Which Quran?

The Quran is a book of reading, thinking, enlightenment, comprehension, awareness, finding the right path, resurrection, and deeds to be put into practice. However, today the Quran has been turned into a book whose only solution offered for human responsibility and the ability to distinguish good from evil is “seeking signs by lying down in a dream,” and which is merely “hoped to bring blessings and good luck.” People’s duty towards it has become nothing more than a dry blessing, excessive reverence, and kissing and placing it on their heads. Not touching it without ablution, putting it in a case and hanging it on the edge of a mirror or a high place on the wall; placing it next to a swaddled baby, at the door of a new house, or at a guest’s bedside has become commonplace. Furthermore, some of its surahs and verses have come to be used for purposes such as magical acts, special ceremonies, charms, exorcism, healing rheumatism, or casting and breaking spells. The issue is not to interpret the Quran “with opinion.” What does “opinion” mean? That is, our previous ideas and beliefs. First, one believes in a certain scientific, physical, chemical, jurisprudential, sectarian opinion, and then goes to the Quran, searching for proof of our previous opinion and belief. This is why we see that Shia follows the Quran, and Shia emerges; Sunni follows, and Sunni emerges; Wahhabi follows, and Wahhabi emerges; Jabri follows, and Jabri emerges; Nasibi follows, and Nasibi emerges; Ikhtiyari follows, and Ikhtiyari emerges. Well, what is the Quran doing then? All of these are opinions, and all of these are interpretations made with opinion. So, how should we be?

A mind purified from all previous opinions, cleansed from all previous beliefs inherited or forcibly imposed; as a trained, alert mind; with a logical and rational, powerful, alert, meaning-extracting view, but without fanaticism or commitment to prove any previous opinion, one should go to the Quran and see and extract what is what from within the Quran…

Excerpt from the article titled Which Quran Ali Shariati
Who is Ali Shariati? Ali Shariati was an Iranian Muslim sociologist, thinker, writer, and political activist. He was born in 1933 in the Khorasan region of Iran and passed away in 1977 in Southampton, England. His death is still controversial today; although some circles claim it was not natural, no definitively proven conclusion has been reached. (TDV Encyclopedia of Islam) Shariati is considered one of the most influential figures in modern Islamic thought. He studied at the Sorbonne University in France, where he was influenced by sociology, history, existentialism, and anti-colonialist ideas. After returning to Iran, he was repeatedly arrested due to his critical speeches against the Shah’s regime. He was known for his conferences, which had a great impact, especially among young people. (Encyclopedia of Islam) The main characteristics of his thoughts are as follows:

He argued that Islam is not merely about individual worship but also calls for social justice and freedom. While criticizing the colonialist and materialistic aspects of the West, he stated that Muslim societies should also question their own traditions. He interpreted Hz. Ali, Hz. Hussein, and the Karbala event as symbols of justice, resistance, and struggle against oppression. He utilized some sociological analysis methods from Marxism but rejected its atheism and materialistic aspects. (Islam Thought Atlas)

Some of his most well-known works include:

Religion Against Religion The Four Prisons of Man Hajj Fatima is Fatima Abu Dharr Civilization and Modernism

Ali Shariati’s ideas influenced many young people, especially before the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution. However, he was criticized from different perspectives by both traditional religious scholars and secular circles. For this reason, he continues to be an important figure debated in terms of both Islamic thought and political theory today.