Linear and Network Connections of Verses and Surahs and the Analysis of Their Origins

The connection and consistency of Quranic verses along with the arrangement of surahs have always been one of the key issues in Quranic and the exegesis science. In the traditional Quranic subjects, this subject is usually referred to as "order" and "consistency". The purpose of raising this issue, which we have referred to as linear conjunctions, is to defend intra-surah order of verses and the existing arrangement of the surahs in the Quran. However, it has provided some interpretative benefits that have been exploited by exegetes. In recent centuries, nonetheless, network connections have received growing attention and great efforts have been put into searching the relationships between adjacent verses and surahs. Beyond the interpretive function and the search for the Quranic order, the importance of gaining text-based insight, the advent of new interpretive assumptions, the expansion of Quran-to-Quran interpretation and the growing need for thematic exegesis have influenced this approach. In this regard, we first examine different types of connections between verses and surahs using an analytical-descriptive method and then explore the origins of these connections, especially in the contemporary era.