Is it alright for a Catholic (or any Christian really) to read the Koran?

[BrianH]

I read significant parts of it. It is hard to explain what my impressions were. The Koran is a lot like reading some of the Psalms or maybe even Lamentations or some of the minor prophets. It skips around. You probably will not know the context. I thought it was a difficult read. I was initially motivated but quit after a little over half.
I think the beauty and power of the Koran is obviously going to be felt by those who believe it already. Muslims will know the concepts and theology behind it.
I really think these words of caution are unneccessary. I would be surprised if it would have that much of an effect on a Christian but I could be wrong.

 

[austenbosten]

It’s alight but I think the biggest problem is not “Oh noes I’m gonna dump Jesus for Mohammad” more or less it’s the boredom of trying to get through the Koran.

and the whole thing with every chapter starting with Praise be to Allah and his prophet Muhammad…Oy vey! every page it practically starts out with that.

Honestly I found the Koran so boring I couldn’t even get through one chapter.

I think if you are founded in your faith as a Christian to read the Koran, then by all means do! Theologians like William Lane Craig (awesome:thumbsup must read the Koran if they plan on debating Moslems and of course Moslem Theologians have to read the Holy Bible in order to debate Christians.

 

[Matrix_Refugee]

Exactly: if we’re going to really understand another person’s belief system and why they believe what they believe, we need to do so with a charitable heart and mind, rather than going in all bristly and confrontational. Doing otherwise just ensures you’re going to see things in a biased light and you really won’t learn anything.

I read parts of the Koran in a comparative religion class in the last year of high school: it was very eye-opening and interesting. I’ve since bought a copy of the Koran and while I haven’t read it cover to cover, I’ve read bits of it here and there.

 

[Nicea325]

I’m a fairly devoted Catholic. I have several friends of differing faiths and have always had an interest in learning about other religions. Recently I found a copy of the Koran and began reading it, but I’ve been a bit hesitant in continuing due to doubts.

While parts of the Koran have been confronting, for the most part it’s been inspiring to read - particularly passages which speak of God’s majesty and glory. Reading it has also encouraged me to read the Bible more, to understand how the texts relate to one another and to form a greater appreciation and respect for the importance that the Koran holds for many people.

Reading the Koran hasn’t posed any threat to my faith, but even so - is it advisable for me to continue reading?

Sure why not. I do not think anyone would reject reading the Jewish Bible?

 

[sparrowhawk28]

I read significant parts of it. It is hard to explain what my impressions were. The Koran is a lot like reading some of the Psalms or maybe even Lamentations or some of the minor prophets. It skips around. You probably will not know the context. I thought it was a difficult read. I was initially motivated but quit after a little over half.
I think the beauty and power of the Koran is obviously going to be felt by those who believe it already. Muslims will know the concepts and theology behind it.
I really think these words of caution are unneccessary. I would be surprised if it would have that much of an effect on a Christian but I could be wrong.

Thanks for your insightful reply Yeah, it has been a relatively difficult book for me to read. There’s a lot of movement in the passages. But I hope to persist with it for as long as I can.

Exactly: if we’re going to really understand another person’s belief system and why they believe what they believe, we need to do so with a charitable heart and mind, rather than going in all bristly and confrontational. Doing otherwise just ensures you’re going to see things in a biased light and you really won’t learn anything.

I read parts of the Koran in a comparative religion class in the last year of high school: it was very eye-opening and interesting. I’ve since bought a copy of the Koran and while I haven’t read it cover to cover, I’ve read bits of it here and there.

Thanks for your reply I completely agree with you. Charity and openness are so important for understanding, tolerance and respect. Without them, I believe things would be a lot worse.

 

[sparrowhawk28]

It’s alight but I think the biggest problem is not “Oh noes I’m gonna dump Jesus for Mohammad” more or less it’s the boredom of trying to get through the Koran.

and the whole thing with every chapter starting with Praise be to Allah and his prophet Muhammad…Oy vey! every page it practically starts out with that.

Honestly I found the Koran so boring I couldn’t even get through one chapter.

I think if you are founded in your faith as a Christian to read the Koran, then by all means do! Theologians like William Lane Craig (awesome:thumbsup must read the Koran if they plan on debating Moslems and of course Moslem Theologians have to read the Holy Bible in order to debate Christians.

Thanks for your insight I’d just like to become more informed, and I think this is a good way of doing so.

 

[John_Paul_Jones]

I’m a fairly devoted Catholic. I have several friends of differing faiths and have always had an interest in learning about other religions. Recently I found a copy of the Koran and began reading it, but I’ve been a bit hesitant in continuing due to doubts.

If you feel “hesitant” and have “doubt” then maybe you should follow your intuition and not read it.

There are a few good Catholic books on the subject of heresy, maybe that is a better way to help prepare you to understand more about different religions.

While parts of the Koran have been confronting, for the most part it’s been inspiring to read - particularly passages which speak of God’s majesty and glory. Reading it has also encouraged me to read the Bible more, to understand how the texts relate to one another and to form a greater appreciation and respect for the importance that the Koran holds for many people.

Well I would say don’t read the Bible for the similarities between the two. There is deeper meaning and purpose for the Bible and that should be the primary reason and motivation behind reading Scripture.

Reading the Koran hasn’t posed any threat to my faith, but even so - is it advisable for me to continue reading?

Hypothetically if I said ‘go ahead read the koran there’s no harm’ I feel I would be giving credence to the koran especially the parts where it says Jesus is not the Son of God and the Crucifixion of our Lord did not happen - so I can’t. I should be bearing witness to Jesus Christ not islam. I myself would not advise anyone to read the koran.

 

[Bezant]

I don’t think you should read the Qur’ān unless you are a seasoned apologist who is very knowedgeable about the Christian faith. Even then, you should only be reading it if you are going to refute it or bring Muslims to the Christian faith.

With all due respect, but I think that your take is narrow-minded. Perhaps it’s not appropriate for someone who doesn’t know his faith (and even that’s debatable), but I think most people’s faith can withstand it.

The god of the Qur’ān is not the Holy Trinity.
The Qur’ān specifically says “He [Allah] begetteth not, nor is he begotten” (Qur’ān 112:3).

There are more than enough verses in the Hebrew Bible that would contradict the Trinitarian view, if it wasn’t viewed through the New Testament.

This is a direct contradiction of the Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The god of Islam was an Arabian moon god idol worshipped alongside other idols in the Ka’ba in Mecca (the most holy shrine of Islam) Why is the crescent moon the emblem of Islam? Think about it.

Just as there are theories about the gods pantheon that “inspired” (for lack of a better word) the Quranic God, so there are also theories about the Canaanite gods who “inspired” Yahweh. Using these theories to tell believers who their God “really” is, and de-legitimatise the entire religion by implication, is very offensive IMO.

The Qur’ān is an evil book, full of verses calling for war against unbelievers.

And at the same time verses that command tolerance towards them.

To see the real Islam, I recommend Prophet of Doom by Craig Winn.

Who is Craig Winn that I should believe his viewpoint exposes the “real” Islam?

It’s ironic that you don’t like the idea of one casually reading the actual source, but you’re keen to show Islam through an author that backs your opinion.

Islam is the sworn enemy of Christ and Christianity, and we should not let political correctness or religious tolerance cloud our judgement.

It takes much more than “political correctness” and “religious tolerance” to make a Christian put Islam ahead of Christianity.

Their goal is to Islamise the world and make us all live under Shari’ah law.

And one of our goals is to make the world Christian. Go figure.

 

[Bezant]

I’m expecting any moment now to be accused of being a closet Muslim…

 

[sparrowhawk28]

If you feel “hesitant” and have “doubt” then maybe you should follow your intuition and not read it.

There are a few good Catholic books on the subject of heresy, maybe that is a better way to help prepare you to understand more about different religions.

Well I would say don’t read the Bible for the similarities between the two. There is deeper meaning and purpose for the Bible and that should be the primary reason and motivation behind reading Scripture.

Hypothetically if I said ‘go ahead read the koran there’s no harm’ I feel I would be giving credence to the koran especially the parts where it says Jesus is not the Son of God and the Crucifixion of our Lord did not happen - so I can’t. I should be bearing witness to Jesus Christ not islam. I myself would not advise anyone to read the koran.

Thank you for your reply, you make good points. The issue of intuition was one that came to mind initially for me.

Yes, the Koran does challenge the divine nature of Christ. A couple of weeks ago I was speaking with one of my Muslim friends (who actually went to my Catholic primary school), and it was hard to hear her speak about “Prophet Jesus”. Yet she respects my faith so beautifully - I feel that I should do the same with her and with each person I come across who presents a different belief system. And to me, reading the Koran seems a good way not only to gain knowledge, but also to be able to maintain true understanding of and respect for Islamic belief - despite the fact that I don’t adhere to it myself.

I strive to love God and Jesus above anything else. My faith resides within my heart, it keeps me strong and grounded and encourages me to be a witness to Christ. The Koran is challenging for me to read, but perhaps the Bible is also challenging for non-Christians. It might sound silly, but the fact that it contradicts elements of Christianity does not seem like a reason for me to stop reading. In fact, it makes my desire to learn, understand and tolerate even stronger.

 

[sparrowhawk28]

With all due respect, but I think that your take is narrow-minded. Perhaps it’s not appropriate for someone who doesn’t know his faith (and even that’s debatable), but I think most people’s faith can withstand it.

There are more than enough verses in the Hebrew Bible that would contradict the Trinitarian view, if it wasn’t viewed through the New Testament.

Just as there are theories about the gods pantheon that “inspired” (for lack of a better word) the Quranic God, so there are also theories about the Canaanite gods who “inspired” Yahweh. Using these theories to tell believers who their God “really” is, and de-legitimatise the entire religion by implication, is very offensive IMO.

And at the same time verses that command tolerance towards them.

Who is Craig Winn that I should believe his viewpoint exposes the “real” Islam?

It’s ironic that you don’t like the idea of one casually reading the actual source, but you’re keen to show Islam through an author that backs your opinion.

It takes much more than “political correctness” and “religious tolerance” to make a Christian put Islam ahead of Christianity.

And one of our goals is to make the world Christian. Go figure.

I’m expecting any moment now to be accused of being a closet Muslim…

I appreciate your views. Perhaps it’s wrong of me to do so, but I’ve always believed that, as Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam worship the same God (though obviously in different ways).

 

[Michael85]

Craig Winn has actually spoken to Islamic terrorists, and when he asked them why they do what they are doing, they replied “Islam”. His site is not a “hate” site - he is trying to convince Muslims that their religion is wrong. Would it be ‘hateful’ to warn a blind man about to walk off a cliff of the danger that lay ahead? Of course not.

The Qur’ān is its own worst detractor, which is one reason why the Muslims want to keep it in Arabic. Winn quotes extensively from the Qur’ān, Hadith (including Sahih Al-Bukhari and At-Tabari), and Sira (biography of Muhammad). The Islamic “scriptures” speak for themselves.

Father Zakaria Botros, a Coptic Orthodox priest, also has a lot of good material refuting Islam on his website.

The bottom line is: unless you’re actively engaged in apologetics or evangelism toward Muslims, why do you need to read the Qur’ān? It’s riddled with grammatical mistakes. But more importantly, Muhammad claimed to have seen the Angel Gabriel who revealed the Qur’ān to him. As Christians, we know that Muhammad did not see Gabriel (read Galatians 1:8). As such, the Qur’ān is at best the ramblings of a sex-crazed Arab who used it to gain money, women and power. At worst it is a demonic revelation, given to Muhammad by Satan or one of his demons.

 

[sparrowhawk28]

Craig Winn has actually spoken to Islamic terrorists, and when he asked them why they do what they are doing, they replied “Islam”. His site is not a “hate” site - he is trying to convince Muslims that their religion is wrong. Would it be ‘hateful’ to warn a blind man about to walk off a cliff of the danger that lay ahead? Of course not.

The Qur’ān is its own worst detractor, which is one reason why the Muslims want to keep it in Arabic. Winn quotes extensively from the Qur’ān, Hadith (including Sahih Al-Bukhari and At-Tabari), and Sira (biography of Muhammad). The Islamic “scriptures” speak for themselves.

Father Zakaria Botros, a Coptic Orthodox priest, also has a lot of good material refuting Islam on his website.

The bottom line is: unless you’re actively engaged in apologetics or evangelism toward Muslims, why do you need to read the Qur’ān? It’s riddled with grammatical mistakes. But more importantly, Muhammad claimed to have seen the Angel Gabriel who revealed the Qur’ān to him. As Christians, we know that Muhammad did not see Gabriel (read Galatians 1:8). As such, the Qur’ān is at best the ramblings of a sex-crazed Arab who used it to gain money, women and power. At worst it is a demonic revelation, given to Muhammad by Satan or one of his demons.

I respect what you are saying, however, I believe it’s important to remember that faith is overwhelmingly subjective. Terrorism is not limited to Islam - there have been Christian terrorists too. But stereotyping and prejudice often disguises this fact.

I do not NEED to read the Koran. It’s not essential. Rather, it’s something I’d like to do. Something that (as I’ve outlined in earlier responses) I believe would provide me with the means to understand Islamic faith and doctrine more deeply, to be able to engage more completely in dialectical arguments, and to be able to maintain the level of respect for Islam that I desire for my own religion.

 

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[Michael85]

I respect what you are saying, however, I believe it’s important to remember that faith is overwhelmingly subjective. Terrorism is not limited to Islam - there have been Christian terrorists too. But stereotyping and prejudice often disguises this fact.

Christianity does not support terrorism. Islam tells its followers to fight for Allah. The only way to be assured of going to paradise in Islam is to die fighting for Allah. Which is exactly what these terrorists are doing.

I do not NEED to read the Koran. It’s not essential. Rather, it’s something I’d like to do. Something that (as I’ve outlined in earlier responses) I believe would provide me with the means to understand Islamic faith and doctrine more deeply, to be able to engage more completely in dialectical arguments, and to be able to maintain the level of respect for Islam that I desire for my own religion.

You should respect Muslims as people. And truly respecting them means that you want the best for them, and that is for them to be saved, which can only be done through Jesus Christ. So therefore, respecting Muslims means leading them to the truth of Christ.

You should not have any respect for Islam. It is a false religion. The Qur’ān blasphemes Christ - it says that He was not crucified, and it puts lies in His mouth. To quote Pope Felix III:

“Not to oppose error is to approve it; and not to defend truth is to suppress it, and, indeed, to neglect to confound evil men—when we can do it—is no less a sin than to encourage them.”

 

[hamba2han]

When I was a kid, I certainly used to feel uncomfortable and even a strange sense of guilt whenever I read verses and passages of the Bible.

I no longer feel any such unease when I read the Bible now… or any other scripture for that matter.

The truth will set you free from these feelings of guilt and discomfort.

 

[sparrowhawk28]

Christianity does not support terrorism. Islam tells its followers to fight for Allah. The only way to be assured of going to paradise in Islam is to die fighting for Allah. Which is exactly what these terrorists are doing.

Islam is, for the most part, a religion of peace. The word “Islam” actually derives from a word meaning “peace”. I believe a great deal of terrorist acts are the result of misunderstanding and of fundamentalism. Are not Christians expected to “fight” for God? To be witnesses to Christ? Is it not remotely possible that a Christian could take this to mean literal violence?
There is fundamentalism within every religion - not just within Islam.

You should respect Muslims as people. And truly respecting them means that you want the best for them, and that is for them to be saved, which can only be done through Jesus Christ. So therefore, respecting Muslims means leading them to the truth of Christ.

I do respect them as people, very much. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t associate with them and I wouldn’t try to understand them.
Of course it’s difficult to consider that the Muslim people I know may not be saved. Maybe they feel the same difficulty when thinking about me. In my mind, God is the truest judge. He decides, not me.

You should not have any respect for Islam. It is a false religion. The Qur’ān blasphemes Christ - it says that He was not crucified, and it puts lies in His mouth. To quote Pope Felix III:

“Not to oppose error is to approve it; and not to defend truth is to suppress it, and, indeed, to neglect to confound evil men—when we can do it—is no less a sin than to encourage them.”

Would you want Muslims to respect Christianity?
I do not follow Islam, but that does not mean that it is completely unworthy of my respect and time.

 

[sparrowhawk28]

When I was a kid, I certainly used to feel uncomfortable and even a strange sense of guilt whenever I read verses and passages of the Bible.

I no longer feel any such unease when I read the Bible now… or any other scripture for that matter.

The truth will set you free from these feelings of guilt and discomfort.

Thank you for your reply. What, may I ask, do you believe is the truth?

 

[Bezant]

I appreciate your views. Perhaps it’s wrong of me to do so, but I’ve always believed that, as Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam worship the same God (though obviously in different ways).

We all agree in my opinion that He exists, he makes covenants with people in varying exclusivity, and these covenants tell the true story of how the world is and should be.

 

[Bezant]

Craig Winn has actually spoken to Islamic terrorists, and when he asked them why they do what they are doing, they replied “Islam”. His site is not a “hate” site - he is trying to convince Muslims that their religion is wrong. Would it be ‘hateful’ to warn a blind man about to walk off a cliff of the danger that lay ahead? Of course not. The Qur’ān is its own worst detractor, which is one reason why the Muslims want to keep it in Arabic. Winn quotes extensively from the Qur’ān, Hadith (including Sahih Al-Bukhari and At-Tabari), and Sira (biography of Muhammad). The Islamic “scriptures” speak for themselves. Father Zakaria Botros, a Coptic Orthodox priest, also has a lot of good material refuting Islam on

Winn is not a scholar or expert on Islam. He’s a retired businessman and apparently, he’s not been a good expert on finance either.

The bottom line is: unless you’re actively engaged in apologetics or evangelism toward Muslims, why do you need to read the Qur’ān?

The bottom line is, you’re not willing to hold Christianity to the same standards you apply to Islam.

It’s riddled with grammatical mistakes.

Rubbish. The Quran is the framework and most formal expression of the Arabic language.