نشریه قرآن پژوهی خاورشناسان (قرآن و مستشرقان)
سال هفدهم شماره 1 (پیاپی 32، بهار و تابستان 1401)

he issue of coherence and thematic unity between the verses of each surah has always been one of the most important and challenging issues. Orientalists such as Goldziher, Richard Bell and Régis Blachère have expressed their opinions in this field more than other orientalists and have raised the suspicion of anxiety, instability, irregularity and boring verses of the Quran. In the following article, after explaining the claims of the Orientalists in the mentioned issue, based on the criteria of the connection of the verses which are defined and presented in the valuable commentary of al-Mizan, using the descriptive-analytical method, the answer to the said doubt has been given. The most important criteria for the coherence of the verses of each surah from the perspective of Allama Tabatabai are: using the context of the verses, proving the sovereignty of a single purpose in the verses of each surah, the existence of composition and type of sentences; Summarizing the contents at the end of a few verses, the confrontation between the beginning and the end of the surah and the relationship between the beginning and the end of the verse through the expression of a divine tradition. Based on the opinions of Allamah Tabatabai in Tafsir al-Mizan, the summation of ten indicators or criteria for the connection of verses is considered to be a novel and innovative aspect of this article.

Jihad is one of the branches of religion that became obligatory in Madinah and the Holy Quran recommended Muslims to it. Orientalists have introduced the book of violence and the religion of Islam as the religion of the sword without paying attention and analyzing the nature, philosophy and works of the Quran. The main problem of the research is that what are the appropriate answers to the doubt of some orientalists (including Revan Firestone, Bernard Lewis, Rizway Pfizer, Theodore Noldeke, etc.) regarding the existence of violence in the context of Jihad in Islam? The method of this research is analytical-descriptive and critical. The research aims to provide appropriate answers to the above question, taking into account the goals of the Islamic religion and Quranic concepts. The important findings of the research are reported as follows. The objectives of Islam are based on peace and tranquility, and numerous verses indicate the call for peace and peaceful coexistence with other religions, as well as divine-wide mercy. Historical examples such as the 13-year presence of Muslims in Mecca, as well as the peace of Hudaybiyah and the conquest of Mecca, are evidence of the claim that war and jihad in the era of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) had all defensive aspects, and also the effects of time and place in the rulings of jihad prove peace-oriented in the field of Jihad

The position of intention in hermeneutics has led to different readings of the texts. Philosophical hermeneutics have ignored it and classical hermeneutics have taken advantage of it to give originality to the author and to understand the texts. Based on their intention, orientalists have been categorized in three periods of evangelism, colonialism, and scientism, and following classical hermeneutics, they will not escape from their dogmatic, nationalist, and unjustified thoughts. Reading the intentions of Orientalists based on Hersh’s hermeneutics is necessary because it provides a method or a tool to achieve the reading of their intentions and reveal their intentions, and they are deprived of evasion, pluralist interpretations, and historical forgetfulness, and in the position of the sublime contemporary, don’t justify their the underlying and sterile historical situation wisely; Because to understand texts in Hersh’s hermeneutic view, the author’s intention is considered fundamental, which is interpreted as intentionalism. This research has shown with a descriptive-analytical method that the reading of Islamic texts by Westerners based on Hersh’s hermeneutics is nothing other than the intention of exaggerating the weaknesses of Easterners, perverting the authentic religious tradition of Islam, religious and political hegemony, racial and religious superiority, objectification of the East in the direction of all-round domination and... . In the scientific school, however, it is possible to achieve with true opinions from the Orientalists; But by referring and using unreliable sources and methods, they have caused many deviations in Islamology, which even by referring to conventional western scientific methods, it is not possible to provide a logical and straightforward explanation of them. The importance of the author’s position in Hersh’s hermeneutics also indicates that the intention of the Orientalists cannot be confirmed

One of the topics that has attracted the attention of non-Muslim Orientalists and Quranic scholars in the field of Quranic studies is the approach of modern skepticism, so that this challenging and controversial topic has had a special reflection in the works of Orientalists. The necessity of this research indicates that the way we look at the historical validity of the sources of early Islam has a direct relationship with our perception of the quality of the origin of Islam and the Quran. It seems that this approach, like the approach of criticism of tradition, believes that traditional sources have been subject to evolution; But it denies and rejects the existence of any historical truth or core of historical reality that can express the truth of the events of the orrurance. This article seeks to explain the points of view raised in this approach with descriptive-analytical method and criticize its ojectsions. According to the authors, the approach of contemporary Orientalists in Quranic studies can be divided into four approaches: descriptive approach, source criticism, Sunnah criticism and skeptical approach. Considering the many criticisms directed at the skepticism approach, the present research tries to examine the historical emergence and decline of this approach by criticizing this approach.

The term “general spirit” of the Holy Quran is based on the concept proposed by Amina Wadud, a neo-Muslim of African-American origin. Shee believes that the verses of the Holy Quran should be interpreted based on this basis; because the general spirit and supreme goal of the Holy Quran have been gender equality. After presenting its solutions and methods in understanding the verses of the Holy Quran and reaching a bottleneck, the movement of returning to the Quran has chosen this basis to maintain and continue its movement. This stream analyzes the Quran based on hermeneutic-historical approaches and believes in the fluidity of the meaning of each word or verse based on the historical-cultural conditions of the reader of the text. The basis of the general spirit is the basis of the hermeneutic-historical method, which has not been seriously disputed so far. This article, which was written with a documentary method and a descriptive-analytical approach, deals with two main criticisms in terms of the ineffectiveness of this basis in the interpretation of the verses of the Holy Quran and its hermeneutic presuppositions and its triple consequences in the process of interpretation. The consequences of this basis include the separation of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah, the inadequacy of the Sunnah in expressing the meanings of the verses of the Holy Quran, the belief in the historicity of the Quran, and the absence of an objective and stable understanding of the Holy Quran

Gabriel Said Reynolds in the article “Quranic Doublets: A Preliminary Research” analyzed repeated phrases or “doublets” in the Quran. Based on the criteria he determines, he identifies 29 doublets (or triplets) in the Quran, of which only three doublets are Meccan-Madani, and all the rest are Meccan-Meccan or Madani-Madani. Considering the very small number of Meccan-Madani doublets and using the experience of similar research in the Gospels, he concludes that the twenty-nine doublets refer to the process of writing the Quran and are the result of the edits made in the text of the Quran after the time of the Prophet (P) and before agreement on the official text of the Quran is based on a Meccan source and an independent Madani source. This research, which was carried out by the library and document method, seeks to find a reasoned and documented answer to resolve the aforementioned doubt regarding the repetition of Quranic verses. After examining the views and arguments of Reynolds in the Seventeen axis, the authors have made a fair criticism of them from three methodological, historical and documentative perspectives, the most important of which is historical criticism, using reliable sources. This research finally proves that the Quranic doublets do not lead us to what Reynolds claims; rather, each of them has been used in expressing a specific matter, to guide people

One of the most important views of revisionist orientalists is the gradual formation of Islam from a primitive monotheistic religion that emerged in the form of Islam during the Umayyad period. In the book “Crossroads to Islam: The Basics of the Arabs Religion and Their Government”, Nevo and Koren have given their special explanation from this point of view based on archaeological evidence and Syriac texts of early Islam. One of the main axes of this view is the gradual formation of the Quran until the end of the second century and the beginning of the third century of Hijrah. The following article evaluates this point of view based on the Syriac texts of early Islam using the method of critical analysis based on logical criticism and data criticism and using library resources. The results of the research indicate that Nevo and Koren’s view about the origin of the Quran is not based on the scientific method of using Syriac texts related to the first period of the formation of Islam and provides an incorrect explanation of these texts. Relying on the proof of silence and not paying attention to non-narrative proofs, such as the old versions of the Quran and the proof of massiveness, ignoring the gradual process of Syriac familiarity with Islam and the polemical nature of some Syriac texts and misunderstanding of these texts can be considered as one of their most important problems in references to Syriac texts are listed. Therefore, not only the early Syriac texts of Islam do not speak of the gradual emergence of the Holy Quran, rather they can be considered in line with the traditional Islamic view

Nowadays, Orientalists have paid attention to the analysis of the literary and semantic structure of the Quranic text using new approaches. Meanwhile, Angelika Neuwirt is one of the pioneers of this type of study. Based on this, the question of Neuwirt’s view on the structure of the Quran is still in front of us. The analysis of Neuwirt’s opinions indicates that her view on the structure of the Quran is based on presuppositions that are not fully compatible with Islamic principles. Using the historical and literary method, she has analyzed the structure and meaning of the Meccan surahs of the Quran and commented on the continuity of the meaning and literary structure of these surahs, and considers the Madani surahs to lack internal order and coherence. Understanding Neuwirt’s view on the literary and semantic structure of the Quran is something that this research is responsible for analyzing and evaluating. In this research, an attempt has been made to express the advantages and limitations of Neuwirt’s point of view regarding the structure of the Quran and answer the main question by using the analytical-critical method. In fact, it can be said that Neuwirt’s Quranic studies, especially her structuralist topics - if carefully evaluated - can be useful and open the way for Quranic scholars interested in structuralist topics, due to their regularity and text-centeredness

Examining the methods of Quranic studies by Orientalists is one of the most recent topics in the field of Quranic studies. Gerald Hawting is a contemporary British orientalist and a continuation of Wensbrough’s controversial ideas. In this research, the most important methods of his Quranic studies are briefly discovered, explained and analyzed. The most important method of Hawting’s Quranic studies is historical criticism, whose sub-branches are literary criticism, content criticism, and source criticism. Being influenced by post-modernism and the lack of convenient practical results are among the most prominent criticisms of the historical critical method and its sub-branches. Hawting’s methods of studying the Quran are influenced by the common intellectual and scientific foundations in the West, especially his teacher Wansbrough and the criticism of the Bible. Since Hawting has considered the Quran as a human text, he has imposed on it methods compatible with the materialistic and specific worldview of human texts

The current research has critically analyzed Margot Badran’s opinions regarding polygamy in Islam, which are presented in her “Feminism and Quran” entry in the Leiden Encyclopedia of Quran, and explains its functions. Badran, among the so-called contemporary Islamic feminists, believes that Islam, with the “polygamy” plan, has caused the inequality of the rights of men and women and therefore the injustice of women’s rights. By criticizing the position of women in Islam, she tries to show the rights of women over men as a valuable thing, considering the prevalence of monogamy in Western societies. In criticizing this opinion, it should be said that the prevalence of mistresses and the number of sexual mistresses in the West are seriously criticized. What is seen in these societies today is similar to polygamy in the era of ignorance, in which the Holy Quran was limited to four wives, and in the next step, its permissibility is limited to the lack of fear of injustice. So, she not only did not degrade the status of women; rather, it brought her honor. Polygamy in Islam has had some effects: reduction of social anomalies, an increase of cohabitation and legitimate spouse and children, reduction of unaccompanied women and reduction of illegitimate relationships and mistresses are among its functions, which lead to the creation of a healthy society. Of course, if it causes the abuse and lust of men, this will cause the soul and dignity of women to be trampled. Examining Badran’s point of view and criticizing it by relying on the functions of polygamy in Islam explains the importance of this issue, and this also mentions the innovative aspect of the issue.

Andrew Rippin in the article “Jacob” in the Leiden Encyclopedia of the Quran could not explain the character of Hazrat Ya’qub (A.S) well, he has not even provided a detailed account of Ya’qub’s role in Hazrat Yusuf’s story, and he was influenced by Old Testament in giving the name as Ya’qub. This article has criticized the themes of Ya’qub’s article with a descriptive-analytical method and a comparative study between the teachings of the Quran and the text of the Old Testament. The importance and necessity of criticizing this issue is because the authors of the encyclopedia are influenced by the views of the Bible. Therefore, contrary to the popular opinion that the face of Prophet Ya’qub (A.S.) is depicted as a helpless person who is always sad and crying, the Holy Quran introduces Prophet Ya’qub as powerful, insightful, righteous, devout and knowledgeable in the interpretation of hadiths. One of the important findings of this research is that in the Quran, unlike in the Old Testament, Israel is not Jacob’s title, and these two are distinct from each other. Just as their two families: “Ale Ya’qub” and “Bani Israel” are mentioned in the Quran as distinct from each other. According to the Quran, Israel is one of the companions of Noah (A.S) in the ark, who, after being saved, suffered deviations, including banning certain foods, and this problem spread widely in his lineage - the Israelites

Among the miraculous signs of the Holy Quran is its eloquence (balaghat wa fasahat); Although the challenge of the Quran has been and is proof of the invalidity of the idea that it is on behalf of humans; However, since the beginning of its revelation, unsuccessful attempts have been made against the Holy Quran. Among them is the book “Criticism of the Quran” attributed to a delusional person with the nickname “Doctor Soha” who, in a part of his book, through a process of proving the error in the writing, has denied that the Quran was revealed, and then denied the existence of God and prophethood. In this research, Dr. Soha’s three related concepts were analyzed and criticized in a library-based with analytical and comparative methods. The topics of this article are organized according to three verses (Taha/63), (Nisaa/162) and (Baqarah/62) and based on literary rules, and in examining the sayings of syntax experts and commentators, the best answer is by giving priority is mentioned or by summarizing the sayings, a single procedure was adopted so that the statements not only did not contradict each other; rather, according to the rule of “Al-Jamu’ Mahma Amkan Awli nin al-Tarh (removing contradict is good by anyway)” they should confirm each other and while proving the miracle of the Quran, the aforementioned claim of the Orientalists will also be invalidated