The Strengths and Weaknesses of the Book “The Study Quran” (Volume One)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 . Associate Professor and Faculty Member of Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran (Corresponding Author)

2 Ph.D. Candidate of Quran and Islamic Texts Teaching, University of Islamic Education, Qom, Iran

10.22034/jqopv.2024.9441

Abstract

One of the most important responsibilities of Quranic exegetes is to produce interpretations that, while being loyal to the original Islamic teachings, can persuasively address contemporary concerns and effectively spread the message in the global community. In this vein and with this goal, Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr and his colleagues have written a book titled “The Study Quran” on the request of HarperOne in the United States. This book contains interpretative comments of all Quranic chapters, based on 40 different tafsir studies Despite the author’s and the work’s great qualities, this book contains numerous bad concerns that must be addressed critically. The title “contemporary interpretation” is inappropriate for “The Study Quran” for two reasons: first, its characterization as tafsir is debatable, and second, it fails to meet the expectations of a contemporary text that addresses current issues and effectively propagates the Quran’s message. This article, written in a descriptive-analytical style, emphasizes the book’s positive qualities before criticizing it on both general and specific levels. General objections include the title’s inaccurate translation, the authors’ lack of experience in tafsir and hadith, the lack of key the Shia tafsir works, and the reliance on lesser Sunni tafsir sources and according to the specific objections, few critiques in the interpretation of Surah Al-Fatiha and some verses of Surah Al-Baqarah have been addressed in this article.

Keywords

References

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The Qur’an from Orientalists Point of View
Volume 19, Issue 36 - Serial Number 36
September 2024
Pages 317-350

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History

  • Receive Date: 06 November 2023
  • Revise Date: 09 January 2024
  • Accept Date: 21 May 2024

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