Repackaging Revelation: When Qur’anic Wisdom Is Quoted Without Credit

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 8 July 2025 In his recent essay, “On Anatheism: Embracing the Divine Beyond Dogma,” Adis Duderija presents what appears to be a progressive spiritual vision—one that rejects rigid dogma in favour of awe, humility, and an open-ended engagement with the Divine. But beneath the academic packaging, what is marketed as a postmodern discovery turns out to be a rebranding of ideas long articulated—clearly and profoundly—in the Qur’an. Duderija calls for the abandonment of inherited certainties in favour of personal reflection and spiritual wonder. Yet he offers no acknowledgement to the very scripture that denounced blind imitation centuries ago: “When it is said to them, ‘Follow what God has revealed,’ they say, ‘No, we follow what we found our forefathers upon’” (2:170). The Qur’an not only critiques fossilised belief systems; it invites each individual into a direct, reasoned, and evolving relationship with the Divine. It consistently commands reflection, challenges inherited dogma, and refuses to sacralise mere tradition. His essay celebrates mystery and spiritual ambiguity, but this too is no innovation. The Qur’an acknowledges that some of its verses are clear (Muhkamat), while others are metaphorical (Mutashabihat)—not to confuse, but to allow truths to unfold with time: “As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they follow that of it which is metaphorical, seeking discord... but none knows its true interpretation except God. And those firm in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord’” (3:7). These verses are not vague for the sake of mystique; they are deeply layered, remaining ambiguous only until human understanding catches up with their intended clarity. The awe they inspire is not rooted in indecision, but in discovery. The meaning of every Mutashabih verse becomes clear in time, amplifying our sense of wonder at truths hidden for centuries. Duderija urges us to see the divine in the natural world, in moral responsibility, and in interfaith humility—as if this were a modern realisation. Yet the Qur’an declares: “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day... are signs for people who reflect” (3:190). It commands us to ponder the universe not to escape religion, but to deepen our awareness of its Source. It also affirms—repeatedly—that salvation is not monopolised by any one group: “Indeed, those who believe, and those who are Jews, Christians, or Sabeans—whoever believes in God and the Hereafter and performs good deeds—shall have their reward with their Lord” (2:62). What, then, is new here? If the spiritual openness, moral autonomy, and reverence for mystery that Duderija promotes are already central to the Qur’anic worldview, why the hesitation to credit the source? The irony is that while critiquing religious dogmatism, Duderija adheres to a new academic orthodoxy—one that sanitises scriptural truths to make them palatable to secular audiences. In the name of openness, his approach draws a polite curtain around anything explicitly Qur’anic. The result is not a universal theology, but a diluted one—an appropriation of revelation, stripped of its name and authority. And while his prose romanticises ambiguity, what is being offered is little more than evasiveness in elegant syntax. The Qur’an does not confuse humility with indecision. It offers Furqan—a criterion between right and wrong (25:1). It distinguishes between mystery that deepens understanding and ambiguity that excuses moral paralysis. In the end, “On Anatheism” reads less like a theological breakthrough and more like a quiet borrowing—lifting the fruits of revelation without acknowledging the tree. These are not post-religious insights; they are Qur’anic insights wearing academic makeup. For those truly seeking to “embrace the Divine beyond dogma,” the Qur’an has already laid out a path—not one of blind certainty, but of clarity, responsibility, and awe-inspiring discovery. It is not dogma that the Qur’an demands, but discernment. Not submission to inherited frameworks, but commitment to truth wherever it leads. One can only hope that those drawn to such essays will one day recognise that what they admire was always there—in the very Revelation that asked us to reason, reflect, and rise. ----- Naseer Ahmed, a frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, is an independent researcher and Quran-centric thinker whose work seeks to bridge faith, reason, and contemporary knowledge systems. Rooted in a method of intra-Quranic analysis and scientific coherence, his interpretations remain firmly grounded in the Quran’s framework—faithful to the clear, literal meaning of every verse. Challenging both traditional dogma and modernist abstraction, his scholarship represents a bold, rational, and deeply reverent effort to recover the Quran’s original voice in a language the modern world can test, trust, and understand. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/revelation-quranic-wisdom-quoted-credit/d/136117 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism