Javad Hashmi: The Qur'an as Narrative, Public Scholarship, and Qur'anic Studies Today

In this video I chat with Dr. Javad Hashmi from Harvard University. Javad is a board-certified emergency physician, former Fellow of Medical Ethics at Harvard Medical School, and a PhD candidate in the Study of Religion (Islamic Studies) at Harvard University. In addition to his medical training, Dr. Hashmi holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Arabic & Islamic Studies from U.C. Berkeley and Harvard respectively.
We discuss Javad's recent work on Muhammad Ahmad Khalafallah, Javad's journey into Qur'anic Studies from a career in medicine, and his thoughts generally on ongoing controversies in the field of Qur'anic Studies.
I hope you enjoy this video and please remember to like the video and subscribe to the channel to keep seeing more content like this!

[@user-py1sr5ki9x]

Thank you for this channel Dr. Reynolds. I've been enjoying your interviews very much. This is becoming my favorite youtube channel.

[@samjones3546]

This was an edifying discussion. Thanks so much Gabriel for making this channel and to Javad for offering his views. So far, I've tended to only see the extremes of fundamentalism, anti-theism, and wishful harmony. This brought the topic of the Quran and Islam to more nuanced possibilities. I especially liked how Javad mentions that you can theoretically justify divergent narratives of the same event as being intentional and being verbatim historical accounts, but the plausibility becomes weaker the more it occurs.

[@sajidumma]

I really really really hope to see Wale Hallaq in this channel . It would be a fascinating conversation .

[@earthlingsoul]

is the article The Qur’anic Story - Not Literal History But Literary Art: Muhammad Ahmad Khalafallah’s Forbidden Dissertation available somewhere?

[@ihsanseeker3802]

I am an admirer of the work of Dr. Javad Hashmi. Thank you Gabriel for bringing him on. I have a comment. I believe that surprisingly there is a way to harmonize the literal view and Khalafallah's view to some extent. For example, the different ways Moses reportedly spoke to his wife on the burning bush could be due also that there was really a longer conversation with his wife. After all, it is unreasonable that a husband would give a one-liner and then go to the top of a mountain. For sure, there was some back and forth conversation of a husband and a wife on such matters. And each passage could be taking from the incident what is relevant for the Prophet Muhammad's specific situation on a given time. So there is a way for the description to be true to the event's historicity to at least some extent and also meeting the Prophet's needs as well. There can be multiple purposes of meeting Prophet's needs, interpreting the higher truth of an event, but still being true to the event in some or greater way altogether.

[@DWAGON1818]

What is Dr Hashmis work? What has he done?

[@septiawanhidayat8932]

Very fascinating

[@abbasr.7422]

I have a biomedical background and I am also interested in religious/islamic philosphy. I'm actually also looking for a job surrounding islamic bio-ethics but don't know where to start or look for....

[@HeyIntegrity]

Have you found anything? What is your biomedical background?

[@abbasr.7422]

@@HeyIntegrity There is nothing in Belgium as far I can find. There exist a bio-ethics comitee but they just give you guidellines and approval for a certain project. I have a Master's degree in biomedical sciences and more familiarity with clinical studies.

[@HeyIntegrity]

@@abbasr.7422 thanks. I have an bachelors in chemistry with a focus on biochemistry. I was looking into this type of track. Do you think a masters in biomedical science should be the next step if the goal is such a job in islamic bioetheics?

[@abbasr.7422]

@@HeyIntegrity I honestly don't know, there are a lot of people who came from different backgrounds but have some sort of affiiation, interests, etc. that brought them their

[@mrtransmogrify]

47:36 Interesting coz I've always seen it that way and thought everyone else saw it the same way... I sort of derived the view from Quran 2 : 2

[@homer1273]

That point also didn’t make sense to me. He claims non Muslims were the first to figure out that examples given in the Quran on the life of past prophets were used to teach a lesson in the life time of prophet Muhammed, and that only Muslims supposedly didn’t figure that out. Maybe conservative literalist didn’t understand that, but not normal Muslims.

[@abdullahar4958]

@@homer1273 I was a little bit confused as well. How can an academic who is doing his Ph.D. in Islamic studies not know this?! The stories in the Quran are told for many purposes, but one of the main points is to relate to Prophet Muhammad.

[@homer1273]

42:00 the verse of the Quran saying “Verily this is knowledgeable sorcerer” is not a quotations nor does the Quran claim that it’s literally quoting pharaoh or his supporters. Problem with this person is he forcing his preconceived ideas on the Quran, and starts seeing problems where there non.

[@roberto_j]

Dr. Javad was probably thinking of Dale Allison’s book, The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus, he’s at Princeton tho, not Yale

[@DrJavadTHashmi]

Ah yes silly me. Had my wires crossed. Thanks.

[@Kamisama77]

Check Javad's live stream with Harris sultan Javad said 'story of Adam and Eve' was allegory Adam is assumed as a prophet in islam though He's a weird scholar

[@elliot7205]

​@@DrJavadTHashmiDr what is your view on free will and pre destination? If Allah knows what will happen then there is no test?

[@DrJavadTHashmi]

@@elliot7205 Like most Islamic rationalists/modernists, I affirm free will. I also agree with Dr. Karen Bauer and Dr. Feras Hamza that the Quran itself affirms free will.

[@elliot7205]

@@DrJavadTHashmi how do you understand the verses about Allah knowing everything and all is written in a record? Also Dr, what is your view on ghamidi view of hafs being qiraat Al ammah as it is only the tawatur reading?

[@stevenv6463]

Isn't there a contradiction between saying that the intellectual elite can understand things more deeply than the عامة الناس who can't handle it and the decision to engage the general public on your thoughts?

[@merlinx8703]

It's the same way a person would say that an MD can can treat people medically but an average person cannot

[@HeyIntegrity]

@@merlinx8703 the thing is not all laymen are at the same level. Even in medicine, many laymen with certain backgrounds can diagnose and treat themselves, they just don't have the access to diagnostic tools that MDs do.

[@merlinx8703]

@@HeyIntegrity yes ..... intuition and intuitive knowledge should not be overlooked

[@ihabalwash5829]

Dr. Hashmi’s narrative seems of an apologetic nature and has a theological spirit. Although it doesn’t further our understanding of early Islamic history and the story of the Quran, I believe such narrative should be popularised among common Muslims to push back against the orthodox narrative that is holding back the Islamic world in many ways.

[@homer1273]

The foolish belief that the Quran is literally quoting Pharaoh or Moses should have been so obvious. Just the fact that pharaoh and Moses were not speaking Arabic should have been a clue that the Quran is not giving literal quotations. Also the fact that the Quran uses poetic language while the people in the stories would have spoken ver differently should have been another clue.

[@Manmoon399_5]

Yes Dr Hashmi, quran must not be taken literally at all. This is the problem with all Salafy/Wahaby interpretations, taking everything literally.

[@user-of1xy6tj5f]

A massive subject and critical what this young man is committing himself into. the interpretation of the quraan in my opinion, contrary to the norms among muslim scholars , is an endless process where a researcher can use ANY means and tools that exist to provide an understanding to single issue in the Quraan. For example a palestininan scholar in falasteen (Bassam Jarrar) made very tedious calculations for three decades about the fall of israel in 2022. it did not happen. Although his calculations retains water but he was classified to muslim thinkers as an outcast or as such. I think his calculations were correct but the title of his book was not correct which created this conflict. I think Dr aljallad has to do some reseaerch about Bassam Jarrar numerical methodolegy where he calims that the Arabs wrote digital alphapets at the beginning of the formation of arabic. Its name is The science of Jummal, which i knew decades ago. It gives each letter a number from 1 to 1000, which exists in the hebrew culture with some differences........ .........end

[@BenM61]

Also this is فاضل صالح السّامرّئي explaining the differences between القصص و النّمل concerning what Moses said to his family when he was getting ready to go to the burning bush. It is very good: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2Scc4ylncyFo6c

[@BenM61]

Javad and Gabriel here is a video by فاضل صالحالسّامرّائي about the comparison between سورة الشّعراء and سورة الأعرف concerning the back and forth between فرعون و السّحرة من جهة و موسى عليه السّلام It’s really good and eye opening explanation. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqXNn4hoeM-XnJI

[@homer1273]

This person is to much influenced by biblical history and language. He refers to Bart ehrman criticising Christian’s that are trying to harmonise the gospels written by different authors, and then he tries to apply the same criticism to the Quran which has 1 author.

[@abbasr.7422]

Well, Moses (pbuh) for sure did not speak litterally (Arabic) as the Qur'an qoutes. I see it more as the Qur'anic purposefully selective expression/highlights from different angles of the essence of Moses' conversation with his family. I always looked these variant parallels like that since I read the Qur'an.

[@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156]

So, you have personal and direct experience what Muusaa than Allaah the Creator does! You're are certainly a supreme being!?!

[@abbasr.7422]

@@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156 I just know that the Qur'an is full of Wisdom and these different parallels unlocks a lot of wisdom as truly from a Supreme Wise Being!

[@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156]

@@abbasr.7422 Sorry, but I had to react to "Muusaa did not speak literally Arabic as the Qur'aan quotes", but thanks for your response! Dr Javad T Hashmi says "Then why God is not able to get exactly it right"! If Allaah told the same story slightly differently, is because Allaah is talking to us to carefully and repetitively read as to understand what Allaah is pointing out to us, Allaah talks both literally and symbolically and they're related, without the literal, the symbolic is out of the question! It seems that Dr Javad is confused the Qur'aan with the gibberish human intellectualism; Allaah is the Creator of all that exist, therefore understanding the Qur'aanic creation would have helped him, when one is reading the Creator's words!

[@1001011011010]

@@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156 Are you saying that you believe Moses the Egyptian Israelite spoke Arabic?

[@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156]

@@1001011011010 Egyptian Israelite? Who is that? Something you made-up no wonder! Go and ask the speaker expert, he'll tell you!

[@merlinx8703]

I would also add that Gabriel Said Reynolds also studies Islam via a Christian Lens and not from a neutral position His relationship with Islam may be colored by the fact that he is an Arab Christian This is not an attack on Gabriel as I agree with him when he say that the Quran does not deny the crucifixtion of jesus in his The Muslim Jesus : Dead or Alive paper But i would disagree with him when he makes a claim that the muslim jesus and christian jesus are 2 different individuals one can make the claim that the jesus talked about in the gospels are 4 different jesuses and not 1 jesus

[@stevenv6463]

To be fair, I am sure like many academics he would probably concede that the gospels show four Jesuses

[@merlinx8703]

@@stevenv6463 the jesus in the gospel of Mark is very different from the jesus in the Gospel of John

[@stevenv6463]

@@merlinx8703 I agree entirely. I would also say Matthew (very into fulfilling scriptural prophecies) and Luke (no vicarious atonement) are very different as well as Paul's Jesus who does nothing but dies and resurrects.

[@merlinx8703]

@@stevenv6463 a sixth jesus could be the trinitarian/Athanasian creed jesus .... where jesus is part of a trinity Basically the 4 canonical gospels, Paul of tarsus, the Nicaean Creed/Athanasian Creed, the Gnostic Gospels, The Quran ALL are taking the SAME JESUS FIGURE or JESUS ARCHYTYPE and reinterpreting him in their own way to make their own theological point

[@stevenv6463]

@@merlinx8703 it's like that song "personal.... Jesus...."

[@rebaz7256]

The most boring interview I have listened to in my entire adult life

[@ConsideringPhlebas]

Commentators like al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari noticed discrepancies, e.g., in Q. 55:39 vs. 15:92-3, etc. one of which states no one will be questioned on the Day of Resurrection whereas the others say the opposite. They of course attempt to assuage the tension between the passages with traditional explanations. Nevertheless, it's tempting to think that more glaring discrepancies like these could be indications of different source texts from different authors, though of course it's not necessarily conclusive 'proof.'

[@DrJavadTHashmi]

It’s a possibility but by itself it’s not compelling to me due to the reasons Khalafallah points to.

[@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156]

There is no glaring discrepancies in 55:39 is about those who already gone through first 101:6-7 and then 7:42-43 the end! And 15:92-93 which is the opposite! Simply, you want to impose your wishes on the Qur'aan using those commentators the humans seem to worship them instead of of Allaah! Wishful!

[@ConsideringPhlebas]

@@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156 The verses you cited have nothing whatsoever to do with the subject of people being questioned or not on the last day about their sins. They don't address the issue at all.

[@samantarmaxammadsaciid5156]

@@ConsideringPhlebas You mean they don't address your wishes! The subject of people being questioned are everyday human beings and not imaginary aliens; so, first the scales ⚖ if you were extreme end heavy straight to Jannat with the process of purification, and if you were extreme light straight to the Fire, if you were in-between then depending on which side of the scale you were closer to then either you are forgiven in which case to Jannat or not forgiven in which case to the Fire! You want to make complicated because it fits your idea of human writers such as you the supreme inteligent being, that will only remain in your wishes and certainly never to be fulfilled! The Qur'aan may look like contradictory especially to someone who wants to dominate but it is well coherent! Certainly, the Qur'aan it is both at the same time simple and complex!; and literal and symbolic at the same time, and there is no symbolic without the literal! Deal with disappointed wishes! It is totally disappointing though that Dr Javad T Hashmi said "It is possibility" to your suggestions! More to the Qur'aan (Allaah the Creator's words) than to the human gibberishes!

[@ConsideringPhlebas]

@@Oxygen11115 That's just the standard stuff you find in al-Razi. Questions of tawbeekh/rebuke versus isti'lam/enquiry. It doesn't resolve the problem because Q 55:39 says they will not be questioned, full stop. It does not say they will not be asked questions of rebuke or enquiry, but rather that they will not be asked at all.

[@IslamOriginal14]

Nabi Musa could easily have spoken to his wife and repeated himself. I find myself repeating myself to my wife when I intend to do something. She may ask questions which prompts me to rephrase and repeat

[@ekadria-bo4962]

Is Qur'an a "BIG PESHER?"

[@startla6265]

Even Bart ehman said the stupid Quran doesn't make any sense with all the story written in sides 😂 That why you don't debate 😂😂 Sam shamoun

[@DWAGON1818]

What does "even" Bart ehman mean over here? Is he an authority? Is he a Muslim?

[@deeznutz1428]

sam shamoum fanboy here lmao..dude this place is for academics nott for those debate me bros. grow up..let me guess youre Christian who thinks bible is scientific and factual book lol.

[@startla6265]

Who you sound like the Muslim perfect dawah he got spanked bye Christian prince