Kur’ân’daki Cennet Tasvirlerinde Kültürel Unsurların Kurucu Etkisi: Nüzul Süreci Bağlamında Bir Okuma
The Founding Influence of Cultural Elements in the Descriptions of Paradise in the Qur’ān: A Reading in the Context of the Process of Revelation

Summary/Abstract: In the Qur’ān, one of the principal parts of the afterlife is Paradise (Jannah). Paradise is described as the place where those who believe in Allāh in this world and perform righteous deeds as a consequence of their faith will be rewarded with blessings in the Hereafter. From this perspective, many verses in the Qur’ān mention various blessings of the life in Paradise. Especially in the Meccan sūrahs, vivid and concrete descriptions of Paradise are extensively provided. These descriptions are generally intertwined with the cultural habits of the interlocutors. On the other hand, in the Medinan sūrahs, it is observed that concrete descriptions of Paradise noticeably decrease, and more abstract and universal themes come to the forefront. Therefore, the subject and scope of the research revolve around the descriptions of Paradise in the Qur’ān. The main aim of the research is to determine the extent and nature of the influence of local and cultural elements in the descriptions of Paradise in the Qur’ān, within the context of the revelation process of the divine revelation. Because reducing the blessings of Paradise solely to a historical and cultural context confines the objective reality they indicate within the boundaries of history. Accordingly, reducing the descriptions of Paradise to the perception of the recipients during the revelation period, and disregarding their foundational impact on the reality of paradise life, constitutes the problem statement of the research. In this framework, first, information about the revelation process of the Qur’ān has been provided. Then, the descriptions of Paradise in the Meccan and Medinan sūrahs have been identified, emphasizing their foundational impact on Paradise life. In this context, the research generally employed methods of data collection, classification, and analysis. As a result, it has been observed that there is a gradual progression from concrete to abstract in the descriptions of Paradise. It has been understood that the local and historical elements in the descriptions of Paradise are not merely used as tools; rather, they play a foundational role in the recipients' understanding of the objective reality of Paradise life. Furthermore, the local and historical elements in the blessings of Paradise not only have a foundational impact on the reality of paradise life but also demonstrate a powerful and realistic dialogue established with human perception, sociology, and culture. Because when we view culture as the complex fabric of realities experienced and perceived by humans in various ways in this life, mentioning cultural motifs in the blessings of Paradise points to this realistic dialogue. The Qur’ānic verses stating that everything one desires is available in Paradise provide everyone with the opportunity to construct Paradise according to their own cultural reality and experience to some extent. Therefore, this examination of the blessings of Paradise reveals that cultural habits have a foundational impact on how individuals perceive the understanding of unseen truths.

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