The Qur Anic Worldview

This is a carefully reasoned, positive, and largely reflective work. Looking back at the various stages of Islamic historical development, AbuSulayman puts forward a thesis that focuses on the recovery of what is termed the Qur’anic worldview. By this is meant an ethical, monotheistic, and purposeful perspective on the world and those within it. Our faith will only be complete when we have become utterly sincere in our love for God, a love expressed in a pure, passionate love for goodness and truth in this world. It was the strict internalization of this perspective and close adherence to the principles of the Qur’an which AbuSulayman contends, played a key factor in galvanizing the devout and intensely God-conscious followers of fledgling Islam to achieve the successes that they once did, the profound historical and global impact of which is still the subject of much study and admiration today. The rebirth of Islamic identity through this Qur’anic worldview is the key requirement of our times and a prerequisite for any future healthy and viable development of Muslim societies.

This is a carefully reasoned, positive, and largely reflective work. Looking back at the various ‎stages of Islamic historical development, AbuSulayman puts forward a thesis that focuses on the ‎recovery of what is termed the Qur’anic worldview. By this is meant an ethical, monotheistic, and ‎purposeful perspective on the world and those within it. Our faith will only be complete when we ‎have become utterly sincere in our love for God, a love expressed in a pure, passionate love for ‎goodness and truth in this world. It was the strict internalization of this perspective and close ‎adherence to the principles of the Qur’an which AbuSulayman contends, played a key factor in ‎galvanizing the devout and intensely God-conscious followers of fledgling Islam to achieve the ‎successes that they once did, the profound historical and global impact of which is still the subject ‎of much study and admiration today. The rebirth of Islamic identity through this Qur’anic ‎worldview is the key requirement of our times and a prerequisite for any future healthy and viable ‎development of Muslim societies.‎

This is a carefully reasoned, positive, and largely reflective work. Looking back at the various stages of Islamic historical development, AbuSulayman puts forward a thesis that focuses on the recovery of what is termed the Qur’anic worldview. By this is meant an ethical, monotheistic, and purposeful perspective on the world and those within it. Our faith will only be complete when we have become utterly sincere in our love for God, a love expressed in a pure, passionate love for goodness and truth in this world. It was the strict internalization of this perspective and close adherence to the principles of the Qur’an which AbuSulayman contends, played a key factor in galvanizing the devout and intensely God-conscious followers of fledgling Islam to achieve the successes that they once did, the profound historical and global impact of which is still the subject of much study and admiration today. The rebirth of Islamic identity through this Qur’anic worldview is the key requirement of our times and a prerequisite for any future healthy and viable development of Muslim societies.

This is a carefully reasoned, positive, and largely reflective work. Looking back at the various stages of Islamic historical development, AbuSulayman puts forward a thesis that focuses on the recovery of what is termed the Qur’anic worldview. By this is meant an ethical, monotheistic, and purposeful perspective on the world and those within it. Our faith will only be complete when we have become utterly sincere in our love for God, a love expressed in a pure, passionate love for goodness and truth in this world. It was the strict internalization of this perspective and close adherence to the principles of the Qur’an which AbuSulayman contends, played a key factor in galvanizing the devout and intensely God-conscious followers of fledgling Islam to achieve the successes that they once did, the profound historical and global impact of which is still the subject of much study and admiration today. The rebirth of Islamic identity through this Qur’anic worldview is the key requirement of our times and a prerequisite for any future healthy and viable development of Muslim societies.

Exploring the subjectivity of the Qurʾān’s meaning in the world, this book analyses Qurʾānic referencing in Muslim political rhetoric. Informed by classical Arabic-Islamic rhetorical theory, the author examines Arabic documents attributed to the ʿAbbāsid Caliph al-Maʾmūn (r. 813-833), whose rule coincided with the maturation of classical Islamic political thought and literary culture. She demonstrates how Qurʾānic referencing functions as tropological exegesis, whereby verses in the Qurʾān are reinterpreted through the lens of subjective experience. At the same time socio-historical experiences are understood in terms of the Qurʾān’s moral typology, which consists of interrelated polarities that define good and bad moral characters in mutual orientation. Through strategic deployment of scriptural references within the logical scheme of rhetorical argument, the Caliph constructs moral analogies between paradigmatic characters in the Qurʾān and people in his social milieu, and situates himself as moral reformer and guide, in order to persuade his audiences of the necessity of the Caliphate and the religio-moral imperative of obedience to his authority. The Maʾmūnid case study is indicative of the nature and function of Qurʾānic referencing across historical periods, and thus contributes to broader conversations about the impact of the Qurʾān on the shaping of Islamic civilization. This book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in Early Islamic History, Islam and the rhetoric of contemporary Middle East regional and global Islamic politics.

Exploring the subjectivity of the Qurʾān’s meaning in the world, this book analyses Qurʾānic referencing in Muslim political rhetoric. Informed by classical Arabic-Islamic rhetorical theory, the author examines Arabic documents attributed to the ʿAbbāsid Caliph al-Maʾmūn (r. 813-833), whose rule coincided with the maturation of classical Islamic political thought and literary culture. She demonstrates how Qurʾānic referencing functions as tropological exegesis, whereby verses in the Qurʾān are reinterpreted through the lens of subjective experience. At the same time socio-historical experiences are understood in terms of the Qurʾān’s moral typology, which consists of interrelated polarities that define good and bad moral characters in mutual orientation. Through strategic deployment of scriptural references within the logical scheme of rhetorical argument, the Caliph constructs moral analogies between paradigmatic characters in the Qurʾān and people in his social milieu, and situates himself as moral reformer and guide, in order to persuade his audiences of the necessity of the Caliphate and the religio-moral imperative of obedience to his authority. The Maʾmūnid case study is indicative of the nature and function of Qurʾānic referencing across historical periods, and thus contributes to broader conversations about the impact of the Qurʾān on the shaping of Islamic civilization. This book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in Early Islamic History, Islam and the rhetoric of contemporary Middle East regional and global Islamic politics.

This book is a journey into the heart of an Islamic worldview. It asks challenging questions of far-reaching consequence, addressing matters such as the Qur’an and revelation; rituals and symbols embraced; nature of God, of humans, and of our knowing; dignity of the human, sacredness of life, and more. It precludes easy, prescribed answers, preferring instead thoughtful reflection on two basic questions: What does it mean to love God? What does it mean to be a good person? Carefully crafted responses are presented by a group of scholars from Qur’an Studies, Worldview Studies, Women’s Studies, Cultural Studies and Religious Education. It uncovers a dynamic understanding of Islam; one that meets challenges of the present, counters harsh criticisms, and breathes new life into a rich and longstanding tradition that continues to impact the lives of billions of people around the world.

The Holy Qur'an is for Muslims the most reliable source for a correct understanding of the teachings of Islam and knowledge of this religion. The comprehensiveness of the Qur'an, which includes topics such as the origin of the human race, the purpose of creation, the missions of the prophets and their accounts, resurrection and afterlife, ethical teachings and norms, as well as laws and precepts governing individual and social conduct, and many other topics besides, is such as to satisfy every human being's thirst for revealed knowledge in a world bewildered by materialist worldviews.Although the Arabic Qur'an is the most widely read and recited of books throughout the Muslim world, its teaching and message are not accessible to the great majority of non-Arab Muslims except through the medium of translation. Even in languages which have competent translations of the whole Qur'an, topically arranged selections of translated verses can be most helpful as vital aids to a better understanding of Islamic teachings on various issues.In addition to works that introduce non-Muslims readers to the role of the Qur'an in the formation of Islamic culture and spirituality and those which describe its major themes, topical selections of verses and passages are also useful to make the book's contents accessible to many readers who lack the time and or motivation required to explore the Islamic scripture in its entirety. In fact, topical selections are even more essential for non-Muslims who, while curious to obtain a first hand acquaintance with its contents, often find the arrangement and style of the Qur'an to be daunting and lack the patience to navigate a text which loses in translation much of the linguistic excellence and audible beauty and resonance of the Arabic original. The present selection does not claim to be exhaustive, as the range of topics dealt with in the Qur'an, or those which may be of significant or even urgent relevance for certain readers, is much greater than can be covered in a book of modest length and scope as the present one.