Revisiting the Qur’anic aḥbār in Historical Context

Abstract

The precise identity of the Qur'anic aḥbār, some kind of Jewish communal leaders, has long been debated. This study presents a fresh examination of this term in its Qur'anic context, alongside its cognates in pre-Qur'anic Jewish texts, and engages seriously with both traditional and academic scholarship of the Qur'an.