Introduction When I first began writing this post, my original intention was to present and evaluate some proposed ring structures in sūra Yūsuf as a part of my series on this sūra. However, when doing some preliminary reading on the topic— mainly on objective criteria about what makes a ring, I realized that the concept … Continue reading On Qurʾānic and Biblical Rings

In this post we shall examine another Qurʾānic engagement with biblical and extrabiblical literature. The core example I will look at was taken from Genevieve Gobillot’s article on Qurʾānic intertextuality and taḥrīf.1 This parallel reflects an ongoing debate about whether or not angels eat food. I found this parallel interesting because it is an example … Continue reading Do Angels Eat? An Interesting Qur’anic Engagement

I’ve finally wrapped up some longer projects (more on this eventually), and so I’ve decided to get back to blogging. For a long time now I’ve intended to devote some time studying the Qurʾān from a linguistic perspective. And so, this is the first in my series of posts about some interesting linguistic features in … Continue reading Linguistic Features of Sūrah Yūsuf Part 1— “Neutral” Language

Not my usual post, thought I would share this very interesting discussion that goes through the Qurʾānic story in light of biblical and extra-biblical intertextuality. They notice some very interesting interlinguistic allusions and engagement with biblical tradition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiQqGAlHnSI

This post is a general reflection on some of the avenues for making a positive case for Islam. I’m not making a case for Islam here - this is more of personal reflection that came about after some external discussions. Now, apologetics gets a bad rep - there’s a lot of baggage to that word. … Continue reading Some brief reflections

One of the themes of my last few posts is that the Qurʾān often interacts with Rabbinic, Biblical and Christian tradition in an informed way. Previously I looked at how the Qurʾān responds to the crucifixion of Jesus in light of Rabbinic texts.  This post will give another example of the Qurʾān utilizing a Rabbinic … Continue reading “Like a donkey carrying books” – a Qur’anic response to a Rabbinic motif

Introduction This post intends to explain the basis of the position that the Qurʾān teaches that previous scripture is corrupt. We attempt to prove this position using implicit and explicit evidence, while also utilizing the findings of modern western scholarship to supplement our interpretation. We will then provide an explanation for particular verses (such as … Continue reading Does the Qur’an teach previous scripture to be corrupt?

Here is another interesting observation about how the Qurʾān responds to Jewish and Christian tradition. This time, I’ll be looking at the alleged killing of Jesus – and the subsequent ‘boast’ by the Jews which the Qurʾān so vehemently condemns in sūrah al-Nisāʾ, verse 157: وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا … Continue reading “They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him”— A Qur’anic response to Jewish tradition on Jesus

A few years ago, when I was attempting to understand what the Qurʾān means when it says that the previous scripture somehow speaks of the Prophet Muḥammad, I naturally turned towards Isaiah 42 which has been one of the go-to portions of the bible for many Muslims. Now, this post is not here to make … Continue reading A Biblical Quotation in Qur’anic verses 7:157-158?

Note: It is recommended that this article be viewed in PDF format. Click here. Introduction In 2007, an article appeared in Gabriel Said Reynold’s ‘The Qurʾān in its Historical Context’ titled ‘The Alexander Legend in the Qurʾān 18:83-102’, authored by Kevin Van Bladel. This article has proven to be a substantial contribution to understanding the … Continue reading Did the Qurʾān borrow from the Syriac Legend of Alexander?