A Critique of Traditional Qur'anic Studies

The first objection to this type of Qur'anic studies is very common. Let me call the first objection "gymnastic understanding." What I mean by this term requires a little explanation. What is the art of a gymnast?! Such an athlete can walk on their hands or spread their legs one hundred and eighty degrees. The bodies of these athletes are very flexible and can be molded into absolutely any shape. In these athletes, every limb has multiple properties; it is as if the leg serves as the hand and the hand serves as the leg...

In Critique of Traditional Qur'anic Studies[1]

What is traditional Qur'anic studies?! Any understanding of the Qur'an according to the logic of the statistical eternality of traditional Qur'anic studies is called such. This method considers every single verse of the Qur'an to be definitive and, of course, trans-epochal, and deems them applicable at any time and place.

(1)

The first objection to this type of Qur'anic studies is very common. Let me call the first objection "gymnastic understanding." What I mean by this term requires a little explanation. What is the art of a gymnast?! Such an athlete can walk on their hands or spread their legs one hundred and eighty degrees. The bodies of these athletes are very flexible and can be molded into absolutely any shape. In these athletes, every limb has multiple properties; it is as if the leg serves as the hand and the hand serves as the leg.

Now, pay close attention to the term I have coined. "Gymnastic understanding" is a flexible understanding. Of course, this understanding is an unreasonably flexible one. What I mean by "gymnastic understanding" is a chaotic, motley understanding. In this understanding, a proposition becomes tainted with various interpretations and does not seem coherent at all. This is done solely to preserve the validity of the text's propositions and may even sometimes appear as distortion and destruction. In this understanding, all scientific, philosophical, etc., findings are exploited, and every pretext is utilized to the fullest extent.

Nevertheless, this type of understanding is an unconventional, excessive, and, of course, incorrect understanding. This understanding never remains faithful to the textual propositions and, according to its own whim, gives them excessive embellishment. In this understanding, there are no boundaries or limits whatsoever, and it is as if the structure of the propositions is roofless.

Therefore, in "gymnastic understanding," textual propositions become flexible beyond the permissible limit and play a role beyond their specifications. These propositions become so inflated that they seem not to fit in the eye and practically bulge out of sight. In this understanding, textual propositions become contaminated with non-semantic aspects and acquire an unjustified scope.

(2)

From the heart of the first objection, the second objection is born. In this objection, the Qur'an is diverted from its main path and takes on disproportionate roles. The Qur'an is no longer considered that eternal book and acquires a new nature.

In traditional Qur'anic studies, the Qur'an is now the theorist of philosophy and biology[2]. It is the book of embryology, physics, and the anatomy of the body. All scientific theories exist within the heart of this book, and this book is the best teacher of the humanities. Einstein's theory[3], Galileo's theory[4], and the theory of the argument from design[5] are all traceable in this book. The Qur'an is, as it were, the mother of all sciences. Indeed, the Qur'an has come to make science known and to fill the existing gaps.

But I do not hold this view and consider the Qur'an to be a different kind of book. The Qur'an is not a book of scientific theories. It is such a book neither in the exact sciences nor in the humanities. The Qur'an is a book of living, free from theorizing. This book is a book that seizes a person and lifts them to higher horizons. The fundamental principle of this book is the category of faith.[6] Faith is that intersubjective relationship with God. A relationship that evades theory and gifts the experience of refuge to a person. The believer does not live their life by means of scientific theories and is not harmed by not knowing them. Faith bestows tranquility upon a person, and this bestowal also spreads to the world.

The Qur'an teaches a way of living in which the believing individual is engaged in ethics and righteous deeds. This individual constantly performs acts of kindness, takes the hand of the needy, gives to others what they themselves love, and so on. Truly, such actions require no justification by any scientific theory. What justifies such actions is the category of faith. Faith, (I repeat) is the attainment of the experience of refuge as a result of connection with God.

(3)

The third objection to traditional Qur'anic studies is its affliction with the problem of "Qur'anic Reductionism[7]." This problem is the inevitable result of what I have presented so far. In Qur'anic reductionism, the answer to every matter is extracted from the heart of the Qur'an. Pay close attention to these examples: the Qur'an and the proof of the heliocentric theory of the cosmos, the Qur'an and a democratic system of government, the Qur'an and human rights. In the problem of "Qur'anic reductionism," the trace of the Qur'an can be found everywhere. All human findings are traceable in the Qur'an. In various analyses, one can seek help from the Qur'an and consider this book the final arbiter.

My words here may be misinterpreted. I do not mean that the Qur'an says nothing. I hold that the Qur'an entrusts human affairs to humanity. The Qur'an, as I said, is the book of living well. This book is not reducible to human findings. To live well in every era is Qur'anic. It makes no difference where we are engaged or how far science has progressed. Regardless of any event, the Qur'an teaches a person a good life. It teaches them what to do under the experience of faith. How to move from the path of ugliness toward beauty and how to go above and beyond.

Therefore, from the problem of "Qur'anic reductionism," a different Qur'an emerges. This type of Qur'anic study goes beyond the author's intent and creates unfortunate results. In this problem, the vein of the Qur'an's speech is marginalized, and the essence of this text is set aside. "Qur'anic reductionism" extracts everything from the Qur'an and discovers every finding from the heart of the sacred text.

(4)

The next flaw in traditional Qur'anic studies is the "panchronic deterministic view" of all the Qur'an's propositions. In this flaw, there is no such thing as a contingent proposition. Let me unpack the meaning of the two types of propositions: contingent and necessary. Contingent propositions are non-essential, circumstantial propositions of the Qur'an. These propositions are changeable, assuming a shift in the time of revelation. There is no guarantee of their re-revelation in a non-original era. It is possible that with the change in the world's coordinates, these verses would no longer be revealed and would give their place to other verses. These verses are the spatio-temporal verses of the sacred text and fundamentally have a narrower scope of application.

Look at these examples: And those who pronounce ẓihār from their wives and then retract what they said [and wish to return to their spouse] must free a slave before they touch one another. This is what you are admonished thereby; and God is Aware of what you do. (Al-Mujadila/3)/ He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that whereof he has been given glad tidings. Shall he keep it in humiliation or bury it in the dust? Unquestionably, evil is what they decide. (An-Nahl/59)/ And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four… (An-Nisa/3)/ and...

However, the definitive verses of the Qur'an are unlike its contingent propositions. The definitive verses of the Qur'an are neither time-bound nor place-bound. These verses are necessary in every era and are invariably part of the Qur'an.

Consider these examples: God commands justice, benevolence, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbids indecency, wrongdoing, and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed (Nahl/90). You will never attain righteousness until you spend out of that which you love; and whatever you spend, God is indeed All-Knowing of it (Āl ʿImrān/92). Those who have believed, and the Jews, the Sabians, and the Christians—whoever believes in the One God and the Last Day and does righteous deeds—no fear shall be upon them, nor shall they grieve (Māʾidah/69). O you who have believed, be steadfast in upholding justice, bearing witness for God, even if it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kinsfolk; whether the person be rich or poor, God is more worthy of protecting both. So follow not your own desires, lest you deviate from the truth; and if you distort [the truth] or turn away from it, God is indeed aware of what you do (Nisāʾ/135), and so on...[8]

The fourth objection is clear. Traditional Qur'anic studies do not subscribe to a "propositional separation" approach at all. In traditional Qur'anic studies, all the verses of the Qur'an are uniform and identical. All are definitive and necessary. This mode of Qur'anic study also makes a claim: Do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? For whoever among you does this, there is no recompense except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be returned to the severest punishment; and God is not unaware of what you do (Baqarah/85). This is not the right moment to analyze the cited proposition. This verse has been severely misunderstood. Let me just say that the verse in question pertains to the Jews—and specifically the people of Israel. It condemns their breach of covenant. I should also add that this verse itself is among the contingent verses of the Qur'an, not its definitive ones.

Thus, according to this view, all the propositions of the Qur'an are definitive and eternal. The fact of the historical period in which the Qur'an was revealed is not even considered. The Qur'an, at any time and place, "is what it is." The verses of this book have no distinguishing features from one another and are all necessary and trans-epochal. In traditional Qur'anic studies, the prevailing practice appears to be the formal and superficial preservation of the Qur'an. In this approach, contingent verses are assumed to be definitive and are affirmed in every era—without scrutiny. These verses acquire an unconventional scope and remain entirely unchanged.

Likewise, in this view—even assuming such hypotheticals—the Qur'an is what it is: the revelation of the Qur'an, for instance, in Iran / as a consequence of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) being Iranian / as a consequence of that noble one speaking Persian / as a consequence of the alphabet in which this text was recorded / and so on.

As we can see, this view is very simplistic and unmethodical. In this view, no contingent verse is to be found. All verses are definitive and necessary. This view fails to grasp the method of understanding the Qur'an and disregards it entirely. A sacred text must be approached methodically and intelligently. This approach is a more favorable one. This approach (as I understand it) subscribes to the separation of propositions. And so on.

In parentheses, I also deem it necessary to note the following point: The Qur'an, in its original era, never spoke contrary to the truth. In the original era, all the contingent and definitive verses of the Qur'an were applied correctly. This critique of mine pertains to the post-original era. I see the contingent verses of the Qur'an in the original era as entirely correct and apt. These verses are appropriate both to the time and age of that day, and to the specific place and conditions of that era.

(5)

But let this be my final critique of traditional Qur'anic studies. This objection, of course, can be readily traced from the points above. As I said, in traditional Qur'anic studies, the Qur'an is understood traditionally. In its traditional approach, this book lays claim to statistical eternality; statistical eternality is the eternality of each and every proposition of the Qur'an. In this view, all of the Qur'an's propositions are definitive and perpetual, and none are considered spatio-temporal. I mentioned above that the Qur'an is a book of "living well." Living well in every age and every era. Living well free from any theorizing and philosophizing; living well under any kind of scientific system and regime of governance. Through the principle of faith, the Qur'an invites all conscientious human beings to this life, and in this way flaunts its eternality. The Qur'an "becomes eternal" because it is life-giving. It gives meaning and bestows life. Such is the function of the Qur'an, and it is through this, fundamentally, that it is the Qur'an.

Nevertheless, I believe that the traditional view of the Qur'an withers the very vein of this book's message. This approach rests on the following reasoning:

Proposition One) All of the Qur'an's propositions are trans-temporal and trans-spatial;

Proposition Two) The Qur'an has no need to adapt to any era;

Proposition Three) In our time and place, too, the Qur'an does not require methodical understanding.

As I have set forth in this piece, all three of the above propositions are erroneous. Proposition One is erroneous because not all verses of the Qur'an are considered trans-temporal-spatial. I believe that a portion of the Qur'an's verses are bound to time and place. These verses are contingent verses. These verses, under the assumption of a descending shift, may not be necessary.

But Proposition Two is also erroneous. Following from the first proposition, the second proposition proves unsuccessful. The Qur'an contains contingent propositions. These propositions become irrelevant with changes in time and place. Here, the contingent propositions of the Qur'an may not align with my time and place. This, of course, does not hold true for the definitive propositions. In my era, the Qur'an is present without a portion of its contingent propositions __and, of course, with all of its definitive propositions__.

From this, Proposition Three also reveals itself to be unfounded. We must understand the Qur'an methodically. This is precisely what the "Propositional Separation" approach seeks. Proposition Three, due to an epistemological error, leads to an incorrect conclusion.

Therefore, the final flaw of traditional Qur'anic studies is this: «The concealment of a methodical understanding of the Qur'an». This view pays no attention to my here and now and imposes its own word. In the "Propositional Separation" approach, the Qur'an is not understood in this way and does not remain static in this manner. This approach acknowledges my here and now and takes it seriously. This approach understands the definitive verses of the Qur'an based on my here and now and expands upon them in this way. This approach makes the Qur'an speak and does not leave it silent.

A Concluding Point

In my opinion, traditional Qur'anic studies does not yield results. This view distances the Qur'an from its perpetual function. Traditional Qur'anic studies can no longer withstand external critiques. In traditional Qur'anic studies, the contemporary function of the Qur'an is utterly forgotten, and nothing remains of the Qur'an but a mere formality. I believe that we must abandon traditional Qur'anic studies and take «Applied Qur'anic Studies[9]» seriously. Applied Qur'anic Studies will answer many criticisms and cleanse the Qur'an's mantle of many doubts.

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[1] -For a better understanding of the terminology in this article, please refer to two articles by the same author: "The God of Revelation?! The God of Ethics or the God of Jurisprudence," and "Sacred Text and Post-Original Geography":

http://begin-hosseinpourfaraj.blog.ir/1395/07/28/Revelation%20of%20God-Morality-Jurisprudence

http://begin-hosseinpourfaraj.blog.ir/1395/07/28/survive-Quran

[2] - Biology

[3] - Albert Einstein

[4] - Galileo Galilei

[5] - Design or Teleological argument

[6] - For a justification of the meaning of faith, see the article “Religion Dies in the Monopoly of Reason” by the same author:

http://www.dinonline.com/doc/note/fa/6869/

[7] - Reductionism

[8] - Abdolkarim Soroush and Mostafa Malekian each have a view on this matter: Abdolkarim Soroush says: The essential and accidental in religion does not correspond to any of the aforementioned divisions. What is meant by accidental—as noted—is that which could have been and can be otherwise, although religion is never devoid or free of some form of it. The essential in religion, consequently, is that which is not accidental and without which religion is not religion, and its alteration would lead to the negation of religion. The essential of Islam is that without which Islam is not Islam, and its transformation would result in the emergence of another religion... (See: The Expansion of the Prophetic Experience; Serat). Mostafa Malekian also says: I have repeatedly emphasized that we must separate the local aspects of sacred texts from their global aspects and say that its local aspects pertain to the Arabian Peninsula fourteen hundred years ago, and certainly the verse “Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he” no longer has anything for our times... (See: Challenges of Religion and Modernism in the Islamic World, in conversation with Mostafa Malekian)

But I believe that the division of Quranic verses into possible and definitive propositions is more expressive. In my division, possible verses can remain for an indefinite period. This survival is only conditional upon the possibility of these propositions in other eras. Time and place, in my view, are somewhat broader than these words. And...

[9] - Practical

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A Critique of Traditional Qur'anic Studies

Hossein Pourfaraj

15/09/1395

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