„Leser des Wortes“ / "Reader of the Word"

The man of Islam is not a walking, speaking and reasoning animal الحيوان الناطق only, but he is a “living reader” الحی القاري, who has been created to enable himself to regain his lost heavenly position by reading the word. “Leser des Wortes” / “Reader of the Word” is a study that attempts to offer a non-violent way of dealing with the Hl. Quran as the “word of God” and to show them appropriate approaches to it. It deals with the important topics such as: 1. “Paradigm change: From “listening” to “reading”, 2. “The shema commandment of the Hl. Quran: “Read!”, 3. “Human being as the reader of the word”.

This new anthropological hermeneutics, or hermeneutical anthropology also entails a practice of life. It offers the following topics to Quranic and Shiite studies:

1. “Reader of the Word”. 2. Hermeneutics of the Word. 3. On the horizon of the Word. 4. The application of the Word.

This study is an introduction to my Quran commentary, namely: “Tafsir-ul-Amin”. This speaks to a paradigm changing, that attempts - as dialogue with the text: 1. to break the culture of silence and 2. to enable everyone to read the Quran as the “Word of God” and become a “Reader of the Word”!

Through this study, one will not only come to know the Quran, but also Islam, the angels, the Prophet Muhammad (s), his successors (the Ahl-ul-Bait), other people and of course oneself - as a “reader of the Word”. It also makes the Muslim aware of the meaning of the Quran and gives guidance on how to understand and use the Quranic revelation in life. The human being of Islam is not - as Western philosophy defines him - a speaking and reasoning animal (الحیوان الناطق), but it is a “living reader” (الحئ القاري) who has been created to enable itself to regain its lost position in paradise by reading the word. This connection takes place in a “dialogue of salvation” between God and man, and man - as the “reader of the Word” - enters into a living dialogue with the Creator through reading.

The theologian Karl Rahner says that listening and questioning are the expressions of being human. Only in listening does a person become a human being. Man listens to what corresponds to him. This opinion is only valid in Christian theology of revelation, but it is too little for Islamic theology of revelation:

• In Islamic theology of revelation, it is mainly not listening and questioning that are the determinants of being human, but “reading”, perceiving, questioning and criticizing.
• For Christianity, the Word is fundamental, as is the identity of message and messenger, Gospel and Jesus Christ (s).
• But for Islam, the Word is fundamental, as is the Message, the Messengers, the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad (s).
• In Christian word theology, man - as a listener to revelation - opens himself to the word because he himself is imperfect. He is therefore dependent on something that is outside of him.
• In Islamic word theology, man - as a “reader of the word” - opens himself to the word that is in the Quran because he himself is imperfect.
• In Christianity, one deals passively with the word, but in Islam actively. Here one is not only a listener, but also a “reader” in an active form. Here, one must empower oneself to read the Word, to understand its content and to put its teachings into practice in one’s life.