Role of Rhetorical Sciences in Responding to Objections against the Inimitability of the Quran

Abstracts

Muhammad Naqibzadeh*

Presenting the principles of eloquence, rhetoric plays an undeniable role in explaining the inimitability of the Quran in literary form and responding to the objections against the Quran as a miracle. Knowledge of the quality and quantity of this contribution identifies the position of these sciences in the issue of inimitability of the Quran indicating the necessity of studying them as introductory studies of Quranic sciences. The significance of rhetorical sciences is so high that the first books on the inimitability of the Quran have dealt mainly with rhetorical issues.

Benefiting from the achievements of rhetorical sciences, we can respond not only to the spurious argument of Sarfa (divine prevention of people from imitating the Quran) but to various other arguments against the Quran as a miracle. These arguments may be classified in three general fields: inimitability in terms of literary form, that of harmony and that of the contents. In the domain of inimitability of the Quranic literary form, the objections of repetition and challenge can be answered. In the field of inimitability in terms of harmony, the objections concerning restrictions, perfect similes, and seemingly undue displacement of Quranic terms are responded. Rhetorical sciences may also put an end to certain objections aiming at finding flaws in the teachings and messages of the holy Quran.

Key words: inimitability of the Quran, rhetorical sciences, arguments against the inimitability of the Quran in terms of literary form, arguments against the inimitability of the Quran in terms of harmony, arguments against the inimitability of the Quran in terms of contents

 

 

Haman and the Claim of Anachronism in the Quran

Abstracts

Muhammad Kazim Shakir*& Muhammad Said Fayyaz**

Opponents of the Holy Quran have attempted to identify the holy Quran as a product of human mind and borrowed from earlier sources. The hypothesis of the Quran being borrowed from the scriptures of earlier religions has been one of the fields of study of orientalists. In addition to this accusation, they have sometimes accused the holy prophet of anachronism. The story of Haman is an example of this category. The pretenders of the anachronism of the Quran hold that the holy prophet mistook Haman, the vizier of Ahasuerus, for the vizier of Pharaoh, the contemporary of Moses, due to misunderstanding Jewish sources. This hypothesis is rejected based on certain definitive arguments. A large number of researchers have considered the Book of Esther raising the issue of Haman being the vizier of Ahasuerus as a mythical work. On the other hand, the Quranic report on Haman is not in conflict with historical facts. Rather, archeological researches made by orientalists themselves give adequate evidence that verify Haman as a historical figure belonging to the court of Pharaoh at the time of Moses.

Keywords: Quran and orientalists, Haman, Book of Esther, spurious arguments of orientalists, Quran and Scriptures

 

 

Semantic Analysis of “Seeking Proximity to Allah”

in the Holy Quran

Abstracts

Esmail Alikhani*

Semantics is a branch of linguistics or an independent branch through which it is possible to analyze the meanings of the words and sentences of a text finding their exact and proper positions based on their semantic system. This article deals with the semantic analysis of “seeking proximity to Allah” in the holy Quran. Achieving this goal, it has shed new light on the words lying in the semantic field of the state of being a servant of God and relevant to the focal word “proximity”. The semantic analysis of proximity in the holy Quran shows that this term next to the term “Allah” refers to a new meaning different from its usages at the time of revelation. This concept in the holy Quran has a graded meaning like that of faith “Iman”. The faithful “Muminun”, the virtuous “Muttaqun” and the righteous “Abrar” each have reached a particular grade of proximity. Towards his journey to Allah and embracing Islam, man is admitted into the domain of the proximity of Allah getting closer to its central core through faith, good deed, virtue, and righteousness.

Key words: semantics, proximity, proximity to Allah, semantic system of the Quran, semantic network of the Quran, conceptual opposition

 

 

Semantic Analysis of Salat (prayer) in the Quran

Abstracts

Amir Reza Ashrafi* / Elham Firdowsi**

Following the methodology of Izutsu, the present article seeks to explain the semantic position of Salat as a focal word based on historical and descriptive semantics. In historical semantics, the basic meaning of the root is taken into consideration relying on the poetry of the Days of Ignorance, historical books, and Quranic commentaries. In descriptive semantics, the semantic relation of the term "Salat" with its syntagms and substitutes in the Quran is analyzed. The outcome of the historical study is that ignorant Arabs considered Salat as a devotion and supplication. The descriptive study shows that Salat in its revealed usage is put in the semantic field of such words as supplication, remembrance, and glorification of God, in terms of paradigmatic axis. It is also placed in the semantic field of performance, patience, and modest ones, in terms of syntagmatic axis. One of the important results of the descriptive study is revealing the deep semantic link of Salat with other terms of the same semantic field. These links have caused Salat to be influenced completely by the neighboring words and continue its life in a distinct and transcendent meaning.

Key words: semantics, semantic field, paradigmatic relation of words, syntagmatic relation of words

 

 

Influence of Author on Understanding a Work

with a Special Focus on Understanding the Quran

Abstracts

Muhammad Sultani*

Understanding a work is receiving the message lying within it. Concerning the elements contributing to understanding a work, various approaches are raised. We may name these approaches based on the element whose role is overemphasized as author oriented, text oriented, and interpreter oriented. Regardless of unconventional works the meanings of which exclusively depend on the audience, in other works including the Quran the author has a key role in the structure, contents, as well as the purposes of the work and finally in understanding it.

The audience of the Quran being the whole mankind, this book has addressed them according to the language and discourse of the reasonable. Allah has revealed the Quran for the guidance of mankind selecting its words and phrases in the Quranic special context. Thus understanding and interpreting the Quran without observing the rules of the discourse of the reasonable, the worldview of its producer, and the context of its revelation is an example of the interpretation based on personal opinion which is undesirable and forbidden according to the dictates of religion and reason.

Key words: understanding a work, author orientedness, text orientedness, interpreter orientedness, levels of understanding a work

 

 

A Defense of Interpretive Intentionalism

Abstracts

Ahmad Va‘izi*

In the twentieth century, we witness various attitudes in different fields such as hermeneutics, literary theory, and semiotics a common point of which is opposing interpretive intentionalism. According to them, the intention of the author does not play any role in the process of understanding and interpreting the text, and we should not take the real purpose and the intended meaning of the author as the goal and objective of semantic encounter with the text. On the other hand, author orientedness and interpretive intentionalism is one of the major characteristics of the acceptable and prevalent theory of interpretation among the Muslim scholars. The present article seeks two objectives. First it is an attempt to study and criticize the major reasons of the opponents of interpretive intentionalism defending the essential role of the intention of the author in the process of reading the text. Then it presents an account of interpretive intentionalism free from the flaws and deficiencies of certain accounts of author orientedness.

Key words: interpretive intentionalism, author orientedness, intentional fallacy, death of the author, pscychologism, aesthetic value, interpretive community

 

 

Interpretation of the Holy Quran (5)

Sura al- Baqara, Verses 25-29

Abstracts

Ayatullah M.T. Mesbāh Yazdī* / Ed.: Ismāīl Sultānī**

The present article is the interpretation of Sura al-Baqara, verses 25-29 in which the qualities of paradise, comparison to a gnat, features of transgressors, resurrection, and the creation of the earth and heavens are stated. The outcome of the interpretation of theses verses is as follows.

Verse 25: paradise is a pleasant environment for living in which a variety of fruits are available, the sexual needs of its people are easily satisfied, and they abide there forever.

Verse 26: Drawing a comparison towards removing ambiguity is not an unwise or blameworthy act, thus Allah is not supposed to leave it. The faithful consider Allah’s driving a comparison to a gnat and the like a wise thing, thereby they are guided. However, the faithless having an unwelcome look at it go astray to a larger extent.

Verse 27: Holders of three qualities i.e. breaking divine covenant, severing what Allah has commanded to be joined, and not being beneficent to members of society are the losers.

Verse 28: This verse prevents all people from disbelieving in God reasoning that man was a lifeless thing to which Allah gave life, then makes him die and again brings life to him.

Verse 29: Whatever found in the earth is for the benefit of mankind. This indicates the high value of man before God. Considering this point makes a man not sell himself at a low price.

Key words: interpretation of Sura al-Baqara, qualities of paradise, comparison in the Quran, features of transgressors, creation of the earth and heavens, seven heavens

---

* PhD Student of Quranic Sciences & Interpretation, Imam Khomeini I.E.R. Received: 2010.8. 27 Accepted: 2010.10.7. naghibzadeh@anjomedu.ir

* Associate Professor, Qom University, Received: 2010 .8. 12 - Accepted: 2010.10.7. mkshaker.uva@gmail.com

** PhD Student of Quranic Sciences & Quranic Sciences & Hadith. Qom University, saeed_fayyaz@yahoo.com

* PhD Student of mysticism & Religions, Imam Khomeini I.E.R. Received: 2010.5.2 Accepted: 2010.10.10. smaeelalikhani@yahoo.com

* Associate professor, Imam Khomeini I.E.R., Received: 2010.6. 23- Accepted: 2010.9.29. a_ashrafi@qabas.net

** MA in Quranic Sciences & Hadith.

* PhD Student of Quranic Sciences & Hadith, Qom University. Received: 2009.12.21 Accepted: 2010.9.20. msr600@gmail.com

* Assistant professor, Baghir al-Ulom University, Received: 2010.8.23 - Accepted: 2010.10.12. ahmadvaezi@hotmail.com.

*. Professor of Islamic Sciences, the theological Seminary in Qom. The Head of Imam Khomeini I.E.R

**. ph.D Student of Quranic Sciences & Interpretation, Imam Khomeini I.E.R. Received: 2010.5.1 Accepted: 2010.9.9. soltanibairami@anjomanedu.ir.

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Table of Contents

Interpretation of the Holy Quran (5) Sura al- Baqara, Verses 25-29 / Ayatullah M.T. Mesbāh Yazdī / Ed.: Ismāīl Sultānī

A Defense of Interpretive Intentionalism / Ahmad Va‘izi

Influence of Author on Understanding a Work with a Special Focus on Understanding the Quran / Muhammad Sultani

Semantic Analysis of Salat (prayer) in the Quran / Amir Reza Ashrafi / Elham Firdowsi

Semantic Analysis of “Seeking Proximity to Allah” in the Holy Quran / Esmail Alikhani

Haman and the Claim of Anachronism in the Quran / Muhammad Kazim Shakir / Muhammad Said Fayyaz

Role of Rhetorical Sciences in Responding to Objections against the Inimitability of the Quran / Muhammad Naqibzadeh

 

 

In the Name of Allah

Qurān Shinākht Vol.3, No.1

An Academic Semiannual on Quranic Studies Spring and Summer 2010

 

 

Director-in-charge: Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute

Managing Director and Editor-in-chief: Mahmūd Rajabī

Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Hamīd Aryān

 

 

Editorial Board:

Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Sayyid Muhammad Baqir Hujjatī \ Professor, Tehran University

Hujjat al-Islam Mahmoūd Rajabī \ Professor, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute.

Hujjat al-islam Alī Akbaī Babai \ Assistant Professor, Research Institute of Hawza Wa Danishgah

Hujjat al –Islam Dr. Fathullah NajjarZadigan \ Associate professer, Tehran University, Qom Pardis

Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Muhammad Riza Jabbari \ Associate professor, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institiue.

Dr. Muhammad Kazim Shakir \ Associate Professor, Qum University

Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Muhammad Baqir Saīdī Roshan \ Associate Professor, Research Institute of Hawza Wa Danishgah

Hujjat al-Islam Dr. Amīr Riza Ashrafī \ Assistant Professor, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute

Hujjat al-Islam Dr.Ali Awsat Baqiri \ Assistant professor, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute.

Hujjat al-Islam Hamīd Aryān \ Faculty Member, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute.

 

English translator: Dr. Mahmūd Karimī \ Assistant Professor, Imam Sadegh University

Arabic translator: Ali Muhsin

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