مفهوم البِرّ والمنظومة الأخلاقية القرآنية: البنية والسياق

What is it about?

The Concept of Righteousness and the Qur’anic Ethical System: Structure and Context The present research paper addresses “righteousness” (birr) as a central ethical concept in the Qur’an, drawing on a methodology that combines linguistic and contextual inquiry. At the linguistic level, the paper examines lexical and historical dimensions. The lexical dimension traces the etymology of the root, as well as its derivations and meanings. As for the historical dimension, it tracks the evolution of the use of the term “righteousness” before the advent of Islam, then in the poems of the pre-Islamic period of Jāhiliyya, and finally in the Qur’anic text itself. The research highlights the contextual analysis through two distinct dimensions, one historical, the other structural. The historical dimension tracks the evolution in the use of the term righteousness in the Qur’an, according to the chronological order in which the suras were revealed and the contexts in the Makki and the Madani suras. As for the structural dimension, it specifies the meaning of “righteousness” within the Qur’anic text, considered as one single structure, regardless of the diachronic development of the term. The study further highlights the positive ethical overtone carried by the concept of “righteousness”, which suggests an elevation to perfection and denotes two meanings, namely the sincerity of attitude and the nobility of action. According to the author, “righteousness” is a common denominator of the various religious messages which preceded the advent of Islam. In the Qur’an, the obligations assigned to the faithful are based on “righteousness” which constitutes the source of all obligations. Therefore, the Qur’an transcends the interest that other nations show vis-à-vis the forms and means of obligations, without taking account of their essence and objectives. The researcher believes that the definitions proposed by all exegetes of “righteousness” as a concept in most Qur’anic contexts lack accuracy and lead to ambiguity and confusion, although exegetes agree that this concept encompasses all actions considered as positive and commendable from religious and ethical perspectives. The research concludes by devising a structural and synthetic picture of the concept of “righteousness”, which seeks to revive the linguistic methodology (from a lexical and historical point of view) reflecting the textual and historical context within the entire Qur’anic discourse. This paper takes it that “righteousness” holds a higher rank than the other Qur’anic concepts that are close to it, such as piety, obedience, and honesty in the accomplishment of good deeds.

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