Megan Hart: Reading through the Quran, a few first observations

I wasn't quite sure how to take it when I got “The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam” in the mail.
The book, sent by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, was one of several surprising results of my column a few weeks ago about my plan to read through the Quran. I also received a copy of the Quran with commentary (which is much longer and heavier than the commentary-free version I had been using), and a Facebook "friend request" from a medical student in Pakistan.
From the opposite viewpoint, someone sent a copy of a speech about the threat Islam presents to America, and two people suggested a DVD made by a former terrorist who converted to Christianity.
While receiving the “Complete Idiot's Guide” wasn't the most flattering moment of my career thus far, it has provided an interesting starting place for the study of Islam, as has the commentary-enhanced copy of the Quran. I have to read both, along with my uncommented copy of the Quran, with the understanding that they are written by Muslims, with obviously positive views of Islam, with the same skepticism I have for Christians writing about other religions.
So here are a few interesting notes on what I've found so far:
• There is no concept of original sin in Islam. Christians believe that Adam and Eve's original sin of disobedience to God was passed to their descendants, and all are born sinful and cannot save themselves by their actions. Therefore, they depend on faith in Jesus' power to take away their sins. By contrast, Muslims believe children are born innocent, and need only live good lives in obedience to Allah's commandments in the Quran.
• A translation of the Quran is not considered the “true” rendering of Allah's word, which Muslims believe was conveyed in Arabic because of its linguistic peculiarities. Muslims learn certain prayers in Arabic, but those who live in non-Arabic speaking countries are not required to study the language. They can do so, read translations, or trust the interpretation of those who can read Arabic.
• Muslims believe that the Quran was revealed by Allah to Muhammad in one big piece, almost as if it were downloaded to his brain. Therefore, they believe the Quran is entirely the word of God, and Muhammad's role was basically to transmit it orally to his followers, who later wrote it down. Most Christians, however, acknowledge that the Bible was written by multiple people over time, which sometimes creates disputes about what was the true word of God, and what was commentary by the authors.
I'm still slowly making my way through the Quran, as I did with the Bible when I was in college. Keep checking MLive for updates, or even better, join me in reading. You might find a few surprises.

NIni/mlive