{"id":18,"date":"2007-09-25T10:36:43","date_gmt":"2007-09-25T10:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/ramadan\/2007\/09\/taking-a-fresh-look-at-the-qur.html"},"modified":"2007-09-25T10:36:43","modified_gmt":"2007-09-25T10:36:43","slug":"taking-a-fresh-look-at-the-qur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/ramadan\/2007\/09\/taking-a-fresh-look-at-the-qur.html","title":{"rendered":"Taking a Fresh Look at the Qur’an"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"quran_reading.jpg\"“Ramadan is the (month) in which the Qur’an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong).” (Qur’an 2:185)<\/i>
\nAside from fasting, the importance of reflecting on the Qur’an, and reading it in its entirety if possible, is central to Ramadan.\u00a0 It was in this month that the revelation of the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad is said to have begun.\u00a0 For many busy Muslims who might not read the Qur’an regularly, Ramadan offers that opportunity to reconnect with a conduit that Muslims believe represents a direct relationship between humans and their Creator.
\nFor most people who are not Muslim, however, their introduction to the Qur’an is somewhat different.\u00a0 It usually takes the shape of belligerent verses offered through soundbites as proof of Islam’s inherent violent and\/or intolerant nature.\u00a0 Both Muslim extremists and those seeking to demonize Islam use the same tactics. This constant attempt to redefine the central theme of the Qur’an has had a corrosive effect on the relationships between Muslims and their neighbors.<\/p>\n


\nHerein lies the problem of reading individual verses from holy books – and I mean any holy book, not just the Qur’an.\u00a0 If you see extremists citing religion to support their views, you will notice a common thread – their views are almost always backed by stand-alone verses, often from unreliable translations or taken out of context.\u00a0 It has long been said that\u00a0the Devil can cite scripture for his purposes –\u00a0and this is how he gets away with it.
\nRamadan presents a perfect opportunity to take in the Qur’an chapters (suras) at a time the way it was intended to be absorbed, rather than simply verse by verse.\u00a0 This allows the reader to discover the underlying themes of the book, rather than isolated exhortations.
\nSo what do we find when we look at the Qur’an this way?\u00a0\u00a0 We notice\u00a0themes such as mercy (an attribute of God that is mentioned far more than His wrath), repeated calls for forbearance and patience (attributes that extremists often lack), and multiple calls to reflect and think (ditto).
\nIn an age where religion is commodified, deconstructed, compartmentalized, and broken into bite-sized pieces, it is easy to see how the soul of a religion can be lost.\u00a0 Too many religions have allowed themselves to become a collection of scripture snippets and pithy religious sayings.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe call during\u00a0Ramadan to review holy texts in their entirety, rather than piecemeal, can\u00a0be a lesson to all people of faith.\u00a0 Try taking in your religious text of choice, cover to cover, in the space of a month and see how it affects your view of the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Ramadan is the (month) in which the Qur’an was sent down, as a guide to mankind, also clear (signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong).” (Qur’an 2:185) Aside from fasting, the importance of reflecting on the Qur’an, and reading it in its entirety if possible, is central to Ramadan.\u00a0 It was in this…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-islam"],"yoast_head":"\nTaking a Fresh Look at the Qur'an - Hungry for Ramadan<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/ramadan\/2007\/09\/taking-a-fresh-look-at-the-qur.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Taking a Fresh Look at the Qur'an - 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Named one of ten \"Muslim visionaries\" by Islamica Magazine, Shahed's work and writings have been featured in magazines (Newsweek), newspapers (New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune), radio shows (BBC News, National Public Radio, and major websites (BeliefNet.com). Television appearances include \"Nightline with Ted Koppel\", CNN Headline News, the \"Today Show\", and \"Hannity & Colmes\". Shahed is the founder of Halalfire Media, a network of Islamic-themed websites with nearly 6 million visitors annually. Along with altmuslim.com, signature properties include zabihah.com, salatomatic.com, halalapalooza.com, and unitedmuslims.org. He has also served as a board member for the United Muslims of America, the Muslim Public Service Network, and the Muslim Youth Camp of California. 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