Reader-response criticism with special reference to the Story of Maryam in the Holy Qur’an

Document Type : Original Article

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Abstract

This paper explores one of the examples of the devout women, Maryam, and the mother of Jesus. It investigates the theory of Reader-response in relation to Sayyid Qutb's response to the story of Maryam as it is mentioned in the Qur’an. For examining Qutb's interpretation of the story of Maryam, it is clear that he encompasses the various perspectives of Reader-response theory—phenomenological, psychological, and sociological. His response is the outcome of recognition of the text as a linguistic embodiment of God's words addressed to a reader who is a necessary factor in actualizing the meaning of the Qur’anic text and who, in turn, is a member of an interpretive community that governs his interpretive strategy. Recognition of the importance of all these elements in the process of comprehension is necessary to further our understanding of how the text is read and how we interpret it.