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I argue that the thought of Shihāb al-Dīn al-Suhrawardī (d. 1191), the founder of the so-called “Illuminationist” (ishrāqī) current in Arabo-Persian philosophy, displays significant influences by al-Ghazālī (d. 1111), known both for his sustained criticism of Arabic Peripateticism and his selective appropriation thereof. The first part of the article shows that the conceptual groundwork of al-Suhrawardī’s ontology of light is in important respects derived from al-Ghazālī’s treatise The Niche of Lights. The second part contends that al-Suhrawardī’s handling of a crucial theological issue – namely, that of God’s knowledge of particulars – can also be read as drawing on and engaging with al-Ghazālī. I conclude with a general characterisation of both thinkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes to interpret Surah 97 based on research undertaken in the framework of the Corpus Coranicum project. The first part scrutinizes Christopn Luxenberg's seriously flawed argument that Surah 97 can be understood as a Qur'anic hymn on the Nativity of Jesus if some of its key expressions are read against the semantic background of Syriac, while the remainder of the article endeavours to develop a more tenable understanding of the text. This involves an attempt to date Surah 97 relative to other Qur'anic texts and to detect possible additions to it. In addition, the article discusses the meaning and reference of its most central term, laylat al-qadr. Finally, special attention is given to the question whether the text might not, in spite of the circularity of Luxenberg's reading, contain implicit references to the Nativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article briefly examines two recent monographs on the biography of Muḥammad and the genesis of the Qur'ān by the Tunisian historian Hisham Djait. Both the general methodological assumptions of Djait's studies and representative examples of his approach are presented. It is argued that one of Djait's most significant insights consists in his recognition of the necessity of critically juxtaposing the Qur'ānic text with later Islamic amplifications and narrative contextualizations. The article also discusses Djait's use of Western Qur'ān scholarship and his romantically inspired portrayal of Muḥammad as a religious genius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]