Here are two things that are absolutely, positively required of all Muslims, so far as the Qur'an is concerned:
1. First of all, all Muslims -- men as well as women -- must learn to read the Qur'an, properly and correctly, in the original Arabic language and script.
There are no ifs or buts about it. This is what all Muslims -- men and women both -- are supposed to do.
It is part of the Universalization of Education for which Islam came into this world.
2. Second, all Muslims -- men as well as women -- must read the entire Qur'an, cover to cover, from the "Alif" of Alhamdulillah to the "Seen" of Minal Jinnati Wannaas, with translation in their own language, and with minimum notes and commentary from those same books.
Most translations of the Qur'an have notes and brief commentaries in the margins.
Muslims have no excuse for not doing these two things.
Or for doing one and not doing the other.
This is also part of the same purpose of Universalization of Education for which Islam came into this world.
However, at the same time, Muslims must NO LONGER allow one fellow to take one Aayat of the Qur'an and hold forth for hours on what it means in the name of giving so-called Tafseer.
This is part of Deprofessionalzation and Declericization and Detheologization of Islam.
It is time for Muslims to put an end to this mostly priestly practice and deprofessionalize and declericise and detheologize Islam.
And return the Qur'an -- and Islam -- to ordinary Muslims to read and to understand.
All of which is part of the overall purpose of Democratization of Islamic societies, which is one of Islam's greatest contributions to human culture and civilization.
So, let us get on with it Muslims!
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