گنجینه مکتوب

An outcome of IRCICA’s series of studies on earliest copies of the Holy Quran, this book throws light on the characteristics of the partial copy which is preserved at Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. Though there is no information as to its date, it is certainly one of the earliest having reached our time, even older than some of those that are attributed to the times of the third and the fourth caliphs. The meticulous analytical study, done by Dr. Tayyar Altıkulaç, an authoritative scholar in Quranic studies, examines its features as to script, orthography and other technical criteria and compares them with those of other earliest Quran copies. The analytical text begins by an account of the fragment’s journey to Paris and an acknowledgement of earlier work on it, particularly the printing of 56 folios of it (out of 79 in the same library and more elsewhere) by François Déroche and Sergio Noja Noseda in 1998. Follows a page-by-page examination of the copy. This the fifth study published by IRCICA in this series. It will be followed by a study on a very early copy of the Quran: the fragment found at Tubingen University Library, Germany.
Not only with its findings and scholarly observations but also with its methodology and coverage, this work is a valuable contribution to studies on the history of the dissemination of the Quran across the world.

Spiritual Gems
The Mystical Qur'an Commentary Ascribed to Ja'far al-Şădiq as contained Sulami's Haqa'iq al-Tafsir from the text of Paul Nwyia

Translated and Annotated Farhana Mayer...⬇️

@erfaneeslami1

1 Introduction: The Relation of Adab to the Qur'an: Conceptual and Historical Framework
Nuha Alshaar

Section I: The Qur'an and Classical Arabic Poetry: Intertextuality and Sensibilities
2 The 'Discovery of Writing' in the Qur'an: Tracing a Cultural Shift in Arab Late Antiquity
Angelika Neuwirth
3 The Qur'an and the Character of Pre-Islamic Poetry: The Daliyya of al-Aswad b. Ya'fur al-Nahshali (d. 600 CE)
Ghassan el Masri
4 Abbasid Poets and the Qur'an
Beatrice Gruendler

Section III: The Qur'an as a Moral, Literary and Aesthetic Model
7 The Place of the Qur'an in 'The Sermons and Exhortations' of Abu 'Ubayd (d. 224/838)
Andrew Rippin
8 Rhythmical Anxiety: Notes on Abu'l-'Ala' al-Ma'arri's (d. 449/1058) al-Fusul wa'l-Ghayat and Its Reception
Devin Stewart
9 The Qur'an and the Aesthetics of Adab: Hikayat Abi'l-Qasim al-Baghdadi by Abu'l-Mutahhar al-Azdi (fl. Fifth/Eleventh Century)
Sarah R. bin Tyeer

Section V: The Qur'an in Sufi Literature
15 Sufi Negotiation of the Qur'anic Text and its Prophetic Stories in the Literature of Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz (d. 286/899)
Nada Saab
16 Ibn 'Arabi (d. 637/1240) and the Qur'an: A Series of Poems
Denis McAuley
17 'Serving from Afar': Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 672/1273) on the Adab of Interpreting the Qur'an
Steffen Stelzer

The Sanaa Palimpsest: The Transmission of the Qur'an in the First Centuries AH provides a new annotated edition of the two layers of the "Sanaa Palimpsest," one of the oldest Qur'an manuscripts yet discovered. It features a critical introduction that offers new hypotheses concerning the transmission of the Qur'an during the first centuries of Islam. The palimpsest contains two superimposed Qur'anic texts within two layers of writing, on thirty-eight leaves of parchment collectively numbered MS 01.27-1 in the Dar al-Makhtutat, Sanaa, Yemen. The palimpsest's lower text, which has been dated to the first century of Islam (seventh century CE), was subsequently erased and the parchment was later reused for writing another Qur'anic text, which remains visible in natural light. This upper text is thought to date from the second century of Islam (eighth century CE). The two layers were imaged in 2007 by a French-Italian mission.

فهرست کتاب…



The Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies

Edited by Mustafa Shah and M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Oxford Handbooks

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
List of contributors
Introduction, Mustafa Shah and Muhammad Abdel Haleem
Part I: The State of Qur'anic Studies
1: Academic Scholarship and the Qur'an, Andrew Rippin
2: Modern Developments in Qur'anic Studies, Oliver Leaman
3: Islamic Origins and the Qur'an, Herbert Berg
4: Qur'anic Studies: Bibliographical Survey, Anna Akasoy
Part II: The Historical Setting of the Qur'an
5: Late Antique Near Eastern Context: Social and Religious Aspects, Muntasir F. al-Hamad and John F. Healey
6: Arabian Context of the Qur'an: History and the Text, Harry Munt
7: The Linguistic Landscape of pre-Islamic Arabia: Context for the Qur'an, Ahmad Al-Jallad
8: Qur'anic Exempla and Late Antique Narratives, Marianna Klar
9: The Qur'an and Judaism, Reuven Firestone
10: The Qur'an and Christianity, Neal Robinson
Part III: The Qur'an: Textual Transmission, Codification, Manuscripts, Inscriptions and Printed Editions
11: The Manuscript and Archaeological Traditions: Physical Evidence, François Déroche
12: The Form of the Qur'an: Historical Contours, Yasin Dutton
13: The Corpus of Qur'anic Readings (qirā'āt): History, Synthesis and Authentication, Mustafa Shah
14: Glorifying God's Word: Manuscripts of the Qur'an, Sheila S. Blair
15: Inscribing God's Word: Qur'anic texts on Architecture, Objects, and Other Solid Supports, Sheila S. Blair
16: A History of Printed Editions of the Qur'an, Efim A. Rezvan

@Ganjinemaktoob

@litera9
The Art and Craft of Policy Analysis is a classic work of the Public Policy discipline. Wildavsky’s emphasis on the values involved in public policies, as well as the need to build political understandings about the nature of policy, are as important for 21st century policymaking as they were in 1979. B. Guy Peters’ critical introduction provides the reader with context for the book, its main themes and contemporary relevance, and offers a guide to understanding a complex but crucial text.

Minaret of Jam, Afghanistan, 1174–75, with the entire text of Surat Maryam (chapter 19 of the Qur’an) inscribed in narrow bands on its surface, arranged so that a key verse falls around the knot above the sole arched panel on the minaret. Courtesy of David Thomas and The Minaret of Jam Project

Creating the Qur’an presents the first systematic historical-critical study of the Qur’an’s origins, drawing on methods and perspectives commonly used to study other scriptural traditions. Demonstrating in detail that the Islamic tradition relates not a single attested account of the holy text’s formation, Stephen J. Shoemaker shows how the Qur’an preserves a surprisingly diverse array of memories regarding the text’s early history and its canonization. To this he adds perspectives from radiocarbon dating of manuscripts, the linguistic history of Arabic, the social and cultural history of late ancient Arabia, and the limitations of human memory and oral transmission, as well as various peculiarities of the Qur’anic text itself. Considering all the relevant data to present the most comprehensive and convincing examination of the origin and evolution of the Qur’an available, Shoemaker concludes that the canonical text of the Qur’an was most likely produced only around the turn of the eighth century.

Why hasn’t Imam Ali peace be with him been mentioned in the Qur’an?

Concise answer

One should be aware that although the imam’s names,) especially Imam Ali’s haven’t been mentioned in the Qur’an, nevertheless, their names,) especially Imam Ali’s (,can be found in the Prophet’s sayings. One very good example is the hadith of Ghadir which is considered the official announcement of the appointment of Imam Ali as successor to Prophet Muhammad peace be with him after his decease. This hadith sanadwise (its chain of narrators) is mutawatir (meaning that the number of narrators narrating it is so high that one becomes sure that the hadith is authentic and that all of the narrators can’t be lying or can’t be mistaken in their narration), and concerning its content and meaning, contains clear evidence on Imam Ali being Imam.

Moreover, Qur’an itself has spoken about Imam Ali peace be with him. The most important verse that has spoken about him, is verse 55 of Surah Ma’idah which says: “Only Allah is your Waliyy (one who is in charge of everything) and His apostle and those who believe, those who establish prayer and pay the poor-rate while bowing down in rokoo’.
”It has been stated in both Shia and Sunni history, tafsir and hadith books that this verse was revealed when Imam Ali gave his valuable ring as charity to a needy person while bowing down in Rukoo’. This verse is only talking about Imam Ali and no one else is meant by this verse. So, although Imam Ali’s name hasn’t been mentioned in the Qur’an, yet he has clearly been spoken of in it.

There are at least two reasons why Imam Ali’s name hasn’t been mentioned in the Qur’an. First, because the Qur’an usually expresses general matters and instructions, and doesn’t get very specific.

For example, Imam Sadiq peace be with him was asked why the imams haven’t been named in the Qur’an. He answered that concerning wilayah (religious authorithy), the Qur’an has acted the same way that it has regarding salat, zakat, and hajj. The Qur’an hasn’t been very specific on how to perform these acts, and has only said that they have to be done. The Prophet is the one who has thoroughly explained how these acts must be performed. In the same way, the Prophet has become very detailed in relation to those succeeding him, without any need for them to be explicitly named in the Qur’an. The second of many reasons for the above-mentioned issue is that since wilayah was a controversial issue, and there were big chances that others would disagree with it, it was much better and safer for the Qur’an to express it implicitly so that it wouldn’t cause them to go against the Qur’an and Islam itself! It’s very clear that this isn’t to the benefit of the Muslim Ummah and is a good reason for not mentioning the names of the imams in the Qur’an. In other words, if the appointment of Imam Ali as successor was to be clearly mentioned in a verse of the Qur’an, there was a possibility that those who opposed it would somehow falsify or get rid of the verse in order to destroy all of the evidence showing that he is the true successor to the Prophet.
As a result, Islam would lose its value as the final religion for mankind in addition to the Qur’an losing its value as an eternal divine book. Moreover, the Qur’an says: “Surely we have revealed the Reminder (the Qur’an), and We will most surely be its guardian.” One of the ways of protecting the Qur’an is to naturally and very normally block the reasons that might provoke falsification and hostility towards it and not let them even come up in the first place. Consequently, two things take place. Firstly, the Qur’an doesn’t clearly mention Imam Ali. Secondly, the verses regarding his religious authority such as Ayah Tabligh which is the official announcement of his appointment to being successor, and Ayah Tathir which has to do with the infallibility of the imams, are all located in between verses that don’t have anything to do with these subjects so that the Quran stays protected throughout history, and no one thinks about falsifying it because of the truth it is

clearly illustrated how to perform it for us and how many rak’ats each prayer should be. b) Zakat. In the Qur’an, zakat has only been mentioned as an Islamic ruling. It was the Prophet who expressed which things have zakat and what the criteria for zakat becoming wajib for each one is. c) Hajj. The Qur’an says that Hajj is wajib and no more, but the Prophet has explained how it is supposed to be performed.

Therefore, it is wrong to expect to be able to find every detail in the Qur’an. So it is a big mistake not to follow the imams just because of the fact that none of their names have come in the Qur’an. That’s why no one says that noon prayers (which are 4 rak’ats) have to be prayed 2 rak’ats just because the Qur’an hasn’t mentioned how many rak’ats each prayer is.

2- In issues like this, in which there are big chances that others will disagree, it is much better for the Qur’an to express the truth implicitly rather than explicitly, otherwise there is a high possibility that they will end up denying the Qur’an as a whole. It’s very obvious that such a problem isn’t to the benefit of the Muslim ummah. Of course, the Qur’an says: “Surely we have revealed the Reminder (the Qur’an), and We will most surely be its guardian” [11], but one should remember that one of the ways of protecting the Qur’an and not letting others falsify or change it, is for it to speak in a way that others (such as the hypocrites who show that they are Muslims on the outside even though they aren’t within) don’t get sensitive and provoked. In this way, the high respect and value of the Qur’an will be kept, and certain individuals won’t think of changing or falsifying it in a way that will comply with their personal desires and wicked goals or just because they disagree with something. [12]

Shahid Ayatollah Motahhari answers this question in the following way. He says: “The answer to the question that why hasn’t Imam Ali’s khilafah and imamat been mentioned in the Qur’an, is that 1- The Qur’an usually expresses general laws. 2- The Prophet or Allah didn’t want such an issue in which people are sensitive about and prefer their own desires (to what Islam wants), to be presented explicitly, and although it wasn’t, people still went against it and falsely interpreted the Prophet’s sayings to their own benefit. In other words even if the Qur’an had clearly stated that Ali is successor to the Prophet they still would have found a way around it. The Prophet said: (Ali is his Mawla). How much more clear can one get? (Yet they interpreted what he said falsely and according to their will.)Yet there is a big difference between ignoring what the Prophet has said after him passing away regardless of all of its clarity and ignoring what the Qur’an has been completely clear about one day after his demise. That is why I have narrated in my book “Khilafah and Wilayah” that once during Imam Ali’s reign, a Jew wanted to attack and criticize the Muslim ummah for undesirable events that took place in the beginning of Islam. He told Imam Ali (and of course what he said really was a negative point) that you (the Muslim ummah) started quarreling over your prophet even before completely burying him after his death. Imam Ali answered: We argued about what he had instructed, not over the Prophet himself, but you (meaning the Jews) disregarded the most important principle of your religion which is tawhid (oneness of God), and asked your prophet to build an idol for you to worship. So there is a big difference between you and us; we didn’t argue about our prophet, we argued about what the interpretation of his saying was (and what he wanted us to do after his death). These two vary tremendously. (Motahhari goes on to say that) there is a big difference between saying that the people back then had misunderstood what the Prophet had said and saying that the Muslims back then rejected what the Qur’an had clearly stated or had falsified it.[13]

So one can say that the main reason behind not mentioning the names of the imams, or at least Imam Ali’s name, is the protection of the

💠💠💠﷽💠💠💠

The Qur'an in Islam

Part l

By: Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Husain Tabatabai (Blessings of God with him)

The religion of Islam is superior to any other in that it guarantees happiness in man's life. For Muslims, Islam is a belief system with moral and practical laws that have their source in the Qur'an. God, may He be exalted, says,

💢 إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا💢

"Indeed this Quran guides to what is most upright, and gives the good news to the faithful who do righteous deeds that there is a great reward for them"
Isra:09 (Translation Qoli Qarai)

💢 وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَ رَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ💢

We have sent down the Book to you as a clarification of all things and as guidance, mercy and good news for the submissive.
The Bee:89 (Translation Qoli Qarai)

These references exemplify the numerous Qur'anic verses (ayat) which mention the principles of religious belief, moral virtues and a general legal system governing all aspects of human behavior. A consideration of the following topics will enable one to understand that the Qur'an provides a comprehensive program of activity for man's life.

Man has no other aim in life but the pursuit of happiness and pleasure, which manifests itself in much the same way as love of ease or wealth. Although some individuals seem to reject this happiness, for example, by ending their lives in suicide, or by turning away from a life of leisure, they too, in their own way, confirm this principle of happiness; for, in seeking an end to their life or of material pleasure.

They are still asserting their own personal choice of what happiness means to them. Human actions, therefore, are directed largely by the prospects of happiness and prosperity offered by a certain idea, whether that idea is true or false.

Man's activity in life is guided by a specific plan or program. This fact is self-evident, even though it is sometimes concealed by its very apparentness. Man acts according to his will and desires; he also weighs the necessity of a task before undertaking it.

In this he is promoted by an inherent scientific law, which is to say that he performs a task for "himself" in fulfilling needs which he perceives are necessary. There is, therefore, a direct link between the objective of a task and its ____execution.

Any action undertaken by man, whether it be eating, sleeping or walking, occupies its own specific place and demands its own particular efforts. Yet an action is implemented according to an inherent law, the general concept of which is stored in man's perception and is recalled by motions associated with that action.

This notion holds true whether or not one is obliged to undertake the action or whether or not the circumstances are favorable. Every man, in respect of his own actions, is as the state in relation to its individual citizens, whose activity is controlled by specific laws, customs and behavior.

Just as the active forces in a state are obliged to adapt their actions according to certain laws, so is the social activity of a community composed of the actions of each individual. If this were not the case, the different components of society would fall apart and be destroyed in anarchy in the shortest time imaginable.

If a society is religious, its government will reflect that religion; if it is secular, it will be regulated by a corresponding code of law. If a society is uncivilized and barbaric, a code of behavior imposed by a tyrant will appear; otherwise, the conflict of various belief-systems within such a society will produce lawlessness.

💠 💠@AbodeofWisdom 💠 💠

The Qur’an in Islam

Part ll

By: Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Husain Tabatabai (Blessings of God with Him)

Thus man, as an individual element of society, has no option but to possess and pursue a goal. He is guided in the pursuit of his goal by the path which corresponds to it and by the rules which must necessarily accompany his program of activity. The Qur'an affirms this idea when it says that

‎💢 وَلِكُلٍّ وِجْهَةٌ هُوَ مُوَلِّيهَا ۖ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ 💢

"Everyone has a cynosure to which he turns; so take the lead in all good works"
The Cow:148 (Translation Quli Qarai)

In the usage of the Qur'an, the word din is basically applied to a way, a pattern of living, and neither the believer nor the non-believer is without a path, be it prophetic or man-made. God the Almighty, describes the enemies of the divine din (religion) as those

💢 الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ كَافِرُونَ💢

"Those who bar [others] from the way of Allah, and seek to make it crooked, and disbelieve in the Hereafter"
The Heights:45 (Translation Qoli Qarai)
This verse shows that the term Sabil Allah (the path of God) used in the verse refers to the din of fitrah (the inherent pattern of life) intended by God for man. It also indicates that even those who do not believe in God implement His din, albeit in a deviated form; this deviation, which becomes their din, is also encompassed in God's program. The best and firmest path in life for man is the one which is dictated by his innate being and not by the sentiments of any individual or society.

A close examination of any part of creation reveals that, from its very inception, it is guided by an innate purpose towards fulfilling its nature along the most appropriate and shortest path; every aspect of each part of creation is equipped to do so, acting as a blueprint for defining the nature of its existence. Indeed all of creation, be it animate or inanimate, is made up in this manner.
As an example, we may say that a green-tipped shoot, emerging from a single grain in the earth, is "aware" of its future existence as a plant which will yield an ear of wheat. By means of its inherent characteristics, the shoot acquires various mineral elements for its growth from the soil and changes, day by day, in form and strength until it becomes a fully-matured grain-bearing plant - and so comes to the end of its natural cycle.
Similarly, if we investigate the life-cycle of the walnut tree, we observe that it too is "aware", from the very beginning, of its own specific purpose in life, namely, to grow into a big walnut tree. It reaches this goal by developing according to its own distinct inherent characteristics; it does not, for example, follow the path of the wheat-plant in fulfilling its goal just as the wheat-plant does not follow the life pattern of the walnut tree.
Since every created object which makes up the visible world is subject to this same general law, there is no reason to doubt that man, as a species of creation, is not. Indeed his physical capabilities are the best proof of this rule; like the rest of creation, they allow him to realize his purpose, and ultimate happiness, in life.

@AbodeofWisdom

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💠💠💠💠﷽💠💠💠💠💠💠

The Three Distinguishing
Characteristics of the Qur'an

Shahīd Mortadha Motahhari
Translated by Mahliqa Qarāī.

Our study of the Qur'an acquaints us with three distinguishing characteristics of this Godly book.

💢 The first 💢
Distinguishing characteristic is the absolute authenticity of its source. That is, without the slightest need of any comparison between the oldest manuscripts, it is evident that what we recite as the verses of the Qur'an, are exactly the same words presented before the world by Muhammad ibn 'Abd-Allah (peace be with him and his progeny).

💢 The second 💢
Characteristic feature of the Qur'an is the quality of its contents: its teachings are genuinely original and have not been adopted or plagiarized. It is the duty of an analytical study to prove this fact.

💢 The third 💢
Characteristic of the Qur'an is its Divine identity: its teachings have been delivered to the Prophet from a world that transcends his thought and mind. The Prophet (peace be with him and his progeny) was only a recipient of this revelation and message.

This is the result that we obtain from the study of the sources and roots of the Qur'an.

But the study of the sources of the Qur'an, and confirmation of its originality, depend upon the analytical study. So I resolve to open this discussion with the analytical study of the Qur'an.

We shall first see what is the subject matter of the Qur'an, what kind of problems are discussed in it, what type of problems have been given priority, and in what manner those subjects are presented in it.

If we are successful in our critical analysis, and acquire a sufficient understanding of the Qur'anic teachings, it will bring us to an acknowledgment of its principal aspect, which is the Divine aspect of the Qur'an, the quality of its being a Divine miracle.

Al-Tawheed (journal), vol. 1, no. 1-3 Moharram- Rajab 1404 AH.

@AbodeofWisdom
💢 💢 💢 💢 💢 💢 💢 💢 💢 💢 💢

💠Āyatollāh Shahīd Motahari:

📍"[Either] we should say Islam, in its true reality, is present in the minds and souls of people, but that this understanding of Islam pushes these people (i.e. Muslims) backward [and this is used as one of the biggest arguments by most orientalists, in which they use only the outward deeds of common Muslims as proof of Islam’s fallibility].

📍Or, we must admit that the true reality of Islam is not (purely) present in our minds and souls, but that this predominant notion is present in our minds and souls as disfigured and deformed (from its true reality)".

📚”Dah Goftār”, p. 127

Note: perhaps, this displaying of the deformed form of religion and God through actions of Muslims leads others to misjudge Islam. Likewise, a great scholar once said: “a good tree is known from its fruits”.

In regard to this there is a saying from Imām Ja’far Šadiq where he said to invite others towards Islam (Qur’anic values and guidance of AhlulBayt) through actions and not the tongue. As a result of this, others will see Islam (Qur’anic values) in your actions.

@AbodeofWisdom

💠Āyatollāh Shahīd Motahari:

📍"[Either] we should say Islam, in its true reality, is present in the minds and souls of people, but that this understanding of Islam pushes these people (i.e. Muslims) backward [and this is used as one of the biggest arguments by most orientalists, in which they use only the outward deeds of common Muslims as proof of Islam’s fallibility].

📍Or, we must admit that the true reality of Islam is not (purely) present in our minds and souls, but that this predominant notion is present in our minds and souls as disfigured and deformed (from its true reality)".

📚”Dah Goftār”, p. 127

Note: perhaps, this displaying of the deformed form of religion and God through actions of Muslims leads others to misjudge Islam. Likewise, a great scholar once said: “a good tree is known from its fruits”.

In regard to this there is a saying from Imām Ja’far Šadiq where he said to invite others towards Islam (Qur’anic values and guidance of AhlulBayt) through actions and not the tongue. As a result of this, others will see Islam (Qur’anic values) in your actions.

@AbodeofWisdom

The thousands of volumes that Muslim scholars have devoted to qur'anic interpretation and to the linguistic, rhetorical and narrative analysis of the text are sufficient to create entire libraries of qur'anic studies. Drawing upon a rich scholarly heritage, Brill's "Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an" (EQ) combines alphabetically-arranged articles about the contents of the Qur'an. It is an encyclopaedic dictionary of qur'anic terms, concepts, personalities, place names, cultural history and exegesis extended with essays on the most important themes and subjects within qur'anic studies. With nearly 1000 entries in 5 volumes, the "EQ" is the first comprehensive, multi-volume reference work on the Qur'an to appear in a Western language.