Years ago my Sufi master advised me to skim the Qur'an instead of reading it line by line. Whenever a verse caught my attention I was to stop and read it carefully, then contemplate its meaning. My teacher also had me keep a notebook in which I wrote down the verses that most deeply touched me. Once I began this practice, the Qur'an changed from being a collection of obscure historical references and inexplicable passages to a source of great wisdom and inspiration.
— Robert Frager, The Wisdom of Islam