Journal of Interdisciplinary Qur'anic Studies (مطالعات بین رشته ای قرآن)

The Qur’an is the most fundamental and authentic source of the Islamic law ( sharīʿah ) and the primary reference for attaining the principles of Islam among all Muslims. Throughout the history of Islamic civilization, scholars have derived answers to many of their religious questions on diverse issues from the noble verses of the Qur’an. Within this framework, the Qur’anic verses have also served as the primary fountainhead of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), guiding the practical lives of devout Muslims. Nevertheless, it appears that certain opinions expressed in the corpus of fiqh literature are not fully aligned with the recommendations and guidance offered in the Qur’an. One such area of tension concerns the Qur’an’s proposed model for dealing with those who show disrespect toward religious sanctities, which seems to be inconsistent with the prevailing jurisprudential approach. In view of the importance of this issue, the present study adopts a problem-oriented approach and employs a descriptive-analytical method. It first elucidates the manner in which the Qur’an addresses this phenomenon and then, based on the Qur’anic model, critically evaluates the Shia jurisprudential opinions in light of these teachings. The findings indicate that the current jurisprudential approach is not capable of withstanding the unequivocal principles ( muḥkamāt ) of the Qur’an or the practical conduct ( sīrah ʿamalīyyah ) of the Prophet and Shia Imams. At the very least, this approach destabilizes the basis of the prevailing  jurisprudential ruling and suggests the adoption of a perspective that maximizes the protection of human life and does not permit coercive measures except on the basis of definitive evidence.

Verse 2:30 of the Qur’an recounts a dialogue between God and the angels regarding the creation of humankind and their appointment as a caliph on Earth, during which the angels express concern about the potential for corruption and bloodshed by humans. This verse has historically been subject to various analyses by Muslim exegetes, who have generally expressed differing perspectives regarding the origin of the angels’ knowledge about human corruption and bloodshed on Earth. Among these perspectives are the angels’ awareness of the Preserved Tablet ( al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ ), their predictions based on human nature, and their experience with the corruption of the jinn on Earth. This article employs a descriptive-analytical method to critically examine the various interpretations of Q. 2:30 offered by exegetes. After highlighting the weaknesses of each viewpoint, it proposes a hypothesis supported by archaeological evidence. Accordingly, the existence of violence and killing among early hominids (Neanderthals), referred to in Islamic traditions as Nasnās , could be the origin of such a notion among the angels. The article also examines the narratives related to this theory in terms of their sanad (chain of transmission) and meaning, demonstrating the reliability of the narrators and the relevance of their statements to the proposed claim.

One of the concepts in the Qur’an related to the human psyche is the expression ḍayq al-ṣadr , which describes the tightness of the chest experienced by the Prophet (PBUH) when faced with psychological and social pressures. The verse “And We certainly know that your chest becomes constrained by what they say” (Q. 15:97) not only reflects the challenges of the era of revelation but can also serve as a profound approach to emotion regulation in contemporary life. Previous research has mostly examined this concept in the context of the asbāb al-nuzūl (occasions of revelation) of the verse, leaving a systematic psychological and pedagogical analysis largely unexplored. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method, using exegetical and psychological sources. The findings indicate that ḍayq al-ṣadr , as an emotional-physiological phenomenon, is comparable to situational stress constructs. Qur’anic strategies for addressing this condition—such as tasbīḥ (glorification of God), patience, and cognitive reappraisal of the prophetic mission—align with psychological findings on mindfulness, emotion regulation, resilience, and conflict management. The analysis further highlights four main interpretive perspectives: divine consolation of the Prophet’s heart, recognition of the human limits of prophets, emphasis on the continuity of the prophetic mission, and provision of practical strategies for coping with distress. the paper demonstrates conceptual overlaps between Qur’anic guidance and modern psychology, suggesting directions for educational and counseling applications.

The Holy Qur’an is a guide for humanity toward felicity in all eras, and at the same time, it contains precise scientific indications intended to guide scholars. This study, using a descriptive-analytical method and drawing upon library-based sources, examines one such scientific indication in verse 27 of Sura al-Mursalāt. This verse addresses the conditions and characteristics of water storage in elevated mountains for the benefit of human populations dwelling in foothills and plains. The data collected for this study were categorized into two groups: Qur’anic and scientific. The Qur’anic data were extracted from both classical and contemporary exegetical sources, while the scientific data were derived from academic articles in the fields of geography and geology. In the first step, five key terms— jaʿalnā , rawāsī , shāmikhāt , asqaynākum , and furāt —were subjected to etymological and semantic analysis. In the second step, scientific findings were compared with these exegetical insights. The results indicate that the Qur’an in this verse alludes to the hydrological cycle, specifically the movement of water from high elevations on the Earth’s surface toward foothills and plains. Scientific findings clarify the significance of God’s designation of “uplifted mountains” as the primary source of water for humanity. This significance lies in two main aspects: first, such mountains have a higher capacity than plains for receiving precipitation—especially in the form of snow—which is generally more voluminous and less polluted; second, these mountains are more capable of storing water, enhancing its quality, and conveying it through surface and subterranean channels to consumer ecosystems, including vegetation, wildlife, and human settlements. In the absence of towering mountains, the global water cycle would be deficient and limited primarily to coastal regions. The results also indicated that the phrase rawāsī shāmikhāt reflects the Qur’an’s explicit reference to a remarkable scientific fact: the gradual growth of mountains. This progressive uplift is today corroborated by findings from geology and geodesy in the major mountain ranges of the world.

One of the common responses to the conflict between science and religion is the strategy of linguistic differentiation . This strategy—which holds that the language of science and the language of religion differ in purpose, method, and worldview—is so broad that it encompasses theories ranging from the philosophical interpretation of Allameh Tabataba’i and Ayatollah Javadi Amoli, to the symbolic language theory of Shahid Motahhari, the metaphorical language theory of Mojtahed Shabestari, the interactive interpretation between science and religion proposed by Albert Einstein, and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s complete separation of the domains of science and religion. This breadth has led some scholars in Islamic studies to assign a significant place to the linguistic differentiation strategy in discussions of the science-religion conflict. However, it must be noted that, although the broad semantic scope of linguistic differentiation includes these theories, they are so distinct that each may be interpreted as an independent strategy for resolving the science-religion conflict. This study briefly examines the meaning of linguistic differentiation in its philosophical origins and analyzes selected Islamic–Shi’i theories that align with this strategy, highlighting their differences from modern philosophy of language. Special emphasis is placed on theories rooted in the works of Tabataba’i, particularly his exegesis. The findings show that although many Islamic theories may be subsumed under the general concept of linguistic differentiation, enduring principles of Shi’i theology produce fundamental differences in their premises and interpretations compared with Western traditions.

The Meccan Surah al-Ghāshīyah in the Qur’an, with its cohesive structure, constructs a multi-layered discourse through descriptions of the Day of Judgment, invitations to reflect on creation, and an emphasis on the Prophet’s guiding role, promoting monotheistic faith and challenging the polytheistic hegemony of Mecca. This study examines how the surah represents theological concepts such as monotheism, resurrection, human responsibility, and social concepts including justice, faithful identity, and a critique of polytheism, while confronting the power structures of the Quraysh. Utilizing Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis framework, which views language as a social practice for reproducing or transforming power relations, the study is conducted at three levels: textual, discursive process, and social practice. Findings indicate that the surah employs contrastive vocabulary, concise grammatical structures, and rhetorical devices such as antithesis, repetition, and rhetorical questions to represent the dichotomy between faith and disbelief. These tools, by reinforcing the process of othering, promote faithful identity as a legitimate and ethical alternative, undermining polytheistic hegemony. The surah also proposes a social order based on justice and spiritual equality through intertextuality and the integration of warning, argumentative, and persuasive discourses. This analysis elucidates the role of religious texts in social transformations and contributes to a deeper understanding of the interplay between language and power in the historical context of Mecca.

One of the internal divisions of the Qur’anic text is the rukūʿ , which, as a semantic unit, provides significant potential for rereading the text and uncovering new interpretive levels. Nevertheless, this division has been largely neglected in many contemporary Qur’anic codices and rarely addressed in Qur’anic studies. The present study aims to propose and apply an approach of Qur’anic interpretation based on rukūʿ analysis, focusing on the tenth rukūʿ of Surah al-Naḥl (Q. 16:71–76). Conducted through a descriptive-analytical approach, the research proceeds in three stages: first, elaborating the proposed approach of understanding the Qur’an through rukūʿ units; second, applying this approach to the tenth rukūʿ of Surah al-Naḥl as a paragraph-like semantic unit; and third, assessing the findings by comparing them with the exegetical categorizations of other commentators. The results indicate that verses 71–76 of Surah al-Naḥl form a structurally and thematically coherent passage that can be identified as an independent semantic unit. Within this framework, the topic sentence, supporting statements, transitional sentence, and concluding sentences were identified. Furthermore, a comparative critique of three exegetes’ approaches revealed that neglecting rukūʿ divisions in existing commentaries has often led to semantic discontinuity, disruption of textual coherence, deviation from the surah’s main objective, and reader confusion. Accordingly, it can be concluded that a rukūʿ -based reading of Qur’anic surahs not only highlights the thematic independence of each semantic unit but also ensures their internal coherence and contributes to identifying the overarching purpose of the surah. This approach may thus serve as an effective model for Qur’anic exegesis and a means of avoiding the interpretive challenges resulting from fragmented exegetical categorizations.