Macroscopic Perspective on the Civilizational Reading of the Quran and Its Dimensions

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student, Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Bint al-Huda Higher Education Complex, al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

Abstract

The Holy Quran is a macroscopic, global, eternal, and efficient text in the civilizational field, which has mostly been seen as an individual and devotional text. The non-macroscopic view of the Quran has hindered its realization across time and space, confining and limiting the Quran to specific contexts and periods. Reading the Quran with the aim of realizing its universality and eternity, and implementing its teachings on a macroscopic level, requires a civilizational approach. This research, aiming at the realization of the universality and eternity of the Quran in practice, introduces "macroscopic view" as the most important and central indicator of the civilizational approach. Therefore, the main question of this research is what the macroscopic view in the reading of the Quran is and what dimensions it has. Using an analytical-descriptive method, this research does two things: first, it introduces the macroscopic view as one of the indicators of the civilizational approach using civilizational sources; then, relying on interpretive sources alongside civilizational sources, it specifically describes the dimensions of this approach in reading the Quran. Temporal macroscopic view and spatial macroscopic view form the two main dimensions of this indicator. Temporal or longitudinal macroscopic view develops in two aspects: "genealogical" and "innovative." From this perspective, the Quran, as a civilizational text, possesses two aspects: "accumulative" and "injective." The accumulative aspect of the Quran means that this book is an accumulation of data, theories, and texts preceding it, revealed in dialogue with them, enhancing the course of human civilization. Therefore, to read the Quran, one must consider this deep and extensive background and engage in dialogue with it to understand the text. On the other hand, the Quran, with its innovative aspect, is influential, dynamic, and creative; its impact across different times must be examined as a "living civilizational organ" to reveal the Quran's adaptability to various eras. The "contemporary interpretation" of certain approaches in "thematic interpretation," and "dynamic interpretation" emphasize this innovative aspect of the Quran. Spatial or lateral macroscopic view refers to the expansion of the Quran across geographical regions. In this perspective, although the Quran was revealed in the Arabian Peninsula, it has the potential to spread across all geographical areas with diverse climates, cultures, and languages. Therefore, the interpreter must read this book considering its vast scope, and for this purpose, they must possess a "global vision" and "global expression." By global vision, we mean that the interpreter should be worldly, providing them with broad awareness, macroscopic issue identification, and the power to engage in dialogue with global heritage. By global expression, we mean that the interpreter must frame and present Quranic concepts in competition with existing concepts in the modern world. In this view, the Quranic concepts are either presented in a universal language understandable to every human or transferred to diverse global cultures using various linguistic and cultural tools. This way, the Quran's influence and creativity transcend the confines of history and geography, flowing beyond the borders of time and space. Expanding the influence of the Quran in the Quranic view actualizes the universality and eternity of the Quran, and in the civilizational view, it expands the domain of Islamic civilization's validity, shaping a macroscopic and influential civilization founded on an eternal and universal source.

Keywords

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