The Historicity of the Qur’anic Text: A Critique of the Concept and Implications in Contemporary Modernist Discourse

This study examines the contemporary Shiite Imami intellectual stance on the historicist reading of the Qur'anic text, as presented by modernist thinkers such as Mohammed Arkoun, Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd, Abdul Karim Soroush, and Mohammad Mojtahed Shabestari. The research explores interpretative approaches that emphasize the determining role of historical and contextual factors in understanding revelation, contrasting them with the Imami approach that integrates temporal considerations while upholding the sanctity and transcendence of the divine text. The study shows that Imami thought does not reject historical context analysis but rather conditions it with epistemological and doctrinal frameworks that preserve the authoritative status of the Qur'an. The research outlines the diverse positions among Shiite thinkers—ranging from fundamental rejection to cautious integration of historicism within the bounds of authentic religious understanding. The study ultimately advocates for a rational, purpose-oriented, and Imami-based interpretative model that respects the timeless values of revelation while engaging with modern contextual realities.