= ams Te Reform 71 Sboertt teuethat che most admizablescholars who limit ther search andthe “writing tothe enditesecummlation of factual knowledge gle to ead and enhance thei rtcal thinking with the concepralisations and the epistemological sifs imposed by those scholar¢hinkers, ‘who contributed so efiiensiyto he nuceisie"iientific revolutions of inelectual moderigy. The unique valid point in discussion here is how to bring Islamic thought and studies to the level of Ferle triicism we witness since the seventecnthighteenth century in European scholarship and historia development, Teannot end this introduction without mentioning other says prepared in French for a book to be published soon under the title Prue Plame axjord’b, All these essays illastate the large feds and important themes belonging 10-the Unthoght in Contemporary dame Though Two chapters in particulat should be sidded to the present work Inaxgaratng a Critique of amc Reaon and Introduction toa Critique of friicl Reason in Ilamic Contr For various easons Ihave preferred to delay this publication until reactions tothe Pench edition are collected and evaluated. I hope thereaders ofthe present book will ls take into consideration the whole project and the common vision which inspite the English and the French versions of the same lifetime work. ‘A Critical Introduction to Qur'anic Studies ‘Thor take hed (ftir) you who hue es Quran, 39,3 Shrey, We Bae tnt doen to ot the Book with the Teh, 5 that you may judge between the people by thet which God Bas shown em u's, 4195, Scien reason mot quatoned according to the criterion ofthe rue fle om te (paradigmatic) ais ofthe mesage erent, but cording tothe prfirmatioe level ofthe pragmatic asi of te saddese/addrese Lyotstd im Let ds sens ils on France. Acritial introduction to Qus'snie Sudies should noc only evaluate the content of the most significant contributions published in the last 20 yous, it should also discuss the theoretical aspects of the approaches required by religious discourse a it is employed in Islamic coatexts at well asin other religious traditions. Muslims void or reject radically such 3 comparative ingusy; they focus on the Qur'in 2 the Word of God providing ll he believes with clear,4 am To Reform ot Saboett ternal, indisputablenorms, eachings and ideal commandments to lighten tie life and lead to Salvation in the next. Am increasing number of books and commentaries in all languages are invoked in order to support and spread this puely religious acceptance af che heavenly Book. What plac is left i this practice tothe scholarly works devoted to the interpretation of the Qui'in? And how can scholstship, with specif tools and methodologies, incorporste or discard the pious literature produced by the believers? Should scholars accept the wide gap generated by the contrast between “sciemvfic’ and ‘traditional’ attitudes tothe religious phenomenon, ff should they include in their inguiry al the facts relating to the Quen a8 4 soure of life, an ukimatly constrsining point of reference, a global, complex, recurrent, commanding historical force? The cognitive status of modern scholarship is challenged by the phenomenon of what I called the religions of the Book: books critical scholarship has certainly she light on several aspects Of this phenomenon, but the recent emergence of religion 38 2 fefue,& springboard foc historical action in many societies, has convincingly enmaked the filure of ‘scientific’ interpretations of religion to enhance the rational, cultural dimensions of religious belief and emancipate popular/populist religion from its ‘mythological, ideological and Gatatical expressions. Ths falare should itelFbe the mabiec of scientific inquiry in ordce to enrich the cognitive ambitions of modera scholarship. To illustate these observations, I shall consider the following, aspects rom ‘im algagin tothe end ofcetainey. Reading the Qur'an today. Faithful readings and ‘scientific readings Methodological priority and. the limits of historical anthropological reading. + An analyse of religious discourse. From traditional exegesis othe hermeneutical circle [New horizons of meaning and action, A Coie atrodnction to Qui Sai ss Under these six headings, I shall focus on the contemporary methodology operativein thecritical tudy ofthe Que’tn especialy in the West, ag well athe hstoricl, anthropological, linguistic, literary, philosophical and epistemological questions, problems and queries relating tothe study of che Quan asthe focal point of Islam, Islamic tradition, Islamic Law, sad Islamic thought, which axe themselves confioated by the challenges of classical and mieta- modernity 1. From ‘lm al-Yagin to he End of Certaintes Que"anie discourse has given ontological, pychologicl, thematic and rhetorical support tthe concept of im alyagi, certainty based science. Not only docs the revesled Word of God provide Full intangible certainty and defines the limits thereof, but it fonctions asthe source and the fundamental root of every type of knowledge derived therefrom, taking due account ofthe cules, procedures and siethods, Islamic law, sbar', is called “Divine Taw’ because it i preented at Fully, conrecty derived from the teachings of holy texts (the Qur'an and the fats). The quest for certainty in Law, for the purpose of undermining the role of| doubt. is richly expressed in the following statement by Bikbahiat, 4 Shr a scholar who died in 1792: You now thatthe came of the diffrence ewe the ath cand the masta td itl. ha acting om the bass of pinion (pane). Whoewer acts om ts basis ¢ majtabid and ‘ebocoer lis nok, bat rater claims t be acting on te bass frelon sence (im) and certainty (agin isa akbbarc “Theology (‘lm abtatam) is more controversial; some schools prefer to avoid it or at leat to prevent the unprepared masses from having any exporure to it S0f search and spiritual exercise “Sethe comment on thi stutmentin R. Gee, ial Done Ti {hr of Susie Bel 2050.256 blame: To Reform oro Sebo? are another fied in which + more emotional subjective, less Togocentrtt certsiny is conquered, posteted and used as «path by which to reach the level of unification with God (iit ea}. In classical modernity (16821945, according to Paul Hazard in La rite deta conscience enopiense, positivist reason has fostesed the imaginary of scientific progress with 4 sense of mathematial, ‘experimentally based cersnty that has become the solid foundation ofa culture of disbelief replacing the traditional culture of ligious belief and eschatological hope in eternal Salvation. Historians of| science, such as Lya Prigogine, have dated the ‘end of atin? based on scientific reatoning and experimentation from 1945 ‘onwards Social sciences are contributing tothe dissolution ofthe inherited systems of knowledge and the subversion of the cultutal and legal regimes of tuth both in their religious and modern versions. Qurdnic studies. af che msjoity of Muslims continue to pursue them, distance themselves rom thete intelectual shifts and scientific revolutions, maintaining the ‘orthodon’ theological and legal frameworks of belief and intexpretation in order £9 legitimize the ‘universal’ perspective of the Islamic reine of erth, ‘staining the Islamic model of human history aan alternative to the Westen seclarized model. The emergence of metemoders horizon of meaning, knowledge and action is simply ignosed or ‘misunderstood in the current ideological debate opposing ‘slam’ andthe West ‘Thereis anced for new ranking of ational processes; we cannot stick to the ranking established and impoted for centuries by the ‘wv foundational disciplines developed by Muslim theologians and under the nme of wl adi and ap alfigb. Contemporary reason no longer offers the certainty and the uaiqueness ofa Teuth that stil defended by al hose wha think interpret, decide and se dogmatic, conservative belief patterns and knowledge, Even in the Middle Ages, chese Gameworks were pluralistic and conflicting, much less monolithic than what the fandamentlist discourse has been imposing for several decades, Renking rational processes means maintaining coastantly open the theoretical debate onthe epistemological axioms and postulates eommanding A Critical Iirdustion Op tic Sinden . ach implicitly or explicitly assumed hierarchy of approaches (Corde des aso) in every copaitive coastrution. From that point oF view, the socal sciences are not always helpful, especially for thote who im to displace the onde der atone elaborated by alt thiaking in the mediaeval context to the metamodem criticism of any foundationalist attempt. Ihave shown this intellectual and methodological discrepancy in my ‘Critique of legalistic reasoning inslamicconters tobe published in Pens! lave ajourd bu) So- called teletechno-sientificrestoning isapreadinga new pragmatic instrumental form of reasoning led by the principle of jist do i, a long as 50 doing ensures concrete, significant technological sad economie sucess. Facing the hegemonic achievements of tle- technoscientfie reasoning, academic scholastic reasoning, such a , Bourdieu has presented its cognitive status in his Maditations pescalienneis slikely to elicit any fruitful response to the ype of | ‘usues we ae introducing about the radical critique ofthe cognitive status of the Queanie discourse, isl, that are considered here as sand 4 mere example among others af an attempt to reel ll levee of holy Scripture, or raced foundational ext European modernity, at lar since the cighteenth century, has Jefe us with the impression that reason would finally be liberated from the constraints of dogmatism in order to be placed in the service of objective knowledge alone, once + radical separation between every insitutionalized regis lw and the ‘neutral state ‘ha bees accomplished. When ths later body is fre to exercise its undisputed sovereignty, it does not, however strugle with the ‘ame determination for such 2 radical separation between cognitive reasoning and theresoning ofthe sate raion dat)-Thisisnocshe place to explore ths subject further: it is enough to recall now that fn the various Islamic contexts, reason multiplies the constraints 1 The author i ot indicating te reson submited 10 the orthodox teehinge of the thenogcl mage of the ale Age but rmoderssademie practices, imposing he cola reproduction of Snethodslogeal snd eputemslopal Samewoee of sna nd Interpretation in it conformiey to tht avout by the perso ofthis ora ang fit fx eg seal of ougha ‘blams To Rafrm orto Sabor? thi it had itself created fr the sake of ts independence inthe face of the rrct control ofthe sate which unilaterally proclaims ite the exclusive administzator of orthodox eeligious truth and, lam. ‘Such are the two content in which the Qur'an has bees sead, consulted and interpreted for fourteen centariesby the Muslims and forsometwo centusiebythemodern scholarship. Thisintroduetion| of hierarchy of approaches (onee des sion) makes the debate fon Orientalism irrelevant atleast in che manner it has hithero| been conducted, ic, devoid of any preliminary erique, devoid of scholastic eusoning (as defined above) sd devoid of recogaition Of the fact that cognitive reasoning hae willingly accepted che actusl hegemony ofthe uiltarian, pragmatic, experimental, instrumental, reasoning which is becoming all-powerful under the name of teletcchnescientific reaton. One must, however, remember wo troublesome iss forthe western scholar of the Quin who is Using the tools and assumptions ofthe socialsciences of religions (sce the French journal Archive ds Scones Soils des Religion), fer the long domination of = positivist, hstoics, philological methodology and epistemology: Daring the long academic supremacy of Formgscice and philology, Quesnic scholars had Kude vegard for questions fof an epistemological nature, if they were even awate of chem a all, Methodological discussions were restricted to the ways in which philological rules were applied to reach "fact! and solve problems in relation to both authentic and apocryphal, documents, The philosophical implications of the cognitive fiaasemork chosen in which to conduct this cries have ‘not yet been adequately considered even in the new framework introdced by socialsciences 2. Apart from specialists who ate chemselves believers and bring thee Jewish or Christan theological culture 10 bear on the ‘question at hand, all who declare themselves agnostic atheist or Simply secular dadge the question of meaning ~ ite geesi and A Gril Inroduetion eo ie Stade 8 smetamorphoses in religious discourse and thus rete ta cater into discussion ofthe content of fith, not asa sc of life rules to be internalized by every believer, but ata prychoingustic, social and historical construct Theconceptofteigious discourse Aifereatiated fom theological, philosophical historiographical and legalistic discourses, has not yet been shown t0 become operative and. mesningfal when iis applied to the sacred, religions, basic tees currently called the Holy Scriptures, Hence the essential question about «ruc, for religious restoning as well a5 that of the most exscal philosophical kind is totally absent in the sozalled scientific dy of a carpus of texts of which the non de ~ theultimate goal to which ll rhetorical snd linguistic utterances bear witness ~ consists in providing orits immediate audience, wha have multiplied and succeeded fone another throughout che centuries, the unique, absolute and intangible criterion of Truth as a Truc Being, a Tre Reality and a True Sense of Righteousness (Saga) Doubles, from fhe time when was first announced orally between 630 and 632 . Ey the egg has developed in a way that must be taken into account by history of thought and cultaral sociology. It is nota matter of establishing the ue meaning of texts a8 lived and received by the faithful, a sered and revealed, or of| articulating that which is taken a certainty insofar as recorded in 2 process of sacalization, trnacendantalzaion, ontologization, spiriualizution, ete, in the manner of the great systems of theological, philosophical, legal or historiographical chought inherited ftom the Middle Ages; the tsk ofthe rerearcher is t0 problematize all the systems chat claim to produce meaning, all the forms, whether or not they are will extant, which offer meaning and assumptions of meaning (ofits de sou). This is 2 necessary Aistinetion that refers to many problems yt tobe raised if they have ben raised they have been sisedinadegustly or without ull recognition In the cae ofthe Qus'sn snd similar corpuses in other cultures a comparative approsc is always inorder) the activity of the human mind can be found nearer to its own utopian vision,60 lam: To Reform oto Sabres? its hopes both thore which are wnfulfiled and chose which secur, ins surugge to attain the fll exercee ofits “wil to nom, combined swith its critical and creative fresdom. The purpose in the case of| the Quine carpus and ite vast historical development, ito text the capaci of reson vo decipher the mysteries which it has itsele produced ina previous ag. ‘With tis idea of utopia, tis important not to los sight of the fact that Qusniestadies lag considerably behind biblical studies to whic they must always be compared (se scripeureand Qus'saie study). This could be sid to rec the diferent concerns in the historical development of societies in which the Qur'sn continues to play the role of ultimate and sbvolute reference point and has never been replaced asthe sole citerion for he definition and function of all tue, legitimate snd legal value. The stake in the violent and pssionstereiesion of what politcal Islam call ‘the ‘West’ lie less in the grasping of an ephemeral power than ia the progress of the secular model of the production of history, and could ultimately render the ‘divine’ model obsolete sit isin the ‘West. This point is noteworthy in order to release the Quénic studies from its isolation wibdois the historical perspective of modernity aswel as that ofthe religious problem, which has bern 2 one and the same time, appropriated by and disqualified along ‘with its former force. This premise is essential for elasfying the steategy of mediating 3 solution and chur guiding the pedagogy of the scholar-thinker(cechnpencar During the years of struggle for politial independence (i945 1970), one could have hoped that an opening toward modera ‘storical criticism, a shown in the Middle East and North Africa Ths combination sual in the curcentdicouse of shoasip sod miph lea mirundetandingy. do not mean » mate of ‘eholaship and cia hiking om problems sabe by ahaaly Prowatins ofthe matter under inguin, | ean etn le 09 elope! or phlowphial spelition On pobre peste of scbolanhin. {Save sly im mind that scholas dig ‘rth diya, dlone lus Le Quetie tie shoul ice Ether wang elit define of their methodelopel tnd ‘tintemologil opens A Coie rodnson te Qa tne Sind e daring the socalled Rensissance (nabds, 1830-1940), would have expanded to include such tuboo subjects as Qurinic studies, Jncuding the sanctified ates of law appeopsiated by the her'sand fas legal statutes aad rulings (see lw and the Quin), the corput Of Beditb which enjoys the status of foundational sources (esl) 1s defined by al ShA6 (d, 204/20), However certain historical evens have altered this potential course, beginning with the 979 Islamic Revolution i Ian, which wasn tata, extended globally by socalled fundamentalist movements. This revived, inthe already very complex and inadequately xplored area of Qurinic studien, the rather archaic combination of violence and the sited, whist ‘was sil able, with some effet, to bring iss weight to bese upon the global civilization of dsenchaatien, desacralization and the supremacy of science over ll dimensions of human existence, ike Christiane during che modernist crise of the nineteenth century, Maslims have reacted ~ and still react ~ against former works marked by historcisc-philologst positivism aswell at agpinst more recent researc tha is elatively Fee of the assumption oft ‘wiumphalist, ven intolerant ‘scientific aide, Under the pretext of not wanting to confuse different kinds of scence, socalled pure researchers refuse 10 addsess che conflict beeween full-blown ‘cieaiic reusoning and religious remoning that is apparently ‘anguished intellectually or forced on tothe defensive, despite its historical persistence and it revolutionary potential. We kaow how politcal scientists portray fundamentalist movement ecording to their owa politica options, ther eitmising thei politieal action spsiast totalitarian, oppressive repimes, or condemning them a= violent, fanatical, tational and opposed to the Western rational, democratic values. The theological and spiritual background of religiously inspired movements is rarely mentioned, atleast asa psychological cultural reference to ancient collective memories ‘that are all very much alive This means that historical epistemology isnot inepeated into social and political science as an importane dimension of any Bistorical and sociologieal research of writing. Whenever non- Warern traditions of thought and cultural systems are involved6 Iitam: To Reform ot Saber? social and political sient refer implicit to the epistemological framework tacitly received a reliable bythe scientific community their interpretations, thee writing would then reflec the impact of that framework more than the historical, socilogical, paychological ‘framework chatis proper to contingent tmeand socal milieu taken 2 the object of study. Phillogists would insist on chronological formal zuthenticity, but not on the epistemological postulates ‘commanding the articulation ofthe discourses studied. It is thus a mater of moving towards the use of historical psychology, historical sociology aad historieal anthropology for vast areas of the pate, long ignored by the historian interested in narration, description and taxonomy. The recently published survey by J. van Ess, entitled Thologe und Gast Theology and Society) demonstrates al the richness of which we have been deprived and that which will potentially excape ws for even long, 1 not Forever. ‘Asa rather marginal discipline, history of eligions is looked upon askance both by theological authorities, asthe guardians of orthodoxy, and by secular sates which advocate « political ‘neutrality’ chat has still ro be thought through philosophically tnd anthropological. Furthermore, this field remains uncertain of its precise scope since i spills over into many other disciplines ‘The same uncertainty applies to it aims which largely involve the invisible, the untouchable, the uanamable, the supernatural, the mizaculous, che mysterious, the sacred, the holy, hope, love violence and so on; as wellasits instruments, analytical framework and ineitable relationship to other disciplines, themcives groping theis way Forward in the dark. Thee is another razely mentioned face about the history of religions: specialists writing for their collegues ate fully aware of the aademie constants by which they will be judged and adnmitead to the profesion or excluded ‘herfrom, no less differently than theologians who muse practice selfeenorship in order to obtain the imprimatur of doctrinal suthoriis. In any case, the populace at large, long confined to the discouse of orl culture, does aot appear in scholar writing, although they are the most diretly concerned audience For thi A Crtcl Introduction 6 Danie Sais 6 research and form by far the largest and most convinced corpus ‘of consumers of aystems of belief and non-belif which science has submitted to ther examination, Mediserl lites (kbemdy) alceady taught openly thatthe masses (sm) should be kept away from scholarly debates. Today, iti left to the scorned populaizss of knowledge to transmit a large sudience its and piece of abighly specialized science. The distinctive ferture of religion, however, i that i is a sousce of inspiration, hope and legitimatizaion for all and primarily for those who have aot received instruction in critical thought. In the ese of che contemporary Muslim word, this observation beats considerably on Que'inie studies 3: Reading che Qui'in Today ‘Today’ means that we need to articulate the cognitive, cxitcal strategies uted by social sciences since its epistemological sits from catical modernity framework to meta-modern perspectives + Structure and form of the Quin ~form and meaning + Early Meccan revelation and Medinan revelation as diferent Jated corpors, + Rational, imaginative, marvlloes—thepsychology ofknowledge (Gagels,dinas, salvation). (Anew aes of work that has not been touched +o far) + Emergence of a respontible person (sin, vires vice, la, interpersonal elation); the construction of an individul as ‘crestor, a believer, = socal agen, s moral, egal and spiritual subject. + Society, lam, culture, governance (authority, continuity; noa- violence and eruth as oppoted to violence, she sacrosanct and the true; male, Female, children, shves, warfare, comet Each chapter will fer extensively to the work done so far so as ‘evaluate it and show ovr commitment to exploring aew ares of6 ams Ta Reform ort Saboertt work that have not been undertaken, or even thought of as relevant subjects for scholarship. A select bibliography will follow atthe tad ofthe book. ‘These are categories that would apply toalleligioustetsIslenie and other) and would, therefore, also be + useful categorization for fll longterm progeamme of Qurtaic studies, As far as what is commonly called the Qur'ta i concerned, ie must, besa that cis team has become so heavily loaded by theological inquiry, legalistic insrumenulization and the ideological ‘manipulations of contemporary political movements that it mast be subjected 10 2 preliminary deconstruction in order to make manifest levels of function aad significance that have been side stepped, suppressed or forgotten By pious tradition aswell a by textoriented philology, to say nothing of the savage exegeis of the sovalled fundamentalise Muslim, Thit situation has a loag history. It is known that From the moment the Que'Ia was writen ddowa throughout is propagation in manuscript form until it was finally printed, there wasan inexorable ris ofthe cleric to politcal, and intellectual power. This proces is at odds with the socal and cultural conditions prevailing atthe time of the emergence and [romth of that which the intial Que'snie discourse cals Qnran, the celestial text (aEKita, the Book), recited a4 a confesion of faith, aloud and in public. This anaunciation can be called prophetic discourse and establishes an arena of communication Dbenween three grammatical persons, a ether who articulates the discourse contained in che Heavenly Book} a first adérser, who ransmits the message of the enunciation! as an event of faith; aad a second addraser, alas (the peopl), who constitute the group, lange or small depending upon circumstances, whove members ae nevertheless all equal and fee, given their status as adévese ‘They ate equal because they shave the same discourt situation, ie, 1 On this concep eG. Widenszsn, Te Anon dpate an be Hoel Beat peal 9 2 Therein difene feteceeneition, ration, loa! wih cla sone Linguists conc, ad A Creal Itraduion 2 Deane Snes 6 sccets to the same oral language wsed in the enunciation of the Message. They ae fre because they rxpond immediatly by assent, nderstanding, rejection, refutation oF the demand for further ‘explanation. Maze will be ssid about the crucial importance ofthe paycho-sociolinguise analysis of what will henceforth be called prophetic discourse. (ustifcation will be given forthe use ofthis Aleseription of the term "prophetic! which, historically, is strongly contested by the second adder, after the adage that ‘a prophet {s without honout in his own country), Te must be emembered that all Orientalistscholaship, in limiting itself tothe curiosities of the tak of a philological restoration of the text (grammar, morphology, lexicography, syntax) aloag with an historical reconstruction of the simple facts, has ignored the concepts of the structure of interpersonal elationships (F. Beneénst), of the discourse situation as conditioned by its context (as described by. Zumptor foe mediaeval literature by use ofthe term antare afer French état, "witing?), and of the dialectic between the powers and th residue (disltign des pisencs et de dt) which ‘encompatses the interaction between oratureand ita, knowledge ‘of the sructute of myth and critiea historical knowledge, in other ‘words the functional solidarity between 3) the cenualizing state 2) Veritingdvitue 3) the learaed ties, and 4) onhodoxy. Thus, four Aynamic socio sisrrical forces can been o be dialetiealy elated to four other forces in the socal arena which appear universally fas in Mecea and Medina atthe time of the emergence of the (Que'énic event (it coraniqu) no less than in the socal miliew of the contemporary nation sae): segmentary societies, 2) ortae, 3) cultuce which is called poplar and disintegrates into populist, Culture in the contemporary megalopolis and 4) heterodoies. This ‘conceptual framework enables an integration of all evel at which ‘Queinic discourse Functions — linguistic, social, anthropological, along with all historical periods ~ when we displace the analysis from the theological perspective to the procedures and rules of discourse analysis, ‘One can sill be grateful, in fatness to orientalis scholarship, forthe efforts and achievernents of such pioneers as J Wellhausen,ra bla: To Reform oro Sebo? 1H. Grime, T. Noldeke,F. Schwally, G. Bergstrster, O. Preta Goldsiher,T-Andete, A. Guillaume, A.efery, M. Bravmann, whose ‘work hasbeen continued by R,Paret,R Blchére,H, Birksland, R Bell, W. M. Wate J. Burton). Wansbrough, A. Welch, U. Rubia and toon. Itshould also be noted that for an ares of tudes which is ao ich and vital, the names of those who reilly matter in this past century are quite few, at can be ten fom the bibliography; the farrent generation seems promising, but the number snd eolation | Df the researchers remain the sme, along with the mesgre rope of the project and the leethan-consdersble importance of the publications. Two remarks an be made 1 The question of knowledge ~ reductionist, scientiie, positivist = that goer 40 far af 9 suppor, openly and aggrestively, am atheism that does not acknowledge itself to be merely one simple doctrinal option, must be examined, especialy wheze i concerns comparative history and the anthropological analysis of religion. Tis problem mutt be readdcesed and edacussed in relation to every scholarly work concerning the religious phenomenon. 2. J.Van Es, whose contribution o lamie stadia is exceptionally rich x another kind of scholar, belonging to that school which “undercakestocensor itself, constantly and strictly, when itcomes, to the arena of uth, going so far a5 to respect the expression of this faith which proclaims itself tobe orthodox by virtue ofthe sole fact of its socologial influence and political dominsnce Here, it must be emphasized that the deconstruction of every orm of orthodonyfilsely rendered sacred by historical figures, who happened to succeed politically or psychosocologiaclly (tints), is one ofthe mos esseatial critical tas for the soeil tienes, Here ix surprting quote from tis grest scholar eould have bron examples rom the Mitac (2) bt since ‘they werecamsdered ober by be majoriy of Sent Masia oud aoe bad 0 rekon aftersards withthe objesion that bey A Cri Introdction te Qué Sti & wee ltimately ameprsentatic of iam. He [Bir at Mars} ‘sa intertng mam bl a the case of the Maile, 1 do ot want to pat the Lami view of ixory apude dwn. Tht would be something or tbe Mass thematic 9 da. Ae an Pitoren and now-Mali, I boul not ack who wa righ, and tbo was wrong Indeed, enhoeer blind the rsitation to be severest commited a racic of inlet [Verbal Inspiration? Language and Revelation in Clase! lilac Tey, lectre given on 21 Norember 1994 at the plenary session of the annual conference of the Middle aster Studies Astocation (MESA) and published in S. Wild, The Quien a Tet, pp 80, 84-85) Theis not the place to comment upon thete two quotations from the perspective of the epistemological commitments of ear0n in the domain of religious studies in general and that of Islamic sradies in particular. The possiblity of having a commitment and ‘he way of defining this territory mil be clarified inthe remainder ofthis eray, From the perspective of a kind of cesatch which is always accompanied bya eiial return to procedures,» proces of cuting and pasting, theoretical constructs, explanations and meaningful results it cam be concluded that che Qur'an is only one among 2 numberof objects of study that have the sme level of complenty and the sume abundance of meaaings, such asthe Bible the Gorpel snd foundiag texts of Buddhism and Hinduism, all which have ready experienced and may yet experience sill more historical growth [tis necessary to ask what would finaly serveto distinguish the seligious corpus just mentioned fom the vast Platonic and ‘Aristotelian corpus with alts diffrent forms in Islamic and later European contexts, or ftom the corpus of the French Revolution lor that ofthe October Revolution of 917 (cE. the works of F. Fue. Icis nevertheless clear that the invocation of a eligious dimension of all religious texts, which is often the object of reductionist interpretations should be more rexpected as such by the analyst sho ses the principles and methodology of deconstruction. Thisrs ‘ame To Reform oto Sabet? attention given to avoid reductionist approaches ought not lead to ignore the other side ofthe problem tuted by what ‘believes! use and qualify straightflly as “Holy Scripture, while discourse snalysis would show that the claimed holynes iin fac, che esult ‘of complex proces of tarlization through time. In other words, any analysis of seligious discourse should integrate the curiosity and the problematisation of historical psychology. By way of concluding there introductory remarks, it will be helpfaltoaskwhetherschoaryexperience asamassed by Orientlist ‘scholarship, enables us to move on into 4 new phate of Qurénie studies What would then be the epistemological orientations, the methodological choices and the appropriate programmes for this new stage? Such new fields of scholarly invetigation of the (Qurinic phenomenon must obviously mest twa roitements: 1 More and more Muslim scholars should be urged to contribute to the new approaches to the sligious texts, by incresing the possibilites and places for the exchange and confiontition of| thoughts, ia order to make progress in whet it bound to be # longterm enterprise with che ultimate goal, indeed, of thinking, ‘knowing (emote le pralog) and ating: 2. Roomshould begiventopreviourand contensporseyscholarship ‘of Muslim believers, But which scholarship? What positive knowledge, independent of theologieal requitements, can be derived from iv Willit be possible from this heterogeneous, but undivided reality thae is in the same time, che Que'sn as otal delivery, ehe Que'sn a lcugical recitation, the Qur'an as text the revealed! Word of God, to separate dats that can be declared ‘objective’ from psychological burdens and the content of faith, hich believers atach tothe Quen in thee daily ute and which aestill experienced a theultimate revealed Tet? Isienecessery ‘to classify all Maslim (or Chritian ot Jewish) discourses as prior oralien tothe modern erical reason, as merely dacumeatation for paychological and historico-sociological inguity? This would lead to the placement ofan entirely artifical scientific A Critica Intodaton te Que Seki 6 goal ext tothe exuberant and effervescent product of history by the stcong dialectical exchange betwees human faith (itself the result of the interaction between the socal imaginary, the Imagine, reason sttivites and collective memory) and the oss of social, politcal upheaval, Ishallatempt to answer therequestions underthe fllowingsub- headings») prionse and limitations of historial-anthropological interpretation: 2) linguistic, emiotic and literary interpretation; 3) ‘eligious interpretation snd 4) final proposals au Prirtin and Limitations of HiuarizatAnsbropotoical Intrption Imporeant contributions to Quine studies have been published recently. They offer 4 concrete basis for a ceassessment of the methodological and epistemological debate on the approaches ‘applied to the raligious discourse in general, to che partculasly Significant example represented by Que'saicDiscoursein particular. All the tiles mentioned in the Select Bibliography deserve an ins depth discusion, but each would require an entize monograph if juice isto be done to ther. Inthe Following paragraphs, I shall ‘Concentrate on the following tle: Herbert Berg: The Development Of Exeens in Early Ilam, Curzon, 20005 Jacqueline Chabbit Le Segue des trib lesa Hoult: Literary crate of eigiows meaning nthe Qu, Cara0n, 200. “The monograph by H. Berg has the merit of synthesizing in clear and objective terms the two opposing schools of thought ‘concerning het extcism from I, Gldziher and J. Schacht, N. ‘Abbot and F,Seegin to M. Cook, N, Calder, . H. M. Vestegh land others, The two schools ae alld ‘early Western scepicism tnd renewed scepicim’ om one side and ‘the reaction against, Scepticism and the search For middle ground’ on the other side. ‘Afier-a carefully detailed analysis of the main arguments and positions, Berg inst on two points which consolidate my ‘own position segirding this discussion and the solution that ise ame To Reform oro Sabet eventually offered by Berg himself, The level of discussion beeween the two opposing postions is described in the following terms: at thw poston are diametrically opposed it dened Jy the beens aed at timer comdending exchange betwen sebalare Schacht bat charcteried llamicits who woald sondermine te insights of Goldeber as bing guilty of intlitaal lazines’” Bote speaks of Caldas ‘egjudice agit the sede and rina ‘wild ealation witbon ace! prof, ‘end loser sophistication (compared t» Shoe). Motcki ako seman “et wt abstain from speclation and atric ones (0 te facts More during are the ad bominems drtied at seats. For example, Azam condones Shack work filled ‘wt nconienier, “emmarrenid acamptons, mistakes of fet’ ‘ignorance’ ‘isandersadings and ‘wnscintific method (of march. Abdul Ref dismises at “enfir and nicola’ ‘ose abo “as pas nosy judgements inthe name of objetive scholanbip? [ery p23] ‘The condescending stitude of classical philologists towards “Muslim scholars who have no idea ofthe discipline called philology and historicistextcitm is well known. Ths disdain would have been fire, had the illustrious scholars handled the delicate matter of their research with less passion and dogmatic certainty. Ihave ‘written and observed that Westen scholarship on Islamic studies, part fom its Fale results, has often left Muslims with 2 field of | ruins, without caring about ther inellctal responsibility for any damage caused, I da not know of any of them, even today afterall the ideological polemics on Osienalism, who would have rssed the insu of the paychological, ethical, existential impact on Muslims suddenly faced with the collapse of their inherited traditional acceptance of ‘revealed Truth’ and ‘divine Law’. We know how inellectuals, scholars, believers and non-believers, handled the same situation crested for Christianity in Europe by reason of the Enlightenment and the historiise portvse cognitive sytem. Kant, Hegel, Bergion, Max Weber, R.Buliman, E,Troelteh aad so A Critica ntroéncton to Oar Stein n many other thinkers, cach responded in his own way tothe same field of rune generated for Christan tradition. Orieaalsts, with thes inelleersal arrogance, shook to the foundations a “sacred” tradition, knowing that no-one fom inside the community would take up the cudgels and propose new horizons of meaning to those that had been dismissed, closed up by a scholarship which turned ‘ut to be so anf, fragile and subjecsve i its both options. What dhad been held to be indisputable theory on the authenticity of the total apocryphal nature ofthe hadith on which all exegetical, historiographical and shur'a wotks are based, ix presented today vith plausible objections as an impasse. Thee it no mide ground, writes Berg, rather, 1 ave sought tw help rove the impace one tay or another by drawing 0 the mthods of both bt wot am eter ofthe arumprions that underlie thr cralar reasoning .. My sathod of constrain Ltlistiprafile allow eo breck thes A. H, Barr and tt (Be anthntciy of material which lie to come foe the ver) fink decades of lam. Hosrser my metbod cannot dterine the authentic, cbronlog) ar provenance af any single bat So othe questions ed romeome maemed Te “Abbas exer 589 sothing about the Onan? And if edi, i any of it proeroed or deribe the answer matt be: edo not know and we may necer bow [pp 225-30 fevance and the results ‘This is not the place to discuss th fof the method chosen by Berg; I have underlined the very last sentence of his book, for it expreses exactly the position I have ‘been defending since 970, not only in elation to Que’snic studies, ‘but about al tligious traditions, more especially the monotheistic traditions based on the leaps fiom oral to writen regimes of constructing and transiting tru, true meanings, tae aw, ee. Inall the construction processes ofeach tradition, there is a myth ‘of origins for scriptural exegere (Bible, Gospels, Quen) similar to the one built on the mythical figure of Iba “Abbas. On this ay oF cholaelytsks, indisputable basis, wecanageee on the hern ame To Reform oro Subeon? amy; the search for authenticity, chronology and authorship, It is cerinly useful to identify the myth oF origins and it functions, but this search i subservient toa much more decisive one, not only {or Iamic tradition, but forall hstoriographical memories in oral cultures and in the most moder, critical cultuses of contemporary secularized societies. This anthropological perspective i followed and enhanced by a philosophical assesment about the regimes (of trath at all times and in all cultures, [tis the only way for Scholunhip to rid itself of che ethnographicl approach reserved for non Wester thought, culture and Judseo Christan teligious tradition. The resistance of dominant scholarship since the nineteenth century to the adoption of thie cognitive posture sransltes clearly the ideological basis concealed inal the formal aturbutes of safe, universal, slab knowledge. This having beea ssid, I am the one who has also pointed systematically to the pioneering Wester researchers in the field of Qurinic studies and Islamic thought i general, to a point ‘where Iam accused by Muslim colleagues of ignoring o excluding “Muslims contributors tothe fel. Ther is no doubt that Mustims cannot cros the boundaries of the ereed based on the myth of origins which remains for chem the greatest unthinkable. In the generic name Muslins, I include aot only practising believer, but abo the many individuals who make claims upoa a eulture, scostvity spitiualiey, in other words an Islamic ethor without confining thir thought tothe dogmatic confinement of a single orthodoxy, Mention will be made of the Muslims contribution 0 Quranic studies inthe chird part ofehie chapter, though i is fiteing to sare here chat no arbivary boundary hat been drawn; the epistemological criterion used here is open to debate, provized that the essential distinction beween the cognitive atitude of belief and eritcal reason be respected. While no claim can be made for the superiority of one over the other, important differences separate the two sates of cognition in terms of function, choice, sims, interests and results Furthermore, the conftontation betwees these two attitudes and their respective products is necessity For 4 fuller awareness of the dimensions of cognition, | A Critical iniodation to Quai Statice . “The erterion is es follows the object of research it 2 callection of initially oral utterances put into writing under historical Conditions that are not yet elucidated, These utterances have then been elevated, by the industry of generations of historical figures, to the status of a sacred Book which preserves the transcendent Word of God and serves ax theultimate and incritable point of reference for every act, every form of behaviour and every thought ofthe faithful who themselves ar tobe considered as communally inverpteting this heritage. [a this framework of study, a umber of operative concept and problems exist and sil await a suiciently objective, wellthought out sd inclusive elucidation, soas to appeal fot only tothe comaunity of scholars and thinkers, but alto to those believers who consider themselves practising and orthodox, ‘This is crucial point if one intends to overcome the arrogane: of scientific teasoning which provide believers with no opportunity to speak out and which interprets cuts and pastes, categorizes and judges, without actualy elucidating the mechanisms, omnipresence, results and significance of belie for every human being. The wsk of the scholarhinker iso include i his or her field of investigation tnd analysis all that has been std, experienced and constructed tnd which emerges within the confines of dogmatism. To refuse foray to enter these laboratories, so full of energy and significant vents which have become societies totn apart by socaled religious revolutions, would be to deprive the socal sciences of essential ‘det wth which to renew their theoretial positions and strategies of interveation Teil be seen fater how belief ca be integrated while so being submitted to critical snalyis ofthe mos fevinful kind. Un a spict ff equity, itis necesiry to mention something of the sil elevant| chievements of orientalis scholarship. In my Latur du Coren, presented three comparative tables which clarify the relationship fad the differences between the Muslim approach as syahesied by [ESuyedtin his gan ‘ala al Ont, the Orientals approach ts summarized and followed by A.T. Welch (Eneydopacdia of lam) tnd the approdch, sill in the process of development, ofthe social Sciences which ae themselves subject to the elusive challenges ofva iam: To Reform orto Sabor? 4 comparative history of eligions, conceived and writen as an “antirpolag of the pas? and an arcasoogy of daly Iye(G. Duby, J: Le Goff, Aiphonte Duprons). Although not without problem, the theoretical research project proposed by this last category of approach ought not tobe to hastily dismissed, For example he syacironc linguistic exploration of Qu nie discourse combined vith an anthropological analysis, was recently used in an rich monograph to be discussed later (Chabbi, Le signar. The thitd approach is made posible by the progres ofthe socialsciences and ‘he cumulative achievements of Orientals scholarship. ‘The taboo that Muslim orthodoxy has always placed on Qui'snic studies was more easly lifted duting the period of ‘istacica-philological positivism than iti todey. The euphoria oF {_esappropritto esti in thiconter heat of my colleague, the Tenitan historian Mabaninad Tub, abo gine 1 mess Fume sone of he ost apenminde, tly elesed Masi ‘ow hin since shea was pels udent and the Dee ofthe Tusa Sean Residencia Pi thoug me wer end, Sdetanding eich ther, batag the tne cdevou wo modenee Iaaic thong though me tie two diflsee epeemolope posers, Ibs been very aif ore Yo mastery revolt and "Sarina ihe ens vid an at oane fered fundamen san ad redone wih ne Al tact morhanoncbuaded pans rosel teaver Ina psn the gement of exomaniatin get hypoctt socalled Mim auhingto sere the West culd nt ny Con brcae he chief Rat uml Sir won hang the sno ing ‘which teed paps st on th fet hl as ned {Ftersons of salen in noi case ond he ced realy fn Avad for Toucan bythe Agel oan wot bane ten tle to meaton ths xem sghfant evn if Profear Tabi bad not confi! whit he did in writen for whch uote without ay fit comment, espe my fll reopation af ‘he Model of tlanc' for batng provide! me with such leat itaon ofthe 'nthoughe ad ke ennai as dupa byt famous Mein wade nce Slab tite dncson ‘ite leo iba rena tons ete rag esteem demise) it ‘acim! Pig abet om don are Se Mahomed le Pphe ed dustin om Coen lant A ChitcalItrednstion 0 Oa tle Satin scientific reasoning was boosted by colonial sale, Hence the bate for critical edition of the text of the Qui’'ap, including most notably a chronological ranking of the saris not a peristent fs it was in the period between the writings of T. Noldeke and those of R Blachére, All the same, cis subject has lost nothing of | its scientific relevance, since it implies a more reliable historical reading, ess dependent upon suppositions, hypotheses and the ‘quest forthe plausible (despite the trust she puts in er methods, J.Chabbi cannot avoid writing in the conditional mood). Unless ‘more reveling manuscripts related to the history ofthe text are found, which i stil posible, i seems better to draw the conclusion that an isveverible situation has been created by the systematic eatraction of precious documents or by the lack of interest of people today in all that hat become esental for modern historical Lnowledge. Tis field of research does noe stem to have broadened its horizons or inquites, if one i to judge by three eolections of| ticles bearing carefully chosen signatures: Approazbe tothe Hitory Ofte Inerprtaton ofthe Qo, ed. Ande Rippin, Approac to famamet Ltr made ar mai por cove ‘oboe fson al nt man rapa edi ionic onu Macne cmp met ep ‘Toons dtr Conn mm atetigcment ania ‘prowina vem pet ona rea eo d Fane ef (ativan ima, ane lnge se ir (Cen, 2605) Tint 4 Canal ine rest del Ps ge ‘tate de lions dE Trg 720 me oo) Ha amo rrommniaton e eonaraton dx Maal, ae de ‘dg comin enor de inti ca ee fs Eph iuntin dpoorne Ma Mabanal Aron wpe gad nlm pas mer to! Jeon te i jw ds ima i aoe at sd ptr ai Soran to que maine omit oor sacar daca Pht a pa nose dt ie ppetenane idem appeman dot ie le ote the prey cls ie omen Pon bileet deand ole cat dts der adeno lofi pede ine, ‘tang decom Dae gee Ou pas ambit eine 2 coin (inlet Joe Aan n0 02,17 Seem seo® lilam: To Reform orto Seba? the Qnrtn, cf, G. R. Hamting and Abdul-Kader A, Shareef, and The Quran as Tat, alveady cited shove, the title of which dose not fulfil its promise, at is editor, Wild, has admitied. Each sam To Reform ot Sabvertt [Arab stuals atocated with the Ka‘be, These sich sources can be reviewed and reinvested in an archaeological exesvation, now writ large, where the question does not aise of quarreling over the sources, the authenticity andthe ruth of positive fact liberated from the superstitions of the stsightiscket of legends, popular stovies and the ramblings of « pious imagination. This is whet historiism has long dons, tinforesd by dialectic materialism, a a time when Mast ehetorie made it prejudice of rationality prevail in all elds of kaowledge, The great lsical commentators xe no longer contuled ~ ar many otientalits have done and still ‘continue to do ~as reliable authorities incleating up the semantic contents of Qur'tnic vocabulary. ll commentarie are crested 8 corpuses which must be read within the changing contexts af their production, acceptance and reproduction. kis usel in thie contet, to elaborate on Chabbi’s monograph since i fornshes a elatively coavincing illustration of the methodological priority and limits of thehistorca-anthropologicl approach, a8 applied toa corpus which lys the foundation of religion. The limits are those which the historian imposes upon himself when judging himself vo have completed the work of scrutinizing and using the documents. One can see clearly that, regaiding the question of contemporary itil practices and the (Qur'an, the historian ends up with an extreme tension between two differen atiudes ofthe human ixiad, that of limiting knowledge to theoretical and practi! pieces of information artficaly constructed by scholarly disciplines or that of recognizing the selisble and potentially univers teaching of these disciplines, while slzo creating space fora polity of hope (a concept which enables che integration of theologieal developments oa the history of salvation, che quest for salvation and eschatological hope into historia! peychology and religious sciotogy) To clarify: if the present reousces of historical inquiry allow it to be established, in accordance with a scientifically acceptable manner, that the Quen, when viewed in the ecological, ethno linguisti,sociologieal and political cheate of ‘iba’ ie in Mecca and Medina at che beginning of tke seventh century C,E, cannot A Coit! Introduction to Qe ane Stadies te but change its cognitive status, a whole new fld of work wil be possible, This eases the question of whether an historian ean do justice to two clearly differentiated satus of cognition, that ofa ‘Meccan Quin restored to it ‘concrete’ historical and linguistic realty & distinct from the Medinan corpus as well as from the universal corpus later imposed under the aame of Muybaf and thot ofthis Muy which would be more aply named the Official {Closed Corpus which the interpreting community has accepted snd will continue to acept forthe foreseeable Future 26a toni 2 revealed given (donné fi that abolishes through interpretation and in experience, ie, in the courte of history, che status of the corpus as analysed by historians ‘One cannot beg the question by saying that this the concern ‘of believers because it s the historian who uncovers the mew satus of belie, to the extent that hie or her achievements as an historian tre recognized a being intellectually compelling. A fest answer ‘would consist in expanding the sme inquiry, by applying the fame deconstrctive proceduse to the entre history of societies, into which this revaed given has been received, interpreted and translated into ethical, legalistic, political, semantic, aesthetic tnd spiritual codes. I have proposed the concept of societies of| the Book-book (sci du Lierlion, including the Jewish and Christian examples, in order to integrate the eval giver into the productive forces of the history of these societies before it wis disqualified, marginalized and even eliminated by scientific tnd political revolutions. I is possible chat the hstorian’s refusal by leaving tothe theologian and the philosopher a task that lies vvithin the sphere of esponsibility of the historian ~ of enlarging the working domain ellectng a philorophies! commitment to the fait accompli ofthe eighteenth century political revolutions in| uropeand America. This would explain the dificulies of dialogue between historians, anthropologins, theologians and philosophers fon there deliate subjects ‘One should not forget that ches bates and debuts take place within the historical trajectory of European thought as it has Aleyeloped since the sateenth century ie, withthe fist challengesee alam Po Reform ot Suber? to the mediaeval heritage by the Reformation and the Renaissance ‘Within the Islamic coatent, these questions ate ill suppressed and considered unimaginable. One can see the disacay in the human mind wherever thet is 2 uli in the indispensable work assigned to philosophy and anchropology, of taking charge ofthe domains of thought let in rains by the roca sciences which imithemselves ‘to working on divided fragments of sa undivided reality 22 Linguists Somioticand Liter Iterpresation These disciplines have produced fir lets seminal or innovative work than the historical approaches. Semiotics and “new literary «riticism’ became fashionablein France between 1960 and 180 with the support of A.J. Greimas,R.Barthés,G. Genetteand 2 aumber of their disciple A relavely small number of doctoral theses on the Qur'an have sen the light in France, although it has not ‘een possible to publish any ofehem, whereas studies on the Bible tnd the Gospels abound and were quickly published. Linguistic approaches, especially in the domain of discourse citcism are not well represented either. Nevertheless, studies of Arabic ling isto ve flourished in the lst twenty yeas ofthe twentieth century, One can se this as clear proof ofan intelectual timidity, itself nourished by the researcher's prudence in sefesining from, the study of the Muslim sacted text. Ae the Sorbonae, many have prefered o renounce subjects which had aroused ther intellectual curiosity, but aso ther feats of seecion in their countries of| tigin.C.Giliot nas been willing to work on the‘comaion Islamic imaginary a8 displayed in ab Taba (4. 330/923) commentary’, although Kmiting himsel othe clsicl scholarly tack to which he continues to make substantial contributions, [AS for the literary approsch, there is nothing equivalent to IN. Frye (The rear cod, without even mentioning the abundant research which has ensiched and renewed biblical studies. personally planned to discuss the use of the metiphor in the (Quen in order to comet an intolerable shortcoming which has lased since che mediaeval battles over accepting or totaly ceeting T A Cita Insroduction to tic Sinden. 5 the metaphorical dimension in the interpretation of Gd’s word. A book by Ibn Qayyim alJawzyys (4. 79/1950), bearing the eloquent tile of alSami'iy abmurnal ilradd ‘eljabmine wana’ spl, leary sets out the sakes in the debate over the theology of tevelation | did not abandon such a rich project; but the terzain eft to be cleared is immense and the few works available on the subject did not incorporate the most sigaificant debates among linguists, ‘hetorcians,psychoanalysts and philosophers of language Muslims see themselves scandalized a hearing of tis shortcoming and refer ‘vith pide to Aba ‘Ubayda (d 2032, AlSharif Radi (4426/1038), “Jasin! (4. 4ox/irph,al-Bagillant (4, 473/1078), Fake ab-din ale ‘aa (dl 6o6/aao), al Sabb (d 69/123) and to the immense ae literatuce of which the apologetic dimension sill weighs heavily fon contemporary works (eg, Mustafa Sadiq abRafi', Sayyid Qutb, Muhammad Shabra, et a), They ful, however, to mention the current hostility to metaphor and the fict thatthe doctrine of the uncreated Quen (ge crestednes i the Engeopaca ofthe ‘Qur'en) bas prevailed since the Caliph alQadie's decre (Gfeh/ tleventh century) Literacy approsches are accepted along the lines ‘Mlustated by the works Of ML S, aLRA6’ and more durably and significantly Sayyid Quib's ug. Studies of Arabi rhetoric and literary evita ate quick to scrutinize the positive andl negative consequences of where the rich intuitions expessed inf Tape a fannt lean (igs) 20d Mashiid agama fLD40'an (947) are Fully developed and systematized ‘Theintervention of Sayyid Quin cis eld raises 2m important theoretical debate, Fuith bated on ot, tueicl tual reception fof prophetic discourse as is the ete of Quib and the majority ‘of Muslims, leas to subtle icuition, enlightening interpretation tnd lyric emotive writing which ate missed by scholars who use intellectual training and discursive devices in order to decipher the same discourse, Ae the same time, fish works with postulates, sssumptions accepted at ironclad certznses; not only docs it ‘rolve within the confines of dogma, shown trough the engaged tnd engaging Tair of Qusb, But the literary talent added to the powerfully inspising acceptance of God's Truth strengthens and% am: To Reform ot Suboertt perpetuate the dogmaticcognitive frameworks much and assutly 2 prophetic discourse did and coatinve 9 do within its own mythical, symbolic, metaphors, aesthetic devices internalized and adequately reactivated, using a way of thinking and a style tuncouched bythe philosophy of ruspicion I a1 nat opposing an intelectual objection, ora ‘scientific’ methodological critique to Swyyid Quib and all those who display such an undeniable talent in his literary analysis; am merely rising a erious peychologicl issue inthe hope thar scholars wil conser itt subjsct worthy of more inquiry, The success of Sayyid Qutb inthe literary Fed, like the intellectual impsce oF Iba Taymig on contemporary Muslim thought, enhance the purport of the issue. Does this success mea that the social, cultusl, imaginative and linguistic framework in which prophetic discourse is reoived is sil slive and supportive to the cognitive, literary, semiotic articulation (what is called ago alQar'an by ancient and contemporary reader/receivers) sued in the first enunciation of the prophetic discourse? Or should we suspect both the interpretations of the commentators believers and non believer alike ~ and the intrinsic organization (nazm) of the prophetic discourse in is Gr enunciation? Thit question affects the current scientific attitude expresed by the word ‘approach used in several recently published tiles. The key postulate commanding the whole riding of Qutb is that the Quy'sn has = coherent unity, 4 unitary mesage as has each sr This coherences served with the same strong uniffing maz, ivrstied in ies literary, syste, setorcal devices, but pursuing the same goa (bade) which i the imaginative representation and simultaneous conceptualization of human existence (altaseauur abilamiy, 10 use tne Quob expression). Although this postulate is defended by the atiude ofthe Faithful, it can be agaced a eu heuristic hypothesis aot only for the readings of the Official Closed Corpus, but alo forthe acceptance of the oral discourse in the context of oral cultures. The “spproacher commanded by cach discipline ae methodologically acceptable sd even necessary, but no one ‘specialist’ should ignote the complex problems raised by the cognitive status of what I ell prophetic discourse in ordet A Critical tntrodnction te Oni Sine es to ates the need for compleifcation asthe only way to avoid simplifications and reductive interpretations ‘Among the postive results of this comples possibilty of enjoying, at one and the same profound attention of an undivided conscience, the spistua ‘motion, ethical beauty and serheticplesure of the ora or wetten Siscours, It is one of the distinctive characteristics of prophetic discourse to bring together these thtee valet acting as paychic Forces =the tue, the good and che beautifl ~ in order to draw the buman subject more surely to the slvational utopia, That is precisely what Greck literature did before the intervention and victory of Aristotelian logocentritm. Additionally, there remains the simple Fict thatthe foundational texts of religions never Jose their inital acura orl/aural enunciation. Thus do the faithful identify with them through liturgical recistion, rieval conduct tnd quotations in curtent conversation (Grsham, Bigond: see "Rectaion ofthe Ones ‘Ritual and th Quan Brerylay life and the Qurnie quotations inthe curtent conversations) Is therefore important to conider the possibilities offered by sew literary evticiam to adequstely decipher sl of the components of religious discousse ia general. Beyond prophetic discourse, that status shovld be assigned to che immense corpus lft by Iba ‘Arabi and other mystics who have reached the sme stature? These spiritual, poetical amplifications ofthe prophesic dxcourse can help to perceive the as yet uaknown creative power of prophetic discourse, Religious and literary qualifications do not allow for an account of the exceptional richness and dimeasions ofall writen texts of which the exact status has yet tobe define. How to take up these scientific’ challenges without neglecting any of their cognitive aset? It is aot enough to denounce the ‘shortcomings of apologetics and the eprestioa of innovation by the guardians of orthodony. To take one ese, Nate Abo Zayd, che Fist Muslim scholar to face the Arsbic word directly by writing in Arabic while teaching at Cairo Univesity, cried co break the many taboos which prohibit she application of the most relevant achievements of contemporary linguistics to the Que’se. Before issue, i the and with the6 ams Te Reform ort Saboett hire, Mubsmmad Khalaallsh ied to apply literary etc othe narrative inthe Quy’; and i spite ofits modest scientific scope, ds essay caused misjor upheaval, The works f Nagr ABU Zayd contain nothing revolutionary ifone places tne within the context, of scholarly output ofthe las twenty years, since they explain quite straightformardy the conditions necessary for applying the rules of defining and analysing a text othe Qurin, whatever text it may be (mafham ana fife teal abitijh ag bap). Once mote, the violent zeacion to attempts whote purpose is merely to popularize knowledge long since widely acepted, undedines the sea in contemporary Islamic thought of what cannot be and has rot been thought 25 The Religious Interpretation The concept of an interpreting community leads to 4 wide ange of postibiltes forthe use of speech that hat become text and ofa text chat wat laid down in the Official Closed Corpus, Dut wich is sill invoked and experienced ar speech. Thee ange from the mos leaned exegesis to daily ltueical recitation end the spontaneous quoting of verses o¢ ads in curent convetation, in controversy or at japful or sombre cvents. Quis studies were mostly interested i scholarly exegetic readings offering historical information, cultural insights or grammatical and lexical explanations which could entich the understanding of the text as given in the Official Closed. Corpus. Insufficient account has been taken of the cognitive status of every tligious approach as interpreted by and for che interests and expectations of the community. There are two major restons for this. Ft, all approaches and all appropriations ae confined within + dogma enclosure; nd sword the great commentaries which made themselves authoritative over the historical development of the living tradition ae used 28 orthodox instances of authority in order to reproduce the ied inherited interpretations. Not only are believing Muslims imprisoned within this dogmatic enclosute, Orientalist scholarship has also loag contented ite with |prenerncmenenennn sobossneseinuas aia A Crtcal Introduction Qe tie Sadi oa transferring to European languages the ides ofthe dominant Sunat Islam before doing the same with Sh Islam. This practice gained mote credibility and official approval in the colonial contexts, fd when recent politial threats of fundamentalist Islam enabled political scientists to dixpute the supremacy of expertise needed by official administrations. Those, for example, who attempted to tackle the quetion of the authestcty of the prophetic tradition used this material to prop up artificially constructed historical ‘explanations of Muslia attitudes, claims and behaviour. In so Aloing, they ae earful to protec her scholarly status with certain thetorical techniques ‘according to Muslim tradition, ‘ecording fo Musa ith,’ ete and chur does the dogmatic enclosure remain untouched and lie to operate without restraint. “The concept of dogmatic enclosure applies to the toality of the articles of faith, repeeentations, tenets nd themes which allow a system of belief and unbeiefs to operate fesy without ‘ny competing action fom inside or out. A strategy of refusal consisting ofan arsenal of discursive constraints and procedures, permits the protection and, i necesary, the mobilization of what is uncriically called ie’. cis well known how serupalously the profession of faith (api, see creeds is translated and deseribed, ‘ut mo gree light has ever been given tof deconstruction of the acioms, tenets and themes that hold together and establish the “adoontnros robeion of every faith The point i ot to demonstrate the scientific ality or the ieationality ofthe articles of fit, but to trace ther genealogy from Nietasche's perspective oftheeriticism ‘of values, a well a their prychological functions and decisive role fn the formation and upbringing of every human being All this {sa matter for historical psychology with its curiosiey and inquiry hich has, a previously mentioned, not yet been integrated into histricaLanthzopological methodology and the research agenda. ‘An example of this direction of research s greatly desired and could proceed by exploring the shared Islamic imagination as represented in che great interpretative corpuses such 3 hose of a-Tabart, alr shDin alRii, Muhammad Horayn akTsbatabsi and MT. Ben AAchout, amongst so many others. As long a th and spictwaliey8 iam: To Reform orto Sabor? ane the objet of simple narrative and desriptive acouats ~ be it with the remote detachment of the gnortic (in the style of H, [aoust) or with che warm aad exhorting empathy ofthe believer (in the style of J. Jomier or Kenneth Cragg) ~ Quianie studies tnd, more genealiy, dhe comparative history of rsligions will be tunable to accomplish the exhaustivenest and eelevance expected from ther, The religious interpretation, a applied to foundational texts, is also the place in which ceativiey of meaning, assumptions of meaning epresetationsand mythologcalorideologcalconstructs ‘emergeand eruptinaccordancewith thecultutal context of different social groups. This is equally tr for mediaeval approaches now ‘considered sacred and obligatory clasial reference works as wel or contemporary approaches. Te Functional relation between the Offical Closed Corpus (including he hadith corpses) promoted to the rank of primordial foundational, normative Text and the incezpretative composes to which the Official Closed Corpus gives rise, doesnot differ as far as religious corpus ate concerned, s in che societies of the Book-book, or secular corpus, from those ‘of modern political revlations The liter, however, benefit fom historical larity and tols of analyse which excade any possibility of resorting explicit, as do the fest, to the enchanted world of mystery, the supernatural, wanseendence and the miraculous, where the operation of sancifieation, mythification, sublimation, ‘ransfiguration, ontologistion and even mystifcation rest Stil, the historian has to determine the various forms of reasoning used (grammatical, theological, legals, hirtoriographical or philosophical) as well 2s che kind of rationality, imagination and ‘modes of intervention and creative imagination employed a5 ia the ease of al Halls, ab Tawi, bn “Arabi, Molla Sadra Shia, Sayyid Quib el (On the basis of hese propositions, it can now be sen how the integcation of eligous interpretation int the expanded domain of| the hisorian might ensich historical knowledge while introducing less speculative eritcsm focused on religious reasoning that 2, demonstrated here, i only « modality ofthe reason i ‘ A Critical firadusion 0 Danie Sabin & plausible discunire constructions. At the sme time, i has been Shows thi the vari Kinds of interpretation dicasied here ead tothe same acknowledgment, nately thatthe proses of Quranic Stale har depended on Oriental scholarship of he nineteenth century (he termiholasip'is used oundencorethe Orientals? {inal to pistemoloicaly coma ees aceumulated knowledee {o crite of religiovsreaoning tat would include all known fcamples in the societies of the Bookbook), The refusal of the tntoran, atheopologi, sociologist, paychologis,lecay crite and semiotician o identi and answer the challenge of prophetic. discourse and thelogcofexistentil eingsand motions meta Sl wijdan, ro se Quis expresion) ingens, will maintain the top beincin the reductive, poiit-ceaisic posture of mind nd the ‘dogmatic’ “subjective, emotional’ attitude of eligions tnind; As for Musi scolathip, it contines inflict upon sel? Timitsitons, mutations and prohibitions that only acentute the dependency and backwardness of Quin studies compared 0 the treat innoraivewotks mentioned inthe ibiography. What has roduced since the nineteenth century hat more fs documentary Inter for a history of eligionspychology andthe expansion of the imagination of religious discourse especlly inthe domain of polite than any intellect and seni merit ha coul enrich ‘ur knowiedge of what [called the Quai factor phenomenon tnd ofthe Ilmic fact, these being weed a eloquent eumples to reach » more relevant, encompassing, expiatve theory ofthe ‘ligious phenomenon in general The recently published esey by Muhummad Shabror,al8iab waiQarn, bas bad «soees that bears witness o both the intolerable prenue of dogmatic contol over Qurinic studies and the limitations within which every Aiscoure with hopes of innovation mot he pursued 24 Final Proposals [A projec has been initisted by the publishers, Bill, under the academic supervision of Profeor Jone McAulife to publish an Enoxlopedia of the Qur'an conceived and produced with respectse ‘lam: Te Rafrm or 0 Sabor for the critical order of rational processes, Ths projet is fong overdue. It confiems this chapter’ postion on the historical and epistemological discrepancy between philotophical and scientific reasoning a practised today in the West and eliewher, and Isitic reasoning ost asserts isl in its positions on Islam se well a in politcal action, codexes of law, eduestonal ritems and individual and collective behaviour under the leadership of politi ‘ite’ who aue cleat aot prepared t initiate and guide a policy of intelectual and cultural shifts As long asthe Islamic lope of existential lings and emotions prevail over the intellecal responsibilty of human rind, there will be 2 place for an ‘lami’ Encylopedia of ae and, even more so, an ‘lami’ Englopedia ofthe Oar. “lami, in this context, means the legitimate fetrure of + long, ich, Specific hstrial experience, more of lst mixed, conditioned by the subjective, mythical, ideological diving Fores inherent in each collective memory. The ask remains to produce an Encyclopaedia which would help o reconcile the requirements of tcl knowledge and thelegsmateizeducbleethos of culture, postute of mind and existential styles of human espresion. The Elopacdi oft Qari project sa scholarly, intellectual, sienitie and hopefully sical snsmer to the ideological eheary of the ‘lash of civilizations. It should offera relisble databank tha wilundoubedhy ike every work of emancipating scholarship, be subject to discusions, additions and revisions I wil however, be imposible to ignore in particule by people who pune the cognitive projet of understanding the religious phenomenon in a comparative, univers perspective. To sustain the project within that perspective, ie would be helpful to conclude withthe following propotls. eis necesary to open up the Quin fact by siuating i in a comparstive approach, not only within the three moaotheitc religions, bat also within historical anthropology ofthe religious phenomenon in ite geohistorical and georcultural ambiance that, forthe time being, could be qualified as Mediterranean, The historical phase of ‘what historians explore under the name ofthe Nese East should always be kept insight, although not in order to rediscover the socalled origins or to reconsteuct linear fillations of ideas A Cota toads Der ie Sadie * epsesenttions linguistic Forms and rituals of expression. The tim should be to deepen our knowledge of constituent elements fomaion to the monotheistic religious conscience in ie global histovical genesis and stategics of differentiation in order *0 preserve its exclusive vocation to recive, interpret and tranemit the ‘ercaled Truth. This requizes more than an accumulation of names, facts, dates and tides of major works; it needs a deconstructive analysis ofthe organiztional themes common tothe monotheistic ‘Consciousness, the inaugural moments of spirital history, the new Adeparuses Grom cultural codes that engender logical existential symems, dogmatic enclosures, societies ofthe Bookcbook, elected ‘communities committed to salvation, in contrast to anonymous coup destined to stray and be damned: in brief, it isa matter of ‘deepening our knowledge ofall there historical formations thatthe ‘hnograpic view isprisons in sealed identities and encloses in ‘equally uncoafiemed regions, traditions and cultures. ‘The concept of the Official Closed Corpus provides a good sample of the comparative approach that ill enable Muslim readers ofthe Broclopadiato beter assess the stakes ina scientific problematization of orthodox vocabulary inherited fom theological dheory of vals resistant to every critical examination. ‘The Jewish and Christian traditions have similarly experienced 4 beforeandafter in what has been called the fir axompli of the ‘Offci Cloted Corpus. Christians eoday are willing to read the _spoctyphal writings thatthe church omitted been the fourth nd the sixteenth century (their publication in the Pade series by F Bovon and P. Geoltsa). The Fundamental texts do not funetion inthe same way in cach tradition, before and after the triumph of an Offical Closed Corpus. Scholaly tsearch without the burden of dogma crestes mor fsvourable conditions for historical rereadings of the texts eleced ar sacred and thus untouchable, One ean thus understand why the concept of an Offical Closed Corpus is more effective fora comparative history ofthe religious phenomenon in its prophetic tectory Two more gape that must be mentioned. The rheological and philosophical attitudes of reaconing in the societies of= ble: To Reform ore Sabet? the Book-book, should be the subject of the same comparative historical approach within the perspective ofa critical histovial epistemology. Tackling sucha task requires constant vigilance, not nly in checking the use of all conceptual frameworks that have been protected from the eitique of decoasteuctionim but also in introducing and refining more inclusive concepes which ae more productive from the perspective of acitque of religious reatoning, ‘beginning with its formulation by Jews, Christians and Mueli, ‘AS regards the Quy'sn more directly, i¢ is clear that what is called for here is protocol of interpretation that is fice from both the dogmatic orthodox framework and the procedural disciplines ‘of modern scholarship which is it must be admitted, no les constraining [tis an intepretation which wanders. in which evecy human, Muslim or non-Muslim, gives free rein to his or hee own dynamic of associating ideas and representations starting out fom the ely chosen interpretation ofa corpus whote alleged disorder, s0 often denounced, favours peripatetic freedom and unbridled crentviy. This approach is able to extricate itself definitively fom very kind of arbtzay shetorcal,atfcial and allegedly logical reconstruction, and deluded ‘coherence’ later imposed by legal, theological, apologetic, ideological and fantastic interpretations (One potential mode! here is, of couse the creative freedom ofthe likes of fbn ‘Arabi; but in this case the desired freedom it more subversive, since it would include ll forms and experiences of| subversion ever aeempted by mystics, posts thinkers and artist, | Belief and the Construction of the Subject in Islamic Contexts The wondering Aras say: We belive Say (nto them, 0 Mabemmaa) Ve bee nat, but rather uy ‘We subi for the ‘faith bath not yt entered into your Baars Yes if obey Allah end His maenger, He wil not withbold from you ought af tbe ward of your dead. La! Allah is Forgiving, Merl. Qu 04 Ths iti the fir me! and the for a fi sliced, that omit theta faith od dingiths it fom every other ith wbih conto with Bearing but te dead Is bis faith clone which tif ws wthont the low and goed wars fr tbe mero) ef God manifed in Chris Martin Lather CC done del dos det Gres gl feat part. rol Rice le net we pas wm Hr, mais ee tral a mowement (4 Paceursr uomtme par legal i efree de conse sot plone ede Iai downer ms. Enpicigaemest lew me peat fae pe gue parses tetoall de Van, car moins it ft tansendant pls ine carne que dan cite ates meOther Works by Mobammed Arkoun Bye ‘Alger’ in The Poli of amie Realm, Sheen T. ute (, Iadiane UP Mobammed Arkoun Arab Thngh S. Chas, New Deli 1988 uibisking Liam Today, Caner for Contemporay Arab Seay, Georgetown, Washigon, 98 The Conapt fReaton: From Ab ab Kitab othe Sitio te Bookdook Cure Gradate Schoo Calfoniy 188, "Whm, Eerops, the West Meaning tae aa the Willeo owen fam ‘rd Modernity: Masi inane Rend, | Cooper 8. Newer ved M.Mabmoud (of, (8 Taare 98 Rating dam: Common Quation, Uncommon Arsen, Wesvew Pr, Bovicer my "Prensa nlm between its Trion and Globalisation in elena Toon am, Dafa ol), LB. Tae, 2000 ISLAM: To Reform or to Subvert? Iy Pry oasis de Mikenay, tition ctiqu, EO, Darnacu, 96, ‘Apes de pose tape cag TPN, Patino Tittbigne Tedution intact, eda Tebdt able Mines, sta, 96; and edn Inst Prudes Arte, Daten Lumens arabe an TH skit nin} We, Pats ther and eb, iste ‘Boas a pode emia, eho, Matonneave ee Laos, Pati, 97; seed | ‘a pons arat, it olo, PUR, Pats 97 5h, 99 (Translations in ‘Arabic Eoglsh, Spin, Swed sad ation) | Lila bc, demain, ted, Bacher Charl Pr, gy nd eda, Lita, wligion est, Cer, Paria, gh, lan taalsion Ral obs) Lace dx Coan to, Parish and ln, Ale Tonio pee i Pour wneud raison mip, Maisonaease tate basa 8, idan mora paitqng UNESCO Dee, 98 Oncor a ie, eda, J. rancher, 99 ref, Lda Appoche ‘tae, Religion latte Une approche Lega de em, U Arb Cente Thomas | More 198, | Combat oar Phumesime conte ei, Pts, con, ‘With Joseph Mail De Manbetn 4 Baga edi ben et da mab Dace roe Pts agi Meters ZechtialsISBN osasen6e7 EAN griatoepapo ‘A rerio elton wa ble in hardback in 00 os ‘The Caton is Contenory Idem Tonge by Sai ots in auoiaton with Theft fel Stade ‘This updated edition published 2006 by Sg Books “© Mohammed Actoun, aces aad sos "Therih of Mohamvet Aon oe idee the ator of work ‘be Be ra yi in crew Be ‘Crp Deer and Pat of 88 A ful econ or hs bok arable rom he Bis Libary ‘Afar for hs bok i saber the iby of Croce, Library of Conga cto co able, Sagi Books 8 Wesoure Grove Tandon We Rit srrmaiibookscom To my wife who helped with the elaboration ofthis book ‘with conviction and deep affection