Get the Facts Straight

I don't know if any of you have heard the headlines, but last Friday a Binghamton University Professor, Richard Antoun, was stabbed to death by a 46 year old PhD student from Saudi Arabia, Abdulsalam al-Zahrani. My condolences go out to the family of Dr. Antoun, may he rest in peace.

This story doesn't appear on GoogleNews as a top headline (you have to search the topic to find the stories). One thing that is apparent is that officials are not unveiling a lot of facts on it. This, I think, has lead many so called journalists to try to play the "Muslim extremist / t e r r o r i s t" theory, and some have even tried to play the card that it was a Muslim going after a Jew. However, from the little information we know, and you have to go to earlier publications in the news, I don't know how people are taking these theories as even somewhat truth.

Fact #1: Muslims on the BU campus avoided al-Zahrani because he made insults about Islam. Here are some quotations from the students.

"Mohammad Hamasha, another doctoral student from Jordan, recalled an encounter with Al-Zahrani on a bus in Johnson City a year ago. Hamasha said he addressed Al-Zahrani with a traditional Muslim greeting meaning 'peace be upon you.' He said Al-Zahrani responded, 'you are the brother of a (expletive).'"

"'He insulted Islam, my religion, which is a good religion,' said Samer Salameh, a master's degree candidate, who said Al-Zahrani used the phrase 'garbage in Johnson City' in an apparent reference to a local mosque. 'That is not acting like a Muslim.'"

Fact #2: The Islamic Organization of the Southern Tier (the only masjid in that area) made a statement that al-Zahrani had no affiliation whatsoever with the masjid. In fact in a statement from their website, they said it was Dr. Antoun who was involved with their Interfaith Outreach programs (see Fact #3), and members of the Islamic community held a memorial this past Sunday for Antoun.

"'He [al-Zahrani] was not affiliated with us at all. At the time of the incident we were here in our most sacred time to pray here and he was not and never has been in our program,' said Imam Kopuz."

"Kopuz and Entisham Siddiqui, president of the Islamic Organization of the Southern Tier, addressed about 70 people who attended a brief remembrance for Antoun Sunday at the mosque. They described him as a friend to the local Muslim community who often partook in events to expand religious tolerance and cooperation among faiths. 'We will sadly miss him,' Kopuz said. 'He was an embodiment of light and knowledge.'"

Fact #3: The memorial fund and funeral service will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Binghamton, NY. You can read more about Unitarian Univeralists here. If Richard Antoun was Jewish, like some reports out there are saying, wouldn't his funeral be at a Jewish Temple? In Judaism some argue that even if you break away from the religion it doesn't change your status as a Jew. To make this act anti-Semetic, wouldn't you have to prove that 1. Dr. Antoun was Jewish, 2. that al-Zahrani knew about the intimate details of Dr. Antoun's faith history, and 3. that al-Zahrani motive was based upon his knowledge of Dr. Antoun being Jewish? It doesn't make sense to make after the fact conclusions. The Distric Attorney of Binghamton has stated that religion was not part of the motive. Dr. Antoun was active with many faiths, and all we know is that he was member of the Unitarian Universalist Church.

Fact #4: The mental stability of al-Zahrani is questionable. Interviews by his roommates before the incident shed some light on his behavior patterns well before the murder.

"Souleyman Sukho, a Senegalese doctoral student at BU, said during the three weeks the men lived together, Al-Zahrani 'came at me with a knife.' 'He asked me if I was afraid of dying,"'Sukho said. 'Then he went into his room. I told him, 'don't ask me the question if you don't want to hear my answer.'"

"'He would be sitting here on the sofa and just blurt out, 'I just feel like destroying the world,' Pena said. 'He would just make weird remarks. He comes off calm (but) he could flip in a second,"'Pena said."

One of his roommates said that Al-Zahrani said that he felt persecuted, but the interview doesn't specify about what he felt persecuted against. His nationality? His age? His accent? Some have twisted this into al-Zahrani felt persecuted because of his religion, but from what we've looked at I don't see how that could be because he is not affliated with the masjid, in one report students said he was smoking during Ramadan (which means that you've broken your fast intentionally), and he would swear at Muslims when they would say "Peace be with you" to him. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LAST NAME IN ARABIC DOESN'T MEAN YOU ARE MUSLIM. When are people going to get this through their heads?

It is clear that al-Zahrani displayed signs of being a psycho and it has nothing to do with whatever his religion may or may not be. When will people realize that there are crazy people out there and their craziness has nothing to do with a religion and all to do with their brains? Will you not use your reason?

Fact #5: Even if al-Zahrani is Muslim, murder is condoned by Islam as explicitly stated in the Qur'an:

"17:33 (Asad) And do not take any human being's life -[the life] which God has willed to be, sacred-otherwise than in [the pursuit of] justice. Hence, if anyone has been slain wrongfully, We have empowered the defender of his rights [to exact a just retribution] ; but even so, let him not exceed the bounds of equity in [retributive] killing. [And as for him who has been slain wrongfully -] behold, he is indeed succoured [by God] !"

Concluding Remarks:

I hope these basic facts have made some things clear to all of those conspiracy theorists out there. Little has been made public on this case and people are trying to come up with what the motives could have been. The fact of the matter is that there was probably little to no motive because al-Zahrani is crazy and no one can understand what goes through a mentality disturbed character's mind to justify whatever they do; it runs counter to all reason. From what we do know about al-Zahrani, he does not outwardly display characteristics of a a pious Muslim because of his outward actions, and this brings great doubt about his religious status.

Also, you all spreading lies and fear on the Internet should be ashamed of yourselves. You do not pursue truth, nor do you help the situation. Rather you try to turn lies into fact, you create tension between different groups, and in short you are doing everything against what Dr. Antoun's work was about. You do not make suggestions about how to prevent these situations in the future, but rather you hit at people's emotions to stir hatred. You are out there to make a sensational story just so you can grab more reader's attention so you can get more ad revenue. It is disgusting.

Where Have You Been Kay?

Bismillah. First off, I would like to wish all of my readers a very blessed Ramadan. This is a beautiful month and may we all receive the benefits of fasting for Allah.

I have been researching a ton, but not writing about it for several reasons. I love to research Qur'an, but the barrier that is becoming more and more apparent is my lack of knowledge of Classical Arabic etymology. Sure I know some Arabic words, but I only recognize them in transliteration. This leaves me limited to researching via themes and depending on translators who interpret the meaning into English. One can understand Qur'an at one level with a translation of the meaning, but you come to a point where you need to understand Arabic.

This research has become an essential part of my faith journey not because I need evidence that Allah exists (I hardly need that), but because it assures me that my journey is a straight one. I have been doing dual research: Christianity and Islam. What I have experienced is the more I research Christianity, the more I feel disconnected to it and the more I disagree with its theology and logic. I have the opposite effect with Islam. The more I read, the more I research, the more my heart shutters in awe of the Qur'an. It does so at an intellectual level and an emotional level.

What have I been researching? Why haven't I been writing about it?

I have been studying "salaat" (root s-l-w, meaning to 'follow someone closely', so Qur'anicly, to follow God closely). It is almost always translated as 'prayer'. This translation is alright I guess, but I feel it is incomplete. Understanding the etymology highlights a much deeper meaning and allows us to focus on what the precise meaning, rather than our emotional connotations. I wanted to dig deep about it because it is suppose to be one of the main integrals of our faith. I was becoming extremely frustrated with the approach 'salaat' was being taught to me. I want to know the derivative of what I am doing or saying. I don't ask 'why' to be malicious. I want to know because for 18 years I was doing actions without knowing anything about the background of them, and this lead me very astray. I want to know because I need and must be assured I am always on a straight path.

So, I am researching "salaat" from a purely Qur'anic perspective to see what Allah precisely has to say about it. What makes this controversial for some is that I am not reading hadith about "salaat". I want to focus on the Qur'anic perspective first because they are Allah's words and so I can grasp the meaning of "salaat" from Qur'an through themes so I can be rightly guided in whatever else I read about "salaat" outside of Qur'an. It also helps me ask the right questions, furthering my understanding. Still even with this intention, I know some will disagree with my cautious technique. To those critics I say: can we not at least agree that the Qur'an is infallible, that the Qur'an are the words of Allah, that it cannot ever be changed, and that it was the miracle of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)? The ritual of 'salaat' of course I will continue, as it is an obligation on all of us, but I want to also deepen this act on a spiritual/intellectual level.

Some things that I have found about "salaat" from Qur'an are these following patterns (which you can verify yourself):

• There appears to be a distinction between a finite 'salaat' at set times of the day and constant 'salaat'.
  
• 'Salaat' is almost always coupled with the word 'zakat'. Traditionally 'zakat' is translated as charity (fiqh says give 2.5% of your income/wealth). 'Zakat' is from the root z-k-w, which is associated with the meaning increase and growth. 'Zakat' literally means purity (traditionally translated as charity). What I find so powerful about 'zakat' and 'salaat' being coupled is it gives us a framework of the attitude we must be in constantly. This is in addition to five times a day; it is a holistic way of being from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep.
• 'Salaat' is also coupled with 'aqeemu' (modifying it). 'Aqeemu' comes from the root 'qaa-ma', which means to "stand, to be balanced, to have a just, fair and long term strategy for dealing with problems, and to be steadfast".
  
• The ideas in the former two bullet points have no time associated with them (not that I know of, Allahu Alim), but there are verses with 'salaat' that are highly linked with time: fajr (11:114, 17:78, 20:130, 24:58, 30:17-30:18, 50:39-50:40, 52:48-52:49, and 76:25-76:26), daylight prayers (20:130 and 50:39), Dhuhr (17:78 and 30:18), Asr (30:17-30:18), extolling glory morning through evening (7:205, 6:52, 18:28, 24:36, 33:42, and 48:9), Maghrib (11:114, 30:17, and 76:25), Isha (11:114, 24:58, 50:40, 52:49, and 76:26), and Witr(?) (17:79, 39:9, 73:1-73:3, and 73:20).
  
• All of those verses above are linked with the idea propounded in 4:103 ("...Verily, for all believers prayer is indeed a sacred duty linked to particular times [of day].") The word 'muslim' isn't used, rather the word 'mumin' describes those who perform 'salaat'. The word 'kitab' is also used in this sentence. 'Kitab' (root: ka-ta-ba) in the absolute most general sense means book and most often is a word Qur'an uses to describe itself, but isn't limited to mean a book in binding like we usually think. But here my limited understanding comes in: 'kitab' in this sentence could be modifying the word 'mumin', making the meaning believers of the kitab (i.e. Qur'an) OR proscribes the role of the 'kitab' in our 'salaat'. If any of you know Classical Arabic please enlighten us all in the comment section. Allahu Alim.
  
• If in 4:103 it is the second meaning, this could link the role of the 'kitab' in the finite 'salaat'. If this is so, it perpetuates the extreme importance of reading/reciting Qur'an, creating this act also as an act of worship in of of itself. So much so that it's reading is a cause of prostration. Qur'an describes believers as those who when they hear Allah's words they prostrate. Perhaps this idea (kitab/ reciting/ prostrating) is best conveyed in Surah 96, which also happens to be the very first surah that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
  

The second area that I would really like to research are the uses of the words 'muslim' and 'mumin' in the Qur'an. 'Muslim' means submitter and linked to the root 's-l-m' which is related to the meaning of peace. 'Mumin' is translated as 'believer'. I don't know what it's root is, but if you do, please let me know. These two words are, from what I understand, linked to faith/belief in Allah. I thought that there would only be one word to describe this type of person, but instead there are two.

This isn't all that I have been curious about, nor everything I have to say on the matters. I feel apprehensive about sharing some of my finding and reflections that go along with them because I fear that my ideas aren't complete yet. I did share what I did because I would like to learn from you, my readers, also in what you know on these subjects and/or encourage you to read Qur'an. I also fear controversy because I think some reflections go against traditional ideas, and to be honest I desperately need to talk with a scholar in person because I have so many questions.

I would like to close with a reminder and lesson for all: please during this Ramadan read Qur'an. It is recommended to read one 'juz per night, but I also think that we all need to take the time to understand what it is that we are reading and to reflect upon what it. Qur'an is the essential component of our deen and the purpose of the whole prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) was to convey its message to all of mankind. Qur'an is not a book to just sit on a shelf to become dusty and read every once in a while. They are the words of Allah, a guidance for us, lessons that need to incorporate into our everyday life. It is one of the best gifts we could ever possibly have, so please read and reflect!

Sorry About Lack of Posts

Things have been getting pretty busy for me. Right now I am studying as much as possible for professional exams I will be starting to take in July. I knew these tests would be challenging but it is really hitting me now that they will probably be the most difficult tests I have to take because they are so comprehensive. Basically everything I have been learning for the past 3.5 years is being tested. I am also volunteering full time on top of the studying and taking Islamic courses online.

I might be going on a blogging break for a little while. I won't say an official blogging break because whenever I do I then come up with something to write the next day. So posts may be very slow like they were last summer, so just wanted to put a little FYI out there.

One of My Favorite Stories

2:67-2:71: AND LO! Moses said unto his people: "Behold, God bids you to sacrifice a cow." They said: "Dost thou mock at us?" He answered: "I seek refuge with God against being so ignorant!"

Said they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what she is to be like." [Moses] replied: "Behold, He says it is to be a cow neither old nor immature, but of art age in-between. Do, then, what you have been bidden!"

Said they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what her colour should be. "[Moses] answered: "Behold; He says it is to be a yellow cow, bright of hue, pleasing to the beholder."

Said' they: "Pray on our behalf unto thy Sustainer that He make clear to us what she is to be like, for to us all cows resemble one another; and then, if God so wills, we shall truly be guided aright!" [Moses] answered: "Behold, He says it is to be a cow not broken-in to plough the earth or to water the crops, free of fault, without markings of any other colour."

Said they: "At last thou hast brought out the truth!"-and thereupon they sacrificed her, although they had almost left it undone.

I usually write commentary along with Qur'anic quotes, but for this post I would like you to think about the multitude of lessons you can learn from this story. I'll give you some leading questions if you are stuck:

• Why is a cow being sacrificed as opposed to another animal? What is the context of this symbol?
  
• What is the result of them continuing to ask questions that appears to be procrastinating in intent?
  
• How is this story related to any authentic hadiths?
• What happens when we unnecessarily complicate something in our religion?
• How does this relate to law?
  

Muslim Americans Serving in the U.S. Government - video

UPDATE (6/4/09 9:57 a.m.): A clip from Obama's address to Muslims around the world.

'Isa (PBUH) - One of the Most Famous People that We Know Hardly Anything About

I found this film very interesting. Just for clarification. I'm not posting this to 'get people's goat. This whole blog is about critical thinking and acquiring knowledge, and I think it remains the utmost importance to have rational discourse. Too often people's attachments to things and/or emotions get in the way of this. So, as my banner reads, breath out your paradigms for a moment.

I am not of the opinion that Jesus (PBUH) did not exist because the Qur'an mentions him many times. However, the Qur'anic Jesus (PBUH) is different than the Biblical one.

• Mary Mother of Jesus, Allah (swt) be pleased with her, gives birth under a tree, with no reference made to the city or geographical location.
  
• Joseph (PBUH) the husband of Mary in the Bible is not mentioned at all; rather, Zechariah, Allah (swt) be pleased with him, a priest & father of John the Baptist, takes her under his care.
  
• Dates or signs of the time of the year of Jesus's (PBUH) birth are also not mentioned.
  
• The divinity of Mary & Jesus, Allah (swt) be pleased with them both, are refuted over and over again in the Qur'an, and we are explicitly told that Jesus (PBUH) is NOT the son of God.
  
• Jesus (PBUH) is given miracles in the cradle, not just as an adult man. His followers are mentioned as the 'white garbed ones', but as to the number of them or names it is not mentioned.

From the Qur'anic perspective there is no connecting Jesus (PBUH) to myths attached to ancient astrology as described in the video.

We are also told that Muhammad (PBUH) was a Messenger to ALL of humanity (and jinn), whereas other prophets were given to specific communities at specific times, for a total of 124,000 prophets. We are not to deny any of these prophets, but we are commanded to follow the last one, Muhammad (PBUH) fully. When other videos related to the one above mention that there were historians around the time of Jesus (PBUH) and they didn't mention Jesus (PBUH) it doesn't surprise me because his ministry was to a specific community. I think that after Jesus (PBUH) left this Earth his name morphed into a 'mythological status' and abused for obvious political purposes.

There is a debate in Islam about the crucifixion of Jesus (PBUH): was he killed? was he bodily raised to heaven or was it his soul? did he die a natural death? I want to go against the scholars who say that he was crucified because then it fits perfectly into the 'mythical Jesus' and of stories of pagean cultures that all follow the same pattern: death via crucifixion. In Christianity the whole symbol of the crucifixion is to 'rid us of original sin', but since there is no original sin in Islamic theology that symbol has no place, and it doesn't matter how Jesus's (PBUH) term here ended. Yes, it is conceivable to say that Jesus (PBUH) was killed because other prophets are mentioned to have been killed, but that doesn't give us enough reason to believe Jesus (PBUH) was killed. Allahu Alim.

Also, since we are talking about Jesus (PBUH) I want to pass on information about a question that I asked one of my Islamic teachers: if Muhammad (PBUH) was the last prophet, then how can we say that if Jesus (PBUH) is supposed to return soon before Judgement Day? The answer I received (verbatam), was that Jesus (PBUH) will not return as a prophet, but as a Muslim, a follower of Muhammad (PBUH). Allahu Alim.

The fact remains that we know very little details about Jesus (PBUH), yet we know so much about Muhammad (PBUH) through historical records. And it continues to baffle me why people depend on a prophethood they know next to nothing about, even follow things that are not true, yet completely reject one that we know an abundance of information of, and have clear historical proof of the linearity of the chain of transmission of the Qur'an from what was given to Muhammad (PBUH) to what we have today in our hands. No wonder the Qur'an reminds us to use our reason!

Where's My Love???

I think I'm really lonely.

Before Islam found me I had been in relationships with guys because that was the normal thing to do. Things are different now because my value sets are different. To be frank, not being able to even cuddle with someone has been quite a challenge for me.

Rationally and intellectually I can agree with the Islamic stance on no sexual relationships outside of marriage. In fact, I see it as a protecting factor, as I have written before in random women's issues posts before. Although understanding it with the mind is not the same as assuring one's heart.

On the human level it hurts so much. Yes, since temporarily living at home before my job begins I get hugs from Mom and Dad, I have my kitty kat who snuggles with me, and other sources of love, but it is just not the same as the romantic couple feeling that I already know of. I know what it is to be in love, and I'm missing that feeling.

The fact of the matter is that we are social creatures, and a lot of our depression comes from not "chemical imbalances", but lack of establishing social ties. I miss having a companion there more than the physical parts of a relationship. It oddly makes me concentrate better, and takes me out of my often too many melancholic episodes. When I was in love it made life seem like I could get through it alright because there was someone going through it right next to me.

Instead, I often spend at least one night a week crying my eyes out. I cannot tell you how many times I have made duaa, begging for the emptiness I feel in my life to be filled, and/or to guide me towards finding a life partner. I'm trying to be patient, but it is a frustrating experience and I can't wait for it to be over.

Advice for Approaching the Qur'an for the First Time (2 of 2)

Bismallah. This is part 2 of Part 1 of this series. This post will give you specific actions you can take so that you don't waste your time. I write from my own experience with reading translations of the meaning of the Qur'an. There seemed little on the Internet about how a Westerner is supposed to approach a translation of the Qur'an because it is not read like any ole book. Inshallah, this post will be of benefit to you.

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Suggestion 1: Realize the context of your interaction. The paradigm we hold of the Qur'an is that it is a bounded book, but really we call that the Mus'haf Qur'an or the book form of the Qur'an. So what you are really doing is reading a translation of the meaning of the Qur'an in a Mus'haf "methodology".

Qur'an is meant to be an oral experience, and this is how Muslims continue to interact with it. So yes it is a book in the sense that there are sentences, paragraphs, and division of chapters, but the bounded book form is secondary to the recitation of it. When one recities it from memory and prostrates with reciting it, it becomes a whole body experience in addition to the mind and soul. I think this level of interaction brings the messages fully to light because they are becoming fully integrated, not just a sentence read then forgotten a few paragraphs later. It is also how the early community of Muslims around the Prophet (PBUH) experienced the Qur'an.

More about the word "Qur'an", Ali Unal writes in his forward to his translation:

"According to the majority of scholars, the word Qur'an is an infinitive form of the verb QaRaA meaning reading or reciting. Therefore it literally means a thing recited by adding letters and words to one another.

"The verb QaRaA has another infinitive form qar'u which means to collect. So, some are of the opinion that the qur'an means 'the thing which collects.' It is narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas that the word qur'an in the verse, 'Surely it is for Us to collect it (in your heart) and enable you to recite it (by heart)' (75:17), means being collected and established in the heart. For this reason, some assert that since the Qur'an collects and contains in it the 'fruit' of the previous Scriptures and the whole of knowledge, it is called the Qur'an."

You most definitely won't be reciting the Qur'an in Arabic, but this doesn't mean you cannot gain something from reading a translation of the meaning. Just realize that you are not experiencing it how it had been traditionally been experienced.

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Suggestion 2: Be patient. I would suggest that you take 30 days to read the Qur'an. The Qur'an can be broken down into 30 parts or juz'. Treat it like a textbook at school, rather than a joy read from the NYT bestseller list. It is meant to be studied, not skimmed over.

We live in a culture of instant gratification and if you are someone who is going to just flip through the Qur'an, then you need to slow yourself down. Some things cannot be soaked in immediately, and if it was so easy, would it really have any value at the end of the day. Sometimes we have to spend years upon years studying just one book to understand it. The wikipedia age has given us more instant information at our fingertips, but it hasn't necessarily increased the depth of comprehension (that's why we still have books and research at universities :P).

People dedicate their whole lives to the study of Qur'an because there are layers upon layers of meanings and it is perhaps the most compact, eloquent, and precise writing I have ever encountered. Realize that it was bestowed to the Prophet (PBUH) and the early Muslims over the course of 23 years, so be patient yourself.

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Suggestion 3: Maintain an attitude of a curious student. You are a student of the Qur'an, so no matter what you have read about it etc., you must shut it out and act like a student who knows nothing. The reality is you do know very little next to nothing if you haven't read and studied it. People's egos like to maintain pride with the very few points they think that they know and their lack of humbling themselves prevents them from ever actually learning anything. Do you want to be a closed off arrogant person or a curious student eager to learn?

As you read and you have questions, write them down in a notebook. Some questions that I have had from my reading has taken months or years to be answered. Again, be patient, and don't ignore impluses to investigate sacred knowledge. Follow through with your curiousity by acting humbly and writing down your questions. Don't jump the gun and start accusing the Qur'an of being something that it is not in fact.

Act like a beginner and you will always be the first to soak up the knowledge.

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Suggestion 4: Don't base your paradigms on the crap you read on the Internet. The thing about the Interent is anyone can put up anything that they want. I'm doing it right now. The twist with this is that you end up with a lot of crap. There are people out there whose agenda is to misguide people away from truth. What is one to do?

First, you need to learn to shut out the world sometimes and just sit with your mind to think on your own. The Qur'an constantly tells us to use our reason, to think, etc. Act upon this! Don't let other people distract you from this process. You are a student who is learning, so follow the guideline of any student: focus.

Second, use a notebook to write down your questions, and be patient to receive your answer. Would you rather run into a website that will mislead you away from true knowledge or be patient and receive the correct answer? We live in an istant gratification culture, and you need to step outside of this when pursing sacred knowledge. A lot of things are grey, not black and white.

Third, go to an Islamic scholar. There are a lot of Q&A websites for Islam out there, but the one I really trust is SunniPath's because I've taken classes from them.

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Suggestion 5: Realize verses have different purposes. There is: literal vs. allegorical; oaths vs. rhetorical questions; signs to contemplate in nature vs. knowledge of the Unseen; commandments vs. spiritual insights; etc. You will run into advanced topics, and most of these have to do with law. My suggestion, since this is the first time reading the translation of the Qur'an, don't focus on trying to figure out topics within law, such as inheritance. Focus on basic spiritual lessons, and don't try to make an allegorical verse into a literal one.

You will also notice that the Qur'an is very repetitive. Perhaps this is to aid in its memorization, but it also attacks the same subject over and over again from different angels to aid in comprehension. Maybe you didn't understand it being told literally, so it is also told in a story as an example.

Details in stories are vague. If you've read the Bible, especially the Old Testament, it tells names of people, geneology, places, etc. The Qur'an doesn't because it focuses on the essense of the story instead of the "weird and the wonderful". The stories are not to amaze one with some fancy miracle, rather they tell us how to bring what that story tells us into our every day life. The stories go straight to the point. Within the story it can also be told out of order, with the chronological beginning at the end, the end at the middle and the middle at the beginning. I'm tell you this because it is a style we don't normally run into.

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Suggestion 6: Read an annotated version of the translation of the meaning of the Qur'an. I suggest M. Asad's translation because of his footnotes. I just bought Ali Unal's translation, which has even more exhaustive footnotes, but I haven't finished reading it yet, so I can't give my absolute go on it.

The footnotes help because they include classical tafsir or commentary, explanations connected to hadiths (prophetic sayings), explain the Arabic, and put the verses into a historical context. These footnotes are often the best first step towards answering questions that you have as you read.

If you have questions, don't jump to conclusions because that is not scholarly, it is just plain ignorance. Thinking that you know something absolute without learning from someone that does know is the first sign that you actually know nothing.

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Related posts to this one:
"Advice for Approaching the Qur'an for the First Time"
"Diagram for Divine Messages"
"The Noble Qur'an"
"Qur'an and Reason"