Qur'ānic Studies Today brings together specialists in the field of Islamic studies to provide a range of essays that reflect the depth and breadth of scholarship on the Qur'ān. Combining theoretical and methodological clarity with close readings of qur'ānic texts, these contributions provide close analysis of specific passages, themes, and issues within the Qurʾān, even as they attend to the disciplinary challenges within the field of qur'ānic studies today. Chapters are arranged into three parts, treating specific figures appearing in the Qurʾān, analysing particular suras, and finally reflecting on the Qur'ān and its "others." They explore the internal dimensions and interior chronology of the Qur'ān as text, its possible conversations with biblical and non-biblical traditions in Late Antiquity, and its role as scripture in modern exegesis and recitation. Together, they are indispensable for students and scholars who seek an understanding of the Qur'ān founded on the most recent scholarly achievements. Offering both a reflection of and a reflection on the discipline of qur'ānic studies, the strong, scholarly examinations of the Qur'ān in this volume provide a valuable contribution to Islamic and qur'ānic studies.
Offering both a reflection of and a reflection on the discipline of qur'ānic studies, the strong, scholarly examinations of the Qur'ān in this volume provide a valuable contribution to Islamic and qur'ānic studies.
We are pleased to announce the launch of the Journal of the International Qur'anic Studies Association (JIQSA). In support of the association's mission of fostering scholarship on the Qur'an, the journal will publish twice annually. Articles will be rigorously peer-reviewed through a double-blind review process, with reviewers appointed by the Co-Editors and the international Editorial Board. The journal is being launched at a time of particular vitality and growth in Qur'anic Studies, and its primary goal is to encourage the further development of the discipline in innovative ways. Methodologies of particular interest to the journal include historical-critical, contextual-comparative, and literary approaches to the Qur'an. We welcome articles that explore the Qur'an's origins in the religious, cultural, social, and political contexts of Late Antiquity; its connections to various literary precursors, especially the scriptural and parascriptural traditions of older religious communities; the historical reception of the Qur'an in the west; the hermeneutics and methodology of Qur'anic exegesis and translation (both traditional and modern); the transmission and evolution of the textus receptus and the manuscript tradition; and the application of various literary and philological modes of investigation into Qur'anic style and compositional structure.
The Journal of the International Qur'anic Studies Association (JIQSA) is a peer reviewed annual journal published on behalf of the International Qur'anic Studies Association, a nonprofit learned society for scholars of the Qur'an. JIQSA welcomes article submissions that explore the Qur'an's origins in the religious, cultural, social, and political contexts of Late Antiquity; its connections to various literary precursors, especially the scriptural and parascriptural traditions of older religious communities; the historical reception of the Qur'an in the West; the hermeneutics and methodology of qur'anic exegesis and translation (both traditional and modern); the transmission and evolution of the textus receptus; Qur'an manuscripts and material culture; and the application of various literary and philological modes of investigation into qur'anic style, compositional structure, and rhetoric.
The Journal of the International Qur'anic Studies Association (JIQSA) is a peer reviewed annual journal published on behalf of the International Qur'anic Studies Association, a nonprofit learned society for scholars of the Qur'an.
Qur’anic exegesis has become the battleground of political Islam and theological conflict among various Muslim schools of thought. Using comparative and contrastive methodology, examples from the Qur'an are investigated in the light of various theological views to delineate the birth, development and growth of Qur'anic exegesis. The political status quo, in the past and at present, has impinged upon Qur’anic exegesis more than on any other discipline in Islamic studies. This book illustrates the dichotomy between mainstream and non-mainstream Islam, showing how Qur’anic exegesis reflects the subtle dogmatic differences and political cleavages in Islamic thought. Chapters explore in depth the intrusive views of the compilers of early exegesis manuscripts, the scepticism among Western scholars about the authenticity of early Muslim works of exegesis and of prophetic tradition, and the role of exegesis as a tool to reaffirm the Qur’an as a canon. Written to appeal to those with comparative exegetical interests as well as those focused on Islamic studies in general, this book will be an important reference for research students, scholars, and students of Islamic Studies, Theology, Religious studies and Middle Eastern Studies.
This book illustrates the dichotomy between mainstream and non-mainstream Islam, showing how Qur’anic exegesis reflects the subtle dogmatic differences and political cleavages in Islamic thought.
NOTES This study was completed during a six-month John Cadbury Visiting
Fellowship awarded to me by the Centre of West African Studies, University of
Birmingham, UK, from November 1998 to April 1999. 1 am immensely grateful to
Dr ...
'Masterly work ... Leads the reader patiently but directly not merely into Qur'anic writing but into the heart of that Holy Book itself ... By the time we have followed Dr Ahmad to the end of this splendid work we have learned something new and indeed something uplifting about one of the world's great books.' Prof. F. E. Peters, New York University.
I also extend sincere appreciation to Mr. S. A. Ali, Director, Indian Institute of
Islamic Studies, for his detailed critique of the text and suggestions for
improvement of both content and style at many points. In the initial stages of
preparing this book ...
Scriptural Hermeneutics and the Rhetoric of Moral Reform in the Caliphate of al-Ma'ūn
Exploring the subjectivity of the Qurʾān’s meaning in the world, this book analyses Qurʾānic referencing in Muslim political rhetoric. Informed by classical Arabic-Islamic rhetorical theory, the author examines Arabic documents attributed to the ʿAbbāsid Caliph al-Maʾmūn (r. 813-833), whose rule coincided with the maturation of classical Islamic political thought and literary culture. She demonstrates how Qurʾānic referencing functions as tropological exegesis, whereby verses in the Qurʾān are reinterpreted through the lens of subjective experience. At the same time socio-historical experiences are understood in terms of the Qurʾān’s moral typology, which consists of interrelated polarities that define good and bad moral characters in mutual orientation. Through strategic deployment of scriptural references within the logical scheme of rhetorical argument, the Caliph constructs moral analogies between paradigmatic characters in the Qurʾān and people in his social milieu, and situates himself as moral reformer and guide, in order to persuade his audiences of the necessity of the Caliphate and the religio-moral imperative of obedience to his authority. The Maʾmūnid case study is indicative of the nature and function of Qurʾānic referencing across historical periods, and thus contributes to broader conversations about the impact of the Qurʾān on the shaping of Islamic civilization. This book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in Early Islamic History, Islam and the rhetoric of contemporary Middle East regional and global Islamic politics.
Vanessa De Gifis earned her Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
from the University of Chicago (2008) and is Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Wayne State University. Her research focuses on Qur'a-nic
hermeneutics, ...