Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

The Eternal Architecture of Revelation and Rationality Discourse in the Holy Qur’an: A Reinterpretation of Qur’anic Discourse through Habermas’s Communicative Dialectics

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD Graduate in Arabic Language and Literature, University of Kashan, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Farhangian University, Tehran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Farhangian University, Tehran.
Abstract
The Holy Qur’an, as a discourse that bridges revelatory and rational teachings, presents a coherent and timeless structure for human guidance. This study, using a descriptive-analytical approach, seeks to explore the multifaceted dimensions of this discourse and examine its unique status through the lens of Jürgen Habermas’s communicative dialectics. First, the foundational elements of Qur’anic discourse and its interaction with revelation and rationality are analyzed. Then, based on Habermas’s theory of communicative action, the Qur’an’s role in constructing a comprehensive and influential discursive system is evaluated. The findings reveal a clear intersection between Habermas’s dialectical theory and Qur’anic discourse in core principles such as the function of language in mutual understanding and human guidance, attention to critical rationality in the pursuit of truth, social justice, equality in dialogue-based relations, and enlightenment in human interactions. Accordingly, the Qur’an not only explicates divine revelation at the highest level but also employs rationality and reason as complements to revelation through its communicative methods. It constructs a coherent system grounded in rationality, transparency, justice, and dialogue, presenting divine revelation as a unified discourse composed of existential revelatory teachings and epistemic rational insights. By examining the Qur’an’s communicative methods, this article highlights its superiority and timelessness as a distinguished epistemological and existential system, demonstrating that this sacred text serves as a unique model not only in spiritual guidance but also in human interaction.
Keywords
Subjects

 
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Volume 4, Issue 2 - Serial Number 8
February 2026
Pages 323-357

  • Receive Date 09 June 2025
  • Revise Date 16 October 2025
  • Accept Date 17 February 2026
  • First Publish Date 17 February 2026
  • Publish Date 21 January 2026