Shaping a Qur'anic Worldview

Exploring the subjectivity of the Qur½n's meaning in the world, this book analyses Qur½nic referencing in Muslim political rhetoric. Informed by classical Arabic-Islamic rhetorical theory, the author examines Arabic documents attributed to the ?Abbsid Caliph al-Ma½mn (r. 813-833), whose rule coincided with the maturation of classical Islamic political thought and literary culture. She demonstrates how Qur½nic referencing functions as tropological exegesis, whereby verses in the Qur½n are reinterpreted through the lens of subjective experience. At the same time socio-historical experiences are understood in terms of the Qur½n's moral typology, which consists of interrelated polarities that define good and bad moral characters in mutual orientation. Through strategic deployment of scriptural references within the logical scheme of rhetorical argument, the Caliph constructs moral analogies between paradigmatic characters in the Qur½n and people in his social milieu, and situates himself as moral reformer and guide, in order to persuade his audiences of the necessity of the Caliphate and the religio-moral imperative of obedience to his authority. The Ma½mnid case study is indicative of the nature and function of Qur½nic referencing across historical periods, and thus contributes to broader conversations about the impact of the Qur½n on the .shaping of Islamic civilization. This book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in Early Islamic History, Islam and the rhetoric of contemporary Middle East regional and global Islamic politics. --