Literary Approach to the Qur'an: History, Results and Difficulties
Document Type : pajoohesh
Authors
Abstract
In the twentieth century, in Egypt, a new movement in the Qur’anic studies arose which is known with titles such as "literary approach" and "literary school" in Arabic and European literature. In the present article, the main goal of the author is to talk about the problems and difficulties of observing the necessities of such an approach to the Qur’an in Muslim communities. The present article analysis is based on a conflict which broke out in mid twentieth century because of Muhammad Ahmad Khalafollāh’s PhD thesis in Egypt. His thesis title was Al-Fan al-Qesasi fi al- Qur’an al-Karim (the Techniques of story-telling in the Qur’an), and his supervisor was Amin Khuli. The main focus of this article is on the nature of the debate regarding this thesis which took place within and outside the university.The first part of this paper includes the literary explanationof the theory of the miracle of the Qur’an in previous periods. The second part of the paper is devoted to the literary approach of modern era.The third section incorporates examining of the assumptions, results, and outcomes of the Khalafollah’s theory in the light of the arguments raisedin the first two parts of the article. Finally, the author, in the last part, presents a description and an analysis of the problem of literary approach to the Qur’an in the contemporary era.
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