Quranic Studies

The Muslim Theology of Huzn: Sorrow Unravelled

with a foreword by Alparslan Açıkgenç

Mahshid Turner – 2018

The subject of sorrow (huzn) and how it should be treated is a subject as old as mankind itself. Considered for the most part as something negative, which should be somehow avoided or remedied completely, the real meaning and purpose of its existence have never been explained satisfactorily. The Quran, however, claims that nothing is created purposelessly, which implies that sorrow also has its uses. With the aim of unravelling the mystery of its existence, this ground-breaking study aims to tell the story of sorrow in the Q...
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In Search of Ali Ibn Abi Talib’s Codex: History and Traditions of the Earliest Copy of the Qur’an.

with a foreword by James Piscatori

Seyfeddin Kara – 2018

The history of the text of the Qur’an has been a longstanding subject of interest within the field of Islamic Studies, but the debate has so far been focused on the Sunni traditions about the codices of Caliphs Abu Bakr and Uthman b. Affan. Little to no attention has been given to the traditions on Ali b. Abi Talib’s collection of the Qur’an. This book examines both Shi‘i and Sunni traditions on the issue, aiming to date them back to the earliest possible date and, if possible, verify their authenticity. To achieve this, t...
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Trial and Tribulation in the Qur‘an. A Mystical Theodicy

with a foreword by Colin Turner

Nasrin Rouzati – 2015

This book offers a critical analysis and re-examination of the notion of Divine trial, first by providing a comprehensive typology and a contextual interpretation of the Qur'anic narratives pertaining to the concept. Divine trial is then investigated through a historical review of prophetic tradition (hadith) and the exegetical literature (tafsir); followed by a discussion on Prophetology, and an overview of bala in the lives of the prophets. The book further develops key aspects of Muslim theology and mysticism through...
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The Qur’an Revealed: A Critical Analysis of Said Nursi’s Epistles of Light

with a Foreword by Dale F. Eickelman

Colin Turner – 2013

The Qur'an Revealed is a landmark publication in the history of Islamic studies, providing for the first time a comprehensive critical analysis of Bedizuzzaman Said Nursi's 6000-page work of Quranic exegesis, The Epistles of Light. In discussing a wide range of themes, from Divine unity to causation, from love to spirituality, from prophethood to civilization and politics, Colin Turner invites the reader into Nursi's conceptual universe, presenting the teachings of arguably the Muslim world's most underst...
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