A Critical Assessment of Scientific Interpretation of the Quran in the Indian Subcontinent

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 . Ph.D. Graduate in Comparative Interpretation (Tafsir) from Al-Mustafa International University. Collaborating Professor in the Department of Quranic Sciences and Recitation

2 Professor and Director of the Higher Educational Complex of Quran and Hadith at Al-Mustafa International University

Abstract

The Interpretation of the Quran has been a focal point of attention for Muslims and even non-Muslims from the time of its revelation until the present day. Various methods and approaches have been employed by Quranic scholars. One significant approach is scientific interpretation, which, given the advancements in sciences and increasing discoveries, holds special importance in the present era. The Indian subcontinent, home to the largest Muslim population in the world and hosting a wealth of Quranic scholarship, deserves considerable attention in examining scientific interpretation, a field that has received comparatively less scrutiny. Scientific interpretation in the Indian subcontinent has experienced notable ups and downs. This paper, employing a descriptive-analytical method and relying on library sources, seeks to address the question: What are the most significant weaknesses of the scientific interpretation movement in the Indian subcontinent? The findings of this research suggest that while scientific interpretation in the Indian subcontinent has its strengths, it also carries certain weaknesses. These weaknesses include the use of unsubstantiated scientific opinions in interpretation, imposing scientific views on the Quran, attempting to extract all sciences from the Quran, restricting the meanings of the Quran, neglecting the accurate meanings of Quranic vocabulary, overlooking context, conflicting with established and certain tradition, diminishing the Quran's guiding purpose, and critiquing predecessors. The failure to observe necessary conditions for scientific interpretation and the reliance on incorrect foundations have contributed to these shortcomings..

Keywords

References

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The Quran and Science
Volume 17, Issue 32 - Serial Number 32
September 2023
Pages 325-352

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History

  • Receive Date: 09 January 2021
  • Revise Date: 25 September 2021
  • Accept Date: 10 August 2022

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