On the Occasion of the Publication of the Final Volume of the Persian Translation of "Encyclopedia of the Quran"

The following content includes a conversation with five experts in the fields of Islamic studies and Quranic studies on the occasion of completing the Persian translation of the "Encyclopedia of the Quran." Mohammad Ali Amir Moezzi has pointed out two important shifts in Quranic studies: the emergence of revisionists and the use of contemporary non-Islamic sources alongside the Quran, such as Syriac Christian texts and archaeological studies in Arabia. He further discusses his Quranic activities and efforts to emphasize Shiite sources in Islamic studies research. Devin J. Stewart traces the history of Quranic studies, initially emerging as a subfield under the studies of the Bible, pausing during World War II, and eventually evolving into more organized, collective, and national research after the publication of " The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran " by Christoph Luxenberg. He introduces the "Encyclopedia of the Quran" as born in such an environment. Sajjad Razavi highlights three main concerns in Western Quranic studies: history, compilation and codification of the Quranic text; intertextuality: examining the Quran in relation to various pre-existing texts; and Quranic exegesis. He, while emphasizing the importance of translating classical works into Persian in the field of Islamic studies, lists the strengths and weaknesses of the "Encyclopedia of the Quran." Seyyed Ali Aghaei describes the general features of encyclopedic works and recognizes them in the "Encyclopedia of the Quran." These features include being report-like, requiring updates over time based on new research, and introducing the diverse space of research and new theories. Morteza Karimi-Nia, while stressing the superiority Persian language and Iranian researches in Quranic studies compared to other Islamic countries, criticizes the formality and quantity-oriented approach dominating Iranian academic centers and the neglect of familiarity with and raising new questions in the field of Quranic studies.