1
Level 3 Researcher, Department of Qur’anic Exegesis and Quranic Sciences, Al-Zahra (S) University, Qom, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic History and Civilization, Dar al-Hikmah Higher Education Institute, Qom, Iran
Abstract
The creeping and silent spread of emerging sects since the twentieth century within the Islamic society has become a serious threat to religious culture and the Qur’anic identity of Muslim communities. Therefore, recognizing deviant sects has become an essential necessity in the fields of religious studies and Islamic societal development. This study aims to provide a methodological framework for evaluating some contemporary emerging sects by focusing on Qur’anic hermeneutical criteria. The main research question is: What are the Qur’anic epistemic indicators for identifying and critiquing certain modern emerging sects? The central hypothesis is that Qur’anic teachings offer clear and trans-historical criteria for assessing the validity or deviation of religious doctrines. By applying these criteria to contemporary movements such as the Bahá'í Faith, Raëlism, Sathya Sai Baba, and the "Erfan-e Halgheh" (Circle of Divine Knowledge), their doctrinal deviations can be clearly revealed. The objective of this research is to articulate the Qur’anic epistemic criteria for recognizing the aforementioned deviant sects. The study employs a descriptive-analytical approach and relies on library-based sources in the fields of Qur’anic exegesis and firaq (sects) studies. Findings indicate that key epistemic indicators – such as determinism (jabr), rejection of intercession (tawassul) and mediation, belief in reincarnation, anti-rationalism or hyper-rationalism, inclination toward superstition, and the blending of truth with falsehood – are among the most significant signs of deviation in the examined sects. The final conclusion is that employing Qur’anic epistemic criteria can serve as an effective and scripturally grounded tool for purifying religious practice from the teachings of deviant sects.
ebrahimy,F and sazandegi,M . (2024). Applying Qur’anic Hermeneutical Criteria in Identifying and Critiquing Some Contemporary Emerging Sects. Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3(9), 121-149.
MLA
ebrahimy,F , and sazandegi,M . "Applying Qur’anic Hermeneutical Criteria in Identifying and Critiquing Some Contemporary Emerging Sects", Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3, 9, 2024, 121-149.
HARVARD
ebrahimy F, sazandegi M. (2024). 'Applying Qur’anic Hermeneutical Criteria in Identifying and Critiquing Some Contemporary Emerging Sects', Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3(9), pp. 121-149.
CHICAGO
F ebrahimy and M sazandegi, "Applying Qur’anic Hermeneutical Criteria in Identifying and Critiquing Some Contemporary Emerging Sects," Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3 9 (2024): 121-149,
VANCOUVER
ebrahimy F, sazandegi M. Applying Qur’anic Hermeneutical Criteria in Identifying and Critiquing Some Contemporary Emerging Sects. Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies. 2024;3(9):121-149 (In Persian).
