Is the Qur'an truly the word of God, or does it reflect the creative imagination of Prophet Muhammad (s)? How do we understand revelation in a world governed by reason and science? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we grapple with these fundamental questions with Dr Abdolkarim Soroush, one of the most influential voices in contemporary Islamic intellectual reform.This wide-ranging conversation explores Dr Soroush's groundbreaking theory of the expansion and contraction of religious knowledge, his views on revelation and prophetic experience, and the controversial notion that the Qur'an might be better understood as "Kalam Muhammad" rather than literal divine speech. From essentials and accidentals of the Qur’an to the paradoxical nature of Prophetic life, we examine how prophetic experience can be understood in our post-prophetic age.Dr Soroush is a distinguished philosopher of religion and a leading voice in Islamic intellectual reform. A Visiting Scholar at the University of Maryland and former Professor at the University of Tehran, he has also held visiting positions at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale Universities. Dr Soroush is renowned for his influential work "The Expansion of Prophetic Experience" and his contributions to contemporary Islamic thought and hermeneutics.Audio Chapters:

0:00 – Highlights1:34 – Understanding the Phenomena of Revelation4:40 – Expansion & Contraction of Islamic Interpretation10:42 – Expectations from Religion13:12 – Between Maximalization & Infallibility17:22 – Is Revelation like Poetry or a Dream?24:49 – Revelation as Creative Imagination28:32 – Kalam e Muhammad or Kalamullah35:58 – God is Also Sad When You're Sad39:17 – The Speech of God is Metaphorical47:18 – Essentials and Accidentals of the Qur'an49:17 – Prophetic Experience & Its Expansion53:15 – Prophetic Paradox56:36 – Finality of Prophethood59:00 – Imamate & Finality1:03:45 – Thinking Islam Question

Was the Qur’an revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) through divine speech, imagination, divine inspiration, or visions? In this seminar, Professor Mahmoud Morvarid, a Researcher at the Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, examines four key models within the Islamic intellectual tradition that attempt to describe the mystery of divine revelation.Drawing on theology, philosophy, and mysticism, the presentation reflects on how revelation has been understood across centuries, the challenges these interpretations face, and why the debate remains relevant for contemporary thought.In this seminar, you will learn:– How revelation has been approached in classical Islamic thought– Why different disciplines (theology, philosophy, Sufism) offer contrasting perspectives– The continuing significance of these debates for understanding the Qur’an todayAudio Chapters:0:00 – Setting the Context: Revelation in Islam4:15 – The Mutakallimūn Model10:30 – The Fārābī–Ibn Sīnā Model33:08 – The Ghazālī Model42:40 – The Suhrawardī Model46:56 – Comparative Analysis of the Models

Does the Qur’an only invite us to think, or does its message also create an emotional state? In this episode of Thinking Islam, we explore the profound emotional trajectories within the Quranic paradigm with leading scholar Dr. Karen Bauer. From the roles of fear and hope in religious experience to the surprising emotional vulnerability of the prophets, we unpack how the Qur’anic text masterfully orchestrates human feelings to create lasting inner transformation. This conversation explores Dr. Bauer’s groundbreaking research on emotional plots in Islamic texts. It delves into the emotional trajectories within Quranic narratives, examining how the heart serves as both the seat of perception and feeling, and how emotions are portrayed throughout scripture.Together, we explore how the Quran aims to evoke emotional responses in its listeners. We examine the connection between emotions and both internal and external orientations, and how this shapes the Quranic understanding of what it means to be human. Dr. Karen Bauer is an Associate Professor in Quranic Studies at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London. She earned her PhD from Princeton University and is widely recognised for her work on gender and emotional rhetoric in the Quran. Her recent publications include Women, Households, and the Hereafter in the Qur’an (2023) and Gender Hierarchy in the Qur’an (2015). Dr. Bauer bridges medieval scholarship with contemporary understanding through rigorous textual analysis and extensive fieldwork.