The Islamic Mary: Between Prophecy and Orthodoxy

This article traces the medieval debate over the potential prophecy of the Islamic Mary (or Maryam). The debate is initiated by the Andalusian exegete and scholar Ibn Ḥazm (d. 456/1064) who argues that women, most importantly Mary, could be prophets because they were spoken to directly by God or His messengers. The argument is continued by al-Qurṭūbī (d. 671/1273), who makes a special case for Mary’s prophecy because the angel Gabriel is believed to have come close to her and ‘breathed’ his spirit into her. Mary is, furthermore, he asserts, one of the greatest prophets because she accepted God’s will without any question or scepticism. However, the argument that Mary was a prophet was refuted by the Damascene exegete Ibn Kathīr (d. 774/1373), who argued that Mary was not a prophet but rather truthful and righteous ( ṣiddīqa) according to the Qur’an. He bases his position on the fact that the Qur’an does not term any woman a prophet, and that she did not follow the path of those named as prophets, who called their people to a particular mission and cause. Ibn Kathīr’s argument eventually won the day as his tafsīr has become, in modern times, the most widespread and popular of all Qur’an commentaries.

Ibn ʿAjība's ‘Oceanic Exegesis of the Qur'an': Methodology and Features

Aḥmad Ibn ʿAjība (d. 1224/1809) was a prominent Sufi mystic who lived in Morocco during the thirteenth/seventeenth century. He stood out as an intellectual theoretician in the field of Qur’anic esoteric hermeneutics as he was one of the few scholars who managed to convey theoretical concepts and esoteric theories of Qur’anic interpretation in a language that is accessible to those who are not well versed in Sufism. In this paper Ibn ʿAjība’s famous Qur’an commentary al-Baḥr al-madīd fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-majīd (‘The Oceanic Exegesis of the Qur’an’) will be thoroughly examined, with an emphasis on the key features and the methodological approaches used in the composition of both its exoteric and esoteric aspects. The first section of this paper will examine the historical development of esoteric and Sufi Qur’an exegesis, so as to situate Ibn ʿAjība’s commentary within this genre. A thorough analysis will be given to the key features, guiding principles, and different methodologies adopted by various esoteric Qur’an commentaries. The second section will explore the most influential sources utilised by Ibn ʿAjība to inform the exoteric and esoteric dimensions of al-Baḥr al-madīd. In order to evaluate the extent to which these sources impacted upon the composition of al-Baḥr al-madīd, an analysis of their salient features and the main methodological approaches of these sources will be conducted. It is also important to analyse why Ibn ʿAjība chose certain sources over others, and to clarify the extent to which he depended upon these sources in composing al-Baḥr al-madīd. The third section of this paper will outline the methodology which Ibn ʿAjība adopted when he composed the esoteric dimension of his Qur’an commentary.

The Bitter Lot of the Rebellious Wife: Hierarchy, Obedience, and Punishment in Q. 4:34

Q. 4:34 was universally interpreted in premodern Qur'an commentaries and legal works as permitting a husband to strike his wife if she is guilty of nushūz, a term that was understood to mean some manner of disobedience on the wife's part. Thus, according to the traditional interpretation of the verse, a wife is required to show obedience to her husband, and the husband is placed in authority over his wife. In this paper I first engage in a close reading of the verse within its literary context, and re-examine the verse's gender hierarchy and the question of the wife's obedience to her husband. Second, I attempt to re-evaluate the key term nushūz in light of its use elsewhere in the Qur'an, in Jāhilī and early Islamic poetry, and in other early Islamic literature beyond the Qur'an commentaries and legal works. I argue that the evidence consistently shows that nushūz refers not to disobedience, but to a desire to leave one's husband, usually coupled with being involved with another man, and thus may be a euphemism used to refer to marital infidelity. Finally, I explore the relationship between Q. 4:34 and the rabbinic rules for the sotah, or wife suspected of adultery. As we shall see, there is a remarkable overlap in the legislation for the wife suspected of nushūz and the rabbinic sotah, suggesting that the two are addressing the same issue.

Medieval Exegesis

This chapter covers the major trends in medieval exegesis, from al-Ṭabarī to the al-Qunawī (d. 1195). The article gives a narrative of the development of the genre that centres on thematic and regional developments. It places the two Qur’an commentaries of al-Zamakhsharī and al-Bayḍāwī and the glosses they spawned as central to this history. The article identifies the most important tools to study and document the medieval history of tafsīr, noting the academic production of the Islamic world in tafsīr. Ottoman contribution to the history of the field is also highlighted, since it is the Ottoman libraries that preserved for us this heritage.

How is the “burhan of God” expressed in Q 12:24? — A linguistic and exegetical analysis of the word “burhān” on the basis of classical Islamic compilations

In the context of Yūsuf’s story and the meeting of Yūsuf and Zulaiḫā, the author searches for the secret behind the word “burhan” in Q 12:24. In doing so, she first of all explores the etymological and lexical meanings of this word before approaching the Qur'anic concept. Which "sign" of God did the Prophet Yūsuf actually receive in order to resist the seduction of Zulaiḫā? The author discusses this with the help of three different Qur’an commentaries, which also give each their own answers.

Arinī: Declined at the Boundary?

This chapter focuses on the discussion of Moses’ request to God to see Him (Q7:143) in the Qur’an commentaries. It hsows that within some Sufi understandings this story signifies an attempt to temporarily restore a paradisiacal state of constant vision in this world: the yearning for the vision of God promised in Paradise was so strong that they were looking for ways to have a similar experience in the current abode. For some this took the form of a visionary encounter, a foretaste of what was to come in the hereafter.

Seeing God in Sufi Qur'an Commentaries

The Islamic hereafter is often imagined as a place of corporeal reward or punishment. But what is the place of this corporeal hereafter in the imagination of renunciant mystics who wish to completely renounce God’s creation for His sake? Isn’t Paradise after all part of God’s creation as well? Should it be hoped for, or is there something more quintessential awaiting the mystic: seeing God? And how then can this transcendental God be seen? Is it a vision with the eye or with the heart, or both? And is this vision only reserved for the hereafter or can those passionately longing for it already obtain a taste of this reward during this-worldly life? This study sheds light on these questions by discussing the mediaeval mystical exegesis of some key verses on seeing God.

ANALISIS SAINS TERHADAP PENDAPAT BEBERAPA MUFASIR DALAM MENJELASKAN QS. YAASIIN AYAT 80 TENTANG BAHAN BAKAR

The diversity of thought patterns among the interpreter of HolyQur'an in interpreting verses, especially with regard to the scientificmiracles of the Qur'an is something interesting to study. The Qur'anwas revealed not to explain science, but as a guide for those who arepious. However, many of the verses of the Qur'an are calling forthinking, so it is inevitable that the motivation of the exegete to studyverse by verse will continue to develop in harmony with scientificdisciplines, trends, and the development of science and technology intheir lifetime.The problem in this research is the differences of opinion someinterpreters of Holy Qur'an are quite significant in interpreting QS.Yaasiin verse 80, by raising six opinions of the interpreter of HolyQur'an representing classical and contemporary of interpreters of HolyQur'an.The purpose of this study is to uncover the background of theHoly Quran's interpreters dissent, looking for points of similaritythrough scientific analysis. Thus, this research includes qualitativeresearch with a literature study approach. The primary data sourcesare obtained from the Qur'an commentaries, science books and othersources.The research step starts from the presentation of data fromseveral Holy Quran's interpreters in the study of the verse under studyalong with the bibliography to determine the development of science in Thoriqotuna | Jurnal Pendidikan Islamits time. Then these opinions are clarified to find out the differencesand similarities, then reviewed through a scientific analysis approach.From the results of the study, identified three main opinions ofHoly Qur'an's interpreters in interpreting the QS. Yaasiin paragraph80, namely; First, opinions about the fuel of al-‘afar and al-marh (atype of green plants in the country of Hijaz). Second, the opinion thatstates fuel in the process of photosynthesis, and the third opinion aboutfuel in the form of coal.The results of the study showed a relationship (equation)between these commentaries in terms of the energy products producedand their utilization. Different in terms of the shape of the fuel, but themolecular structure (atom C), the combustion process (O2 as anoxidizer) and the product of combustion (CO2 + H2O + E) are thesame. Thus, scientific analysis makes the same concept from theopinions of several different interpreters of Holy qur'an.