نشریه قرآن پژوهی خاورشناسان (قرآن و مستشرقان)
سال دهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 19، پاییز و زمستان 1394)

According to Sidney H. Griffith in the entry “Gospel” (injīl) in Leiden’s Encyclopaedia of the Qurān there are similar narratives and motifs in the Quran and various Gospels while some narratives about Jesus in the Quran have no comparable accounts in Christian texts (e.g. Jesus’ foretelling of the coming of the Prophet of Islam). Griffith states that the Quran uses the term injīl in the singular and does not give indication of multiple Gospels. Accordingly, such conceptual differences concerning the Gospel led Muslim exegetes to accuse Christians of distorting the original Gospel. Regardless, various passages in Christian texts verify the existence of news concerning the coming of the Prophet of Islam. In the extant Gospels and other books in the New Testament, the term Gospel is used in the singular many times without referring to the four Gospels or something on similar lines. Contrary to Christian belief, the Quran’s stance regarding the Gospel as revelation given to noble Jesus by God is verifiable. What has led to even greater misgivings on behalf of Muslims toward Christian texts and their validity is the opposition of the Quran with some of the main pillars of Christianity (e.g. Trinity, crucifixion, and Eucharist).

Criticisms and doubts about the Quran have existed from its revelation to the present day. One such criticism pertains to doubts about the origin of the Holy Quran and its revelation. One version of this criticism is that the Prophet of Islam was taught by Christian or Jewish people. The Quran responds to this challenge in chapter al-Nahl (Q. 16). This challenge has persisted to this day, and Leiden’s Encyclopaedia of the Qurān has dedicated on entry to it. In this entry the author, Claude Gilliot, attempts to explicate the matter by citing a variety of historical reports from Islamic sources. Ultimately, he concludes that a Meccan chapter was developed under the instruction and influence of such supposed teachers of the Prophet. However, the most important evidence dismissing these claims is Q. 16:103 as well as other Quranic verses that emphasize the Quran as revelation. Historical reports only state that the Prophet came into contact with these individuals, not that he was taught by them. In fact, in some of these cases, the contact only lasted for a few hours or occurred after the Prophet’s appointment.

The present study presents an introduction and criticism of the entry “Jonah” by Heribert Busse in Leiden’s Encyclopaedia of the Qurān. The author has examined the story of Jonah in the Quran including his life, wrath, imprisonment in the belly of the fish, and deliverance. For this aim, Busse made references to the Quran, Islamic narratives, and the Bible. Some shortcomings of the work include a selective approach to Islamic sources and narratives, mixing of citations from the Quran and the Bible, and disregard for the infallibility of the prophets.

Some orientalists have posited a new dispute about the Quran. Citing Q. 52:24, they propound that homosexuality is approved by the Quran. A prominent example of this notion is the “Homosexuality” entry in Leiden’s Encyclopaedia of the Qurān. The present paper challenges this theory by referring to the Quran and through examination of the meaning of the term ghilmān. Analysis of the Arabic meaning of this term as it was at the advent of Islam demonstrates that the term does not refer to beings that are for sexual pleasure. Furthermore, examination of the meaning and usage of synonymous words, i.e. tawf and wildān, shows that the task of these beings is to serve the inhabitants of heaven. Finally, it seems that terms in the Quran concerning the hereafter are used metaphorically since such things are beyond human experience.

Throughout history, Quranic inscriptions have been of interest to researchers in art and architecture. This is evidenced by the profusion and diversity of works in these fields. “Inscriptions in Art and Architecture” by Sheila Blair and Jonathan Bloom takes an important step toward demonstration of the importance of the Quran in religious structures. In this article, some scholars in the field are introduced and their works examined. Additional concerns include examination of receptacles of Quranic inscriptions (e.g. coins and earthenware), criteria used by designers and builders (such as space utilized for creating a work), faith and beliefs, and role and function of verses (compatibility with the venue in question) as well as social, cultural and political conditions. The present paper provides a short report of “Inscriptions in Art and Architecture” along with complementary points and critiques of, for example, secular architecture.

Quranic stories and their method of presentation have prompted orientalists to study and purportedly find fault with them in terms of literature and structure. Some such criticisms include failure to observe chronological order, repetition of stories, and omission of details. In the stories of prophets, the Quran tells the highlights of the stories with specific instructional purposes. Furthermore, for various aims, stories of prophets have been told in numerous Quranic chapters in different manners. Considering the readership as well as the purpose of gradual instruction, the Quran does not provide all details of stories. Thus, various orientalists, including Watt, have called aspects of Quranic stories into question. The present paper examines the views of orientalists in this regard and provides reasons for this manner of story-telling in the Quran.