Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Discursive Space and Semantic Autonomy: A Theological Reading of Q. 2:189 from a Muslim Perspective

Document Type : Original article

Authors
Zeinab Aghagolizadeh 1
fateme agahi 2
1 PhD graduate in Quranic Sciences and Hadith, Instructor of Islamic Studies courses at Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Kosar University of Bojnord, Bojnord, Iran.
10.22034/naghdeara.2025.531801.1316
Abstract
This study addresses the hermeneutical challenge posed by the apparent discontinuity between the Qur’anic text and extra-textual reports on the occasions of revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl). It introduces and applies a novel text-centric framework, the “Speech Space” theory, to reconcile this tension while preserving the text’s semantic autonomy. The theory posits that the Qur’anic text itself contains sufficient internal clues—derived from discourse analysis, rhetorical structure, and lexical patterns—to reconstruct the general intellectual and social atmosphere in which a verse was revealed. This framework is tested through a detailed case analysis of Q. 2:189, a verse often cited for its exegetical difficulty. Moving beyond traditional interpretations that treat the verse’s second clause as parenthetical or metaphorical, the study demonstrates that by situating Q. 2:189 within a broader discourse unit beginning at Q. 2:177, the verse’s internal coherence is revealed. The shared corrective structure of both verses points to a unified “Speech Space” polemicizing against a superficial, ritualistic understanding of piety (birr). Consequently, the external asbāb al-nuzūl reports are subordinated to the text’s independent semantic framework, serving to clarify historical details rather than determine meaning. The article concludes that the “Speech Space” theory offers a robust, text-centric exegetical method. The author’s argument is developed from the perspective of Islamic theological premises regarding the Qurʾān’s divine origin and inherent coherence.
Keywords
Siyāq, Occasion of Revelation (Sabab al-Nuzūl), Discourse Analysis, Qur&‌‌‌rsquo
anic Semantic Autonomy, Text-Centric Exegesis, Q. 2:189, Birr and Taqwā
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 30 June 2025
  • Revise Date 06 November 2025
  • Accept Date 08 November 2025