معالم القرآن میں مذکور مباحثِ تفضیلِ رسالت اور نظامِ خصائص کا کلامی و اسلوبیاتی جائزہ اور اس کی عصری معنویت

A THEOLOGICAL AND STYLISTIC CRITIQUE OF PROPHETIC PREFERENCE AND THE SYSTEM OF ATTRIBUTES IN 'MA'ALIM AL-QUR'AN' AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE

Abstract

The concept of prophetic preference (Tafḍīl al-Risālah) and the structured system of prophetic attributes (Niẓām al-Khasā'iṣ) represent foundational nodes within Islamic theology (‘Ilm al-Kalām). This research paper offers a rigorous theological and stylistic critique of these dimensions as articulated by the eminent South Asian exegete, Mawlana Muhammad Ali Siddiqui Kandhlawi, in his monumental work Ma‘ālim al-Qur’ān. By synthesized analysis of the apparent dialectical tension between the absolute Qur'anic assertions of prophetic hierarchy and the canonical prophetic traditions prohibiting exclusionary superiority, Kandhlawi constructs a balanced theological framework. He distinctively utilizes the metaphysical formulations of Imam Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi regarding Christological realities and the intrinsic virtues of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), while systematically mapping the traditional Khasā'iṣ against the literary and syntactical paradigms of the Qur'anic text.

In addition to its hermeneutical exploration, this study evaluates the contemporary relevance of Kandhlawi’s theological discourse amidst modern existential challenges. In an era dominated by secular globalization, western orientalism, and the philosophical onslaught of modern religious pluralism, Ma‘ālim al-Qur’ān offers a profound intellectual antidote. The research highlights how the text establishes the absolute universal sovereignty (Al-Ba‘thah al-‘Ammah) and global mercy (Raḥmah lil-‘Ālamīn) of the Prophet (ﷺ) as a comprehensive ideological paradigm capable of dismantling contemporary epistemic challenges. Ultimately, this study serves to restore theological moderation within the contemporary Muslim discourse, navigating carefully between the dual extremes of dogmatic exaggeration (Ghulū) and modern reductionism, thereby presenting a multi-faceted model of prophethood that is both academically robust and contextually pertinent.