About the Book:
‘Qur’anic Studies’ (al-Dirasat al-Qur’aniyya) is a remarkable and noteworthy academic sub-genre in the area of Islamic Studies to which Muslims and non-Muslims have contributed extensively. The Qur’anic scholarship has seen a rapid and broad-ranging development, especially in the present century, as it is seen as a vibrant and multidimensional scholarly pursuit to which scholars have introduced a multiplicity of approaches. Keeping in view the academic study of the Qur’an in its present scenario, it is not an exaggeration to claim that the Qur’anic Studieshas emerged as a vibrant field of research globally. In this context, the present work (consisting of 11 chapters) attempts to explore some facets of and the recent trends in the 21st century Qur’anic Studies by exploring some Qur’anic concepts and themes of socio-political and moral significance vis-à-vis their contemporary relevance (like Ihsan, Shura, inter-connection of ‘Aql, Taffakkur and ‘Ilm, rise and fall of societies/ nations, and social ethics vis-à-vis the institution of family); assessing and evaluating the scholarly contribution of some prominent scholars of the 21st century in the field of Qur’anic Studies (including Abdur Raheem Kidwai, Abdullah Saeed, Ziauddin Sardar, Andrew Rippin and Jane D. McAuliffe); and focusing on the teaching, research, and recent works in Qur’anic Studies by providing a description of the activities of some ‘academies’, journals, and recent research carried on different aspects in this field. Thus, blending the scholarship of past and present, it reflects on some major trends and issues of diverse nature. The present workwill prove valuable and appealing to the students, general readers and the specialists alike. This work explores the relevance of the teachings of the noble Qur’an to the readers of the 21st century.
Advance Praise for the Book
“Dr Tauseef Ahmad Parray’s Recent Trends in Qur’anic Studies is an engaging work which offers a perceptive and helpful overview of the main contours of the current Quranic Scholarship. Neatly divided into three major parts, it highlights the importance and relevance of the selected Qur’anic terms and concepts, contributions of some contemporary scholars, as well as provides an assessment of the recent works in the field of Quranic studies” (Professor Abdur Raheem Kidwai, Director, K. A. Nizami Centre for Quranic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, India)
“Parray displays his knowledge to give a detailed and lively picture of Qur’anic Studies and its leading figures in both the Muslim world and the West. A rich, and welcome source of information that will be invaluable to scholars of Islam in general, and of the Qur’an in particular” (Dr Majid Daneshgar,University of Freiburg, Germany)
“A readable and accessible introduction to some of the key debates on the Qur’an and its interpretation today” (Professor Abdullah Saeed, University of Melbourne, Australia)
About the Author
Dr Tauseef Ahmad Parray is presently working as Assistant Professor, Islamic Studies, Govt. Degree College for Women, Pulwama, Higher Education Department, J&K. He holds his masters, PhD, and Postdoctorate in Islamic Studies from the University of Kashmir (2008), Aligarh Muslim University (2014),and ‘IRD’, International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan (2015), respectively. He is the author of ‘Towards Understanding the Qur’anic Terms, Concepts, and Themes (2017), ‘Muslim Intellectual Deficit: Reasons and Remedies’ (2018), ‘Exploring the Qur’an’ (2019), and ‘Mediating Islam & Modernity’ (2019). He has published in numerous reputed academic journals, magazines and newspapers, from over a dozen countries, around the world. He is on the ‘Editorial’ Board (and is Member) of various Journals based in Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and UK. His major areas of interest are: Islam and Democracy; Modernist/ Reformist Thought in South Asia; and Recent Trends and English Scholarship in Qur’anic Studies.