The Abrahamic Model of Transition from Polytheism to Monotheism in Verses 74-79 of Surah Al-An'am: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Narrative, Theological, and Mystical Dimensions of an Epistemological Argument

Shoaib, Meisam; Mollazadeh, Reza

The Abrahamic Model of Transition from Polytheism to Monotheism in Verses 74-79 of Surah Al-An'am: A Comprehensive Analysis of the Narrative, Theological, and Mystical Dimensions of an Epistemological Argument

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

meisam shoaib ¹

Reza Mollazadeh ²

¹ PhD Graduate, Department of Islamic Jurisprudence and Law, Faculty of Theology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. Email: m.shoaib68@gmail.com

² Postdoctoral researcher in Quran and Hadith sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (researcher at the Astan Quds Razavi Research Foundation), contact number: 09142353876, reza.mollazadehyamchi@alumni.um.ac.ir

Abstract

The verses 74-79 of Surah Al-An'am, which depict the monotheistic reasoning of Prophet Abraham (pbuh), constitute a fundamental epistemological model within the Holy Qur'an. The primary focus of this research is a comprehensive analysis of the diverse interpretations of this model within the exegetical tradition. Employing a qualitative content analysis and a comparative method based on a corpus of authoritative commentaries, this study demonstrates that the Abrahamic model has been re-read through at least three distinct yet interconnected semantic dimensions: the narrative dimension, which views it as a "personal quest and intuitive discovery"; the theological (kalāmī) dimension, which interprets it as a "dialectical debate and rational argumentation"; and the mystical ('irfānī) dimension, which construes it as an "inner journey and introspective intuition." The principal finding of this research is that these three readings are not contradictory but rather complementary semantic layers that collectively form a multifaceted epistemological paradigm. This model indicates that religious rationality in the Qur'an is a comprehensive system that recognizes personal experience, public reasoning, and mystical intuition as equivalent and complementary paths toward monotheism (Tawhid).

Keywords

Abrahamic Model

Epistemological Argument

Theological Exegesis (Kalāmī Tafsīr)

Demonstrative Monotheism

Vision of the Kingdom (Irā'at al-Malakūt)

Surah Al-An'am