خلاصه انگلیسى

In The Name of Allah the Compassionate, the Merciful

Abstracts

The twenty first and twenty two issue of the Qur'anic Research Quarterly, which is hereby presented to you, consists of three sections: Topical Researches, Qur'anic Monographs (miscellaneous articles) , and Bibliography. Special subject of this issue is the origins and fundamentals of understanfing the Qur'an. Abstracts of each article is presented as follows:

Section one:Topical Researches

The Profundity Mystery of the Qur'an

Sayyed Musa Sadr

In this article the mystery of the profundity of the Qur'an is discussed and studied. The writer has tried to divide the views brought up on this issue in two categories: signitication - oriented and indication - oriented theories. The former are theories which consider the profundity of the Qur'an as existing in the profundity of the meaning of the Qur'an and its depth of objectivity. The latter group are theories which regard the profundity of the Qur'an in the quality of the expression and the signification of its words and verses concening different capacities for understanding. The writer has attempted to indicate the weaknesses as well as the strenghs of these theories by reviewing each of them separately.

The Exterior and the Interior of the Qur'an

Sayyed Husayn Hashemi

The following issues are discussed in this article: ١. The historical grounds of the exterior (zahr) and the interior (batn) ot the Qur'an. In this part , some researchers of the Qur'an who claim that the issue of the exterior and the interior are fabricated by Sh'as are reviewed and critcized. ٢. The outlook of the Qur'an on the issue of the exterior and the interior. This part has also made use of hadiths in this connection. ٣. The interpretation (tafsir) of the interiors in the era of the revelation. In this part , the reasons for limitation of tafsir to explanation of the external meanings in the era of the revelation are pointed out and demonstrated that in that era tafsir was also carried out for some elites. ٤. development of tafsir on the interiors. ٥. Prerequisites for belief in the interiors of the Qur'an, which include: comprehensiveness of the Qur'an, everlasting quality of Qur'anic wisdom and knowledge (Ma'arif) , the wisdom of the interior discourse of the Qur'an, etc. ٦. Indices to the demarcation between the exterior and the interior of the Qur'an , with two main trends: textual and contextual. ٧. Conditions for approaching an understanding of the interiors of the Qur'an, such as the evolution of man's wisdom and knowledge , the purification of the inside , mystical joureny (wayfaring), and deliberation on the topics of the Qur'anic verses.

Ta'wil in Different Views

Sayyed Ebrahim Sajjadi

The term "Ta'wil" (allegorical interpretation) and depth of the concepts of the Holy Scriptures have throughout the history been researched and analysed by the followers of revealed religions and have prompted magnificent intellectual outcomes. In the field of Qur'anic research, howrver, ta'wil has enjoyed more serious and valuable discussions. The word "Ta,will" was brought up at the same time as the revelation of the Qur'an and developed along with the development of the religion and the emergence of religious schools and sects to the extend that it yielded a great intellectual heritage. In order to achieve a better interpretation, first the interpreters' data must be studied and organized on the basis of an acceptable method to lay the ground for a realistic judgement. This is what the present article has attempted to carry out. It seems that all existing interpretational viewpoints are dividable in two theories: Text - oriented and paratext - oriented. The former looks for Ta'wil in the literary indication of the Text and the latter in the farther reaches. The Mu'tazilites, the Sunnis, the Salafis and the experimentalists can be regarded as Text - oriented' and the Isma'ilites, the mystics as well as Allamah Tabataba'i are viewed among the second category. Each of these groups are , with their own methods , searching to find the truth of Ta'wil.

Retrospection on the Reality of Ta'wil

Sayyed Ebrahim Sajjadi

Regarding the vulnerability of the proposed definitions for ta'wil, reconsidering its reality is still a necessity. understanding ta'wil properly requires studying original Arabic language, considering the Qur'an's convention and the definition of ta'wil by tradition, which the present article is dealing with. It introduces tradition, instructibility, profundity, applicatory identity, Qur'an-inclusiveness, and separability from reveation as characteristics of ta'wil and considers the reality of "Divine Will" as the most appropriate meaning for ta'wil which sounds consistent with the Qur'an's lingual and conventional impression of ta'wil. Due to its unfamiliarity to man's mind and senses which is based on the principle of, "multifunctionality of the verses and of the Qur'an" , the reality of Divine Will is undestandable only through a comprehensive look at all verses of the Qur'an, and of course by taking into account all the opproaches pointed out in this article.

Hersch's Hermenutics and the Knowledge of Tafsir

Mohammad Bahrami

Eric D. Hersch is one of the leading figures who have criticized the hermenutics of Heidegger , Gadamer and their advocates. Although he is among the modern hermenutics scientists , he is more inclined toward "romantic hermenutics" which belongs to Schleiermacher and Dilthey. In this article, aimed to compare Hersch's hermentics viewpoints with those of the Qur'an researchers on the fundamentals of understanding the Qur'an, the writer has tried to clarify the similarities and differnces of Hersch's viewpoints and those of the interpreters on issues such as understanding the Texts, interpreting the Texts, judgement, criticizing and the purpose of Ta'wil, and then to answer the questions brought up on the purpose of Ta'wil. Also, as an introduction to the discussion on hermenutics, the writer gives a brief account of topics such as terminology of hermenitics' the reasons presented by the proponents and opponents of hermenutics and has responded to the opponents' reasons.

Understanding the "Text" in its Historical Perspective

Heydar Alavi Nejad

The writer has, in this article, pointed out the seven meanings presented for "Understanding the Text in its Historical perspective", and has further introduced the theory of Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, the controversial Egyptian writer. He considers the Qur'an a cultural product which is naturally the outcome of the culture of its own time rather than as overshodowing that culture. Thus he believes that to understand the Qur'an, one should take into account its historical perspective which includes three parts: levels of historical perspective, historical perspective of the interpreter, and focal perception of the text. According to the writer (of the article), Abu zayd has proposed the same concept-association of perspectives-that Gadamer has brought up in hermenutics. In the end, reviewing and criticizing this theory, the writer introduces the historical-cultural perspective and intellectual status of Abu Zayd, and criticizes his thought accordingly, for the latter views the Qur'an from a secular standpoint rather than an Islamic position.

Revelationality of the Qur'an's Word Structure

Musa Hosseini

The idea of Revelationality of the words and terms in the Qur'an are studied in this article. First, the background of raising questions in this regard is reviewed and compared to the historical background of these questions about other holy books. Then the consequences of not considering the Qur'anic words as revelational are enumarated, some of which are as follows: desecration, Text repulse or denial of the Qur'an's authority, negation of the Qur'an literal miracle, and religious pluralism. I the end, two positive and negative outlooks in this regard are brought up and dealt with, and reasons for each one are presented.

Fundamentals of Understanding Religious Texts

Muhammad Reza Irshadi Nia

In this article, following a survey of the early factors of cognition and knowledge in tafkik school (separatism), fundamentals of understanding religious texts from the viewpoint of this school are delved into in two separate parts. The first part deals with the viewpoints of the ancient advocates of the school, and the second part with those of its modern followers or the neo-separatists. In the first part the following topics are included: opening up a new chapter in interpretation of aql (intellect), negation of philosophical phenominology, distancing from traditionistic policy, the truth of science and intellect, distinction of sciences at the early stages of cognition, the method of cognition, problems and consequences, forbidden scientific and practical endeavor, God-orientedness in cognition and uderstanding the revelation by mental simplicity in the scientific void. In the second part of this article, first, in order to review the fundamentals of underatanding the revelation as viewed by neo-separatists, characteristics of intrinsic intellect such as direct reference to revelation, unsystematizability of intrinsic intellect and the consequence of its application are introduced, then ijtahad (independent reasoning) in its different meanings is studied, and finally it is concluded that, by negating the customary ijtahad on ma'arif, tafkik school accepts the two principles of reasoning and direct reference to the main texts and sources of religion and revelation in understaning the revealed Texts. Quoting statements directly from the great figures of tafkik school in each of the above parts, the writer of this article has made some deliberations on the viewpoints of this school.

Section two: Dialque

Dialogue with a Scholar

In the of this writing a dialogue with Ustad Muhammad Hadi Ma rifat on the fundamentals of underatanding the Qur'an is presented. In this dialogue, subjects such as the possibility of understanding the Qur'an, criteria and rules of understanding the meanings through the Qur'an, correctness or falsity of attribution of understandings and impressions to the Qur'an, the language of the Qur'an, the Qur'an's speaking according to experts-and masses: customs, the meaning of the exterior and the interior and their difference, and the specialty of understanding the interior and its non-specialty, are delved into and reviewed.

Section theree: Qur'anic Monographs

Proportion and Relation among Suras of the Qur'an

Hasan Kharaqani

The issue of proprotion and relation among Suras of the Qur'an has been dealt with and proved and disproved in many tafsirs and other books on Qur'anic sciences, by interpreters and the Qur'an researchers. Following an analysis of different types of relation among the Suras , the writer here reviews four modes of relations in more details and brings up and criticizes the most important viewpoints accordingly. The four modes mentioned above are as follows: ١. Topical relation between adjacent Suras. ٢. The relation between the beginning of each Sura with the end of the previous ones. ٣. Similarity of two Suras at the beginning and the end. ٤. Saeed Hawwa's viewpoint in this regard which proves the topical unity of the Qur'an.

Revelation Viewed by Maulawi

Ali Asghar Rajabi

Taking a gliance at the Mathnawi, this article has separately studied topics such as Maulawi's viewpoints on the nature of the Qur'an, different revelations and the nature of revelation, the outcomes of revelation, revelation angel, the Prophet (S.A.W), miracles of the Prophet(S.A.W), the miracle of the Qur'an, and the challenge to the Qur'an. The man's occupation, instruction, purification, infallibility and guidance are among the revelation outcomes, which are introduced in the part on outcomes of revelation, with reference to Maulawi's poetry.

Spiritual Unconsciousness and Existential Void from the Viewpoints of the Qur'an and the Modern Psychology

Ali Heydari

Freud believed that the suppression of an instinct in man, does not wipe out that instinct, and does not make him give it up, but actually causes mental disorder, namely, the instinct retreats to the unconscious and is manifested in other forms representing the above disorder. Besides mental unconsciousness, Frankl believed in spiritual unconsciousness too, which means that the suppression of innate belief in God and religion makes such belief retreat into spiritual unconssious and then emerge as superstition. This disorder will bother and trouble the person in the form of an existential void or a feeling of emptyness. In this article, the two viewpoints are compared with the viewpoint obtained from the Qur'an in this regard.

Establishing Yusuf in the Land as a Manifestation of God's Dominance

Kamal al-Din Ghorab

With an accurate glance at the story of the prophet Yusuf (a.s) in the Qur'an, the writer of this article is trying to expound and elaborate on "God's Amr" (affairs) about Yusuf. After relating the First part of the story of Yusuf, God says: "Thus we established yusuf in the land, and Allah has full power and control over His affairs, but most among mankind know it not." This statement creates meaningful deliberation on this story in the heart and mind of the reader. This article is attempting to uncover this mystery by studying different stages of Yusuf's life, from childhood through adulthood, in the light of the accounts and descriptions giving by the Qur'an in this regard.

Religious Tendency of Shahristani, the Author of "Mafatih al-Asrar", an Interpretation of the qur'an

Mohammad Bahrami

The writer of this article, introduces Shahristani, the author of "al-Milal wal Nihal" and the tafsir "Mafatih al-Asrar wa Masabih al-Abrar" (the keys to mysteries and the torches for the Pious), as an Ismailite scholar and, in order to prove his tendency toword Ismailites, utilizes the following reasons: ١. Historical evidence and documents, ٢. Indications and evidence present in the works remained by Sharistani, particularhy his valuable tafsir, "Mafatih al-Asrar wa Masabih al-Abrar". The writer believes that the indications and evidence in Shahristani's works are dividable into several categories: A. Indications which imply his independence from such sects as Ash'arites, Mu'tazilites, etc. B. Beliefs indicating Shahristani's being related to shi'ites. C. Signs representing his attachment to Ismaitites, such as his view points on theology, Imamate, education, tafsir and ta'wil. The writer has concluded from these indications and evidece that Shahristani should be regarded as having Ismailite tendency.

Section four: Bibliography

The Bibliography on the Unequivocal and the Ambiguous Verses

Rasul Saeedi Zadeh

In this list, the books written about the uneqiuivocal and the ambiguous verses in the Qur'an are introduces. Each item in the list includes the book's title, author, publisher, place and date of publication or printing, number of pages, and the source in which the book was mentiond. The list is also arranged in three sections: printed books; the existing manuscriptis; and the rare manuscripts of which no trace is left behind.