Creatio Ex Nihilo and the Literal Qur’ān

In the modern age, the confl ict between science and religion manifests itself in the debate between evolution and creation. If we adopt a creationist’s reading of the Qur’ān, we discover an interesting anomaly. Reading the Qur’ān literally does not necessarily provide the foundation of creationism. Creationists usually have in mind the concept of creatio ex nihilo, or ‘creation out of nothing’. However, in the Qur’ān, one of the words used for creation, khalaqnā, has the root khlq, which means ‘to split’ or ‘to divide’. This root word may even apply to the biological process of cell division. Therefore, from a scientifi c perspective, using the word khlq to describe this physical process is not problematic. In addition, with close textual analysis of the Qur’ān, we realize that the word for creation ‘be’ does not truly describe the moment of creation, but rather that of ‘being’. The Qur’ān separates the notion of creation from being, which poses the question as to what the text constitutes as the ontological nature of the human being and the universe. Therefore, even if we do adopt a literal reading of the Qur’ān, we fi nd that it does not necessarily support a worldview that endorses creatio ex nihilo

Jacob’s Ladder: Sa‘ī

This paper looks at the symbolism of the traversing between the hills of Ṣafa and Marwah (sa‘ī) from the traditional Muslim stories pertaining to it, and its intertextualities with the Bible. A linguistic method is used to understand how the Qur’an uses polysemy in its language to symbolize some of its rituals. It is shown that the term “sa‘ī” in the Qur’an is used to symbolize the traversing between death and life. This symbolism is compared with Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis, as Jacob sees the angels ascending and descending from heaven in a location that he later calls Bethel (House of God), which incidentally is what Muslims consider the Ka‘bah. The pilgrims, during ‘Umrah, may be symbolizing the angels ascending unto heaven, while the pilgrims, during Ḥajj, may be symbolizing the angels descending from heaven

Qur'anic Hermeneutics

This book is open access and available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Qur'anic Hermeneutics argues for the importance of understanding the polysemous nature of the words in the Qur’an and outlines a new method of Qur’anic exegesis called intertextual polysemy. By interweaving science, history and religious studies, Abdulla Galadari introduces a linguistic approach which draws on neuropsychology. This book features examples of intertextual polysemy within the Qur’an, as well as between the Qur’an and the Bible. It provides examples that intimately engage with Christological concepts of the Gospels, in addition to examples of allegorical interpretation through inner-Qur’anic allusions. Galadari reveals how new creative insights are possible, and argues that the Qur’an did not come to denounce the Gospel–which is one of the stumbling blocks between Islam and Christianity–but only to interpret it in its own words

Metaphors of Death and Resurrection in the Qur’an

Through extensive textual analysis, this open access book reveals how various passages of the Qur’an define death and resurrection spiritually or metaphorically. While the Day of Resurrection is a major theme of the Qur’an, resurrection has largely been interpreted as physical, which is defined as bones leaving their graves. However, this book shows that the Qur’an sometimes alludes to death and resurrection in a metaphoric manner – for example, rebuilding a desolate town, typically identified as Jerusalem, and bringing the Israelite exiles back; thus, suggesting awareness and engagement with Jewish liturgy. Many times, the Qur’an even speaks of non-believers as spiritually dead, those who live in this world, but are otherwise zombies. The author presents an innovative theory of interpretation, contextualizing the Qur’an within Late Antiquity and traces the Qur’anic passages back to their Biblical, extra-biblical and rabbinic subtexts and traditions. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com

Creatio ex Nihilo and the Literal Qur’an

In the modern age, the conflict between science and religion manifests itself in the debate between evolution and creation. In this essay, it is argued that if we adopt a creationist reading of the Qur’ān, we discover an interesting anomaly: reading the Qur’ān literally does not necessarily provide the foundation of creationism. Creationists usually have in mind the concept of creatio ex nihilo, or ‘creation out of nothing’. However, in the Qur’ān, one of the words used for creation, the verb khalaqa (usually rendered ‘He created’, with God as subject), has the consonant root khlq, which means ‘to split’ or ‘to divide’. This root word can even be seen as applying to the biological process of cell division. Therefore, it is argued here that using the verb khalaqa to describe this physical process is not problematic from a scientific perspective. In addition, with close textual analysis of the Qur’ān, it appears that the second verb for creation, the imperative ‘be’ (kun), does not truly describe the moment of creation, but rather that of ‘being’. The Qur’ān separates the notion of creation from being, which poses the question as to what the text constitutes as the ontological nature of the human being and the universe. Therefore, it is concluded here that even if we do adopt a literal reading of the Qur’ān, it does not necessarily support a worldview that endorses creatio ex nihilo. This paper is one of a collection that originated in the IAHR Special Conference “Religions, Science and Technology in Cultural Contexts:  Dynamics of Change”, held at The Norwegian University of Science and Technology on March 1–2, 2012. For an overall introduction see the article by Ulrika Mårtensson, also published here

There Is No Health Without Mental Health: The Middle East and North Africa

Al Qanun, the medical encyclopedia of Ibn Sina or Avicenna (CE 1037), devotes a whole section to mental illness. His focus on mental ill-health goes way beyond that of the earlier Greco-Roman scholars. Similarly, Ishaq Ibn Imran, an Arab Iraqi physician of the tenth century, is credited with writing the earliest existing treatise devoted entirely to depression. The Middle East and North Africa have, undoubtedly, made considerable contributions to the foundations of our knowledge concerning mental ill-health. A continuation of this focus, however, has never been more necessary. In recent decades, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders have all reached epidemic levels in many parts of the world, and the Middle East and North Africa – MENA – region has not been spared. Major depressive disorder (depression) is now a leading cause of disability globally, and this is also true for many MENA nations. Anxiety and other mental health disorders are also among the leading causes of disability for many MENA nations, significantly contributing to the region’s burden of disease. All of these psychological complaints have a relatively early age of onset, with some of the most substantial and recent increases in prevalence observed among adolescents. This chapter explores the regional research literature on adolescent mental health. Numerous search engines (ScienceDirect, PubMed, PsycInfo) were used for this scoping review, identifying relevant literature between the years 1970 and 2020 in MENA populations. It is, however, not the aim of this chapter to provide an exhaustive systematic review, but rather to highlight some of the literature that best tells the region’s unique story. The chapter pays close attention to depression and eating disorders – conditions which most typically begin in adolescence. The aforementioned conditions can become chronic and costly sources of disability and distress. The relatively youthful population is a reason why such mental health problems should be a priority for the region. This review highlights that and advocates for prevention as a key strategy

Role of ceramide in diabetes mellitus: evidence and mechanisms

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease with multiple complications that causes serious diseases over the years. The condition leads to severe economic consequences and is reaching pandemic level globally. Much research is being carried out to address this disease and its underlying molecular mechanism. This review focuses on the diverse role and mechanism of ceramide, a prime sphingolipid signaling molecule, in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and its complications. Studies using cultured cells, animal models, and human subjects demonstrate that ceramide is a key player in the induction of β-cell apoptosis, insulin resistance, and reduction of insulin gene expression. Ceramide induces β-cell apoptosis by multiple mechanisms namely; activation of extrinsic apoptotic pathway, increasing cytochrome c release, free radical generation, induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibition of Akt. Ceramide also modulates many of the insulin signaling intermediates such as insulin receptor substrate, Akt, Glut-4, and it causes insulin resistance. Ceramide reduces the synthesis of insulin hormone by attenuation of insulin gene expression. Better understanding of this area will increase our understanding of the contribution of ceramide to the pathogenesis of diabetes, and further help in identifying potential therapeutic targets for the management of diabetes mellitus and its complications

Metaphors of Death and Resurrection in the Qur’an

Through extensive textual analysis, this open access book reveals how various passages of the Qur’an define death and resurrection spiritually or metaphorically. While the Day of Resurrection is a major theme of the Qur’an, resurrection has largely been interpreted as physical, which is defined as bones leaving their graves. However, this book shows that the Qur’an sometimes alludes to death and resurrection in a metaphoric manner – for example, rebuilding a desolate town, typically identified as Jerusalem, and bringing the Israelite exiles back; thus, suggesting awareness and engagement with Jewish liturgy. Many times, the Qur’an even speaks of non-believers as spiritually dead, those who live in this world, but are otherwise zombies. The author presents an innovative theory of interpretation, contextualizing the Qur’an within Late Antiquity and traces the Qur’anic passages back to their Biblical, extra-biblical and rabbinic subtexts and traditions. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com

Qur'anic Faith and Reason: An Epistemic Comparison with the Kālāma Sutta

The Qur’an frequently abhors blind faith based on tradition in its arguments against non-believers. Nonetheless, the Qur’an repeatedly asks people to believe in its message. How does the Qur’an distinguish between both kinds of faith? This article investigates the type of epistemology the Qur’an expects from its audience. Linguistically, the Qur’anic concept of īmān may be compared to taking refuge in Buddhism, in that it is through experience and insight (prajñā), as portrayed in the Kālāma Sutta, and not zeal. The Qur’an differentiates between two types of conviction, that which is received through discernment and understanding, and that which is blind. The Qur’an shows cues of an attempt to harmonise faith and reason. It does not entertain non-believers in their request to have supernatural physical proofs, but frequently reminds them to use their reason and observation. This opens further avenues of interfaith dialogue between Buddhism and Islam

Re-Visiting the Meaning of ‘_ẓann_’ in the Qurʾān

The Qurʾānic term, ‘ẓann,’ is usually understood and translated as conjecture. However, I argue that the Qurʾān uses ‘ẓann’ to mean dogmatic zeal or, in other words, being zealous to a certain belief. For conjecture, the Qurʾān uses the root ‘ḥ-s-b,’ such as, ‘ayaḥsabu.’ Although the Qurʾān may criticize some people's conjectures, it does not criticize the act of formulating opinions with the root ‘ḥ-s-b.’ However, the Qurʾān does criticize the act of ‘ẓann.’ This further emphasizes the distinction between conjecture and ‘ẓann,’ according to the Qurʾān. The main emphasis is that when the Qurʾān requires people to shun most ‘ẓann,’ it is argued that it is asking to shun zealous beliefs and dogmas, and it is not asking to shun the formulation of conjectures. The method used is philological, in which the cognates are analyzed in their contexts and compared with their uses in the Qurʾān. Defining ‘ẓann’ as dogmatic zeal rather than conjecture has far-reaching implications in understanding Qurʾānic epistemology and the epistemic process it expects its audience to have