Ethico-Religious Concepts in the Quran

by Izutsu, Toshihiko

• ISBN13: 9780773524262
• ISBN10: 0773524266
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-06-01
• Publisher: McGill Queens Univ

Summary

In The Ethico-Religious Concepts in the Qur'án Toshihiko Izutsu analyses the guiding spirit of the Islamic moral code, the basic ethical relationship of man to God. Izutsu asserts that, according to the Qur'anic conception, God is of an ethical nature and acts upon man in an ethical way. The resulting implications for man are enormous, requiring devotion not merely to God but to living one's life ethically.Izutsu shows that for the Qur'an our ethical response to God's actions is religion itself; it is at the same time both ethics and religion. Izutsu explores these themes by employing ethnolinguistics, a theory of the interrelations between linguistic cultural patterns, to analyse the semantic structure of major concepts in the Quar'an. Islam, which arose in the seventh century, represents one of the most sweeping religious reforms ever to appear in the East.The Quar'an shows in vividly concrete terms how time-honoured tribal norms came into bloody conflict with new ideals of life, and finally yielded to the rising power. This transitional epoch is of particular importance in the whole of Islamic thought, a time during which the key terms of a traditionally fixed system of values were transformed in their connotative structure, modified in their combinations, and finally integrated into an entirely different system.Originally published in 1959 as The Structure of the Ethical Terms in the Koran and revised under the current title in 1966 this 2002 reprint makes this classic work of Islamic studies once again available.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Charles J. Adams
Preface	xi
PRINCIPLES OF SEMANTIC ANALYSIS
Introduction: Language and Culture	3	(13)
The Scope and Focus of the Study	16	(8)
The Method of Analysis and Its Application	24	(21)
FROM TRIBAL CODE TO ISLAMIC ETHICS
The Pessimistic Conception of the Earthly Life	45	(10)
The Spirit of Tribal Solidarity	55	(19)
The Islamization of Old Arab Virtues	74	(31)
Generosity	75	(8)
Courage	83	(3)
Loyalty	86	(11)
Veracity	97	(4)
Patience	101	(4)
The Basic Moral Dichotomy	105	(14)
The Companions of Paradise	108	(3)
The Companions of Hell	111	(8)
THE ANALYSIS OF MAJOR CONCEPTS
The Inner Structure of the Concept of Kufr	119	(37)
The Element of Ingratitude in Kufr	120	(4)
Kufr as Opposed to Iman	124	(3)
The Heart of a Kafir	127	(3)
Kufr and Shirk	130	(3)
Kufr in the Sense of `Going Astray'	133	(6)
Hawa as the Immediate Cause of Dalal	139	(3)
The Attitude of Haughtiness	142	(10)
Mocking at Revelation	152	(2)
Contentiousness	154	(2)
The Semantic Field of Kufr	156	(22)
Fasiq	156	(6)
Fajir	162	(2)
Zalim	164	(14)
Religious Hypocrisy	178	(6)
The Believer	184	(19)
The Ideal Believer	184	(3)
Iman, Belief, as Opposed to Kufr	187	(2)
Islam and Muslim	189	(4)
Divine Guidance	193	(2)
The Fear of God	195	(5)
Thankfulness	200	(3)
Good and Bad	203	(47)
Salih	204	(3)
Birr	207	(4)
Fasad	211	(2)
Ma`ruf and Munkar	213	(4)
Khayr and Sharr	217	(4)
HSN and SW'	221	(12)
Fahsha' or Fahishah	233	(2)
Tayyib and Khabith	235	(2)
Haram and Halal	237	(4)
Sins	241	(9)
Conclusion	250	(5)
Index of Qur'anic Citations	255	(10)
Index of Arabic Words	265	(11)
Index of Subjects	276