Pickthall travelled across many Eastern countries , gaining a reputation as a Middle-Eastern scholar . Before declaring his faith as a Muslim , Pickthall was a strong ally of the Ottoman Empire . He studied the Orient , and published articles and novels on the subject . While in the service of the Nizam of Hyderabad , Pickthall published his English translation of the Qur ' an with the title '' The Meaning of the Glorious Koran '' . The translation was authorized by the Al-Azhar University and the '' Times Literary Supplement '' praised his efforts by writing " noted translator of the glorious Quran into English language , a great literary achievement . " When a propaganda campaign was launched in the United Kingdom in 1915 over the massacres of Armenians , Pickthall rose to challenge it and argued that the blame could not be placed on the Turkish government entirely . At a time when Muslims in London had been co-opted by the Foreign Office to provide propaganda services in support of Britain 's war against Turkey , Pickthall 's stand was considered courageous given the wartime climate . When British Muslims were asked to decide whether they were loyal to the Allies ( Britain and France ) or the Central Powers ( Germany and Turkey ) , Pickthall said he was ready to be a combatant for his country so long as he did not have to fight the Turks . He was conscripted in the last months of the war and became corporal in charge of an influenza isolation hospital
massacres of Armenians
Armenian Genocide
Marmaduke Pickthall