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The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From...
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The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics

A special issue of Religions (ISSN 2077-1444).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 July 2022) | Viewed by 45246

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Marco Demichelis

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Guest Editor
Berenson Fellow, I Tatti, The Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies/ Adjunct Prof. in History of Islamic Thought, Lilec Department, Alma Mater University of Bologna, Roma, Italy
Interests: history of Islam; history of Islamic Thought; Kalam; Islamic Eschatology; Islam-Christian dialogue; Middle Eastern Studies; Islam and Renaissance; Islam and Medieval Europe
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

 Dear Colleagues,

The Issue would like to explore the correlation between the Qur’an, the word of God that through the Archangel Gabriel was inspired by God to Muhammad in the first half of the 7th century, and the historical events that in different ways have affected its understanding and interpretation during the thirteen centuries of Islamic history. The main idea is to work on specific verses, precise suwar (part of them), or singular words through a historicized hermeneutical approach which could frame and share facets, insights, and makings which have settled the understanding of this revelation in a specific phase of Islam and human history.

Every single verse or chapter of a revealed text can be interpreted differently in relation to plural aspects (literalist semantics and metaphorical readings), at the same time, its significance can change in reference to the historical age as well as the events that widely influence its understanding by the society.

This Issue intends to highlight the complex connection between historical events and Koranic hermeneutics on specific arguments that emerged in the Islamic revelation. In the clear intention to not excessively circumscribe the historical phase, the focus is kept open, even if, in case, will be re-framed in relation to your abstract proposals.

The purpose of this Issue is to enrich the academic debate on the necessary historicization of the Koranic revelation, highlighting the evolution of the hermeneutics on its singular peculiarities. Accordingly, different main arguments treated in the Qur’an (the understanding of previous Abrahamic faiths, the relationship with disbelief, the violence against the Other, the gender issue, the prophecy, etc.) have been explained differently in relation with the historical age after the canonization of the written version as well as the different phases of Islamic advancement or closure.

The main idea, starting from the achievements of Th. Nöldeke’s contribution on “The History of the Qur’an” is to move in the direction of Gabriel S. Reynolds’ “The Qur’an in its historical context”, but with a more specific analysis not on the revelation, generally speaking, but on the most singular features to overstress the attention on unclear passages, remarkable matters that associate the revelation with a specific historical phase. This, to show as any revelation, including the Qur’an, is inextricably linked to a socio-historical humus of reference, hermeneutically interpreted as re-interpreted in History.

Dr. Marco Demichelis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Religions is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Islamic-contextual History
  • Qur’an
  • Muhammad
  • Canonization
  • sura/suwar
  • created-uncreated
  • critical approach
  • literalism
  • metaphoric language
  • Meccans-Medinas
  • semantics

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 180 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction: The Qur’an in History, the History of the Qur’an
by Marco Demichelis
Religions 2022, 13(11), 1117; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13111117 - 17 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2520
Abstract
The relationship between History and the Islamic revelation has been debated in Academia over the last few decades; its complex framework has usually been investigated in aspects such as the form, the language and the facets of structure that have not always been [...] Read more.
The relationship between History and the Islamic revelation has been debated in Academia over the last few decades; its complex framework has usually been investigated in aspects such as the form, the language and the facets of structure that have not always been considered as relevant in the analysis of a historical milieu [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

22 pages, 366 KiB  
Article
Revisiting the Meaning of the Divine Preservation of the Qur’an: With Special References to Verse 15:9
by Ismail Albayrak
Religions 2022, 13(11), 1064; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13111064 - 4 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3248
Abstract
In this article, I discuss the topic of Divine preservation of the Qur’an in the context of exegesis verse 15:9: ‘Indeed, it is We who sent down the reminder (dhikr) [i.e., the Qur’an], and indeed, We will be its guardian’. First, [...] Read more.
In this article, I discuss the topic of Divine preservation of the Qur’an in the context of exegesis verse 15:9: ‘Indeed, it is We who sent down the reminder (dhikr) [i.e., the Qur’an], and indeed, We will be its guardian’. First, I will briefly examine Muslim and non-Muslim perceptions regarding authentic transmission of the Qur’an. I question some Western researchers, who problematise Muslims’ approaches to the history of the Qur’an with various polemics, and the Muslim perception, which compresses the notion of Divine preservation of the Qur’an into the narrow meaning of verse 15:9 with dogmatic and apologetic reflexes. Then, I chronologically analyse interpretations of the verse from linguistic, historical, theological and sociological aspects of the exegeses from the classical period to the modern times. The main argument of this article is centred on verse 15:9, which, in my opinion, deals with the first route of Qur’anic revelation from God to the Prophet through Angel Gabriel, and the Prophet’s perfect memorisation of it together with his flawless transmission to the Companions. The next processes (post-Prophetic developments in transmission of the revelation) were left to the foresight of the Muslim community, ummah. I believe, while the vertical process (revelation from arsh to farsh (heaven to earth) is guaranteed by God, responsibility for the horizontal process (from the Companions to the following generation and so on) is left to the Muslim community. The use of the same Qur’anic text by Sunnis, Shi’ites, Ibadis, etc., from northern Kazakhstan to West Africa, from Asia Pacific to the Balkans, is the clearest proof that Muslims are preserving the book entrusted to them. They demonstrate the reflection of their understanding of tawhid (Oneness of God) in their faith on the Qur’an by their consensus on a single mushaf. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
15 pages, 2674 KiB  
Article
Aḥmad Amīn’s Rationalist Approach to the Qur’ān and Sunnah
by Ines Peta
Religions 2022, 13(3), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13030234 - 9 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2764
Abstract
The emergence of Islamic reformist thinking in the period of the so-called Nahḍah (Renaissance), in particular in the latter part of the XIX century, entailed a revival of interest in Muʿtazilite rationalism. Among the Sunni intellectuals who reevaluated the ancient theological school, a [...] Read more.
The emergence of Islamic reformist thinking in the period of the so-called Nahḍah (Renaissance), in particular in the latter part of the XIX century, entailed a revival of interest in Muʿtazilite rationalism. Among the Sunni intellectuals who reevaluated the ancient theological school, a prominent place belongs to Aḥmad Amīn (1886–1954). Muʿtazilism takes up much space in his famous trilogy Fajr al-Islām (The Dawn of Islam), Ḍuḥā al-Islām (The Morning of Islam) and Ẓuhr al-Islām (The Noon of Islam). Although the trilogy has been defined as the first critical research work carried out by a Muslim writer on Islamic civilisation, it has not been the subject of any specific or in-depth studies. The present article aims to partially fill this gap through a detailed linguistic and content analysis of selected passages from the trilogy. This analysis shows how Aḥmad Amīn’s interpretation of the Muʿtazilism fits into the wider project that he pursued to reform Islam: on the one hand, he fought against the traditional dependence on transmitted data (naql), which he considered to be the main cause of the intellectual stasis of the Muslims; on the other hand, he promoted a critical reading of the sacred texts, the Qur’ān and Sunnah, based on reason and on modern Western scientific methodology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
20 pages, 391 KiB  
Article
The Queen of Sheba in the Sunni Exegetical Tradition
by Ismail Lala
Religions 2022, 13(3), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13030233 - 9 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2937
Abstract
Sunni exegetes repeatedly assert the authority of the Qur’an to explain itself, and the authority of the prophetic tradition (ḥadīth) or early interpretations when explanations cannot be found in the Qur’an. Yet the treatment that the Queen of Sheba receives by [...] Read more.
Sunni exegetes repeatedly assert the authority of the Qur’an to explain itself, and the authority of the prophetic tradition (ḥadīth) or early interpretations when explanations cannot be found in the Qur’an. Yet the treatment that the Queen of Sheba receives by the exegetes reveals that, contrary to their assertions, they are influenced by and are products of their cultural and social milieux. This leads to increasingly androcentric accretions in the Sunni exegetical tradition that depart noticeably from the plain reading of the text. Early tafsīrs, such as that of Muqātil ibn Sulaymān (d. 150/767), generally remain more faithful to the literal Qur’anic reading and promulgate a highly positive impression of the Queen of Sheba’s character and leadership style. Later commentaries, however, including those of Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (d. 310/923) and ‘Imād al-Dīn ibn Kathīr (d. 774/1373), inevitably influenced by their time, seem to present a more androcentric interpretation that diminishes the agency of the Queen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
21 pages, 414 KiB  
Article
Moral Visions in Medieval Muslim Interpretations of Sūra 102 Al-Takāthur: Warnings against Pride, Wealth, or Pleasure?
by Alena Kulinich
Religions 2022, 13(1), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13010068 - 12 Jan 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1997
Abstract
This article focuses on sūra 102 al-Takāthur of the Qur’ān which addresses those preoccupied with al-takāthur (competition for superiority in number, or accumulation of wealth), warning them of the punishment of Hell in the Hereafter and of their interrogation about al-na‘īm (the worldly [...] Read more.
This article focuses on sūra 102 al-Takāthur of the Qur’ān which addresses those preoccupied with al-takāthur (competition for superiority in number, or accumulation of wealth), warning them of the punishment of Hell in the Hereafter and of their interrogation about al-na‘īm (the worldly pleasures) on the Day of Judgement. The grave eschatological implications of engaging in al-takāthur and al-na‘īm, conveyed in this sūra, have triggered attempts by Muslim scholars to determine the intended meanings of these notions and the scope of their reference. This article examines the interpretations of al-takāthur and al-na‘īm in medieval commentaries on sūra al-Takāthur with the aim of identifying and analysing various interpretative trends regarding these two notions and exploring their connection with the moral orientations among Muslims in the medieval period of Islamic history. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
17 pages, 602 KiB  
Article
Inspiration and Revelation of the Qur’an and Its Relation to the Bible
by Abdulla Galadari
Religions 2021, 12(11), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12111023 - 21 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4815
Abstract
The Qur’an often compares its own inspiration and revelation with previous scriptures to its audience. However, the Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity had manifold understandings of the inspiration and revelation of scripture. The rabbinic tradition posits various degrees of inspiration behind canonical [...] Read more.
The Qur’an often compares its own inspiration and revelation with previous scriptures to its audience. However, the Jews and Christians in Late Antiquity had manifold understandings of the inspiration and revelation of scripture. The rabbinic tradition posits various degrees of inspiration behind canonical scriptures: the Torah was dictated by God to Moses, while other prophets had lesser degrees of divine inspiration. Many Christian churches typically held a dual authorship concept, where the human author wrote under the inspiration of a divine author. Many Muslim traditions held various understandings of the agency, or lack thereof, of Muḥammad in the utterances of the Qur’an. Nonetheless, the Qur’an claims that its own inspiration is no different from some biblical books. Since the rabbinic and Christian views differ, it is imperative to understand the Qur’anic concept of itself on inspiration and revelation (waḥy and tanzīl), especially since it compares itself with other scriptures. Additionally, it is argued that the Qur’an’s self-referentiality as a “kitāb” that descends does not necessarily denote a “book” (neither heavenly nor earthly), but an order or commandment, which is more loyal to the root definition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
16 pages, 297 KiB  
Article
Quran as Scripture in Classical Muslim Scholarship
by Brannon Wheeler
Religions 2021, 12(11), 1013; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12111013 - 17 Nov 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5058
Abstract
Recent scholarship focuses on the plasticity of the concept of “scripture” as it is defined by different religious traditions. Based on its contents, the Quran is most commonly compared to the Bible, yet such an approach misses the distinct way that the Quran [...] Read more.
Recent scholarship focuses on the plasticity of the concept of “scripture” as it is defined by different religious traditions. Based on its contents, the Quran is most commonly compared to the Bible, yet such an approach misses the distinct way that the Quran is understood as an authoritative text by classical Muslim scholarship. Even “basic” information—knowing the number of words, the names of surahs, the structure of the text—is essential to understanding how Muslims see the Quran as scripture and the foundations upon which it is built. Muslims regard the Quran as the word of God, revealed to the prophet Muhammad, the primary source for determining the beliefs and practices of Islam. The text of the Quran is used in the teaching of Arabic and is the focus of Islamic learning. It is regarded as interceding on behalf of those who revere it, is recited as a part of regular rituals, and is treated as a sacred object in ritual and everyday settings. The exegetical and ritual use of the Quran is a fundamental means for Muslims to both relate and distinguish themselves from other religious identities, especially those such as Jews and Christians, with whom they share a common scriptural tradition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
19 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
Quranic Christology in Late Antiquity. ‘Isa ibn Maryam and His Divine Power (Energeia) in the Islamic Revelation
by Marco Demichelis
Religions 2021, 12(11), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12110979 - 9 Nov 2021
Viewed by 4877
Abstract
Christology and monotheism have been dogmatically linked in the long history of Islam-Christian dialogue since the beginning of the 8th century. The Qur’an, in an analytical perception of religious otherness, specifically in relation to Christianity, assumed a dual discernment: on the one hand, [...] Read more.
Christology and monotheism have been dogmatically linked in the long history of Islam-Christian dialogue since the beginning of the 8th century. The Qur’an, in an analytical perception of religious otherness, specifically in relation to Christianity, assumed a dual discernment: on the one hand, it adopts a sceptical position because Christians are assimilationist (2: 120, 135, 145; 5: 51), sectarian and made Jesus the son of God (4: 171; 5: 14–19, 73; 9: 30; 18: 4–5; 21: 26); on the other hand, they are commended over the Jews and ‘Isa ibn Maryam has been strengthened with the Holy Spirit by God himself (2: 59, 62, 87, 253; 3: 48; 5: 47, 73, 82, 85, 110). The importance of enforcing the consciousness of a Quranic Christology, specifically where it concerned the potential influence that Christological doctrines such as adoptionism and monoenergism had on early Islam in late antiquity, where it was based on the proto- Islamic understanding of Jesus, and where it was rooted in Patristic orthodox-unorthodox debates, fell into oblivion. How was the Quranic canonization process affected by the ongoing Christological debates of the 7th century? Could Heraclius’ monoenergism have played a concrete influence on Quranic Christology? And in which way did early Kalam debates on God’s speech and will remain linked to Quranic Christology? Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
19 pages, 1064 KiB  
Article
The Almohads and the “Qur’anization” of War Narrative and Ritual
by Javier Albarrán
Religions 2021, 12(10), 876; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12100876 - 14 Oct 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2896
Abstract
The Almohad movement (12th–13th centuries, Islamic West) had in the return to the direct study of the primary sources of Islam—the Qur’an and the Sunna—and in jihād, two of its most important pillars of legitimation and action. In this sense, it is [...] Read more.
The Almohad movement (12th–13th centuries, Islamic West) had in the return to the direct study of the primary sources of Islam—the Qur’an and the Sunna—and in jihād, two of its most important pillars of legitimation and action. In this sense, it is an ideal period to study how both realities—Qur’an and jihād—were linked in a given historical context. During the Almohad period, the use of Qur’anic verses in accounts related to war episodes became widespread. We thus witness a “Qur’anization” of the war narrative, a resource adding greater religiosity and spirituality to the context of jihād, to its elaboration and discursive representation, and to its memory and remembrance through written testimonies. In this paper I study, through the main narrative and documentary sources of the period, how the Qur’an was inserted into and adapted to the Almohad war discourse. Likewise, this approach allows me to explore how the Qur’an came to life within the framework of the Almohad jihād, how it served for its justification and legitimation, and how it formed part of the ceremony and the war protocol of the Maghrebi caliphate, thus linking itself with other discursive and propaganda mechanisms such as architecture or military parades. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
18 pages, 630 KiB  
Article
The Demystification of Magic in the Tafsīr al-Manār: An Analysis of the Exegetical and Homiletic Devices Used in the Discussion ‘Mabḥath al-siḥr wa-Hārūt wa-Mārūt’
by Stephen R. Burge
Religions 2021, 12(9), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12090734 - 7 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 9792
Abstract
The two angels Hārūt and Mārūt are mentioned together with the prophet Solomon in the ‘magic pericope’ of Sūrat al-Baqara (Q. 2:101–103). Rashīd Riḍā and his mentor Muḥammad ῾Abduh rejected the folkloric, mythical legends that surrounded the two angels Hārūt and Mārūt and [...] Read more.
The two angels Hārūt and Mārūt are mentioned together with the prophet Solomon in the ‘magic pericope’ of Sūrat al-Baqara (Q. 2:101–103). Rashīd Riḍā and his mentor Muḥammad ῾Abduh rejected the folkloric, mythical legends that surrounded the two angels Hārūt and Mārūt and the image of Solomon as a magus-like figure, seeing it as a threat to the rational interpretation of the Qur’ān. In his exegesis, Tafsīr al-Manār, Riḍā includes a relatively substantial tract denouncing magic and its use, entitled Mabḥath al-siḥr wa-Hārūt wa-Mārūt. This article will provide an analysis of exegetical and homiletic features used in this section, focusing on four areas: (i) elements of homiletic antisemitism; (ii) the invocation of personal experience; (iii) the use of lexicology to demystify Qur’ānic references to magic; and (iv) the use of a variant reading to demythologize the story. The aim of this article is to explore the ways in which the rejection of magic is articulated and which homiletic and exegetic tools Riḍā uses to support his position. A final section will explore the modernist movement’s relationship with biblical studies and the influence that it may have had on the interpretation of myth in the Tafsīr al-Manār. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Qur’an in History. The History of the Qur’an. From Canonization to Critique and Semantic Hermeneutics)
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