Reddit reviews The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quran-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-ebook/dp/B001ODEPPI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425321400&sr=8-1&keywords=quran

Your request is an interesting one. You want to know Islam, but in context I am gathering this is all completely new to you. I am not Muslim, but majored in Islamic studies and studied Arabic in the Middle East, so I have a more thorough academic background in Islam than most, and I, like you, started out knowing little to nothing.

Although others might suggest reading the Qur'an or some academic books, I think for someone like you it might be more helpful to start someplace else. There is an agnostic Jewish woman who writes about Islam named Lesley Hazelton. I would start with her book The First Muslim: the Story of Muhammad. She writes in a novel-like tone that really helps introduce people to the history of Islam.

Then, if you want to read the Qur'an, I would say you need to start with two things.

1. You need to get a list of the Surahs (aka chapters) in chronological order. This is important because if you read the Qur'an as it is traditionally arranged you go from the really short first surah, to a really long one with lots of laws and zero context. It is more helpful to someone new to Islam to picture themselves as a 7th century Arab, and receiving the Qur'an for the first time. So read the Surahs in chronological order instead.
   
   
2. Get a translation of the Qur'an that is easy to read. I have lots of experience with reading the Qur'an with people like yourself who have no prior experience and background. In my last Qur'anic study group we started out reading each Surah from about 8 different translations, just to hear the different interpretations of the original Arabic. Over time however, one stood out as being the easiest for new people to read and understand. It is the Haleem translation, it is a fairly recent translation so it is not on the radar of very many people, but in my experience it offers a good amount of notes and introductions, without being overwhelming for first time Islam students. Of course some people will insist that in order to really understand the Qur'an you have to read it in Arabic, and yes that is true, but reading this translation is a good place to start.

An accessible translation would be the Oxford World Classics English translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. It'll run you about $6 USD for a paperback version or a digital version

I think /u/dontlookatmyahole's suggestions of not reading in the default order is quite reasonable. The order that the Qur'an has been compiled in is not in chronological order of the revelation, so another order you could try is a rough chronological order. This Wikipedia article contains two different proposed chronological orderings (I'm not aware which is considered more accurate).

Can you expand on what you said "because I don't get it?" I fasted all my life, and then after leaving home I questioned what I was fasting for. Subsequently there were 2 ramadan's that I didn't fast, but I found my way back through reading a good english translation of the quran (e.g. this one). The truth you tell yourself sets you free to figure out what to do.

I'm sick of this shit. Again, and again people are being arrested for posting 'offensive' things online.

http://www.yorkshirestandard.co.uk/news/19-year-old-released-on-bail-after-alleged-koran-burning-video-9133/

This is just the latest. Well, I'm going to make my own video and post it. It's the least I can do to stand up for freedom of speech in my country.

I hope at least a couple of you will join me. I love Muslims by the way and there are plenty of other holy books to burn:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Holy-Bible-Authorized-James-Version/dp/0007103077/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quran-Oxford-Worlds-Classics-ebook/dp/B001ODEPPI/

So burn a holy book. Just take a picture of the book burning and post it online with why you're doing it. You don't have to post your name or other details if you don't want to. Just a pic of the book burning, should take less than ten minutes.

This one is recommended by AbdulNasir Jangda. I have it and it's very simple English and light to carry around. Also available on Kindle

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001ODEPPI/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_t8QYAbSFSQ5VT