Rethinking ‘Revelation’ as a Precondition for Reinterpreting the Qur'an
A Qur'anic Perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22318633 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Abdullah Saeed (0000-0002-2021-1089, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1999 |
| Volume | 1 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 93-114 |
| Publication date | 1999-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Qur'anic Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1465-3591 • E-ISSN: 1755-1730 |
| Publisher | Edinburgh University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.3366/jqs.1999.1.1.93 |
| OpenAlex | W2018294588 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 2 |
The majority of Muslims have held to the dictation theory of Revelation since the Qur'an was revealed fourteen hundred years ago. This article highlights a key aspect of current Qur'anic studies; that is, the rethinking of the genesis of Revelation, advocated by scholars like Kenneth Cragg, apparently as a prerequisite for reinterpretation of the text in the modern period. This article argues that such a rethinking of Revelation is not necessary, and that the avocation of the so-called ‘human element’ in the Qur'an is unwarranted. The argument is based on a literal reading of the Qur'anic text, on what it claims for itself, on key terms used in the Qur'an to describe itself, and on the understanding of the issue by Muslims from the earliest period to the present. In order to demonstrate this point, the article explores the pre-Islamic understanding of revelation, the relationship of revelation to language, and the Qur'anic texts dealing with the questions of ‘authorship’ of the Qur'an and of the Prophet's role therein. It argues that the reinterpretation of the Qur'an and the genesis and authorship of the text are two separate issues; and that reinterpretation does not depend on the identity of the Qur'an's author. The analysis indicates that the authorship of the Qur'an should be strictly assigned to Allah, and concludes that the arguments developed in favour of revision are not sustainable, at least from a Qur'anic perspective
Aesthetics · Art · Epistemology · Faith · Islam · Literature · Reinterpretation · Revelation · Theology · Families in Therapy and Culture · Historical and Linguistic Studies · Islamic Studies and History · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.4 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2016 - 2021 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |