https://arq.quran.ac.ir/ Qur’an and Social Sciences en daily 1 Sun, 22 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0330 Sun, 22 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0330 https://arq.quran.ac.ir/article_214140.html The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is the most perfect creature and a guide for humankind, characterized by gentleness and compassion toward all people. His conduct and demeanor reflect the essence of Qur’anic teachings and are imbued with kindness, mercy, and benevolence. One issue within his governance approach and social conduct that calls for careful examination and analysis is the question of whether authoritarianism existed in his practice—a matter that has fueled numerous allegations aimed at character assassination and distortion of his esteemed status. The central problem of the present study lies in the fact that certain individuals, by appealing to specific Qur’anic verses and historical sources, have raised doubts and sought thereby to establish the claim of authoritarianism in the person of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), which in turn has undermined faith and religious convictions. Therefore, to defend the sanctity of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family), an accurate understanding of these allegations and a well-reasoned and convincing response to them is deemed essential. The findings of this study indicate that numerous Qur’anic verses, hadiths, and historical accounts underscore the absence of authoritarianism or despotism in his social conduct and governance approach. Furthermore, all objections and allegations raised in this regard are unfounded, and no trace of authoritarianism—particularly in the events of the Battle of Badr and the Conquest of Mecca—can be discerned. https://arq.quran.ac.ir/article_234458.html This study presents a comparative examination of the concept of social stratification from the perspectives of the Qur’an and Karl Marx. Marx holds that the economic structure of society—particularly ownership of the means of production—is the primary determinant of social relations and the formation of different classes. In contrast, the Holy Qur’an evaluates social stratification based on spiritual and moral criteria. The significance of this research lies in offering a critical viewpoint that deepens the understanding of religious foundations concerning social classes. The research question asks what the criteria of social stratification are from the viewpoints of Karl Marx and the Qur’an, and how, considering the characteristics of each, these perspectives influence society. The hypothesis suggests that the Qur’anic view, with its emphasis on social justice and the distinction between acquired and non-acquired differences, partially overlaps with Marx’s class-based stratification while differing considerably in other respects. The study aims to achieve a deeper understanding of the points of convergence or divergence between Marxist and Qur’anic conceptions of social stratification. The research method is analytical and comparative, drawing on Qur’anic exegeses and sociological sources. The findings indicate that both Karl Marx and the Qur’an acknowledge the existence of social inequality, yet they interpret its origins differently. Marx emphasizes the role of the economy in class formation, whereas the Qur’an underscores the significance of moral and spiritual values in establishing a just society. While Marx envisions social revolution as the remedy, the Qur’an emphasizes social justice, fairness, and the struggle against oppression on both individual and collective levels. https://arq.quran.ac.ir/article_234459.html The issue of mutʿah (temporary marriage), particularly in relation to verse 24 of Qur’an 4, has always been one of the most debated subjects in Qur’anic exegesis and Islamic jurisprudence, attracting extensive attention from Muslim exegetes and jurists, especially among the Imāmiyyah and Ahl al-Sunnah. The significance of this study lies in the fact that, despite the abundance of research on the legal ruling of mutʿah (temporary marriage), exegetical and social analyses of the verse with a focus on the concept of “necessity” at both the individual and social levels have received little attention. The main objective of this research is to elucidate the exegetical functions of the Verse of Istimtāʿ (Qur’an 4:24) within the framework of emerging human and social necessities and to reinterpret the concept of mutʿah (temporary marriage) in various social contexts. The research method is descriptive-analytical and based on library sources. In this regard, lexical and exegetical analyses of the verse are conducted alongside a review of the views of scholars from both schools of thought, as well as interpretations grounded in social conditions. The findings of the study indicate that, from the Imāmī exegetical perspective, the legitimacy of mutʿah (temporary marriage) is supported by the apparent meaning of the verse, the Prophetic tradition, and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), while emphasis on the expressions istimtāʿ and ujūrihunna implies the legality of temporary marriage. Furthermore, the concept of necessity occupies a central place in explaining the social function of mutʿah. The results reveal that mutʿah (temporary marriage), at the individual level, serves as a response to instinctive and psychological needs, and at the social level, it can function as a means of preserving society, particularly in critical situations such as war or scarcity of resources. Hence, collective necessities may give rise to individual necessity. Ultimately, revisiting the Verse of istimtāʿ based on the theory of necessity opens a new horizon for the social and comparative understanding of Sharīʿah rulings in the contemporary world. https://arq.quran.ac.ir/article_234460.html Islamic teachings have presented individual and social indicators and criteria for organizing leisure time. However, technological developments, socio-cultural transformations, and changes in lifestyle within modern societies have altered the meaning of leisure, creating a gap between traditional models and contemporary leisure practices. These transformations have posed serious challenges to policymaking processes in this field. The present study aims to explain the foundations, indicators, and model of leisure from the perspective of Islam through an interdisciplinary approach that integrates Islamic teachings and sociological theories. The research method employed is directed qualitative content analysis, in which an initial theoretical framework was developed using sociological theories, based on which primary concepts and codes were extracted. Subsequently, Islamic texts were analyzed through conceptual analysis, open coding, and axial coding, and the emerging themes were organized into a three-level structure. The findings indicate that Islamic indicators of leisure can be classified at three levels: (1) Essential Limits, encompassing restrictive and minimal Shar‘i frameworks; (2) Indicators of Excellence, including positive and educational components; and (3) Exemplary Model, representing ideal patterns for spiritually and morally capable individuals. Formulating cultural policies on leisure based on these levels can contribute to the effective management of leisure time and strengthen the cultural, educational, and multidimensional foundations of growth within the Islamic society. https://arq.quran.ac.ir/article_234461.html The family, as the most fundamental social institution, plays a pivotal role in ensuring the psychological, social, economic, and cultural well-being of society. Any disruption in the structure or function of the family can entail negative and lasting consequences at both individual and social levels. The present study, aiming to analyze the vulnerabilities affecting spousal relations within the family on the basis of the teachings of the Noble Qur’an, was conducted using the content-analysis method. To this end, all verses related to family vulnerabilities were identified and categorized. In the course of the content-analysis process, meaningful units were extracted and organized into principal themes and categories, and an analytical-expository approach was employed to interpret and elucidate the vulnerabilities. The findings indicate that the Qur’an, through a multilayered perspective, does not confine family vulnerabilities merely to the behavioral level, but also addresses deeper dimensions such as beliefs, attitudes, power relations, and gender roles. According to the analysis of the verses, the most significant threats undermining family cohesion include individualism, identity crisis, shifts in attitudes toward gender roles, violation of mutual rights, male domination, sexual promiscuity, weakening of religious beliefs, and psychological and legal spousal abuse. Based on the statistical results derived from a total of 64 relevant verses, the highest proportion of family vulnerabilities pertains to misconduct shared by both spouses (41%), followed by misconduct by men (39%), and misconduct by women (20%). In the face of these vulnerabilities, the Qur’an, by emphasizing foundational principles such as God-centeredness, chastity, righteous conduct, and the precedence of collective welfare over individual benefit, offers preventive and corrective strategies for strengthening and restoring spousal relations. The results of this study indicate that Qur’anic principles—grounded in human nature and characterized by conceptual flexibility—possess the capacity to accommodate contemporary social transformations and challenges. Accordingly, employing the Qur’anic framework can provide an effective model for enhancing family well-being, redefining intra-family mechanisms, and repairing strained relationships in contemporary societies. https://arq.quran.ac.ir/article_234462.html The phenomenon of social participation is one of the fundamental pillars in shaping sustainable development and realizing economic justice in contemporary societies. While modern economic theories—particularly within liberal and neoliberal approaches—define participation largely based on self-interest, the free market, and capital-driven mechanisms, the Noble Qur’an, through a theocentric and human-centered perspective, offers a comprehensive and spiritual model of participation grounded in intergroup mutual assistance, almsgiving (infāq), zakāt, and waqf. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and drawing on Shia and Sunni exegetical sources, economic literature, and studies of contemporary theories, this research seeks to provide a comparative analysis of the role of social participation in improving economic conditions, with an emphasis on Qur’anic teachings and a comparison with the foundations of modern economics. The theoretical framework of the paper is based on the Qur’anic concept of social justice (centered on verses concerning zakāt, infāq, and ṣadaqāt) and on theories of self-interest and the free market in modern economic thought. The findings indicate that, in Qur’anic reasoning, social participation is more than an economic obligation; it is an act of worship, a means of spiritual refinement, and a mechanism for the just distribution of wealth, articulated through three modes: obligatory (zakāt), voluntary (infāq), and institutional-sustainable (waqf). In contrast, although modern systems offer notable advantages, participation is often treated as an instrument for economic exploitation and for consolidating the interests of particular groups. The conclusion of the study suggests that revisiting this Qur’anic model may provide grounds for proposing alternative frameworks in economic policymaking aimed at reducing poverty and inequality—an approach that elevates not only material well-being but also human dignity and social capital. https://arq.quran.ac.ir/article_234467.html Every universal and all-encompassing principle related to the growth, flourishing, exaltation, or decline and degeneration of human beings and societies represents one of the Divine and social traditions. Recognizing and comprehending these traditions is a vital and fundamental factor in preventing the destruction of nations and ensuring their progress and dignity, for the Divine traditions operate within present communities just as they did within those of the past. A comprehensive understanding of the causes that led to the downfall of previous societies can be transmitted to other nations and communities, thereby preventing their destruction. On this basis, examining the characteristics of Divine and social traditions—namely, analyzing the constituent and formative elements, as well as the conditions of these Divine laws that have influenced human life since creation—is of great importance and necessity. Human beings and societies must be aware of the reasons, causes, and circumstances behind the events that befall them, so that through affirmative or preventive action, they may respond appropriately and traverse their worldly and spiritual journey toward happiness, perfection, and Divine proximity in the shortest and most correct path. Accordingly, the components of Divine and social traditions in the Qur’an and its exegetical literature have been discussed—through library-based research and descriptive-analytical methods—in such aspects as their foundation upon the principle of causality, universality and comprehensiveness, permanence and immutability, compatibility with human free will, guidance-oriented nature, social dimension, and the succession of Divine traditions.