Dear Margie:

The primary issue is not the reading the Qu'ran itself, but the motivation one has to read it. There is nothing inherently wrong with a Catholic reading the Qu'ran, in-and-of-itself. So, why does your mother wish to read the Qu'ran?

If one wishes to read the religious texts of other religions certain things must be true if we are to be prudent.

1) motivation (study of comparative religions, preparation for apologetics, curiosity born of the fact that Islam is threatening our way of life and thus we ought to know something about them, etc.)

2) stability (are we firmly planted like a mighty Oak in our own religion or are we weak, unsure, or doubting the faith.)

3) knowledge (are we knowledgeable in our own faith so that we can recognize notions contrary to the faith when we read texts from other religions. Do we know our faith to the point that we can recognize subtle notions that are contrary to the faith.)

4) maturity (are we mature in the faith, firmly settled on the Rock of Faith and comfortable in our faith, not inclined to trivial issues or argumentation see [Titus 3:9-11], able to practice and apply the virtue of prudence.)

5) wisdom (do we have the wisdom to properly and safely evaluate the notions of another religion, that is, do we seek a deep understanding of the issues that are in common, and the issues to which we disagree with another religion, as to be able to prudently and wisely apply the information learned in a way that strengthens our faith.) 

Mere curiosity is not a proper motivation. If one is to take a safari into the jungles of another religion, one must be fully equipped, experienced, not inclined to rashness, fully knowledgeable about the potential dangers, securely grounded in one's own faith and values, and have a good guide (spiritual director).

I have no idea where your mother may fall in these five categories. Certainly, unless she is firmly grounded in her faith and knowledgeable about Catholic doctrine and such, it may not be prudent for her to read the Qu'ran. You will have to make those judgments.

One possibility if she insists on reading the Qu'ran is to have someone who is solidly knowledgeable in the Faith to read it along with her and to discuss the readings with her. Make it a study group. There are materials out there to help in this. For example, there is an excellent booklet by San Juan Catholic Seminars, which is a good place to start, called "How to Answer Muslims".

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary