http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/ The Quran: Contemporary Studies en daily 1 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 +0330 http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11942.html Throughout Islamic history, Quranic exegesis has been shaped by diverse epistemological foundations and methodological approaches, with each exegete offering a distinct framework for understanding divine revelation. Among contemporary exegetes, Martyr Ayatullah Khamenei has developed a coherent theory of Quranic exegesis that integrates the heritage of Shiʿi exegesis with innovative epistemological and methodological principles. This study examines the foundations, rules, and methodological structure of his exegetical thought through a descriptive–analytical analysis of his exegetical writings, Quranic discourses, speeches, and interpretive views. The findings indicate that his exegetical framework is grounded in the Quran’s miraculous and incorruptible nature, the inseparable relationship between the Quran and the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), the authority of authentic hadiths, and the legitimacy of reason. It further emphasizes the Quran’s scientific and epistemic authority, the comprehensiveness of its guidance, its transformative role in the human sciences, and a socio-civilizational approach to revelation. His exegetical methodology incorporates contextual analysis (siyāq), application and extension (jary wa taṭbīq), deeper semantic interpretation (baṭn), dialogical engagement with the Quran (istinṭāq al-Qur’ān), linguistic analysis, and the integrated use of Quran-by-Quran, hadith-based, rational, and ijtihādī methods. The study concludes that these principles and rules form a coherent epistemological system that supports socio-political interpretation, interdisciplinary Quranic scholarship, and the development of Quran-based knowledge. Consequently, Ayatullah Khamenei’s exegetical theory represents a significant contemporary paradigm capable of addressing individual, social, and civilizational challenges in the Muslim world. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11943.html The primary aim of this study is to extract and design a leadership model grounded in Islamic teachings through an in‑depth examination of the Prophetic practice during the Battle of Uḥud. The article seeks to answer the question of how the key components of the Prophet’s leadership system operated under conditions of apparent defeat and a multidimensional crisis. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical method, employing qualitative content analysis of relevant Quranic verses and authoritative historical sources. The findings reveal six interrelated components: (1) value‑centered leadership prioritizing divine principles over material interests; (2) strategic decision‑making characterized by consultation and decisiveness; (3) the cultivation of ideologically committed cadres and avoidance of personality‑centered leadership; (4) crisis management and the restoration of the troops’ psychological cohesion; (5) core personal attributes such as courage and active trust in God; and (6) decentralization of responsibility to create a flexible organizational structure. The results indicate that the leadership pattern demonstrated at Uḥud constitutes an integrated model in which the dialectical interaction between structural and normative dimensions transformed crisis into an opportunity for the maturation of the nascent Muslim community. This framework, conceptualized as “tawḥīd‑centered transformational leadership,” complements theories of transformational and servant leadership by placing spirituality at their core. The application of this model may offer practical guidance for leaders and managers operating under conditions of uncertainty and crisis. From an interdisciplinary perspective, the study highlights the capacity of religious texts to contribute to the development of indigenous theories in the social sciences and management while providing actionable insights for leadership in contexts of complexity and uncertainty. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11944.html Verse 52 of Sūrat al-Furqān (“So do not obey the faithless, but wage against them a great jihad with it”) has traditionally been interpreted by Quranic exegetes as referring to striving against the disbelievers through the instrumentality of the Quran. However, Martyr Ayatullah Khamenei presents an innovative hermeneutical reading in which the essence of the Great Jihad is defined as “disobedience to the disbelievers” (ʿadam al‑iṭāʿah), thereby elevating the concept from a merely exegetical notion to a comprehensive civilizational strategy for confronting hegemonic systems. The present study aims to conceptualize the notion of the Great Jihad on the basis of Martyr Ayatullah Khamenei’s interpretation of this verse and to articulate a three‑layered model encompassing theoretical, strategic, and operational dimensions. Using a qualitative approach, the research conducts a content analysis of the Leader’s direct statements between 2012 and 2024 and employs thematic analysis to extract the principal conceptual components. The findings indicate that, within this exegetical framework, the Great Jihad rests upon three defining characteristics: essentiality, in the sense that non‑obedience itself constitutes the core of the struggle; perpetuity, indicating its continuous and sustained nature; and comprehensiveness, reflecting its wide scope across various domains of life. At the strategic level, three principal pillars emerge: vigilance and intellectual awareness regarding the enemy’s schemes, refusal to comply with the enemy, and active resistance combined with steadfastness. At the operational level, three domains appear as concrete manifestations of the Great Jihad: the Resistance Economy, the Jihad of Clarification, and institutional capacity‑building accompanied by the scientific documentation and theorization of revolutionary experiences. Overall, the study concludes that in Martyr Ayatullah Khamenei’s intellectual framework the Great Jihad functions as a civilizational strategy for confronting hegemonic domination; grounded in the principle of “disobedience to the disbelievers” and structured around three strategic pillars and three operational domains, it offers a comprehensive, multi‑layered, and actionable model for safeguarding the identity, independence, and dignity of the Islamic community in the contemporary era. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11899.html The concept of ṭāghūt is one of the central concepts in the epistemic system of the Holy Quran, bearing a direct relation to monotheism, divine authority, and the political–social order of human society. In numerous verses, the Holy Quran links faith with the rejection of ṭāghūt and presents this rejection as a condition for attaining guidance. In the Quranic thought of Ayatollah Khamenei, ṭāghūt does not merely denote an oppressive individual or an unjust ruler; rather, it signifies a system of domination in which political, economic, and cultural powers are organized toward the negation of divine sovereignty and the consolidation of non-divine authority. From this perspective, the opposition between divine authority and ṭāghūtī authority constitutes one of the fundamental axes for understanding the Quranic social order, while the struggle against ṭāghūt is presented as one of the foundational aims of the prophetic missions. Inspired by the analytical framework of ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī and Ayatullah Khamenei’s Quranic thought and employing the method of thematic analysis of Quranic verses, the present study examines the concept of ṭāghūt in the Holy Quran and extracts its components at four levels: foundations, structure, function, and consequences. The findings indicate that the ṭāghūtī system in the Quran is grounded in the denial of divine sovereignty, the formation of networks of arrogant power, the production of false legitimacies, the distortion of truth, and the exploitation of the masses. Ultimately, such a system leads to the spread of corruption and to moral and social collapse. Accordingly, in the logic of the Quran, ṭāghūt is not merely an individual or a historical phenomenon, but rather a structural pattern of domination that stands in fundamental opposition to the system of divine authority. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11953.html The concept of ṭāghūt is among the fundamental concepts of the Quran in delineating the boundary between monotheism and polytheism, faith and unbelief, and divine guardianship and non-divine guardianship. In its Quranic usage, this concept is not confined merely to historical idols; rather, it encompasses any authority, power, movement, or structure that removes human beings from servitude to God and directs them toward obedience to other than Him. Accordingly, a re-examination of the modes of manifestation of ṭāghūt and the Quranic methods of confronting it—particularly with emphasis on the thought of Martyr Imam Khamenei—constitutes a scholarly and epistemological necessity. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and drawing on library-based sources, the present study seeks to explicate the concept of ṭāghūt, classify its manifestations in the Quran, and derive strategies for confronting it. The findings indicate that ṭāghūt in the Quran can be identified in three principal forms: ṭāghūt as a false object of worship, ṭāghūt as a non-divine authority of judgment and arbitration, and ṭāghūt as a deviant guardian, ruler, and leader. The Quran also presents a coherent set of strategies for confronting ṭāghūt, the most important of which are: disbelief in ṭāghūt and the negation of its legitimacy, practical avoidance and distancing from it, and refraining from inclining toward, relying on, or placing trust in oppressors. According to Martyr Imam Khamenei’s Quranic thought, ṭāghūt should be understood not only in terms of its historical manifestations but also as appearing in contemporary political, cultural, and civilizational forms; consequently, resistance to it constitutes a fundamental pillar in the realization of social monotheism in the modern world. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11950.html This study aims to conduct a semantic analysis of the concept of the “burden of responsibility” in the Holy Quran and to elucidate its dimensions with particular emphasis on the exegetical perspective of Martyr Ayatolluh Khamenei. To this end, the Qur’anic terms thiql (ثِقْل), iṣr (إصر), ḥaml (حمل), kall (کلّ), wizr (وزر), wazn (وزن), and waqr (وقر) are examined as lexemes belonging to the same semantic field as the notion of the “burden of responsibility.” Drawing upon the interpretive explanations and discourses of Ayatullah Khamenei, responsibility within the Quranic horizon is understood as a form of divine commitment, obligation, and guardianship (wilāyah). The research adopts a descriptive-analytical method grounded in lexical semantics and semantic field analysis. The findings indicate that each of these terms represents a distinct dimension of the burden of responsibility: thiql denotes weightiness, value, and the dignified gravity of human responsibility; iṣr signifies a demanding obligation and binding covenant; ḥaml refers to the acceptance and bearing of duty; kall conveys the notion of dependency and social burden; wizr indicates the burden of sin and penal accountability; wazn relates to measurement, justice, and the evaluation of deeds; and waqr signifies perceptual heaviness and an epistemic impediment to accepting the truth. Based on this analysis, the semantic network of the “burden of responsibility” in the Quran presents a multilayered portrayal of the responsible human being—one who is accountable before God, the self, society, and the truth. Ayatullah Khamenei’s exegetical emphasis on human responsibility in the spheres of faith, action, and social life further reinforces this semantic understanding within the broader framework of the Quran’s social guidance. The study concludes that the concept of the “burden of responsibility” in the Quran extends beyond individual obligation, constituting a comprehensive ethical, social, and epistemological system for articulating commitment, accountability, justice, and the acceptance of truth. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11952.html This study investigates the Quranic foundations and conceptual components of “popular awakening” (biʿthat-i mardumī) within the intellectual framework of the martyred leader of the Iranian Islamic Revolution. Adopting a qualitative descriptive-analytical methodology, the research synthesizes exegetical analysis of Quranic texts with the leader’s corpus of speeches and written works. The primary objective is to delineate the revelatory basis of social guidance and to construct a coherent, praxis-oriented model for achieving an ideal society. The findings reveal that popular awakening is predicated upon core Quranic tenets, specifically the principles of universal invitation, the divine law of social change, and jihad as a catalyst for guidance. Key structural components identified include strategic awareness, collective responsibility, and sustained social dynamism. The study concludes that in this paradigm, social guidance functions as an integrated process of intellectual maturation and structural reform aimed at establishing justice under divine sovereignty. By systematizing these elements, the research provides a theoretical framework for understanding the intersection of divine revelation and contemporary socio-political mobilization. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_11951.html The study of Western discourses on prominent Islamic figures and their intellectual contributions represents one of the most significant avenues for understanding the relationship between Islam and its impact on the contemporary world. Within this context, Ayatollah Khamenei, as one of the most influential leaders of the Islamic world, has occupied a central place in such discourses and attracted the attention of numerous Western scholars and intellectual circles. This has led to the emergence of multiple discourses, both positive and negative, which call for critical examination. Employing a descriptive–analytical method, this article aims to demonstrate the Quranic foundation of Ayatollah Khamenei’s political-Quranic thought and character, while critiquing Western discourses about him. The findings indicate that these discourses frequently involve misunderstandings of the concept of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist). Certain critical currents also question his qualifications for supreme leadership, raising allegations of incompetence and intolerance toward criticism. Furthermore, Ayatollah Khamenei’s influence on Iran’s economic policies and his anti-Western stance constitute central themes in these discourses. By reviewing and critiquing these discourses and contrasting them with relevant Quranic verses and Hadiths—used as vital explainers of the Quran—the article concludes that the key shortcomings of Western approaches in this regard stem from political bias, prejudice, and a failure to understand the solid scriptural and traditional roots of Ayatollah Khamenei’s thought and character. http://qns.journals.miu.ac.ir/article_10098.html Generative guardianship, as one of the fundamental topics in Shiite theology, plays a crucial role in the relationship between God and the universe. Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return), as the divine representative and intermediary of grace, holds a central position in the continuity of the flow of divine grace. This study employs a descriptive-analytical method to explore generative guardianship in the perfect human being and analyzes its continuity during the occultation of the Hujjah from the perspective of verses and traditions. The main question of this research is how the necessity of the continuity of Imam Mahdi’s (s) generative guardianship during the occultation is explained and what evidence exists for it. The findings of the study indicate that, based on rational foundations, including the principle of divine grace (Qaidah Lutf) and the system of causality, the existence of a divine representative is essential for maintaining balance and the survival of the cosmic system. Additionally, the analysis of transmitted evidence shows that the occultation of the Imam does not prevent the continuity of his generative guardianship in guiding the world and delivering divine grace to creatures. This research, by examining the theories of interpreters, demonstrates that generative guardianship is not only compatible with monotheistic principles but is also rooted in the wise system of divine governance in managing the realm. Furthermore, by critiquing contemporary doubts surrounding Takhini Wilayah, the position of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his return) in guiding and managing existence is elucidated.