Gabriella,
Nor do I provided you treat it as you would any other verse that happened to be attempting some moral proposals. As I understand it though most Muslims think it’s a lot more than that (which is why for example some of their children have to recite it in Madrasars in what passes for education), but if you don’t then so be it.
The Quran is believed to be the word of God. Muslims believe there is a blessing in reciting it in Arabic, even if they don't understand what they are reciting because they don't understand Arabic.
Lots of Muslims can recite the Quran in Arabic but they are not comprehending it as they recite as they don't know Arabic vocab, grammar etc. They might know what some of the words and verses mean because they have learned the meaning when they are studying the meaning of verses using translations of the Quran in their native language.
I can recite the Quran in Arabic but only know limited vocab. But reciting together is a useful bonding exercise - better than watching TV as you have to use your brain to decipher the letters and blend them together. Sometimes each person takes a turn to recite a section and everyone else reads along and corrects them if they make a mistake; sometimes we recite at the same time so you get to practise without having to be in the spotlight. You tend to feel good after you have completed it.
If some Muslims think the Quran is all they need as their education they have obviously decided not to follow the reported Hadith on seeking knowledge and education.
Yes you are – the “basic principles” of legal instruments require relatively little interpretation yet those of the Quran are it seems are all interpretation, which is why your analogy failed. Not because of a binary difference between them, but because of the difference in purpose and in clarity.
No I am not. My point was that even something that was meant to be a legal instrument requires interpretation, so of course something that is not a legal document such as the Quran, in verse form, will require interpretation.
Maybe they are, but that doesn’t imply that they should be treated as anything other than guessing when those who think them personally important overreach into the asserting them to be therefore true.
How they should be treated depends on what the person making that decision thinks they gain by treating the claim as something more. For example, if someone feels they are a man even though biologically they are a woman, I could say it's all in your head, or I could humour them and agree they are a man trapped in a woman's body. If I choose to do the latter, it is because I perceive a benefit to someone from respecting their perspective.
Perhaps, but essentially what I’m hearing you say I think is that you treat your faith as a type of aesthetics. Just as you might find a painting or a piece of music to be meaningful to you, that’s all you think it to be.
That makes you rare I think among those who typically call themselves “Muslim”, and I’m surprised that you’re content to share the label given what most others seem to mean by it instead but there you go.
I can't make it meaningful to someone else, so I have no choice but for it only to be meaningful to me. Freedom of religion - to believe or not believe - is in the Quran. If other Muslims think differently, it's probably a reflection of the increasing importance of identity politics, no platforming stuff that is going on in the UK - something I have very little interest in. I have no need for someone else to validate my identity or beliefs and I don't have a problem with people holding different beliefs and perspectives from me.
