First Class: Islam

In class today we read and listened to sections of the Qur'an. I was really surprised that reading the words and then hearing them aloud, were so different. On paper the words didn't sounds all too unfamiliar. It definitely had its own specific rhythm and style, but it didn't differ from the Bible or the Torah all that much. Once we listened to recordings of the Qur'an being read (or sung), the difference became much more pronounced. It was as if hearing it aloud in the thick Arabic voice, transformed the words into something I could not identify with at all. This reminded me of something that Lauren said in class today. It seems to be the case that people of all religions are hesitant about Islam but the feeling does not go both ways. Hearing and reading the Qur'an taught me that while something may appear different out loud or at face value, that does not mean that once you decipher its inner meaning it is not very much the same.