Contemporary Islamic thought and the re-emergence of the Qur'an as foundational text
Master Thesis
2002
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
This study examines the status of the Qur'an in contemporary Islamic thought at the point of intersection with the philosophical discourses of modernity and postmodernity. As a marginal discourse, Islamic thought has had to seek legitimacy in light of the dominant paradigms of modernity and postmodernity. It is argued that through active engagement and critique of the dominant paradigms, Islamic discourse is able to articulate a much more vivid portrait of its authentic-self. This self-portrait is shaped by dissenting voices within the Western philosophical tradition critical of modernity and postmodernity, as well as by voices from the Islamic intellectual tradition. The role of the Qur'an as foundational text is approached by questioning the status and source of values in both the Western and the Islamic traditions. It is consequently argued that the moral categories of right and wrong, or good and bad, are necessarily ontological in Islam and are informed by the Qur'an. The role of the Qur'an as foundational text is thus affirmed from this perspective. Finally, the mechanism through which the Qur'an is able to convey its ethical imperative is explored. In this regard, it is argued that the Qur'an is performative in nature and that its moral ethos is conveyed by a dialogic process. The conclusion suggests that the re-emergence of a religious slant in social discourse is of marked significance, especially at a time in which secular philosophy is being cogently challenged. This study is therefore an apt example of a new and important focal point in the social sciences.
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Bibliography: leaves 157-168.
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Farouk-Alli, A. 2002. Contemporary Islamic thought and the re-emergence of the Qur'an as foundational text. University of Cape Town.