Journal of Contemporary Islamic Studies
Volume:4 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2022

The Study Qur’ān is a noteworthy work for the global audience. This interpretation of Qur’ān attempts to mention the traditional viewpoints as to the interpretation of Qur’ān from the selected exegetical and narrative sources, to use Qur’ān by Qur’ān method of interpretation, and to fulfill its duty in delivering the guidance of Qur’ān to the addressee. Employing critical analysis method, the present study deals with compatibility of these strategies with the interpretation of verses about the Imāmat and guardianship of Ahl al-Bayt – at the level of exoteric meaning of Qur’ānic words (Qur’ān 2:124; 4:59; 5:3, 55, 56, 67); it also probes the stand of this book about the mentioned verses as individuals cases. However, The Study Qur’ān is not fully successful to match these strategies. For example, this book has overlooked the traditional viewpoints in authentic sources, key narrations as to these verses, and the logical system overriding these verses by the use of Qur’ān by Qur’ān method of interpretation. Also in dealing with the interpretation of these verses, this book contains not only weaknesses but also mistakes like partial transmission of viewpoints and narrations, semantic comparison of verses based on homonymy, and improper perception of Shī‘a interpretation of these verses.

Global ethics is a branch of social ethics which finds the “ethical commonalities” among religions and creeds, and calls people for an understanding and recognizance of it. Realities and challenges of the contemporary world make the global ethics an inevitable necessity. Thus, the representatives of the world religions endorsed the declaration of global ethics in 1993. Ethical commonalities can be recognized through inductive and deductive ways. Inductive approach is related to the study of ethical schools of thought and creeds and also case study of ethical commonalities; because it is not biased in favor of any specific school, it is accepted more ubiquitously. However, it faces criticisms such as not being definite, not explicating the causal relations between ethical phenomena, and not providing a solution for ethical contradictions. Deductive approach is based on the theory of innate disposition, and identifies the public and widespread ethical virtues through innate requirements. Despite having an epistemological value and providing definite results, deductive approach lacks generalization. This is because ethical non-realists and also those who deny the innate disposition do not accept this approach. The global ethics needs to follow both of these approaches which complement each other.

To disagree, the addressee – in his/her relative turn (T2) – needs to rebut the speaker turn’s (T1) statement. Thus, disagreement initiates with T2. This article aims at investigating T2 disagreements in God’s messengers’ talks to disbelievers. The data, driven from Qur’ān and composed of 150 cases, were collected and categorized based on Muntigl and Turnbull’s taxonomy of disagreement, namely, Irrelevancy Claim (IC), Challenges (CH), Contradiction (CT), Counterclaim (CC) and Act Combinations (ACs), to (1) determine the most frequent T2 type disagreement and the dominant Act Combination Type disagreement form and (2) specify the relative disagreement types used by people against God’s and His Prophets’ claims and vice versa and (3) justify their differences. The findings indicate that Challenges are the most frequent T2-type-disagreement and the Combination of Contradiction and Counter Claim is the most frequent AC and that people use challenges more while God and His prophets use more ACs. Comparatively, it was found that people’s disagreements take the forms of Challenges and Counter Claims while God and His Prophets use more of Contradiction and Act combination. People were afraid of using Contradictions as they dared not to directly threaten the face of God’s messengers. Instead, they showed more inclination towards challenges through which they cast doubts on the messengers’ claims.

One of the principles accepted by the majority of Islamic sects is esoteric interpretation. Of the main issues common between Mu‘tazila and neo-Mu‘tazila movements is esoteric interpretation. The Mu‘tazila esoteric interpretation is based on intellect, by which they esoterically interpret the verses that are seemingly against intellect. There is another principle that has roots in Islamic legislation. This principle regards dividing the qur’ānic verses into ambiguous and non-ambiguous verses and then esoterically interpreting the ambiguous ones. In these cases, they try to accord the intellect with the narrations; however sometimes due to the lack of accurate understanding of the narrations or mistakes in the intellectual rules, they try esoteric interpretation of the narration. The neo-Mu‘tazila intellectual movement is one of the outstanding theological trends in the Islamic world. Its roots can be traced back to the old Mu‘tazila thinkers, who tried to found the basis of Islamic knowledge on intellectualism. They tried to use esoteric interpretation and figurative expression in the interpretation of texts and also use intellect in understanding Islamic knowledge and sciences. The study at hand adopts a descriptive-critical approach to analyze the viewpoints of Qāḍī ‘Abd al-Jabbār Hamdānī – an old Mu‘tazila member – and Naṣr Ḥāmid Abū Zayd – the most important neo- Mu‘tazila figure. ‘Abd al-Jabbār uses a completely theological and doctrinal basis to conduct esoteric interpretation for the outward of the verses. However, Naṣr Ḥāmid Abū Zayd believes that esoteric interpretation is a method or instrument for understanding the phenomena. He believes that from an ideological perspective, esoteric interpretation cannot be defined, and the esoteric interpretation of religious texts is not possible.

Bearing a child has always been one of the most magnificent matters of mankind. Naturally speaking, making a decision about it relies on its pros and cons. By the development of modern assisted reproductive technologies and contraceptive methods in recent decades, the issue of human reproduction has gained more importance in Islam (and Islamic law) and in other religions. In this paper, we use the document analysis and descriptive-analytical research methods to figure out the conditions and status of mankind’s reproductive rights according to Islamic law. The purpose of this article is to show the perspective of Islamic law toward the nature of reproductive rights. By considering this issue, we can decide better about other issues in this realm such as the aspects of reproductive rights, the right-holders, and the duty-bearers. In conclusion, according to the standpoint of the Qur’ān and the traditions about the permission to practice ‘azl (withdrawal or coitus interruptus), we might maintain that human reproduction is a right rather than a commandment (ḥukm); moreover, it is a mixture of duty and right, because is not sufficient to only take rights into consideration. Thus, according to this right, obligations or duties must be imposed against other opposing parties (persons or the government), as it is not possible to imagine rights without responsibilities.

One of the most important components of coherent understanding of the Qur’ānic semantic system is correct knowledge of a chapter as the main component of this systematic structure. The complex connecting network of the beginning, body, and ending of a text indicates its hidden semantic layers. In particular, the conceptual chain of the beginning and ending plays an important role in providing a summary of the meanings to audience. In this regard, this article seeks to answer how it is possible to understand the harmony and systematics governing structure of a chapter by examining the elements of the beginning and the ending. It is inspired by the fractal schema which highlights the role of meaningful repetition of self-similar components in creating the main structure of a coordinated design. Indeed, the analysis of intra-sectoral verbal-semantic evidences leads to a coherent reading of the concepts of a chapter. As a case-study, the interconnected structure governing the components of the beginning and the ending of the Spider chapter, through the conceptual chain of jihād, can be received in two levels of jihād for truth and jihād for oneself. In addition, mentioning the effects of choosing faith and guidance or not choosing them, which leads to the formation of believer and infidel groups, and the destiny of each of these two groups of the people related to the divine messengers are considered the interconnected space of the Spider chapter.

Noble Qur’ān contains all the knowledge and rulings and, therefore, needs to be explicated and elaborated by the Infallibles (a).  Overlooking the role of the Infallibles in the explication of verses brings about irrevocable consequences like failing to attain the purpose of God and misunderstanding the divine aim. Those who are known as Qur’ānists believe that Qur’ān is understandable by the public and is needless of interpretation, even of the interpretation of the Infallibles (a). This view causes wrong perception of the text of Qur’ān and results in the risk of deviation in belief and practice. Sayyid Abulfaḍl Burqa‘ī is a contemporary Iranian Qur’ānist. For his belief in Qur’ān’s being needless of interpretation, he refers to reasons such as the understanding of Qur’ān by Arabs of Ignorant  Era with no need for interpretation; lack of interpretation of Qur’ān by God, the Prophet (s), and the Infallibles (a); the Word of God’s being clearer than the interpretation by humans; attribution of superstitions to most verses by the interpreters; the impact of interpreter’s denomination and tendency on the interpretation of verses; the understanding of the Quran verses by its other verses with no need for interpretation; and completeness of the Book of God and its needlessness to be completed by the Servants. All of these reasons are controversial and the study at hand criticizes these reasons using a descriptive-analytical method. Nowadays, some, particularly Wahhabis, have tried to undermine Shī‘a view by resorting to the views of Burqa‘ī. Thus, probing and criticizing his views is necessary. The results of the present study which is done using a descriptive-analytical method show that  fallacy, misunderstanding, incomprehensiveness, inaccuracy, etc. have incurred the reasons provided by Burqa‘ī. The use of narrations by Burqa‘ī himself to explain some of the verses indicates that interpretation and elaboration by the Infallibles (a) is needed for a complete understanding of Qur’ān.

One of the important topics in the Islamic theology that is discussed by the scholars of theology and interpretation is God’s active attributes like sustenance provision which originates from the relation of Supreme Essence with His creatures. For the first time, based on the theory of Georges Dumezil in the field of comparative mythology, the active attributes of God or gods are studied in the form of a three-fold pattern, and the viewpoint of the Qur’ān is explicated about it. This study shows that the pre-Islam Arabs – being influenced by the beliefs of Indian and European tribes – have categorized the active attributes of gods into three main classes: ruling, war, and production, and have deemed each of the gods possessing one of those attributes. The noble Qur’ān also has employed this three-fold pattern for mentioning the active attributes of God.  It is different in that the noble Qur’ān has replaced the many gods of Ignorant Era with the unique God. It also has taken the aforesaid three-fold functions altogether in the unique God, in place of ascribing them to three groups of gods.

Death and the way humans facing it differs in various societies. In the present article, with the method of “thematic analysis” and with the six-step pattern of Braun and Clarke, a model for religious morbidity has been provided which focuses on Nahj al-balāgha. The goal of the present study is exploring the quiddity, reason, and quality of death from the perspective of Nahj al-balāgha. First, by choosing the explicit theme of “mawt” (death) and its synonyms, inductively 171 preliminary themes were derived, which then were cut down to 77 basic themes. These basic themes later were reduced to 31 organizing themes and 4 global themes (“the inner truth and function of death”, “features and requirements of death “, “positive encounter with death”, and “negative encounter with death”. In analyzing the reason of death, the results of the study consider the inner truth of death as a divine tradition, and the function of death as the goal of this world as well as a medium for transferring and returning to the other world and beginning of a new life. As an answer to the quiddity of death, in place of explicating the mysterious and unexplainable quiddity of death, twelve features and requirements of death have been investigated, from which the feature of inevitability has the most frequency. Nahj al-balāgha introduces positive encounter as acceptance, preparedness, anticipation, nearness assumption, remembrance, postponement, and readiness for and reception of a valuable death (martyrdom). It also introduces negative encounter as farness assumption, sadness, ignorance, grandness assumption, and morbidity.

God created the human inherently social, and made the continuation of his life and actualization of his talents dependent on the relationship with the society. From the beginning, by understanding this fact, the human tried to seek the proper course of living and perceive the ideal society. Of the most controversial topics propounded in the present era is the expression “open society.”  In the study at hand, disregarding the approaches of different thinkers, Alawite knowledge is alluded to, and exploration and conceptology of the open society from the view of Imām ‘Alī (a) is done. The chosen method is descriptive-analytical and the data was gathered using a library method. Conceptology of open society depends on the goal of the society and the people of that society. In monotheistic approach, the most important goal of the society is moving toward the highest kingdom as well as growth. According to the findings of the research, a society is open wherein there is no obstacle, imposed by that very society, to the comprehensive growth of its people. Human societies have two pillars of people and governance. Based on Alawite teachings, governance is a divinely trusted affair which is bestowed upon some individuals by God; if the divinely appointed governance is accepted by the people, then it would be established. Divine governance can be divided into three spheres of governing model, governing rites, and the governor. What is certain is that the quiddity, function, and expectations in these three spheres in an open society are in line with the removal of obstacles as for the growth course and cultivation of humans.

The consideration of Islam based on the division between unity and polytheism eradicates the foundation of the religion. Divine Unity is based on God’s Attributes, Actions, and Names. As one of the Divine Attributes, Glory is a manifestation of His Unity. The study at hand aimed to examine Glory-based Unity and the ensuing Glory-based cultivation. To this end, the verses of the noble Qur’ān were inspected using the descriptive-analytical method. An important finding of the study was that describing God as Glorious is due to His enjoyment of issues such as Authority, Lordship, absolute Governance as well as the humble obedience shown to Him by the world of being. Based on the analysis of the qur’ānic concept of Glory and recognition of its principles through a theistic approach, the principle of Glory is taken as the source of the argument for the general Unity. This source indicates new dimensions of the role of Glory-based Unity in the human cultivation.

In the qur’ānic parenting, father and mother are deemed as responsible for the cultivation of the children. This style of the noble Qur’ān is expressed in the form of various factors including sets of behaviors, instructions, and methods that individually or collaboratively influence the spiritual and emotional development of the children in various aspects of their lives. This phenomenon can be examined in two directions, namely parents’ agency and parenting factors. With regard to the parents’ agency, the father and the mother consider their children as God’s grace, feel special responsibility for them, and pursue guiding and directing them in various grounds in order to help them attain psychological healthfulness, stability, and balance. This study set out to extract the factors effective on parenting from the verses of the noble Qur’ān through library research, description, and content analysis. In the next stage, each of these factors was explained from the viewpoint of psychology. The findings of the study showed that according to the verses of the noble Qur’ān, parents should observe the two principles of assigning tasks based on children’s potentials and positive interaction with them, respond to their needs, and respect their personality. Making correct use of reward and punishment, providing sexual education, and paying attention to the factors that can increase self-efficacy of the children and enhance their self-confidence are among other factors of responsible parenting style that are pointed out in the qur’ānic verses.