A Critical Examination of the Foundational and Methodological Aspects “The Contemporary Interpretation of the Holy Quran (The Study Quran)” (Third Volume)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 (First Author): Assistant Professor of Quran and Orientalists Department, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran

2 (Corresponding Author): Assistant Professor, Department of Theological Education, Farhangian University, PO Box 889-14665 Tehran, Iran

Abstract

One of the contemporary intellectual currents is traditionalism (perennial philosophy), which has emerged in response to the progress of modernity in the contemporary world. “The Contemporary Interpretation of the Holy Quran (The Study Quran)”, is the work of one of the most prominent proponent of traditionalism, i.e. Seyyed Hossein Nasr, who, with full belief in the divine nature of the perennial philosophy, seeks to revive sacred knowledge and connect human knowledge to the transcendent world as a forgotten tradition in the modern world, without yielding to modernism. The chief editor of the book strives to present, for both Muslim and non-Muslim audiences, in line with the requirements of the contemporary world, the intellectual struggles of scholars in various fields of Islamic sciences over the past fourteen centuries, who have learned many truths through their commitment to the Quran and the Prophetic tradition and have left them as valuable heritage. As some foundational aspects and methodological approaches of “The Contemporary Interpretation of the Holy Quran (The Study Quran)”can lead to personal-speculation and superficial understanding of the concepts and arguments of the revealed verses, this paper aims to shed light on some foundational and methodological flaws of the third volume of “The Contemporary Interpretation of the Holy Quran (The Study Quran)” through a library-based and critical-analytical approach. Traditionalism (perennial philosophy), lack of transcendent unity among religions, disregard for the role of rational reasoning are the some fundamental and superficial flaws in interpreting Quran by Quran and inclination towards Sunni interpretations in the conflicts between Shia and Sunni, overlooking in quoting interpretive narrations, lack of using reliable and specialized sources, neglect of the application of narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet’s Household) in interpretation, uncertainty in selecting interpretive sources, limited use of influential sciences in interpretation, failure to empower the audience in recognizing correct statements, inappropriate referencing, unnecessary contents, limited and selective interpretation volume, lack of unity in interpretation, and ego-speculation are among the methodological flaws of the third volume of “The Contemporary Interpretation of the Holy Quran (The Study Quran)”.

Keywords

References

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The Qur’an from Orientalists Point of View
Volume 18, Issue 34 - Serial Number 34
(Registration No. 124/ 5086 Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance) Volume 34, Spring and Summer 2023
September 2023
Pages 39-66

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History

  • Receive Date: 18 June 2023
  • Revise Date: 24 June 2023
  • Accept Date: 11 August 2023

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