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[quote=Muslima][quote=Anonymous]
I think everybody should have to read the Quran (and the New Testament and key parts of the Old Testament). It's a very difficult task, though, because context is indeed vital, and this history is critical for interpreting various revelations in the Quran.

Many Quranic revelations occurred as a result of different events in the life of Mohammed and the growing Muslim community. Within Mohammed's own lifetime, Islam went from being the religion of a small group of his followers to a religion that conquered other cities and towns. This is reflected in the changing nature of the revelations. Islam gradually became more confident about challenging internal dissent and outsiders, and the later revelations are very different from the early revelations. Changes in Mohammed's own life were also accompanied by revelations (for example his first wife died and he subsequently took on additional wives, eventually going beyond the 4 wives allowed other Muslim men--historians often argue that these additional marriages were to build alliances). Thus, it's possible to pull from different parts of the Quran to support very, very different interpretations of issues. 
 
[b]However, I think asking an Imam is going to result in interpretations that are just as biased as Muslima's posts here.[/b] Similarly, "Sheikh Wikipedia" will often lead you to the rabid anti-Muslim posters. There are some thoughtful exegesis via Google and books, but it would take a whole lot of work, and a whole lot of reading, to sort the wheat from the chaff. It's not for the faint of heart![/quote]

Those who listen to the Word
[b]and follow the best meaning in it;[/b]
those are the ones whom God has guided,
and those are the ones endued
with understanding. (Qur’an 39:18)

The Qur'an was revealed 1400+ years ago, into an oral society, in the middle of the desert; for some, on the other side of the world, that's a long distance, physically and culturally. Civilization as we knew it changed dramatically in that timespan. Not to mention the language barrier, both for non-Arabs and (to a lesser extent) Arabs ; the Qur'an is in fusha, classical Arabic. Given the cultural, geological, and socio-political changes, one would conclude that the people who were there when the Qur'an was revealed* would be the best interpreters. They understand the context, the culture, the language, all of it. Aisha (radiallahu anhaa) said essentially this when asked about the prophet Muhammad saw. She said: "His personality was the Qur'an." That is: he was a walking, talking, living, breathing embodiment of the Qur'an. He understood it, lived it, and implemented it , all of it, without exception, as it was revealed to him and preserved throughout time. if you want to understand who is the best to interpret the Qur'an and sunnah, and Islam in general, the answer is the ones who are most knowledgable and closest to it. Rasulullah  died. He's gone. But he did one very important thing before he died: he taught the Qur'an to his companions, both in letter and in interpretation. They, too, died; but they passed this on to the tabi'een, who passed it on, down through the chain of scholarship throughout time until today.

For us, today, scholars are the ones who are the best fit to understand the Qur'an. Many of them spent decades of their lives studying Arabic, studying the life of rasulullah, the biographies of companions and scholars, and the various sciences (more than a dozen!) of the Qur'an  in an attempt to give us, to the best of their ability, the real, true interpretion of Islam. Yes, difference of opinion exists. It existed in the time of rasulullah (he clarified it), and it existed after him; that doesn't take away from what Islam is. This is why I said ask for the Imam's credentials, any learned Imam who understands the science of the Quran can give you a clear concise explanation of a Quranic verse you have questions about, it is not that complicated![/quote]

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