How do you benefit from reading the Qur'an?

The Qur'an is like an instruction manual for mankind. Like complex electrical goods which come with their own instruction manuals in order to make the products work at their best, the Qur'an is a guide for humanity.

It is not just a collection of sacred texts to be ritually memorised and recited, the Qur'an is a guide, a map and at times, a prescription for humans, as ordained by the One which created us.

Given the significance of the Qur'an, and given further that these are the direct words of God, we should respect what we are about to read by according an amount of physical and spiritual preparation first.

Physical preparation: involves being in a state of cleanliness and purity, for example, dressing in clean and modest clothes, and to purify yourself physically.

Spiritual preparation: involves being in the state of mind that would help the reader obtain the divine benefit of the messages. The first prerequisite of personalizing Qur'an to us is absolute humility and humbleness to Allah SWT. The more we are poor to Allah and the more we are aware of our ignorance and acknowledge our need for Allah SWT and His divine guidance, the more we will be granted, by the will of our Creator, the in-depth understanding of the Qur'an. Also important is the sincerity and honesty of the reader.

[psychoslice]

I've read the Qur'an but it did nothing for me, I thought it was too much like the old testament, and not much love, but that's my onion.

I've heard that there are many who believe in "the Bible" as the word of God. Personally I don't have the stamina to read huge amounts of any sacred texts but I'm guided by the teachings of a few great souls and firmly believe in "Love for God and for Mankind" as the foremost requirement for developing spiritually.

- My opinion only.