Intro to How to Read the Qur'an

Introduction to
How to Read the Qur’an
(The outlines)

• The Qur’an claims to be the Word of God, not “the Book of the Muslims”.
• God of the Qur’an is the Creator of the universe and human beings in it.
• Speech of the Creator = the act of the Creator. There must be compatibility between these two.
• Any scripture which claims to be inspired by God is to be read as the verbal expression of the act of creation.
• Thus, the Qur’an is God’s interpretation of the universe into a human language.
• The speaker in the Qur’an is the Creator; He must be, by definition, Absolute.
• The Absolute is speaking to created, thus, limited human beings at the level of their capacity. This is called “Descension”, in Arabic “Tanazzul” or “Nuzul”.
• Every reading and translation of any text is an interpretation.
• Every interpretation is personal. So, any reader of the Qur’an can only say,”This is what I understood from the text,” and not, “This is what the text says.”
• The speech of the Absolute cannot be limited to time and space.
• Scriptures CANNOT be read as “HISTORICAL”.
• The reader of the Qur’an needs to be aware that her/his Creating is speaking to her/him HERE and NOW.
• Historical narrations in the Qur’an need to be read as timeless metaphors or parables...all are relevant to readers in all time periods and all places. So Adam, Abraham, Joseph, Abu Lahab, Pharaoh….all refer to the reader herself/himself.
• To understand the Qur’anic message, we should allow the whole of the Qur’an to be reveled to our minds before attempting to interpret single aspects of its message. (See the Qur’an, (20): 114).
• To purposes of the Qur’an also need to be always kept in mind whenever we attempt to understand any of its parts.
• The PURPOSES OF THE QUR’AN is to establish
1- the Unity of the Creator,
2- the existence of the hereafter – a new kind of creation-
3- that the Creator sends messengers with messages,
4- that human beings must worship the Creator only and act justly.
• The Qur’an speaks to all humanity; its message is UNIVERSAL.
• The message of the Qur’an is to guide the human senses, not the animal side of human beings.
• Any one who attempts to understand the Qur’an needs to keep these questions and their answers in mind:
1- Who is speaking in the Qur’an? – The Creator.
2- To whom is He speaking? – To the human senses of the reader.
3- What is the purpose of His Speech? - To purpose of the Qur’an is not only to teach its readers only their ‘religious duties” but, as a source of Mercy, to help them by providing guidance to answer their existential questions as well as how to manage their lives on earth.
4- With what capacity is God in the Qur’an speaking? – As the Merciful Guide of the reader. (See the Qur’an, (17): 82).