To read a translation of the meaning or the Qur'an is perfectly permissible. A Muslim who does not know Arabic should try to understand the message of the Qur'an by consulting a translation in a language he knows.

To read the Qur'an is an act of worship, for which one is rewarded. We have learned that we are credited with good deed for every letter of every word of the Qur'an we utter. On the other hand, to invite people to a meal and to be hospitable to them is an act of kindness which strengthens social ties. Therefore, it is encouraged by Islam and the host receives a reward for his hospitality. So, both actions are proper and acceptable. However, when you combine them and make the latter i.e. the feast, attendant on the former which is the recitation of the Qur'an, you are making a ritual which needs to be considered according to the teachings of the Prophet and the practice of his companions.

What happens on such an occasion is for everyone of the guests to read a part of the Qur'an, probably one thirtieth. Combined together, their recitation is considered to complete the Qur'an. Since no person can read the Qur'an complete in an hour or two, his guests are considering to be doing him the privilege of completing over a very short time. Hence, he is exceptionally hospitable to them. What should be said about this practice is that the reading of the Qur'an in this fashion has little to do with the purpose for which the Qur'an has been revealed. Allah has sent down the Qur'an as a guide for mankind to take them out of darkness into light. To achieve that purpose, they have to study and understand it and to implement it in their lives. When we recite the Qur'an, our purpose is to understand and implement it. When you hold a function like that which you have described, you set in motion a mechanical operation of a quick reading with little understanding and even less implementation. Had the Prophet wanted us to do this sort of activity, he would have told his companions and they would have practiced it. As it is, nothing of this sort is recorded in the authentic books of sunnah. Therefore, we can dismiss it as an innovation.

Let me first of all point out that it is improper for any person to ask why Allah has chosen a particular method or line of action when another could have achieved better results. To put a question in this way gives the impression that we, human beings, could have given better advice to Allah on how to conduct His business. Far be it from us to do so. We believe in His wisdom and His ability to accomplish His purpose any time, in whatever method He chooses.

You speak of avoiding conflict, but conflict in human life is not of Allah's making. It is the result of what human beings do. Besides, conflict will remain a characteristic of human life as long as human beings continue to be greedy and to covet what belongs to others. Today, there are numerous conflicts in the world and very few of these have a religious basis or are influenced by religious considerations. Some of them are between members of the same religion and the same nation. Even among Muslims, conflicts erupt every now and then. Therefore, to suggest that had Allah sent down the Qur'an right at the beginning all conflicts would have been spared is a statement that cannot be supported by history.

Allah has sent Prophets and messengers to all communities. He has chosen to tell us about some of them, while He has chosen not to tell us about others. Of those He has mentioned, some received messages and scriptures, most notably Moses and Jesus. Allah has told us well that He gave scriptures to Prophet Ibrahim and He gave the Psalms to Prophet Dawood. But He has sent many other prophets who had confirmed messages and scriptures revealed earlier. Each one of these prophets was sent to his own community, speaking to them in their own language. However, they all preached the message of the Oneness of Allah. You will not find any difference in the original concept preached by those prophets. When Allah tells us about them in the Qur'an, He uses the same words to describe how each one of them approached his task and explained to his people that there is no deity save Allah. The differences between these messages were in matters of detail, and they related mainly to the field of practices. In essence, all these messages were the same.

The Qur'an, on the other hand, is Allah's message to mankind. It is not limited to any particular community or group. It embodies a complete way of life for people to implement. It supersedes all previous messages. Therefore, its later revelation does not make for conflict, but for peace and brotherhood. It serves as an ultimate verdict to decide what is acceptable to Allah and what is not. We can say that Allah chose to send these messages to people at different stages of their development. When humanity had reached its maturity, Allah sent down the Qur'an as His final word. He has guaranteed to preserve the Qur'an as a permanent source of guidance for all mankind. Yet that does not prevent conflict from erupting. Had the Qur'an been sent down 20 centuries earlier, how could conflict be prevented? Its later revelation is not a cause of conflict. Indeed, much of the conflict is stirred up in order to suppress the Qur'an and to prevent people from listening to its message and implementing it. What this means in actual fact is that the conflict in the human world does not arise from the number of messages Allah revealed to His prophets, but from the fact that human beings want to turn away from the divine message in order to follow their own desires. The conflict is between the forces of the truth, represented by the divine messages, and the forces of evil which want human beings to pay no heed to what Allah has revealed.

You ask about the frequent reference to Arabs and the Jews in the Qur'an. The references to the Arabs are not on any racial or community basis. They happened to be the first community to be addressed by the message of the Qur'an and the Prophet was one of them. Therefore, they received the immediate address. However, it is a well-known fact that what is addressed to the Arabs is indeed addressed to all mankind. The message of the Qur'an is addressed to every human being in all ages.

Since the message of the Qur'an is meant to be translated into practical life so that a community of believers is established, references are made to a previous community which was established on the basis of a divine message, namely the Jewish community. Thus, the Children of Israel serve as a model for subsequent communities who wish to establish the divine message and implement it. Since the Children of Israel had a long history of being addressed by prophets, their attitude at different times and stages are quoted so that people can guard against committing the same mistakes as the Children of Israel. Every incident quoted serves either as an example to follow or a lesson to learn or a mistake to avoid. In this way, any community of believers has much to learn.