Quran Exegesis – There might be a plethora of explanations that beget each other when one tries to interpret the holy Quran. However, there can be no second opinion on the fact that the essence of all Islamic belief is encapsulated in the view that Allah is one, and he does not beget anyone; nor does anyone beget Him.
No one can emulate him (112:1-4). Allah is seen as the creator of the universe, and the sole creator; and those who are treading his path must keep faith in him at all costs.
There has been much talk about the exegesis of the Holy Quran, and many have wondered if the religious text in question really professes violence against the non-believers, or is it merely the standpoint of the extremists. The root cause of confusion is the tafsir, which is the literal interpretation of the Holy Quran.
This interpretation leaves space for ambiguity, and thus, there is ample scope for people to misunderstand it, and in turn, perform deeds that have not been prescribed in the holy text. We shall now proceed to understand the general theme and purpose of the Quran so that one has a basic idea of its principles and ideas.
register nowThe Theme and Purpose of the Quran
The stress, here, is on the term “purpose” and we shall try to understand what is the purpose of reading the holy Quran, or any religious text per se. The most important goal of reading the Holy Quran and knowing its correct exegesis is to gain a holistic knowledge of the universe, which is impossible without a thorough understanding of the Quran. Islamic science helps an individual to appreciate the world as a creation of the Almighty Allah.
This makes the individual marvel at the divine power that creates and inspires him to be and do good to the fellow human beings and carries out his divine duty. This is where Islamic science directly clashes with the advancement of science, which tries to proclaim that human beings were born out of accident and that there is no real purpose that they can serve on earth.
In the world that is growing violent and beastly with every passing day, it seems that the religious texts like the holy Quran can rekindle and restore humanity on the planet and thus prevent it from destroying itself eventually.
Conversely, the scientific exegesis of the Quran can leave us in quite a dicey situation. This is because the scientific theories are given to change as they follow the basic principles of dialectics, whereas the Holy Quran can be said to be set in stone. This contradiction might give rise to problems that are as basic as the discrepancy of an altered scientific view with a view of the Quran that had earlier been consolidated by the scientific principle that is now being deemed dated. The general mass might be confused to the highest degree if there is the reason for them to think that the scientific theories are being manipulated to promote atheism. Quran Exegesis
Course Description: The Relationship between Quran and Science
As hinted at before, the relationship between the Holy Quran (or any religious text for that matter) and actual science calls for a conflict. However, like Cardinal Newman, we can have the stance that both can coexist for the simple fact that both are ways to look at Truth from different viewpoints. Two methods can attempt to settle this dispute amicably.
The first process is the application of the humanitarian principles that the Quran stands for to science so that the excellence of scientific inventions are not misused and in turn used against humanity itself. This ethical aspect that religion makes an individual see makes religion relevant and indispensable, because human nature, by itself, is given to the evils, or as Christians would have it, the seven deadly sins. However, one must be careful enough to weed out the areas that can produce a head-on conflict between the two methodologies. The onus is on this confluence to let the light of the holy Quran guide the scientific advancements until the end of the Mohammedan era, or in other words, the end of the world.
register nowThe Exegesis and Defense
There are volumes written in the literature that attest to, with inspired eloquence the coexistence of the religious and the scientific, and this means that both of them concur at a point. However, religion and science have always been portrayed to have been perpetually at loggerheads with each other. Well, if this is a fact, then this needs to change. The epistemic ground that is required for both to coexist and thus form a new discipline that would probably bring about a social reform must be provided at any cost. The scientific exegesis would give the viewpoints a firm footing, and thus one can reach out to a broader audience.
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The audience is no longer a niche one, and is an excellent admixture of the science enthusiasts and the religious individual and helps to mingle both these qualities in a single individual to promote his spiritual and moral upliftment.
It can be well judged, without even a profound knowledge of either the Quran or of science, that the former draws its arguments and conclusions from natural phenomena, while the latter tries to explain them, and in turn discover a theory or a principle. The conflict between the two disciplines must be avoided, and stress should be given on the many similarities, and the computer enthusiast can be provided with the analogy of his complicated programming software and the complex world that Allah has created.
This would, in turn, dispel any differences between two individuals of different beliefs and promote humanity uniquely, and on a larger scale, the scope of which is yet unmeasured. It can be hoped that the exegeses would serve to create an urge in an individual for the ultimate knowledge, which is, in any case, the ultimate objective of both the disciplines. Quran Exegesis
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