Journal of the Quran: Contemporary Studies
Volume:2 Issue: 4, Summer 2023

The term Islamic dress can be considered to be roughly synonymous with the word ḥijāb. This word has become more frequently used than the previously used term, i.e., covering (sitr), to indicate Islamic dress.   One of the commands that Islam orders Muslims to follow is the observance of ḥijāb in their social interactions. The importance of analyzing this matter from the Glorious Qur’ān is exemplified because of the great influence it has on the general lives of Muslims. Furthermore, the importance of this matter, i.e., ḥijāb, in the lives of Muslims, makes finding the Qur’ānic stances regarding it even more important.    The hypothesis of this article claims that Islamic dress, and the necessity of observing it, is one of the fundamental tenets of Islam and one which is sourced from the Glorious Qur’ān. This research was conducted in an analytical-descriptive manner, combined with the examination of the Qur’ānic verses. Additionally, from the perspective of the Glorious Qur’ān, a Muslim Woman, focusing on the core tenets of Islam and its mental, emotional, and practical advice concerning affairs such as life possessing meaning, the ascending nature of life, chastity, spiritual character and moral identity, observance of the divine obligations and prohibitions, etc., must pay attention to their manner of dress. And with its practical observance, positive outcomes and effects will be noticed within the Islamic society.

The Orientalists’ movement of Qur’ānic studies from the 11th century onwards has had three distinct periods; the first concentrated on the critique of the Qur’ān, the second one accompanied by a colonial and evangelical movement, and the third had a scientific mask.  “The Study Qur’ān” in recent years by several American orientalists and edited by Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr in eight volumes as the first volume (including Sūrat al-Ḥamd, Baqarah, Āl-ʿImrān) has been translated into Persian and published is included in the third category.    The methodological critique of this work is discussed in this article. First, the strengths of this work, including the original English language [not translation] and its fluent translation and defense of the revelation of the Qur’ān, are expressed here, then dealt to criticize the principles, interpretive method, and mystical approach, as well as the authors’ positions on religious pluralism, diluting verses against Judaism and Christianity and darkening the verses of Ahl al-Bayt, the Shiite view and the miracle of the Qur’ān. Finally, this book has been considered as the cause of the abandonment of the Qur’ān in the current era, especially in Western societies.

Identifying the main parts of a topic and making a logical link between them is important. One of the sciences that need careful consideration in the methodology of Quranic exegesis is the foundations of Ijtihadi-logical exegesis. The objective of this study is to provide a suitable plan for the topics of the foundations of exegesis. In this field, topics of foundations of exegesis were identified by analytical and theorizing methods, and the position of each one was determined. Therefore, after careful consideration, five topics were regarded, respectively: definition, organization, manner of usage, resolving the conflict, and the course of changes in the foundations of Ijtihadi-logical exegesis.

Ritual purity (Ṭahāra) is an important Quranic command requisite for prayer and certain rituals. Despite their positive points, the Orientalists’ views on this topic are deficient or incorrect. This research attempts to analyse some of their views with a descriptive-analytic method to highlight their shortcomings and present genuine Islamic views on this topic. Some of the Orientalists’ views on ṭahārah are as follows: words derived from the root ṭ-h-r refer to the requisite state of ritual purity or the process of achieving this state.  The purpose of ablution (wuḍū) is to perform the prayer as God wills. Water has the power to repel demons. The prophet was influenced by the religious culture of his time in performing ritual purity. Muṭahharūn (the purified) are those who have repelled evil away from themselves or have performed ritual ablution. Ritual purity is a symbolic state in the context of ritual worship. The results of the present research are as follows: The word ṭahāra in the Quran refers to the state of purity, which according to the context in which the word appears, refers to the physical, spiritual, or both aspects. The ultimate purity is achieved by abstaining from any material or spiritual impurity at the level of one’s thoughts, attributes, and deeds. The purpose of wuḍū is to attain spiritual purity and submit to God’s guardianship, and to attain proximity to God. It is the state of physical or spiritual purity caused by using water according to the Divine command that removes evil impurities. The Quran is a miracle in its wording and content, which was revealed to the Prophet by God, and the Prophet was not influenced by the culture of his time in performing ritual purity. Muṭahharūn can refer to the angels, the purified servants of God, or those who have performed major or minor ablutions. Ritual purity is a real spiritual state needed for spiritual growth and proximity to God. As long as the Orientalists are not awakened to the revealed nature of the Quran, one should not expect them to present a fair and true picture of Islamic teachings and rulings.

Steadfastness and resistance against the oppressors and tyrants have a religious and Quranic basis. God Almighty has shown us that resistance in the face of arrogant powers and stubborn forces is one of the most important duties of human beings, and standing up in the face of such oppressors has been His [divine] command.  In the Holy Quran, the dignity and authority of believers, as well as overcoming any kind of isolation and failure, are introduced as the fruits of resistance against the tyranny of oppressors. The Islamic Resistance Front is an unwritten coalition among some Islamic countries aligned with the Islamic Revolution of Iran, whose purpose is to fight against the Zionist regime and confront the domination and influence of the West, especially the United States and its allies in the West Asian region. When it comes to Islamic resistance, various aspects can be discussed, such as the moral challenges one might face and the ways of dealing with such challenges.The following article seeks to provide a general and systematic picture of the moral challenges of resistance and the Quranic solutions to it in a descriptive-analytical way. Based on the results of the present research, the moral challenges of Islamic resistance are egoism, worldliness, haste, and desperation. In order to overcome these challenges, we can use solutions such as faith in God and divine help, trust, hope, prayer, unity and empathy, patience and tolerance.

Within international law, non-compliance to international treaties results in the sanctity of the rule of ‘Pacta sunt servanda (agreements must be kept)’ – which is the backbone of the international law system – being broken. This legal system acknowledges the right of a party to, indiscriminately and based on reprisal, terminate a treaty with the initial non-compliant party. Similarly, the Glorious Qur’ān also allows, as a clear exception to the rule of ‘Pacta sunt servanda’, the right of a state to withhold their obligations in respect to a treaty that has been breached. However, according to the comprehensive framework and structured nature of the Glorious Qur’ān, two principle and significant differences exist between its teachings and this man-ratified system of law. The first of these differences is that according to the Glorious Qur’ān, the initial breach of an international treaty has two referents, an actual breach or an anticipatory breach. The second difference is that the observance of justice in the breaking of a breached treaty is fundamental within the Glorious Qur’ān. Furthermore, by means of this analytical outlook, the fundamentality of justice within governmental treaties – a unique Qur’ānic teaching – becomes manifest. This research aims to elucidate these differences in a descriptive-analytical manner.