icehorse said:
The problem I have with your answer is that the Quran says that the Quran is clear, understandable, and eternal
Seyyed Hossein Nasr likened the Qur'an to a tree that bears fruit. Within it is wisdom and guidance for all manner of humanity. A man who is not capable of looking at it in depth still is able to taste the fruit that comes from following and reading the book, but as one commits and finds them self within the Qur'an itself the rewards are then reflected in the effort.
What you yield depends on how much you put in, but it is clear and understandable as it is multifaceted.
icehorse said:
the Quran's messages do not depend on what happened ~1400 years ago in Medina or Mecca or anywhere else.
When I say you need context it applies to a great many things. For example the context of what the scripture itself is saying. If you take ayat 191 from Surat al baqarah for example and bold certain portions, it is not yielding anything other than what is obvious from such a confined reading. But if you study the Qur'an holistically and let it speak for itself, instead of quote mining it, then the meaning can often be drastically different than the seemingly obvious one gleaned from such a narrow view point.
In another sense the Qur'an is a living document and it is simultaneously a historical document in that revelations came as they were relevant to Prophet Muhammad's life. That is why Muslims, Sunni and Shi'ite, place the utmost emphasis on understanding the nature of revelation as it was during the Prophetic life to understand how it applies to our own life.
Furthermore Muslims see the Prophet as the absolute guide towards Allah, from whom our understanding of our faith, which he preached, depends on.
So when I say that you need to understand the "context" it applies to a variety of things and methodologies.
