Journal of Theological and Exegetical Studies

Journal of Theological and Exegetical Studies

A Critical review of the book "The Role of Presupposotions and Interests of Interpreter in Interpretation of Quran"

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Razi University
Abstract
The purpose of this article is to find the strengths and weaknesses of the book “The Role of the Interpreter’s Prior Knowledge and Interests in the Interpretation of the Quran”. The importance of this issue has various dimensions, including the relationship between theology and interpretation, and it plays a direct role in analyzing the relationship between beliefs and interpretation. This is because religious prior knowledge and theological assumptions of sects and schools are considered one of the most famous types of prior knowledge and interests in interpretation. Different schools have a strong influence on the interpretation of the Quran, both in terms of their information and knowledge and in their respective orientations and biases. The importance of this book lies in the fact that it is considered a turning point in the course of discussions related to the “role of the interpreter in interpretation”, but it requires criticism and examination. In this article, which has been conducted using a descriptive-analytical method, the book is first introduced and then criticized and examined from a structural and content perspective. The title of the book is fully indicative of its subject and content. Structurally, the work is ambiguous and scattered, and in terms of content, the book is generally lacking in that, first, it has important omissions in defining the meaning of the role of the interpreter, second, it has not examined the new theories on the position of the interpreter accurately and completely, and third, it has wrongly claimed that all Muslim interpreters were author-centered, and fourth, it has made little use of Quranic verses in analyzing the role of the interpreter. Due to these content shortcomings, the harmony of purpose and content, the compatibility and comprehensiveness of the work and the adequacy of sources have suffered from shortcomings.
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