Qur’anic Phenomenology

How Can the Researcher Reach the Real Topic?

Abstract

The cornerstone of research (taḥqīq) is topic identification, which emerges from the primary research question. Qur’anic phenomenology provides criteria for selecting a perceivable and describable research topic and delineates conditions for the researcher (moḥaqīq) to approach and uncover the truth (ḥaqīqah) of the topic under investigation. Accordingly, the primary question of this paper is: How does Qur’anic phenomenology facilitate the identification of an authentic research topic and guide the researcher toward uncovering its epistemological and ontological dimension? The proposed hypothesis claims that the Islamic, and particularly Qur’anic, phenomenology provides an epistemological framework that facilitates the identification of authentic research topics through the dynamic interaction between the researcher (subject) and the empirical world (object), integrating both ontological (sharīʿah) and epistemological (ṭarīqah) dimensions. This approach emphasizes experiential engagement, intellectual reflection, and heartfelt intuition with the material and immaterial aspects of phenomena or topic, aiming to uncover deeper truths (ḥaqīqah) beyond the limits of sensory perception. This study employs a hermeneutic-phenomenological approach rooted in Qur’anic phenomenology, which integrates ontological (sharīʿah) and epistemological (ṭarīqah) dimensions in the pursuit of truth (ḥaqīqah). The methodology emphasizes interpretive engagement with both textual and experiential phenomena, drawing on Qur’anic instructions to observe, reflect, and intuit. Primary data were derived from Qur’anic verses and classical commentaries, complemented by relevant philosophical and scientific literature. Qur’anic phenomenology offers an epistemological and ontological model that may inform both the selection of authentic research topics and the methodological uncovering of their deeper realities. Yet, its specific contributions to these processes remain largely unexplored. This article aims to address this gap and is anticipated to contribute to prevailing research paradigms, especially those pertaining to phenomenology.