A Māori translation of the Quran will be front-and-centre at an Islamic exhibition in Gisborne today.

The translation was completed three years ago by a Muslim follower who learned Māori over 20 years.

Mustanser Qamar, spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said the Gisborne community's invited to come and see a range of translations of the religious text.

"Nowadays we see that there are people raising allegations that Muslims don't open up to others," he said. "Our community is taking the lead on this and translating the Quran into other languages."

Qamar says there's long been debate in the Muslim community about whether the Quran should be translated out of Arabic, but as long as the original text is presented alongside a translation it's a helpful way to keep the religion open for all to understand.