Psalm 136 and Q. 55 have a unique similarity in which the two texts contain continuous refrain, repeated twenty-two times in the case of Psalm and thirty-one times in Q. 55. The extensive refrain in Psalm 136 is unique in the Psalm corpus and while there are three other chapters in the Qur'an containing refrain, the case of Q. 55 is the most elaborated one. Furthermore, the refrain in the two texts composes a similar theme, namely divine grace and mercy. This paper is an attempt to present some possible answers of how to understand the striking similarity between the two texts. It starts with the general explanation of the relation between Psalms and the Qur'an followed by brief interpretations of the respective text from its own tradition. In the following, the comparative study of the texts is presented. Finally, it ends with a general reflection of some approaches in the intertextual study between Psalm 136 and Q. 55 and the Bible and the Qur'an ingeneral.
展开▼
