The Qur'anic Ḥanīfiyya and Its Role as a Middle Nation

I address these three signifieds in relation to my proposed interpretation of Ḥanīfiyya as "Gentile, non-Israelite," showing that this interpretation is advantageous for understanding the arguments of the three signifieds encountered in other interpretations which are reflected in the text of the Qur'an. I then explicate the text surrounding each Qur'anic occurrence of Ḥanīfiyya and qualify the circumstances around which "Gentile" or Ḥanīfiyya is employed. Overall, the suggested interpretation "Gentile" will be demonstrated as reconcilable with the Qur'anic text, the Semitic lexica, and the social and religious context of Arabia.

I address these three signifieds in relation to my proposed interpretation of Ḥanīfiyya as "Gentile, non-Israelite," showing that this interpretation is advantageous for understanding the arguments of the three signifieds encountered in ...