An Analytical Study of the Factors behind Reliance on Reason in Understanding the Qur’an in the Contemporary Era

عصرِ حاضر میں قرآن فہمی میں عقل پر انحصار کے اسباب کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

Modern Qur’anic interpretation has increasingly emphasized reason and rational thinking. While reasoning has always played an important role in understanding the Qur’an, excessive reliance on it without adequate engagement with traditional interpretive methods has led to significant shifts in meaning and understanding. This study looks at why contemporary interpreters are leaning so heavily on rational approaches and what historical and intellectual influences have shaped this trend. By analyzing classical tafsīr works, modern Islamic scholarship and current academic discussions, the research compares traditional interpretive methods with newer approaches influenced by secular ideas. The study finds that several factors encourage over-reliance on reason: the influence of Western thought, the desire for social recognition and intellectual approval, weak grounding in classical methods, existing personal or ideological biases and even AI-generated interpretations. The AI can be incomplete or inaccurate due to limited data. The study concludes that excessive dependence on reason can lead to interpretations that stray from the established principles of tafsīr and move away from the authentic understanding preserved by the Companions, the Successors and the early generations who reliably conveyed the Prophet’s intended meaning.