consensus. Piccardo also added approximately 1,200 explanatory footnotes, many of which clarify historical contexts, variant readings, or jurisprudential implications of specific verses [5].

Before publication, the draft was reviewed by five scholarly committees comprising Arab and non-Arab Islamic scholars, including professors from [[Al-Azhar University]] in [[Cairo]] and the Islamic University of [[Medina]]. The first edition was published by Al Hikma in 1994 and consisted of 3,000 copies [1].

=== Subsequent editions and official adoption ===
- **1998**: Second revised edition, with improved footnotes and a new introduction.
- **2001**: Third edition, including a topical index and transliteration table for Arabic terms.
- **2005**: Fourth edition, published in collaboration with the Islamic Cultural Centre of Italy.
- **2010**: The [[King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Quran]] in [[Saudi Arabia]] chose Piccardo's translation for official publication and distribution worldwide [3].
- **2015**: Newton Compton, a major Italian secular publisher, released a mass-market paperback edition, marking the first time a Muslim-authored Qur'an translation was distributed by a mainstream Italian publishing house [6].
- **2020**: Digital edition released as a mobile application with audio recitation.

As of 2024, over 150,000 copies of Piccardo's translation have been sold across various editions, making it the best-selling Italian Qur'an translation in history [1].

=== Scholarly reception ===
Academic reviewers have generally praised the translation for its clarity, accuracy, and readability. Massimo Campanini, a noted Italian scholar of Islam, wrote that Piccardo's work "represents a milestone in Italian Islamic literature, combining philological care with confessional commitment" [4]. Other scholars have noted that while the translation reflects a mainstream [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] perspective, it avoids sectarian polemics and remains accessible to non-Muslim readers [5].

Some critics have pointed out that Piccardo occasionally sacrifices literal precision for stylistic fluency, and that his footnotes sometimes reflect modern [[Salafi movement|Salafi]] interpretations rather than the full range of classical Islamic opinions [6]. Piccardo has responded that no translation is perfect and that his goal was to provide a usable, spiritually sound text for Italian-speaking Muslims, not an academic critical edition [2].

== Other literary works ==
In addition to his Qur'an translation, Piccardo has authored and translated numerous other books:

=== Religious works ===
* ''La via del musulmano'' (2000) – Italian translation of ''[[Al-Minhaj al-Muslim]]'', a classical Shafi'i manual of Islamic law and ethics.
* ''La vita del Profeta Muhammad'' (2007) – A biography of the Prophet Muhammad based on early Arabic sources.
* ''Anéla il petto'' (2002) – A meditation on the 99 [[Names of God in Islam]].
* ''Il giardino dei giusti'' (2011) – A collection of hadith (prophetic traditions) on morality and social conduct.

=== Fiction and poetry ===
* ''Il Puzzle del Derviscio'' (2005) – A political thriller novel set in the Middle East, exploring themes of espionage, faith, and identity.
* ''Miracolo a Baghdad'' (2008) – A novel about a mysterious healing event in wartime Iraq.
* ''Ode alla Rossa'' (2007) – A poetry collection inspired by the landscapes of Liguria and Islamic spirituality.

== Resignation from leadership roles (2007) ==
In 2007, Piccardo surprised many by resigning from all organizational leadership positions within UCOII and the Islamic Council of Italy [2]. In a public statement, he explained that he wished to dedicate himself entirely to writing and editorial work, and that institutional politics had become a distraction from his core mission of producing Islamic literature in Italian [5]. Since then, he has remained an independent writer and occasional public speaker, but no longer holds official positions in any Muslim organization.

== Views on Islam in Europe ==
Piccardo has consistently advocated for a distinctly '''European Islam''' that is rooted in classical Islamic scholarship but adapted to European cultural, legal, and social contexts. He has rejected both the isolationist approach of some Muslim minority groups and the assimilationist demands of certain European secularists [3]. Instead, he promotes what he calls "integration without dissolution" – maintaining Islamic identity while participating fully in civic life [4].

He has also been critical of both [[Islamic extremism]] and [[Islamophobia]]. Regarding violent extremism, he has stated that "terrorism has no religion, only a pathology of ideology" [6]. Regarding Islamophobia, he has called on Muslims to respond with "patience and legal advocacy, not anger or withdrawal."

== Personal life ==
Hamza Roberto Piccardo lives in [[Milan]] and has five children. His son, Davide Piccardo, is active in Islamic community associations in Milan and has written for the Italian edition of ''[[HuffPost|The Huffington Post]]'' on issues of Muslim identity in Italy [1]. Piccardo is also an amateur beekeeper and has written about the spiritual symbolism of honey in Islamic tradition [5].

== Legacy and influence ==
Piccardo is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of Islam in Italy. By producing the first complete Italian Qur'an translation by a Muslim, he provided Italian-speaking Muslims with a text that speaks to them in their own vernacular without the perceived biases of earlier translations by Christians or orientalists [3]. His works are used in mosques, Islamic schools, and university courses across Italy and Switzerland.

Scholar Stefano Allievi of the [[University of Padua]] has called Piccardo "the architect of a literary ''shari'a'' for Italian Muslims" – meaning that he built a textual foundation for Islamic practice in the Italian language [4].

== Selected bibliography ==
* ''Saggio di Traduzione Interpretativa del Santo Corano inimitabile'' (translation of the Qur'an, 1994; revised editions 1998, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2015)
* ''La via del musulmano'' (translation of Al-Minhaj al-Muslim, 2000)
* ''Anéla il petto'' (2002)
* ''Il Puzzle del Derviscio'' (2005)
* ''La vita del Profeta Muhammad'' (2007)
* ''Ode alla Rossa'' (2007)
* ''Miracolo a Baghdad'' (2008)
* ''Il giardino dei giusti'' (2011)

== See also ==
* [[Islam in Italy]]
* [[List of translations of the Quran]]
* [[UCOII]]
* [[Italian language]]
* [[Al-Azhar University]]
* [[Salafi movement]] (for context on his interpretive approach)

== References ==
<references />

=== APA-style references ===
1. ABNA English. (2024, November 4). Hamza Piccardo; First Muslim translator of Quran into Italian. ''AhlulBayt News Agency''. https://en.abna24.com

2. Wikipedia contributors. (2007, October 18). Hamza Roberto Piccardo. In ''Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia''. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamza_Roberto_Piccardo

3. Wikipedia contributors. (2008, February 15). Hamza Piccardo. In ''Wikipedia, L'enciclopedia libera''. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamza_Piccardo

4. International Qur'an News Agency (IQNA). (2024, November 4). Hamza Piccardo; First Muslim translator of Quran into Italian. ''IQNA''. https://iqna.ir

5. 4 Enoch contributors. (2015, April 13). Il Corano (The Qur'an / 1994 Piccardo), book. In ''4 Enoch: The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism''. https://4enoch.org

6. Newton Compton Editori. (n.d.). Hamza Roberto Piccardo. ''Newton Compton Editori''. https://www.newtoncompton.it

7. Allievi, S. (2012). ''Muslims in Italy: The Construction of an Unstable Presence''. In J. S. Nielsen (Ed.), ''Yearbook of Muslims in Europe'' (Vol. 4, pp. 345–362). Brill.

8. Campanini, M. (2010). ''Il Corano e la sua interpretazione''. Editrice Morcelliana.

== External links ==
* [https://www.islam-online.it Islam Online Italy] – website directed by Piccardo
* [https://www.newtoncompton.it/index.php/persona/hamza-roberto-piccardo Publisher profile] at Newton Compton
* [https://www.ucoi.it UCOII official website] (archival reference)

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	* [[List of translations of the Quran]]		* [[List of translations of the Quran]]
	* [[UCOII]]		* [[UCOII]]
	* [[Italian language]]
	* [[Al-Azhar University]]		* [[Al-Azhar University]]
	* [[Salafi movement]] (for context on his interpretive approach)		* [[Salafi movement]] (for context on his interpretive approach)