The Qurʾān in its Milieu of Origin

Possibilities of the Historical Reconstruction of the Qurʾānic Revelation

8 November 2019 | 17 h s.t.
Johanniter Gästehaus | Weißenburgstr. 60–64 | 48151 Münster

Different ways of the interpretation of the Qurʾān, often utmost diverse, have existed side by side ever since the emergence of the Muslim community. With the beginning of the modern age, Islamic scholars advocated to rethink traditional ways of interpretation by means of the adaptation of a ‘critical’ exegesis in order to understand the Qurʾānic message within modern circumstances. As a reaction to a widespread literal interpretation of the Qurʾān, being more focused on the wording than locating the Qurʾān in its historical context, an increasing number of contemporary scholars of the Qurʾān argue for a contextualizing interpretation, placing the holy text in its milieu of origin, into the historical context of 7th century Arabia. The aim of the conference is to establish a vivid international discourse as well as to create an academic network in which open discussions will be able to develop or to improve scholarly methods for the contextual interpretation of the Qurʾān.

L E C T U R E S

Keynote:

Issues of Paleo-Qurʾānic Composition

Aziz al-Azmeh

Central European University, Budapest

Historical Setting vs. Modern Reading of the Qurʾān

Mehmet Paçacı

University of Ankara/University of Ibn Haldun

How Useful is History in Understanding the Qurʾān?

Oliver Leaman

University of Kentucky