«FOR YOU IS YOUR RELIGION, AND FOR ME IS MY RELIGION»: LINGUISTIC, STRUCTURAL AND RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF SURAH ‘AL-KĀFIRŪN’ IN THE QUR’AN
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Abstract
This article analyses the 109 Surah of Qur’an (Q 109) from linguistic and religious studies points of view. The Surah «al-Kāfirūn», despite its rather short length, serves as a quite useful source for contextual analysis of the time of its formation. Moreover, this passage could potentially shed some light on inter- textual connections in the whole Qur’an. Unfortunately, this Surah has never been a central focus of academic attention. Using communicative methods of word-by-word translations, the research reveals the complex nature of relationships between early Islamic community and other religious groups – Jews and Christians. Considering Q 109 in its historical context, the article demonstrates how Muslims, being a minority group at that time, attempted to negotiate its own existence with other religious groups. The research is therefore divided into two dimensions of analysis: micro-level where intra-structure of Q 109 is analyzed and macro-level where inter-textual coherence with other Surahs is scrutinized.
Keywords: surah, quran, early Islam, religious groups, al-kafirun, Muhammad
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