Organised by Tugrul Kurt, Irem Kurt and Eduard Prenga

The Academic Forum on Isrāʾīliyyāt and Intertextuality (AFII) constitutes a substantial and academically distinguished research platform (academic network) characterized by its comprehensive interdisciplinary approach and methodological rigor. It makes a significant contribution to the differentiation and expansion of Islamic theological studies, particularly within Qur’anic and exegetical research, while simultaneously integrating approaches from Judaic studies, Christian theology, biblical scholarship, as well as interreligious and intertextual hermeneutics. The primary objective of the academic network is the systematic examination of those Jewish and Christian narratives that have been incorporated into the Islamic tradition, along with a precise analysis of their structural, functional, and theological significance within both Qur’anic and exegetical discourse.

AFII’s research is founded on a methodologically robust and interdisciplinary approach that illuminates the intertextual exchange between the religious traditions of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity in their respective cultural, literary, and historical frameworks. In this context, the working group considers an extensive array of source materials, encompassing both canonical and non-canonical texts. Particular attention is given to apocryphal traditions and popular narrative strands that have decisively influenced the emergence and evolution of isrāʾīliyyāt. By engaging with these diverse textual corpora, the complex processes of transmission, as well as the multiple levels of reception and transformation of Jewish and Christian narrative material in an Islamic setting, are made manifest.

A central research concern of AFII is to explore how the integration of these narratives has contributed to the development of an autonomous theological discourse within Islam. In this endeavor, the structural function of isrāʾīliyyāt is analyzed not only from the perspective of textual transmission but also within its narrative and theological context. The working group dedicates particular attention to the mechanisms of adaptation and reinterpretation of this narrative material in order to elucidate how intertextual processes engender new patterns of theological identity and significance within Islamic discourse. This approach enables isrāʾīliyyāt to be considered not merely as secondary borrowings from external traditions but as integral components of a genuinely Islamic narrative that exists in a dynamic reference to earlier religious traditions.

Furthermore, the systematic study of isrāʾīliyyāt opens up far-reaching perspectives for Jewish and Christian studies. By analyzing the reception history and intertextual adaptations of Jewish and Christian narratives in the Islamic context, the research deepens the understanding of the reciprocal influences between religious traditions. This research sheds light on the structural diversity and complexity of both biblical and extracanonical traditions within an expanded interreligious framework, and it enables the examination of religious textual dynamics beyond confessional boundaries.

AFII places great value on employing a methodological approach that extends beyond purely philological analysis. In addition to critical textual examination, a particular emphasis is placed on narrative, cultural studies, and hermeneutical questions to interpret isrāʾīliyyāt as elements of a transcultural and transreligious discourse. Through regular scholarly exchange and collaboration with disciplines such as Islamic studies, Judaic studies, Christian theology, and literary studies, AFII develops a research paradigm marked by interdisciplinary rigor and analytical depth.

The systematic research of isrāʾīliyyāt demonstrates that their study is not only pivotal for Islamic exegesis but also offers new incentives for Judaic studies, Christian theology, and Biblical science. The methodology developed by AFII enables the intertextual processes within religious literature to be understood as a complex network of cultural and theological interactions. By examining the structural, narrative, and dogmatic dimensions of isrāʾīliyyāt in the context of their respective transmission histories, the working group lays the foundation for further hermeneutical engagement with the dynamics of religious traditions.