A New Look at the Qur’an: Towards a Human Interpretation

Author's name: Nasr Hamid Abu Zaid

Since the reign of the Abbasid Caliph al-Mutawakkil, more than 11 centuries ago, the debate on the nature of the Qur'an has been closed in favor of the traditional view that it is the word of God. The human dimension, which includes language and the recipient, has been virtually absent. While Muslims have thus far been able to approach heritage from a new perspective, the question of a new view of the Qur'an has remained largely unaddressed. Those who dared to raise this issue were considered heretics, and some were sentenced to death. The main question that arises is: Can Muslims modernize their societies without abandoning their religious beliefs? The implicit answer is that this is indeed possible when the human dimension of the Qur'an is taken into account. This book seeks to reopen this long-closed debate by offering a new reading of the classical texts and addressing the current situation of Muslims in the context of the challenges of modernity.