Comparative Studies of Quran

Comparative Studies of Quran

A Comparative Analysis of the Psychological Reading of Quranic Verses in Karen Armstrong’s Hermeneutics and Islamic Theological Exegesis

Document Type : Original

Author
Baqir Riahi Mehr
Assistant Professor, Department of Quranic Studies and Orientalism, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran
10.22034/csq.2026.567476.1622
Abstract
Detailed Abstract
Research Objective:
This study conducts a comparative analysis of the psychological reading of Quranic verses within the framework of Karen Armstrong’s hermeneutics and Islamic theological exegesis. The primary research problem is to explain the foundations, functions, and boundaries of the psychological reading of the Quran in Armstrong’s thought and to compare it with the exegetical approach of Islamic theology. This study attempts to demonstrate how Armstrong’s experience-oriented hermeneutics highlights the emotional, cognitive, and existential dimensions of Quranic verses, and explores the ways in which this reading converges with or diverges from Islamic exegesis. Ultimately, it aims to evaluate the capacities of both approaches for a deeper understanding of the psychological functions of the Quran, and to propose an integrative model that can both address the inquiries of contemporary human sciences and remain anchored in the revelatory and theological foundations of the Quran.
Research Methodology:
This research has been conducted using a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical and comparative (intersubjective) method. In the first step, Karen Armstrong’s perspectives on the Quran and religious experience are examined through content analysis of her selected works, particularly A History of God and Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time. In the second step, the psychological reading of Quranic verses in the Islamic exegetical tradition is analyzed, relying on authoritative exegetical sources, including Al-Mizan by Allamah Tabataba'i and Tafsir Nemoneh. Data were extracted through conceptual analysis of verses associated with concepts such as sakīnah (tranquility), dhikr (remembrance), ṣabr (patience), khawf (fear) and rajāʾ (hope), hidāyah (guidance), and psychological resilience, and then compared within a comparative framework. Utilizing the concepts of the psychology of religion and cognitive sciences as analytical tools constitutes the innovative methodological aspect of this study.
Research Findings:
The findings indicate that Armstrong views the Quran as a dynamic, living, and responsive text that engages the recipient in an emotional and existential dialogue. By emphasizing the lived religious experience, she highlights the psychological function of Quranic verses in generating tranquility, imparting meaning to suffering, fostering hope, and inducing inner transformation in humans. Verses such as "O mankind, there has come to you instruction from your Lord" (Yunus: 57) and "Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured" (Ar-Ra'd: 28) are analyzed in Armstrong’s reading as evidence of the therapeutic and calming role of the Quran.
Conversely, Islamic theological exegesis, while acknowledging the psychological impact of the verses, traces the source of this influence to the revelatory nature of the text and divine guidance. From this perspective, the psychological functions of the Quran are considered part of its educational and guiding mission, and verses such as "And seek help through patience and prayer" (Al-Baqarah: 45) are presented not only as pacifying but also as a catalyst for individual and social reform. The comparative analysis demonstrates that the convergence of the two approaches lies in their attention to the dynamism of the Quranic text and its role in bolstering psychological and moral resilience, whereas the primary divergence resides in the epistemological and metaphysical foundations explaining this efficacy.
Final Conclusion:
The final results of the study show that Armstrong’s hermeneutics, despite shortcomings such as a relative neglect of the revelatory dimension of the Quran, possesses high capacity for interdisciplinary dialogue with the psychology of religion and contemporary human sciences. On the other hand, Islamic theological exegesis, relying on the foundations of revelation and divine guidance, offers a deeper and more comprehensive explanation of the psychological functions of the Quran, although in some cases it requires a more systematic application of modern analytical concepts. Accordingly, the present research indicates that a deliberate integration of these two approaches can lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the psychological miracle of the Quran—an understanding that both takes the recipient's human experience seriously and preserves the revelatory and supratemporal truth of the Quran. This integrative approach can open up new horizons in contemporary exegetical studies.
Keywords
Comparative analysis
psychological reading of the Quran
Karen Armstrong's hermeneutics
Islamic theological exegesis
psychological miracle
Subjects
The Holy Qur’an, Translated by Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi.
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Comparative Studies of Quran
Volume 10, Issue 2 - Serial Number 20
January 2026
Pages 160-187

  • Receive Date 27 April 2025
  • Revise Date 04 June 2025
  • Accept Date 11 June 2025
  • Publish Date 22 December 2025