Qur'anic Exegetical Studies

Title in English: "Studies on the the historical and doctrinal genesis of Islam - Bruno Bonnet-Eymard and the French school of scholarly skepticism"

ENG. The article presents briefly the scholarly theory on the historical and dogmatic origins of Islam by the modern French researcher Bruno Bonnet-Eymard, with an attempt to classify its place in the modern field of Islamic studies. The result of over thirty years of Bonnet-Eymard’s work is his translation of the first five Qur’anic suras into French, with their comprehensive critical edition, prepared on the basis of his own philological, historical and theological exegesis. Bonnet-Eymard, belonging to the Islamicist skeptical school, attempts to read the Arabic Qur’anic text also from the perspective of other Semitic languages - mainly Hebrew and Syriac. Regardless of the flaws and merits of Bonnet-Eymard’s exegesis it surely is a valuable source of scholarly insights, conclusions and linguistic remarks that cannot be overestimated for modern critical studies of the Qur’anic text.

PL. Artykuł przedstawia pokrótce teorię naukową współczesnego francuskiego badacza Bruno Bonnet-Eymard dotyczącą historyczno-dogmatycznej genezy islamu, wraz z jej miejscem we współczesnej islamistyce. Owocem trzydziestu lat jego pracy jest tłumaczenie kilku pierwszych sur Koranu na język francuski, wraz z ich obszernym wydaniem krytycznym, opracowanym na podstawie własnej egzegezy filologicznej, historycznej i teologicznej. Bonnet-Eymard, należący do szkoły islamistów-sceptyków, odczytuje arabski tekst koraniczny również przez pryzmat innych języków semickich – głównie hebrajskiego i syryjskiego. Niezależnie od meritum wysnutych wniosków, egzegeza Bonnet-Eymard stanowi kopalnię wartościowych spostrzeżeń, wniosków i skojarzeń językowych nie do przecenienia dla krytyczno-naukowych studiów nad tekstem koranicznym.

The main theme of al-Fatihah is that all acts of worship should be dedicated wholly and solely to Almighty God and shall be carried out with total devotion. Additionally, al-Qurtubi (1: 112) is of the opinion that it is called al-Qur’an al-Adim because it encapsulates the totality of Qur’anic knowledge: “Praise of Almighty God with the Attributes of His Mightiness and Perfection, the command to worship Him with devotion, confessing that one is unable to carry out worship without seeking Divine help, beseeching God for guidance to the Straight Path, saving one from the ways of the misguided and making clear the final destination of the Deniers”.
The key to understanding al-Fatihah is to think of it as a form of prayer or supplication, in which Believers begin by extending their thankfulness to Allah and praise to Him, then they tell of their dedication to His worship alone, only to ask Him at the end to guide them to the Straight Path, which leads to the Almighty’s Pleasure, the ultimate goal that one strives to achieve in this life.

Da bi se razumjelo mjesto razuma i racionalnosti u Kur’anu te kasnijoj islamskoj intelektualnoj tradiciji, autor istražuje novu ontološku osnovu razuma i način promišljanja koji je u Kur’anu uveden i tako potaknut kroz kazivanja, dove, dedukcije, silogizme, naredbe, upozorenja, pohvale, obećanja o nagradi i kazni. Bogati popis logičkih dedukcija i moralnih podsticanja koje pronalazimo u Kur’anu i Hadisu imaju namjeru razbuditi nam svijest da bismo mogli početi koristiti svoje osjetilne i racionalne sposobnosti na način koji pristaje našem stanju egzistencije.

Although there are various methods of Qur'anic interpretation with various rules laid down by Qur'anic interpreters (mufassirīn), there is only one approach that the Qur'an sanctions, which is a linguistic approach. Since the Arabic language is rich in polysemy, this study introduces the method of intertextual polysemy in Qur'anic hermeneutics, which is independent of traditional approaches of exegesis, such as interpretation by precedence and circumstances of revelation. It analyzes the root meanings of the Arabic terms used in the Qur'an and relating to how the Qur'an uses different morphologies of the same root in different verses. When connecting the terms in the Qur'an it brings forth a different perspective of how to interpret the text. The study illustrates three different examples to understand the extent of intertextual polysemy in exegesis by i) relating the Qur'anic text with itself, ii) relating the phonetic expression of the Qur'an with the text, and iii) relating ritual with the text. In all cases, we find a unique understanding for Qur'anic interpretation, which would not be seen through classical approaches. This sheds light on the various possibilities for the role of intertextual polysemy in understanding deeper meanings of the Qur'an.

Perjalanan penafsiran pada al-Qur'an tentunya tak akan berhenti. Ia akan terus berjalan sesuai orang yang memahaminya. Namun, ada problematika mendasar pada bidang ini, dari masa awal penafsiran sampai masa kini, yaitu pertarungan antara paham tekstualis dan kontekstualis. Pertarungan ini tentunya didasarkan pada asumsi yang berbeda pula, antara sakralitas dan diksursus, merupakan salah satu diantara sekian banyak asumsi yang muncul dari mereka. Tentunya, tidak mengherankan jika ada orang yang ingin menjadi penengah dintara keduanya, adalah Abdullah Saeed, sebagai seorang ulama syaria'h modern, dia mencoba merambah pada dunia tafsir. Hal ini terlihat dengan jelas bagaiana ia merumuskan metodologinya dalam masterpiece-nya, Interpretating the Qur'an dan an Introduction to Qur'an. Namun, bukan berarti Saeed tidak membawa paradigma awal pada metodologi penafsirannya. Ia sendiri mengaku bahwa pendekatannya adalah pendekatan kaum 'kontekstualis', tetapi ia pun tidak melepas dan membuang begitu saja paham tekstual terhadap al-Qur'an. Paradigma pemikiran Saeed pun bisa dilihat dari konsep hirarki nilai dalam tafsir, yang belum dirumuskan oleh ulama satu pun, menurutnya. Oleh sebab itu, tentunya, pemahaman terhadap pemikiran Saeed pada bidang ini, akan menambah informasi dan 'mendorong' para ulama dan akademisi tafsir khususnya, bagaimana bermu'amalah dengan benar ketika berhadapan dengan paham tekstual dan kontekstual. B. BIOGRAFI ABDULLAH SAEED Abdullah Saeed adalah[1] seorang Professor Studi Arab dan Islam di Universitas Melbourne, Australia bagian barat. Ia lahir pada tanggal 25 Desember tahun 1964 di Maldives, keturunan suku bangsa Arab Oman yang berdomisili di kepulauan Maldives yang telah menjadi negara Republik. Dalam proses belajarnya, Saeed meraih gelar kesarjanaan dari Australia dan dari luar Australia. Ia memiliki gelar BA di Arab / Studi Islam dari Arab Saudi, gelar MA dalam Linguistik Terapan dan PhD. dalam Studi Islam dari University of Melbourne, Australia. Pada tahun 1993, ia bergabung dengan Departemen Asia Bahasa dan Antropologi di University of Melbourne dan diangkat sebagai dosen, kemudian naik ke dosen senior pada tahun 1996 dan menjadi anggota Asosiasi Profesor pada tahun 2000. Beliau diangkat Sultan Oman sebagai Profesor Studi Arab dan Islam pada tahun 2003. Profesor Saeed telah mengajarkan bahasa Arab dan Studi Islam di tingkat sarjana dan pascasarjana dan beliau dikenal sebagai dosen yang ulet. Di antara mata kuliah yang beliau ampu adalah Great Teks Islam: Al Qur'an; Cendekiawan Muslim dan Modernitas; Great Empires Peradaban Islam; Islam Perbankan dan Keuangan; Alquran Hermeneutika; Metodologi Hadis; Metode Hukum Islam, Kebebasan Beragama di Asia ; Islam dan Hak Asasi Manusia; dan Islam dan Muslim di Australia. Dia terlibat dalam dialog antar agama antara Kristen dan Muslim, dan antara orang Yahudi dan Muslim, dan merupakan dosen "terbang" dan populer. Ia banyak melakukan perjalanan ke berbagai negara di dunia seperti Amerika Utara, Eropa, Timur Tengah, Asia Selatan dan Asia Tenggara. Dia memiliki jaringan dari berbagai macam penelitian dan hubungan profesional di seluruh dunia. Fokus penelitian ilmiahnya adalah pada salah satu isu yang paling penting dalam pemikiran Islam, yaitu negosiasi teks dan konteks, ijtihad dan interpretasi. Hasil karyanya meliputi bidang keuangan Islam, masyarakat Muslim di Australia, hukum Islam dan kebebasan beragama, hubungan Kristen-Islam, pemikiran Islam di Indonesia, hermeneutika al-Qur'an, Islam dan hak asasi manusia, dan reformasi hukum Islam. Dia menulis untuk kedua khalayak baik para akademisi maupun masyarakat umum.

Ausgehend von der kommunikationstheoretischen Überlegung, dass der Koran als eine ursprünglich mündliche Offenbarung nach dem Ableben des Propheten Muhammad zu einer kanonischen Schrift wurde, stellt sich die Frage, wie sich die Koranhermeneutik auf dieser Grundlage entwickelt hat. Wie haben Exegeten den Koran einerseits als einen in sich kohärenten, kanonischen Text und zugleich als eine auf seinen Offenbarungskontext bezogene göttliche Rede ausgelegt? Dazu werden hermeneutische Prämissen und Methoden der Koranexegese in ausgewählten sunnitischen Quellen der uṣūl at-tafsīr und ʿulūm al-qurʾān untersucht. Zur Einordung der Fragestellung werden zeitgenössische Lesestrategien des Korans aus einer literaturtheoretischen Perspektive, die Genese des Korantexts sowie aktuelle Fragen der Koranhermeneutik erörtert. In diesem Zusammenhang diskutiert die Arbeit das Geschichtsverständnis muslimischer Koranexegeten und zeigt anschließend methodische und offenbarungstheologische Spannungsfelder in ihrem Denken auf. Damit richtet sich die Arbeit an interessierte Leserinnen und Leser aus der Theologie und Textwissenschaft, insbesondere der Hadithwissenschaft und Koranexegese.

Ankara: Ankara Okulu Yayýnlarý, 2004. 279 sayfa.
Bu çalýþma yazarýn konu bütünlüðünü dikkate alarak ve yeniden gözden
geçirerek daha önce yayýmlanmýþ yazýlarýndan yaptýðý bir derlemedir. Konular
toplam dokuz baþlýk altýnda incelenmiþtir. “Kur’an ve Anlama Sorununun Mahiyetine
Dair” (s. 11-25) baþlýklý yazýsýyla Kur’an’ý anlama sorununu temelde
geleneksel Kur’an anlayýþý ve tefsir yaklaþýmýna indirgeyen yazar, hemen peþinden
gelen “Kur’an ve Yeni Anlama Yöntemleri” (s. 27-41) baþlýklý ikinci
yazýsýyla bir çözüm önerisi sunarak Kur’an’ý anlamada yeni yöntemlerden biri
olarak deðerlendirdiði Batýlý yorumbilim kuramlarýnýn (hermeneutik) uygulanmasýný
savunmaktadýr. “Kur’an’ýn Cennet Tasvirlerinde Yerel ve Tarihsel
Motifler” (s. 207-231) ve “Kur’an’da Uhrevi Azap Figürleri” (s. 233-259)
baþlýklarý altýnda Kur’an’ýn dil ve ifade özellikleri üzerinde durulmaktadýr.
“Kur’an’a Göre Ötekinin Konumu: Ehl-i Kitapla Ýlgili Âyetlerin Klasik Yorumuna
Eleþtirel Bir Yaklaþým” (s. 129-178) ve “Kur’an ve Ýslâm’ýn Ataerkil Yorumu”
(s. 179-206) baþlýklarý altýnda yazar, Müslüman erkeðin ötekisi olarak
deðerlendirdiði ehl-i kitap ve kadýn örneklemesi üzerinde durmak suretiyle
çaðdaþ Kur’an okumalarýnda dikkat çeken Ku’ran’da ehl-i kitap ve Kur’an’da
kadýn gibi iki önemli konuyu gündeme taþýmaktadýr. “Kur’an’da Örtünme Emrinin
Tarihsel Zemini: Klasik Tefsirlerdeki Tesettür Formu Üzerine” (s. 103-128)
Ýslâm Araþtýrmalarý Dergisi
144
adlý bölümün giriþinde yazar, bu yazýnýn, tesettür konusunda yeni bir görüþ
ileri sürme iddiasý taþýmaksýzýn sadece klasik dönem müfessirleri tarafýndan
konunun ne þekilde anlaþýlýp yorumlandýðýný ortaya koymayý hedefleyen bir
literatür taramasý olduðunu ifade etmiþse de Sâbûnî, Süleyman Ateþ gibi modern
dönem müfessirlerine de yer vermiþ ve eleþtirel bir üslup kullanmýþtýr.
“Tefsirde Çeþitlilik ve Mezhep-Meþrep Refleksi: Ulu’l-Emr Kavramý Örneði”
(s. 77-102), tefsir tarihinde mezhebî tefsirler tartýþmasýna; “Kur’an ve Otantik
Anlamý Keþif Projesi: Þâtýbî’nin Kur’an’ý Anlama Yöntemine Dair Bir Ýnceleme”
(s. 43-75) baþlýklý kýsým ise son zamanlarda Þâtýbî üzerine yazýlanlara tefsir
tarihi açýsýndan önemli bir katkýdýr. Bu nedenle eser genel bir deðerlendirmeyle
ifade edecek olursak, “çaðdaþ yaklaþýmlar” adý altýnda inceleyebileceðimiz literatürün
bir parçasý olarak karþýmýzda durmaktadýr.

http://www.brill.com/products/reference-work/quran-commentary-ibn-barrajan-seville-d-5361141

One-thousand page Arabic critical edition of Ibn Barrajān's (d. 536/1141) minor Qurʾān commentary entitled "Īḍāḥ al-ḥikma bi-aḥkām al-ʿibra fī maʿānī al-qurʾān al-ʿazīz" (“The Elucidation of Wisdom According to the Principles of the Cross-Over into the Meanings of the Exalted Qurʾān”). This edition is based on two manuscripts from Turkey.

Muslims have always upheld the multiplicity of the Qur’anic readings (qirāᵓāt), as sanctioned by the Prophet of Islam, who proclaimed that the Book was revealed in seven aḥruf. The Companions of the Prophet transmitted these readings faithfully to the next generations. These variant readings were subsequently standardized during the second and the third century of the Islamic era. The Muslims developed a consensus on reading the Qur’an according to one of the ten well-known canonical readings. This process continued until modern times when, some Muslim modernists embraced scripturalism. Muslim modernists from Pakistan including Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī (d. 1997) and Javed Ahmad Ghamidi have rejected all the variant readings except the reading of Ḥafṣ ᶜan ᶜĀṣim, declaring the rest of the canonical readings as non-Qur’anic. Ghamidi has repudiated the seven-aḥruf narrative as militating against the Qur’an, commonsense, and history. This article studies Ghamidi’s criticism of the seven-aḥruf narrative through a historical-critical and philological method. This investigation shows that the Ḥadīth about the seven aḥruf enjoys overwhelmingly certain support, provides conclusive proof for the permissibility of the variant readings of the Qurᵓān, contrary to the claim of Ghamidi, who rejects it as militating against commonsense and the Qur’an.

Shaykh Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī was an Egyptian exegete known for having produced a scientific interpretation of the Qurʾān. A pioneering scholar in terms of familiarising the people of his time with many previously neglected matters regarding Islam and science, his publications shocked the Cairo educational system and other Muslim places of learning in the early twentieth century.

This book examines the intersection between Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī and Egyptian history and culture, and demonstrates that his approach to science in the Qurʾān was intimately connected to his social concerns. Divided into three parts, part one contains three chapters which each introduce different aspects of Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī himself. The second part explores the main aspects of his tafsīr, discussing his approach to science and the Qurʾān, and how he presented Europeans in his tafsīr, and then addressing the impact of his tafsīr on wider Muslim and non-Muslim society. The third section draws attention to the themes from all 114 sūras of the Qurʾān that are discussed within his commentary. It then analyses the current status of his views and the post-Jawharism perspective on science and the Qurʾān, both today and in an imaginary future, in 2154.

Providing new English translations of Ṭanṭāwī Jawharī’s work, the book delivers a comprehensive assessment of this unique figure, and emphasises the distinctive nature of his reading of the Qurʾān. The book will be a valuable resource for anyone studying modern Egypt, the Qurʾān, Islam and Science, and scientific interpretation and inimitability.

This article addresses the question of the messianic motif of Christianity making its way into the Qur’an without wearing a badge of high New Testament Christology. It attempts to explore and understand a potentially underlying connection among the Islamic ‘Isā, the New Testament Jesus, and the Jewish messiah in a quest for the configuration of a historical Christ through the ideological and historical minefields that exist between the Islamic and the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. The person of Jesus is, therefore, understood to be historical in the article without positing a response to the fundamental questions raised by the historical Jesus skepticism. What I will try to avoid in the following pages, on the contrary, is to treat and brand the Qur’anic portrayal of Jesus as a “stand-alone” concept—indifferent to the historical context of the Bible—hanging in a theological balance, as some critics would be inclined to call it.

The metaphor of the camel passing through the eye of the needle is found in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 19:24, Mark 10:25, Luke 18:25) and the Qur'an (7:40). The Gospels seem to suggest that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The Qur'an, on the other hand, puts the metaphor in the context of disbelievers who are arrogant (istakbarū) toward God's signs. At the outset, it would seem that the passage's contexts in the Gospels and the Qur'an are different; however, through a closer analysis of the keywords, there are textual parallels that can be extracted from both texts and go beyond simply the use of this analogy in common, as previous scholars have thought. For instance, the rich man in the Gospels is asking about inheriting eternal life, while the Qur'an also discusses eternal life and inheritance in the same context. These and several other textual parallels suggest that the Qur'an is alluding to the same context for the metaphor as the Gospels do.

The umma is experiencing trauma. The reason is that the umma misunderstood revelation. The misunderstanding resulted from reading revelation without the engagement of reason. Exegetes rejected reason due to the perception that using reason to understand revelation is kufr, and that tradition “explains” revelation better than reason. The rejection of reason was a faux pas. It was an expression of a profoundly unfriendly disposition towards reason. Is it surprising that the traditional rendition of Islam strikes a rational person as less than reasonable? The misunderstanding of revelation also prevented the umma from following revelation. Is it possible to “follow” what a person does not understand? As a result of refraining from thinking, exegetes encountered difficulties in comprehending revelation. They faulted the text, not their disengagement from reason. As a result of the failure to understand revelation, exegetes embraced the perception that revelation is “unclear,” “incomplete” and even “contradictory.” All three characterizations defy verses that assert the contrary. For the Book of Allah asserts that it is clear, complete and coherent. The characterizations result from a perfunctory reading of the Book, a reading without the engagement of reason. The turn to tradition was justified by disparaging revelation. Revelation was treated as if it were a product of a person, while tradition was treated as if it were from Allah. This is reflected in what are referred to as the “holy traditions.” The allegations that the Book is “unclear” and “incomplete” were used to justify recourse to tradition, to make up for the alleged deficit of “clarity” and “detail” in the Book. The allegation that revelation was “contradictory” entailed recourse to the teaching of the abrogation of the verses of reconciliation by the verses of the sword. To justify the turn to tradition, traditionists treat tradition as “revelation.” They became enchanted with tradition and treated it as “divine.” But the books of traditions are not “revelation” (tanzil), as they are not the words of Allah. They are not even the words of the prophet. For the traditions of the prophet, recorded in defiance of his prohibition of recording his traditions, are paraphrases of paraphrases of statements ascribed to the prophet by the transmitters. Unlike the Book of Allah, the traditions are not transmitted verbatim; they are transmitted by meaning. Refraining from recourse to reason deformed the sharia. This transpired through permitting revealed rulings to be replaced by harsher punishments from traditions and the writings of the ulama. These punishments are not prescribed in the Book of Allah. The punishments encompass the death penalties for apostasy, blasphemy and adultery. Embedding these punishments in penal law encroached upon Allah’s exclusive jurisdiction to legislate in religion. The tension between rationalism and traditionalism is rooted in politics. Reason was “silenced” to prevent challenges to the less than rational turn from revelation to tradition. This produced ripple effects. The reorientation from revelation to tradition resulted in epic disorientation. The turn from revelation to tradition represented a break from revelation as well as from the tradition of the prophet, which was to adhere to revelation. The umma “disconnected” from the Book of Allah and “connected” to books of traditions. Renewal requires a shift from a prophet-centric paradigm to the God-centric epistemological paradigm. It also requires a shift from understanding Islam as a teaching of war to Islam as a teaching of reconciliation. These paradigm shifts should be expedited by a rehabilitation and re-engagement of reason and the re-affirmation of revelation as a pre-eminent authority in relation to all traditions and rulings of the ulama.

Dans sa traduction du Coran, Md. Hamidullah note, au v. 13 de la sourate 55 : « On ne peut pas s’empêcher de penser aux Psaumes à refrain, comme le Ps. 136 par exemple ». L’étude qui suit tente de mettre en évidence avec plus de précision les similitudes et les dissimilitudes entre le texte coranique et le texte biblique. Elle comportera tout naturellement trois parties : une analyse de la S. 55, une analyse du Ps. 136, et enfin une comparaison des deux textes. La méthode utilisée sera celle de l’analyse rhétorique du texte, selon les principes de la rhétorique sémitique, maintenant largement connue : c’est cette rhétorique, en effet, qui structure les deux textes.

The Ginān tradition forms a special place in the devotional and religious life in the Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah. Ginān recitations are ubiquitous in Ismā‘īlī devotional life; they are played in homes, cars, and recited on auspicious religious occasions. Ginān recitation likewise comprises a central element of the congregational life of the Shia Imami Ismaili community within Jamā‘atKhāna . The vast corpus of the Ginān literature has long formed part of the spiritual heritage of the South-Asian Ismā‘īlī community, and especially in Sindhi, Khoja and Gujarati South Asian communities. This study uses the genre of the Ginān to critically engage the boundary frameworks that can be considered tafsīr literature and argues that the ginānic narrative are not only ‘liturgical’, but theologically complex examples of a Subcontinent vernacular Shī‘ī exegetical tradition.

The Qur'an is a divine source of guidance not for the Muslims alone, but for the entire humanity. Since the Qur'an is revealed and has been meticulously preserved since then in Arabic, while majority of Muslims and human beings are dominantly non-Arabs, rendering its meanings into different vernaculars bears crucial importance. However, for various reasons, its translatability is considerably controversial. The present paper attempts to analyse the linguistic and theological elements related with its translatability. In order to achieve this, the study scrutinizes relevant linguistic theories related with the translatability and connects them with the viewpoints of classical and contemporary Muslim scholarship. The paper suggests that there are certain linguistic and theological elements which challenge the possibility of the Qur'an's translation. On the other hand, the scope of the divine text beyond any specific linguistic boundary constantly necessitates the very same rendering mission. This notion is well reflected in the discourses of classical and contemporary Muslim scholarship on the topic: it is permissible, and to some extant obligatory, to translate the meanings of the Qur'an into different vernaculars. However, none of the translation can serve as a substitute for the original revealed text and a perfect translation of the Qur'an is beyond the scope of human possibility, for the word of God cannot be reproduced by the word of man.

« The beginnings of qur’anic exegesis », translated by Michael Bonner, in Rippin (ed.), The Qurʾan. Formative interpretation, Aldershot, etc., Ashgate. Variorum (The Formation of the Classical Islamic World», 25), 1999, 1-39.  Originally: Gilliot, « Les débuts de l’exégèse coranique »», REMMM (Revue des Mondes Musulmans et de la Méditerranée) 58/4 (1990), p. 82-100

The Qur'an had various styles and modes in making up God's word, one of which was the narrative one. There were many narrative verses in the Qur'an-including verses telling stories of His prophets-to which most of Muslim scholars unfortunately did not devote their attention. A.H. Johns, a professor of ANU, was one of a few scholars who focused his study on narrative criticism that was actually one of branches of literary criticism. Unlike historical criticism which tended to investigate the origins of a text and what lied behind it, literary criticism gave much attention to interpretive acts of a text itself. Using this method of interpretation, and relying on his belief that the Qur'an must be understood as a both a process and an event, Johns explored possible meanings the verses imply by making connection between the verse under discussion and other verses in the same pericope and in the whole Sura. Through this method of interpretation, Johns succeeded in discovering many novel meanings of narrative verses of the Qur'an not found out by using any other method. This work wanted to elaborate much on Johns' study and showed some fortune and possibilities in using this method in understanding the meaning of the Qur'an, especially of its narrative verses.

در ششمین شماره از مجموعهٔ گفت‌وگو با اسلام‌پژوهان، با دکتر علی آقایی، پژوهشگر و مدرس دانشگاه پادربورن، دربارهٔ روابط بینامتنی قرآن و سنت‌های بایبلی گفت‌وگو کرده‌ایم. آقایی در این گفت‌وگو از معنای بینامتنی، پیش‌فرض‌ها، متون مورد بررسی، رویکردها و نتایج این روابط می‌گوید و تفاوت این روش تحلیل را با روش نقد تاریخی یا نقد منبع توضیح می‌دهد. او همچنین به اَشکال مختلف رابطۀ میان متن قرآن و متون پساقرآنی با متن بایبل و متون پسابایبلی اشاره می‌کند و نمونه‌هایی از به‌کارگیری روش‌ بینامتنی را در موضوعاتی چون مضامین آخرالزمانی در اسلام و مسیحیت به دست می‌دهد.

JIRS Special Section: A Conversation on Celene Ibrahim's Women and Gender in the Qurʾan

Celene Ibrahim - Response to Reviews:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.26

Taking Sexuality and Gender Seriously in Qurʾanic Studies (pp. 191-196)
Aayah Musa
https://doi.org/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.22
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.22

Concerning Family, Theology, and Qurʾanic Exegesis (pp. 197-200)
Martin Nguyen
https://doi.org/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.23
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.23

Emotive Energy and Pleasure: Centering Female Figures in Qurʾanic Narratives (pp. 201-206)
Hadia Mubarak
https://doi.org/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.24
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.24

More Than a Feminist Hobby: Gender as an Analytical Category in Qurʾanic Studies (pp. 207-212)
Rahel Fischbach
https://doi.org/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.25
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/jfemistudreli.37.2.25

The question of the beginnings of Qurʾānic exegesis has been highly controversial in Western scholarship for more than a century, with positions ranging from a beginning of exegesis at the time of the Prophet Muḥammad to its emergence not before the first half of the second/eighth century. The opposing positions arise from very different approaches to the sources taken by different scholars as well as the underlying assumptions that guide their research. This article aims to overcome these differences by developing criteria that allow for the dating of allegedly early exegetical traditions and for the assessment of the reliability of their ascription to specific authorities of the first/seventh century. These criteria will then be applied to the exegetical traditions attributed to Abū Mijlaz Lāḥiq b. Ḥumayd, a Baṣran scholar who died sometime before 110/728. The article will show that the traditions circulated in the name of Abū Mijlaz must be considered to go back to him and thus allow us to get an insight into Qurʾānic exegesis in the first century. It will also demonstrate that the focus on minor figures, rather than on major authorities, is the most promising approach to unearthing authentic traditions from the first century of Islam.

This book is a systematic treatise of Qur’anic rhetoric. It exposes the rules of composition of the text, according to Semitic rhetoric, discovered first in the Biblical studies and applied here on the Qur’an, with numerous examples. It distinguishes the different levels of the text and the three ubiquitous figures of composition, based on symmetry: parallelism, mirror or chiastic composition, and concentric or ring composition. Highlighting these formal features of the text leads to an interpretation of the text, where each element is placed in its structural context.

Two main tendencies can be observed in the intertextual use of the Qur’anic text in the depiction of facial features in classical Azeri-Turkish Ṣūfī poetry: first, features of divine beauty are compared with the writing of the Qur’an, its suras and ayas, and
second, these features are juxtaposed with images drawn from Qur’anic narratives, such as the account of Moses’ encounter with the sorcerers, or the story of Joseph. Research on the impact of the Qur’an on Azeri-Turkish Ṣūfī poetry has until now
mainly focused on the first tendency, particularly on revealing the secret meanings of symbols by using the numerical abjad system, whereas the second aspect – that of symbolic images derived from the Qur’anic stories – remains relatively unexplored. With this in mind, this article will examine Qur’anic images utilised in the depiction of the face, specifically the influence of Qur’anic narratives upon the variations of Ṣūfī
symbolism of the curl in medieval Turkish Ṣūfī poetry, with special reference to poetry in the Azeri vernacular. Although attention will be restricted mainly to Qur’anic stories, some consideration will also be given to pure Ḥurūfī trends.

Since the time when the Qur’ān was revealed, it has continued to be the first guide for humanity on the way to the truth. The provisions and recommendations it contains are always put on the basis of wisdom, whether the reason is known or not. Almighty Allah, who informs man that He is closer than his jugular vein, surely knows all his weaknesses and hidden aspects better than His servant. In His orders and prohibitions, which He declared as a manifestation of His mercy, He takes into account these qualities of the servant and makes him responsible both materially and spiritually in accordance with his nature. It is possible to clearly see this effect in the Qur’ān that directly addresses human beings. Based on human feelings, thoughts and behaviors in its provisions, the Qur’ān is open to a psychological reading in today’s terms. Although there are partial examples in the past literature, it becomes more important to approach the Qur’ānic verses in the light of this science whose framework has been determined as of today. In fact, the formation of a school together with Psychology and Tafsīr is only a matter of time, but Süleyman Ateş, one of the contemporary interpreters, makes a valuable contribution to this understanding by taking a psychological approach to some verses in his tafsir book. In this study, an example of his approach will be presented and analyzed within the framework of the chapter of al-Baqarah.

An extensive effort has been made to understand the meaning of the disjointed letters (huruf muqatta'at), which mysteriously prefix specific surahs (chapters) of the Quranic text. But all interpretations have not been successful enough to provide any acceptable explanation. It is against this background that this paper presents a new interpretive approach of these letters and clarifies their divine purpose. An in-depth analysis of the size, position and intervals between the prefixed surahs clearly indicates that the letters mark the subdivision of the Quranic text according to specific fraction points in a well-ordered way. The analysis also shows that the letter combinations do not merely represent the 29 prefixed surahs but actually refer to the entire Quranic text and are closely related to the structured arrangement of its surahs and ayat (verses). Finally, the main conclusion of this study is that the mysterious disjointed letter combinations have actually the potential to provide indisputable evidence that the Qur'an has a divine author.

It seems that Muslims are able recite the Quran, but if we inquire if they know what they recite, not a few say “no.” Those who have memorised the Quran have accomplished a major feat. I recall attending a talk at the Islamic University of Malaysia by a revert to Islam from America. He was from Pakistan. Before his reversion, he said he “used to party, be a rapper, enjoy music, etc.” After he reverted to Islam, he went to Pakistan, where he memorized the Quran. He succeeded in nine months. After he finished memorizing the Quran, he asked his teacher: "Teacher, can you now teach me the meaning of what I memorized?" His question showed that he memorized the Quran without understanding it. The teacher gave an interesting response: "Be patient. Let me teach you a second method of recitation first." The teacher discouraged his pupil from learning the meaning of revelation. This should be of concern. It is not uncommon to meet among the Muslims even older people who say: "I know how to recite the Quran, but I do not understand it." How can someone “know how to recite” the Quran and “not understand it” at the same time? Is it possible to recite without comprehension? If a person can merely reproduce the sounds of a language without knowing what he is saying, what kind of knowledge does this person have? Mere reproduction of the sounds of a text without knowledge of the meaning is limited knowledge. In so far as the well-being of the Muslims depends on their knowledge of Islam, it is advisable to address the problem. It seems that teachers are placing emphasis on recitation and memorization at the expense of understanding the meaning of the text. This should be redressed. A methodology that does not complement the study of formal pronunciation with the study of meaning does not facilitate the reader’s access to the message of the text. A methodology that effectively separates the study of tajweed (pronunciation) from the study of meaning does little to help Muslims attain knowledge of revelation for the purpose of guidance. Islam is indeed a much-misunderstood religion. It is not well understood even by a significant number of Muslims themselves. This incomplete understanding of Islam has serious consequences. In an environment of ignorance, fanaticism will thrive. The best antidote to ignorance is knowledge, the true knowledge of the teaching of Islam, gained first of all from the knowledge of revelation.

An Anthology of Qur’anic Commentaries, Volume II: On Women offers a thematic overview of the subject of ‘women’ in the Qur’an and in the commentarial tradition known as tafsīr. Influential commentaries on five key Qur’anic verses are made accessible through extensive introductory materials and critically annotated translations, while contemporary debates are addressed in interviews with Muslim scholars, including women themselves. On Women addresses sociocultural and legal issues that impact Muslims’ daily lives in the private and the public sphere.

2J VI1, 429-30. 45 1. 24 VI11. 543. j4 See. for example. IV, 491; Vl, 479. 35 VII. 430. 36 VIII. 249. 37 VIII. 267. See also 11. 9. where l!ffihi calls S. 4 rakmifa and rarimma, whereas the 3* VII. 123. 39 VII. 535. two sums obviously form a pair.

Osmanlı medrese ve darülfünunlannda yer alan Kur' an ve Tefsir dersleri tarihsel süreç içinde geleneksel ve Bablı çizgilerde değişikiiider göstermiştir. İlk
dönem Osmanlı'da çağdaş ve yalın anlamda Protestan bir yaklaşımla Kur'an'ı
anlama çabasının olmadığı bir gerçektir. Kur'an'ı anlamak, öncelikle Hadis ve
gelenek eh·afında olmalı anlayışı Osmanlıda da hakimdir. 16. asırdan sonra etkisini gösteren kutsal metin merkezli din anlayışı, geleneksel İslam anlayışında
olmadığından, eğitim ve öğretim faaliyetleri gelenek çerçevesinde gerçekleştirilmektedir. Bu çalışmada Osmanlı geleneğinde Tefşir derslerinin Aı·apça' eğitiminin bir uygulama alanı olarak düşüni.ildüğü düşüncesi ileri sürülmel<tedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Kur'an, Tefsir, Osmanlı, Gelenek, Batılılaşma, Eğitim,
Medrese, Darülfünun.

Abdullah Saeed is one of Muslim scholars who concerns on contemporary Qur’anic studies very much. In his writing entitled Interpreting the Qur’an Towards A Contemporary Approach, Abdullah Saeed offers a methodology of contextual interpretation, which he called as contextual approach, that is more detailed in comparison to other scholars on contemporary Qur’anic studies. In the writing, he offers a hierarchy of values in order to understand the ethico-legal verses. The author realized that it is an urgent need to know Abdullah Saeed’s contextual interpretation more as a counter for the number of textual interpretation existing in Muslim community nowadays. Because of it, this article will explore the methodology of contextual interpretation introduced by Abdullah Saeed generally and the concept of a hierarchy values offered by him particularly. The author sees that the concept of a hierarchy values is a continuance of ‘general principles’ initdiated by Fazlur Rahman. Abdullah Saeed himself has admitted that he was influenced by Fazlur Rahman’s double movement theory in arranging his framework of contextual interpretation methodology.
Key Words: Abdullah Saeed, Contextual, Hierarchy of Values

This paper tries to prove the correlation between 'ibȃda (worship) and da'wa (Islamic proselytizing). It is designed to reveal the function of worship as a da'wa effort. Worship and da'wa, both are compulsory in Islam. The compulsory is understood based on command of God in the Qur'an and the sayings of The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Hadiths. In addition, they are also parallel in terms of urgency. Worship and da'wa have social significance and implication. They promote not only personal piety but also social piety. The study is a descriptive qualitative conveying scriptural approach. The result shows there is a firm relationship between 'ibȃda and da'wa. Worship such as prayer, fasting, alms giving and the pilgrime or ḥajj become a content or message of da'wa as well as a medium of da'wa. Nowadays, the meaning of worship in the Qur'an still becomes a very important message of da'wa which is preached by preachers. In addition, worship also becomes a medium of da'wa deliberately or undeliberately. Islamic worships ('ibȃdȃt) intrinsically have a magnet which attract ones to know and embrace Islam.

This article argues that the Qur'ān seeks to place its modality of revelation within the oracle of Arabia and recognizes it as such a valid "form" of revelation. It inducts its medium of revelation within the familiar apparatus of the pagan divination institution by tapping into the realm of supra-rationality while, simultaneously, making a radical departure from it at the doctrinal level. The Qur'ānic oracle speaks for one universal God as opposed to a tribal deity, pantheon of gods, or an anthropomorphized divinity that partakes of the experience of humanity. The article seeks to work with the core Islamic concept of revelation in dialogue with the notion of the Word of God in a semantic slash historical context. 1 The inquiry glances at the historical presentation of what Islam warrants as a rationale of revelation by maintaining a propositional and qualitative distinction from the pagan oracle. It projects the dialectics of quality versus quantity and principle versus form rather than undertaking a complete break with the existing metaphysical and epistemological cosmos. Such a claim of external guidance, from the above, as laid by all three Semitic religions is, inherently, based upon, and rooted within the source of a higher realm attributed to the divinity. Islam's hierarchy of being and non-being revolves around an essential Being, the one true God, as a theological necessity, whereas all contingency, the creation including mankind, is granted existence in the sanctuary of the divine will that takes place through God's grace. The will of God, Logos, defines the relationship between the necessity and the contingency in the self-consciousness of the Qur'ān.

Was the Believer phenomenon a local transformation in a land thinly exploited by mono-theism, or a deliberate ontological change meant to challenge Judaism and Christianity that altered the purpose of monotheism, a scythe to eradicate paganism, and inculcate constructions of sin and forgiveness through conversion, intending thereby to change the past by inserting new myths in order to reconstruct the future. Does the Qur’an merely seek to insinuate the conclusions of a group of Arabian prophets, poets and reli-gious thinkers to create an ethnic monotheism or is there really a mighty god called Al-lah who was really YHWH with a different path to the present than YHWH? Have we here a number of realities active with varying backstories preserved through intense lit-erature rather than genuine history?
This paper begins with the contested identity of Noah and primarily imagined catastro-phes situated in the reality of the Biblical past. In the end, who owns the past, religion and its subjective, politicised and driven myths or the intellectual scope of historians?
The Qur’an and Muhammad’s career can be considered within the terms of political changes to the north, the sacking of Jerusalem by the Sasanian Persians.