Up to Interpretation?

            According to Tariq Ramadan’s New York Times article, the Quar’an acts like a bridge between an individual Muslim and the creator. It is the word of God. Through the text, God is speaking to the individual and the individual’s values and individual Islamic values. In Christianity, I feel like God is sending a message through the Bible. This message is then supported by many examples, which reinforce the message. These are meant to be deciphered by God’s followers, but have been used for many different reasons.

            Although the Qur’an is God speaking directly to all Muslims, it is accepted that the readings can be interpreted and have meaning for an individual, just as Christianity generally believes and some Jewish sects suppose. Additionally, when Muslims interpret God’s message and the content of the Qua’ran, the interpretations embody and engulf the ethics and the moral values of Islam as a whole, which is similar to the Judeo-Christian tradition, as I understand it.

            As a “good” Christian or Muslim, a follower is expected to take the values God gives—communicated through Scripture—and use them positively in his or her life.

            The Qua’ran, so far, sounds more concrete. The message seems less flexible, stronger and MUST be followed than what I have learned of the Torah and Bible. I do not yet know whether or not this is a product of my understanding of people who are culturally associated with Muslim countries, as I am more familiar with Judeo-Christian theologies and cultures. With this in mind, it seems to me that as world views progress, interpretations of both the Bible and the Torah are more flexible than those of the Qua’ran.