How to understand the Quran?

Submitted by needhelp (Switzerland), Oct 20, 2009 at 15:23

The article says "The casual reader has no idea which of these [verses] is operational." Because the quran is "Complex and contradictory".
I'm interested in reading the quran - though i'm not willing to spend all my life in studing history and Arabic.

So my simple question: Where can I find something written, that tells me what is operational and what isnt?
And little bit more difficult: What meaning do the non-operational verses have to me? Why should I read them?
Thanx a lot for any help!

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