Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Associate Professor Quran and Hadith Sciences in kharazmi University
2 PHD student PhD student in Rfiat- al Mustafa Tehran Seminary
Abstract
Introduction
Mohamed Arkoun, a contemporary Algerian thinker and Islamologist, has investigated the interpretation and historical reading of religious texts. He believes that the Qur'an was compiled as an oral text in certain political conditions and this affects the understanding of its meanings. Archon emphasizes that interpretation, beyond the traditional interpretation, requires a new and analytical approach that examines the linguistic and cultural structures of the text. Archon's interpretative and historical reading of religious texts deals with the deep examination of religious texts with an emphasis on historical and cultural contexts. The necessity of this approach lies in knowing the hidden dimensions of the meanings of texts and their connection with social and historical realities. The importance of this study lies in reviewing the traditional interpretations and providing new methods of religious discourse analysis, which can help to better understand religion in the contemporary era. With linguistic and semiotic analysis, Archon seeks to open new horizons in the interpretation of religious texts. Based on such reasoning, he does not look at the text of the Qur'an as a divine and revelatory text, but considers it a human text that is historical. Also, Archon considers the Qur'an as a text that is open to all meanings and no interpretation can close it to other meanings or be a final meaning. In other words, meaning is not a divine essence, but it is a human, historical, relative and variable understanding. Therefore, according to the doubts that have been raised in connection with the characteristics and nature of the language of the Qur'an, the root analysis of this issue seems necessary.
In this research, in addition to stating part of Archon's methodological foundations regarding the language of the Qur'an, the following questions are answered:
What is the interpretation and historical reading of Archon with religious texts?
Which methodological methods did Archon use in the field of Quranic language?
What are the consequences of the historical criticism of the Qur'an from Arkon's point of view?
In Archon's point of view, what are the most important standards and modern methods in reading religious texts?
Research Hypotheses.
Archon seeks to provide a new interpretation of the religious text in order to present a historical and interpretive reading of it. While emphasizing the liberation of the Quran from traditional and modern interpretations, he believes in understanding it as a historical text in its time frame.
Archon's four main methods in the field of the language of the Qur'an are: the philosophical hermeneutic approach, empiricism and Nasuti's approach to revelation, mythological approach to the Qur'an, analogy of the Qur'an and the Testaments.
The lack of revelation and humanity in the text of the Qur'an is the most important consequence of the historical criticism of the Qur'an in Archon's belief. With the explanation that from Archon's point of view, the Qur'an has changed its meaning from oral speech (revelation), which was holy and inaccessible, to written text (mushaf) and unholy. Therefore, it is possible to discuss the preference of readings and narratives and their development with the method of historical criticism and reopen the final text.
Research background
Although many works have been written about Arkon's thought and character, there is no independent work in the field of "interpretative and historical reading of Muhammad Arkon in the religious text". However, it has been mentioned in some articles and books. In the meantime, the following writings can be considered to some extent in line with future research:
The book "Analytical Reading of Muhammad Arkun's Thoughts (Religion, Text and Truth)" by Mustafa Hassan, translator: Majid Minhaji.
The article "Modernist Reading of a Religious Text in the Thought of Muhammad Arkun and Nasr Hamed Abu Zaid" was written by Muhammad Khalid al-Shabaab, translated by Majid Minhaji and Muhammad Ali Rashidi. The focus of this article has been on the hermeneutic reading of the religious text according to Archon.
The article "Criticism and Review of Mohammad Arkun's Reading of Tradition and Modernity" was written by Ali Falah Rafi and Majid Minhaji. In this article, the re-reading of Muhammad Arkon's new religious tradition and project, i.e., "Criticism of Islamic Reason" and its influence on Arkon's historical methodology are stated. The article "Investigation and Analysis of the Influence and Application of Western Approaches in the Reading of Religious Text in the Thought of Mohammad Arkun", was written by Majid Menhaji and Mehdi Sadatinejad. This research is focused on new Western approaches to reading the religious text of Archon.
Unlike the above writings, in the present article, with a descriptive-analytical method, the analysis of Archon's thoughts in the methodology of Quranic language, historical reading and interpretation style of religious text has been specifically and independently analyzed.
The final result
Archon's goals in the field of critical reading of religious text are: providing solutions to overcome the decline of Islamic civilization, projects of criticism of Islamic reason, applied Islamology and future-oriented quantitative reason. In the meantime, Arkon has benefited from various modern Western approaches and schools in his projects, especially Islamology. His linguistic-semiotic approach is influenced by Dossaurus and Paul Ricoeur. The headlines of his applications in this approach are: conducting objective studies and away from dogma; the hermeneutic distinction between the original scriptures and other texts derived from the hermeneutics of the sacred text; cleansing the language field from dry, peripheral and hereditary connotations; creating a fundamental, scientific and philosophical method for analyzing Islamic thought.
Also, his application cases in the historical analysis approach are categorized in the following axes: organizing and leveling mechanisms for investigating intellectual challenges; studies related to development and progress and their factors and components; criticism of religious phenomena and theological approach as a valid tool for examining the first texts, i.e. Quran, Sunnah and religious thought; returning the original text to its linguistic level. In general, Arkon, with its historical and interpretive approach, seeks to free the Quran from traditional and modern interpretations to be understood as a historical text in its time frame. Therefore, in Archon's approach, there are three types of anthropological-historical, semiotic-linguistic, and belief-interpretive readings for the Qur'an.
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