Call For Paper - Spring 2023 - Bi-Quarterly Quran and Religious Enlightenment - Conditions for Articles.
Educated, experienced, and Expert authors who can write their articles to clarify doubts about religious topics and answer doubtful questions regarding Qur’an are highly invited to send the articles under the following conditions and challenges.
Journal of "Quran and Religious Enlightenment", based on license No. 85451 dated 2019/7/8
The Ministry of Islamic Guidance has obtained a publishing license.
Articles in this quarterly are published in one of the fields of Quranic sciences, hadith sciences, philosophy, or interdisciplinary topics.
ISSN of Journal: 2717-4476
1- Challenges claimed about religious topics with adjacent approaches regarding Qur’an and Holy Prophet (PBUH).Challenges claimed to familiarize the language of the Holy Qur’an. The theoretical and scientific consensus of enlighted theoreticians and Eastern sociologists who answer the society’s cultural, political, and social affairs and issues by having a Qur’an ic approach and overlook are highly respected and acceptable by this journal. The usage and quotation of Qur’an ic verses and hadiths of Imams and the Holy Prophet must be considered in justice and wisdom. If the matter of justice and wisdom balances hadiths and Qur’an ic verses, the article will take the opportunity to be reviewed and published.
2- The procedure for processing the articles surrounding the response to doubtful topics, the authentic expression, obeying the clarified cohesion in the whole article, covering the challenges in the whole article, indexing and revealing doubts, and responding to these doubts with Qur’an ic references, interpretations, and other narrations are the essential actions with distinguishes the articles which answer the doubts and questions about Qur’an with those of usual and non-authentic articles.
3- Articles that superficially respond to doubtful questions and topics about the Qur’an and bring the words from anywhere without considering cohesion, and those with historical and educational purposes which ignore the author’s and journal’s main idea regarding the Qur’an ic topics are repudiated and rejected.
4- This journal welcomes the articles and papers of educated authors and expert theoreticians, especially among professors and PhD students who respond to doubtful topics about the Qur’an by Qur’an ic references and verses. Many doubtful topics and issues are claimed by hypocrites, misguided, biased and atheistic people who spread slogans and not right words against God and His messengers and holy books and promote religion in today’s society, destroy and pollute religious topics and create anti-religious and religious-eschewing causes on the Internet from all parts of the world. They introduce the faculty of religion as opposed to science.
5-The corresponding papers which respond to doubtful topics about Qur’an must try to clarify the distinct consensus or point of view of the Qur’an , Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Imams. The issued papers must enlighten the way of human guidance from Adam(AS) to our Holy Prophet (PBUH). These papers must preserve the unity of Muslims in an Islamic society, eradicate the opposition and differences in scientific, cultural, political, religious or literary fields, and be in the way of animating the Islamic society.
6- All researchers and authors must be aware of sending their papers. If their papers are uploaded in the Persian Language, their paper will be in the queue for reviewing and processing. After the confirmation of their paper by our editorial board, they must pay the charge to translate their articles into English as soon as possible. If their paper is sent and uploaded in English, also they must send the Persian version. After the confirmation of our editorial board, they are promoted to the next part to pay the charge of translating the paper into Persian as soon as possible. It is highly recommended to upload and send the Persian version of the paper in parallel to its English version. Since our editorial board are native speakers of Persian, the reviewing process by our editorial board will take a shorter time.
7-The Bi-Quraterly Qur’an and Religious Enlightenment journal invites all people with appropriate academic and academic qualifications who are willing to join our referee committee and editorial board and mark their request to accept to join our editorial board. We are very thankful for your collaboration and cooperation to join us.
Valid educational model in writing an article in the Quran and Religious Enlightenment magazine
The Model of Recognizing Misconceptions and How to Answer Them Based on the Holy Qur’an One of the majors of Qur’anic studies, in which the categorization is important, is misconceptions and denials against the Qur’an. Despite many efforts made for recognizing misconceptions against the Qur’an, due to the focus of the authors on answering misconceptions, providing a comprehensive classification of such misconceptions has been margined and underestimated. Since the scientific classification of misconceptions is one of the tools of doubt research and is considered a prerequisite for methodical answers, it is necessary to deal with it before presenting any defense and refutation. With the spread of misconceptions against the Qur’an and the spread of such studies in the contemporary era, as well as, the use of scientific methods to categorize their different types, it is necessary to use a scientific method of answering based on the Holy Qur’an, historical documents, and the opinions of Muslim scholars. The breadth of the scope, the sensitivity of the subject and the diversity of the content in the discussion of answers to the misconceptions, during a time when the opponents have formed targeted criticisms with the motive of casting doubt on the Qur’an, require to defense the Qur’an and preserve the faith of believers in a systematic and methodical manner. It should be done based on this model. It requires a scientific method to answer misconceptions in such a way that this method can also be referred to as the “art of managing misconceptions.” At a time when the opponents have formed targeted criticisms with the motive of casting doubts against the Qur’an, it is necessary to defend the Qur’an and preserve the faith of believers in a systematic and methodical form, and to follow this model to reject and dispel misconceptions. One of the most effective elements in this process is dealing with the identification and typology of misconceptions before presenting any defense and answer, which is done by various methods, including the induction method. In this method, first, data is collected from different sources, then they are classified into categories and subtypes based on the model of similarity and considering the common features. In this way, misconceptions are first collected from various sources, including commentaries, books of answers to misconceptions, works of Orientalists and evangelical Christians, etc., and then they are classified according to the classification rules. The selection of general categories and subtypes is also based on the two elements of the model of misconceptions of opponents and the existence of logical similarity, and then examples are mentioned for each of them. It is worth mentioning that these materials are for a more detailed understanding of the issue of misconceptions against the Qur’an and religion. It is recommended that for more study readers should refer to papers such as “Typology of misconceptions in Qur’anic studies and explanation of the design of misconceptions” in Research Journal of Qur’an and Hadith.
1) Misconceptions on Qur’anic Sources Such studies have been done by orientalists and Christian evangelists to find religious or non-religious sources for Qur’anic concepts. They claim that it is rare to come across a religious thought in the Qur’an that is not derived from Judaism and Christianity, a theory which officially appeared in the western scientific circles in the early 20th century. It is clear that the approach of “criticism” and “source criticism” was originally a method of “criticism of the Bible.” It officially appeared in the west with theories in the early 20th century and is related to the Ignorant environment and culture including beliefs and rituals, rulings and laws, poetry, etc. which makes the misconception of “the date of the text.” Other sources are as follow: Hunafā’ The majority of orientalists, including Aloys Sprenger, considered “Hanīfīyya” to be one of the most important factors influencing Monotheistic ideas in Mecca and one of the sources of the Qur’an. Sabians Orientalists believe that the Qur’an has adopted some of its rituals such as prayer, fasting, Hajj and sacrifice from Sabians. Zoroastrian and Indian rituals Some orientalists have considered Persian and Aryan myths as the main sources of the Qur’an. Accordingly, with the premise that one of the symbolic births in myths is the unconventional birth of a child from a virgin mother and his selection by supernatural forces, stories like the birth of Jesus (AS) have been introduced Hindu myths by orientalists. Christianity The famous slogan of “al-Islām Hartaqatun Masihiya” by evangelistics has been spread since the medieval, meaning that the Qur’an and Islamic concepts are Christian innovations. In some legends, Muhammad (PBUH) is introduced as a Christian priest who separated from the church and established a new religion for himself. The Christian misconceptions are divided into three subtypes: Those are common between the Qur’an and the New Testament; Those the Qur’an has taken from the New Testament; Those are only mentioned in the Qur’an and not in the Bible. Judaism The Orientalists have accused the Prophet (PBUH) of incorporating some of their beliefs into his religion with the aim of attracting Jews. Presenting examples of the teachings of the Torah on transactions, marriage and divorce, the laws of women, inheritance, retribution, and the laws of war... hey introduce the Qur’an a book established on the Jewish law. Coptic sources To justify the entry of Coptic concepts into the Hijaz region, Arthur Jeffery suggested that the Prophet (PBUH) acquired Coptic concepts and stories either from his relatives, like Mārīyeh Qibtīyeh, or through social interactions with Copts.
2) Misconceptions on the Revelation of the Qur’an Misconceptions here are categorized in two parts: those related to the truth of Qur’anic revelation and those related to the bringer of revelation, who are messengers and divine messengers. One of the most important misconceptions of the critics of the Qur’an is creating doubts and suspicions in the revelation and reducing it to the level of the personal words of the Prophet (PBUH). Misconceptions of revelation are classified as follows:
1- In-text inclinations to the non-revelation of the Qur’an Verses like “’ana basharun mithlukum” are introduced by Orientalists as indicating to the human nature of the Qur’an.
2- The incompatibility of the Supreme World with the material world With the justification that if the Qur’an is a direct revelation to the Prophet (PBUH) and received from the Kingdom, why there is no similarity between the Holy World and this low material world?
3- Self-revelation This misconception is also mentioned as self-inspiration or absolute inspiration.
4- Revelation and mental illnesses One of the oldest suspicions related to the revelation, whose history goes back to the beginning of the revelation of the Qur’an, is the accusation of insanity against the Prophet (PBUH), which is the source of Orientalists’ mistakes.
5- Misconception of adapting revelation from Judaism and Christianity
6- Misconception on the necessity of Hebrew being the language of revelation Arthur Jeffery has said that the revelation of the Qur’an in Arabic is itself a proof that it is not a divine book, because if it was a divine revelation, it should have been revealed in one of the sacred languages - Hebrew or Syriac.
7- Misconception on revelation and religious experience Based on this misconception, the revelation is not the induction of a divine message, but is the interpretation of the Prophet and so is his interpretation of his experience. Accordingly, prophetic experience is not completely cut off and will always exist. AbdulKarim Soroush is one of the holders of this theory. He believes that the expression of afterlife blessings and spiritual pleasures in the Qur’an in forms such as “Hūr” is the product of this experience and the difference in interpretation.
8- Misconceptions on the non-cognizance of revelation Claiming that revelation is not a type of sensory and intellectual knowledge, then knowledge that is outside the realm of sense and intellect is impossible.
9- Misconceptions on the instrumental use of revelation and lack of faith in it William Muir believes that the Prophet (PBUH) used revelation as a tool to achieve worldly instincts and goals.
3) Misconception against Referring to the Qur’an These misconceptions are presented about the miracles and distortions of the Qur’an. According to the model of similarity, the misconceptions of text distortion are categorized as follows:
1- Removal 2- Addition 3- Frequency of distortion hadiths 4- Disagreement in Companions’ codex 5- The (dawr) misconception for proving non-distortion 6- Misconceptions on the revelation of the Qur’an in seven letters and variant readings 7- The Qur’an’s stress on the lack of miracle 8- No conflict during the revelation.
4) Misconceptions against Understanding the Qur’an Misconceptions that are somehow related to the readings and the way people and groups perceive the Qur’an, as follows:
1- Philosophical misconceptions This includes those of the ancient Dahrīyya, contemporary materialists, and the basic misconceptions of philosophy:
A) Misconceptions about the survival of the soul, the immateriality of the soul, or its materiality; B) Misconceptions about the beginning of the world, including: the world without a beginning, the eternity of substance, the creation of beings from “the non-object,” the creation of substance, etc.; C) Single is not created unless from a single; D) Misconceptions on mutual opposition proof in prophets; E) Misconceptions on the incompatibility of Divine attributes; F) The incompetence of the Qur’an to adapt to the conditions of the time; G) Misconceptions on the superiority of the Messenger’s knowledge, based on which the Prophet (PBUH) is not the founder and claimant of the government, but merely a religious missionary who was in charge of propagating the Qur’an; H) Variant readings and religious pluralism; I) Separation of the Qur’an from life; J) Separation of the Qur’an from the government; K) Unity of the essence of God and the creature; and L) The non-substance cannot bring a substance.
2- Misconceptions on sects A) Sūfīs’ misconceptions, including:
- Avoiding Sharia law and not needing to perform religious duties; - The vision of God that existed in the works of early mystics, such as Karāmīyyah. B) Traditionist (Akhbārīs): Although some of the opinions of Akhbārīs have been presented with the claim of defending the sanctity of the Qur’an, they have lowered the dignity of the Qur’an and played a role in the formation and spread of some doubts against the Qur’an. Some of the most important of these doubts are as follows:
- The lack of authenticity of the appearances of the Qur’an; - Presumptive proof of the evidence of the Qur’an; - The incomprehensibility of the Qur’an due to its high meaning;
- Abstractness of the verses and the basic role of the hadith in their interpretation. C) Baha’i Baha’is, regarding to the verse “On that day Allah will pay back to them in full their just reward, and they shall know that Allah is the evident Truth” (Noor: 25), have claimed that the “true religion” has been stablished with the appearance of the Bab and Baha. The misconceptions of this group include the following examples:
- Misconception on the end of the Islamic religion after a period of a thousand years; - Misconception on the abrogation in the verse of Khātamīyat;
- Misconception on the revelation of the new Sharia; - Misconception on the promise of true religion; - Misconception on the emergence of legalistic prophets after the Prophet (PBUH);
- Misconception on the eloquent miracles of the Qur’an. D) Wahhābīs This sect is attributed to Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhāb (1200 AH) from Banī Tamīm in Hijaz and renewing the thoughts of Ibn Taymīyyah (d. 728 AH) and his followers such as Ibn Qayyim (d. 751 AH) and Ibn Kathīr (d. 774 AH). Their misconceptions may be placed in the following categories:
-Misconception on the Shiite belief in the distortion of the Qur’an;
-Misconceptions on the Imamate including: misconception on the continuation of the caliphate of Adam (PBUH);misconceptions on the Purification Verse, such as: the lack of implication of the Purification Verse to the infallibility of the Imams (AS), the examples of the Purification Verse; Misconceptions on the Propagation Verse, such as: the cause of descent, the generality of the word, the accusation of fear to the Prophet (PBUH) by the Shi’a, the concealment of the revelation; Misconceptions on the Guardianship Verse, such as: the cause of the revelation, the meaning of Walī, the plural word, the denial of its cause of descent, the non-attribution of the verse to Ali (AS), the conflict with the verse Mā'idah: 54, the unity of the context between the verses 51-55, the limitation of the guardianship to Ali (AS) and its lack of inclusion on other Shiite Imams; Misconceptions on the Verse of the Completion of Religion, such as: the lack of connection between the verse and Imamate of Ali (AS) and the incident of Ghadīr, the cause of descent; Misconceptions on the verses of Mahdism; Misconceptions on requests from other than God. All Islamic sects accept intercession as the mediation of the Prophet (PBUH) for forgiving sins. Among them, only Wahhabis introduce intercession as one of the ten lacks of Islam, raising the following misconceptions: - The misconception on the impossibility of intercession by claiming the lack of understanding and power over the connection of the dead with this world; - The misconception on the prohibition of intercession by citing verses such as “say all intercessions belong only to All”; - Misconception on prohibition of seeking intercession from the Prophet (PBUH) after his death; - Misconception on the prohibited Tawassul; - Introducing the monotheistic people as infidel, citing verses such as A'rāf;
- Misconceptions on virtues in order to deny the virtues of Ahl al-Bayt (AS) in the verses and then making virtues for others;
- Misconceptions on the unseen knowledge. Under verses such as Hūd: 49 and 'An'ām: 50, they discussed the unseen knowledge of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Imam (AS), thereby they rejected it. They consider the unseen knowledge for other than God to be a branch of Tāghūt.
- Misconceptions related to the Companions: the justice of the Companions in the pact of Ridwān; Misconception on Abu Tālib’s disbelief, which is one of the consistent misconceptions of Wahhabis regarding Qasas: 56. They believe that Abu Tālib helped the Prophet (PBUH) merely because they were relative, meaning that this is not an indication to his belief to Islam or the Prophet (PBUH).
- Misconceptions on Taqīyya: Wahhabis have generally interpreted it as hypocrisy and lying.
- Misconceptions on of the text of the Qur’an: those misconceptions that have been designed and expanded by looking at the text and implications of the Qur’an, including: The presence of tone and errors, including: A) Literary errors on three types of syntax, morphology, and language, B) Historical errors, C) Scientific errors;
- The existence of contradictions in the Qur’an, including:
A) Proving something in one position and negating it in another position, B) Generalizing something and restricting it in another position, C) Mentioning a legal rule in one position and negating it in another position, D) Attributing things such as the creation of man or the capture of the soul to multiple cases.
- Misconceptions on jurisprudential rules They have claimed that the Qur’an does not fully expressed the practical rules, but it satisfies itself with only a few of the rules corresponding to the early simple Arab situation. So what is common among Muslims is the result of the efforts of Muslim scholars in later times.
- Misconceptions on freedom of belief: The common aspect of freedom of belief is that, with reference to the verse “there is no compulsion in religion”, what is the justification for violence to spread religion by the force of the sword in the verse “call to the path of your Lord by the sword”? A) non-compulsion on religion, B) elementary jihad, including: gaining booty, taking jizya and dominating the world, doubt on turning permission into obligation in jihad with polytheists, C) the limitation of the Mission to preaching religion and warning without the need to use force, D) Islam and People of the Book, E) the connection between freedom of thought and pluralism, and F) apostasy and apostate
- Misconceptions on racism and human rights, including: Misconceptions on women’ clothing; misconceptions on heritage, martyrdom, the powerful position of men to women, tasarrī, beating, retribution, divorce, polygamy, temporary marriage, and the prohibition of marriage with non-Muslims; misconceptions on slavery including the recognition of slavery, discrimination in the rights of slaves, slavery for lust, etc.; misconceptions on coexistence with opponents, including the impurity of infidels and the superiority of Muslims over other ethnic groups; misconceptions on the clarification of some verses on class discrimination, including allocating a portion of khums to “Dhi al-Qurbā,” with and black people of the Day of Resurrection, insulting colorful people, base on which it is said that some verses of the Qur’an have a tendency towards racism. - Misconceptions on bringers of revelation, including: A) Misconceptions on the Prophet of Islam (PBUH); B) Misconceptions on other prophets (AS); C) Misconceptions on Gabriel (AS).
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