Between Creed and Qur’ān

Islam’s main document, the Qur’ān, is perceived as the foundation for the religion’s creedal ideas. Throughout the ages, however, Qur’ānic exegesis (tafsīr), like its counterpart endeavors in other established religions, has become subject to circularity. This means basically that while faith-based...

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Main Author: Khaleel Mohammed
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Institute of Islamic Thought 2012-04-01
Series:American Journal of Islam and Society
Online Access:https://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/1209
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author Khaleel Mohammed
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description Islam’s main document, the Qur’ān, is perceived as the foundation for the religion’s creedal ideas. Throughout the ages, however, Qur’ānic exegesis (tafsīr), like its counterpart endeavors in other established religions, has become subject to circularity. This means basically that while faith-based scholars may declare that their exegeses are based upon reading scripture qua scripture, their interpretations are often conditioned by creedal constructs imposed upon the text. One such issue in Islam revolves around ‘iṣmah, the concept of prophetic inerrancy. A prophet, in the Islamic worldview, is not simply someone who delivers God’s message, but one who is also tasked with being an exemplar. Since the holder of such an office must have impeccable conduct, as well as proficiency in teaching and explaining what God wants for the faith community, it might be assumed that a doctrine of prophetic inerrancy was a logical inevitability. There is a general agreement between Sunnis and Shīʻahs—primarily by rational analysis—on the issue of the Prophet (ṢAAS) being inerrant from major and minor sins. The concept is not clearly spelled out in the Qur’ān, and based on their differences in creedal perception, the two groups, while agreeing on a core idea, differ on certain details ...
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spelling doaj.art-aefa8f2e0f08478b9867a6b43d63ee9a2022-12-22T04:08:11ZengInternational Institute of Islamic ThoughtAmerican Journal of Islam and Society2690-37332690-37412012-04-0129210.35632/ajis.v29i2.1209Between Creed and Qur’ānKhaleel MohammedIslam’s main document, the Qur’ān, is perceived as the foundation for the religion’s creedal ideas. Throughout the ages, however, Qur’ānic exegesis (tafsīr), like its counterpart endeavors in other established religions, has become subject to circularity. This means basically that while faith-based scholars may declare that their exegeses are based upon reading scripture qua scripture, their interpretations are often conditioned by creedal constructs imposed upon the text. One such issue in Islam revolves around ‘iṣmah, the concept of prophetic inerrancy. A prophet, in the Islamic worldview, is not simply someone who delivers God’s message, but one who is also tasked with being an exemplar. Since the holder of such an office must have impeccable conduct, as well as proficiency in teaching and explaining what God wants for the faith community, it might be assumed that a doctrine of prophetic inerrancy was a logical inevitability. There is a general agreement between Sunnis and Shīʻahs—primarily by rational analysis—on the issue of the Prophet (ṢAAS) being inerrant from major and minor sins. The concept is not clearly spelled out in the Qur’ān, and based on their differences in creedal perception, the two groups, while agreeing on a core idea, differ on certain details ...https://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/1209
spellingShingle Khaleel Mohammed
Between Creed and Qur’ān
American Journal of Islam and Society
title Between Creed and Qur’ān
title_full Between Creed and Qur’ān
title_fullStr Between Creed and Qur’ān
title_full_unstemmed Between Creed and Qur’ān
title_short Between Creed and Qur’ān
title_sort between creed and qur an
url https://www.ajis.org/index.php/ajiss/article/view/1209
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