The historical method in documenting Quranic stories through the archaeological evidence of mesopotamia: (a critical analytical study)

Although the Qur'anic narratives have been the subject of scholarly research in various aspects, their historical dimension has not received as much attention as other facets. However, the contradictions and doubts contained in the historical narratives of the Bible have drawn researchers' attention to this domain. Consequently, critiques of these narratives have increased, often dismissing them as false. Yet, such critiques have frequently been generalized without distinguishing between the narratives of the Qur'an and those of the Bible. This has led to calls for a re-evaluation of the Qur'anic narratives similar to those directed at the Bible, raising the issue of the historical documentation of Qur'anic stories. This study aims to examine the scholarly value of the historical method in the context of Qur'anic narratives. It identifies the principles upon which the historical approach to religious narratives is based and attempts to verify the historical value, factuality, and lived reality of the Qur'anic accounts. Furthermore, it proposes a methodological framework for the historical verification of the Qur'anic narratives through archaeological remains in the Mesopotamian region. All these objectives focus on the historical dimension of the Qur'anic narratives and seek to demonstrate their historical and scholarly significance. The study also aims to critically assess the claims that cast doubt on their historical veracity using historical, archaeological, and documentary evidence. To achieve these goals, the research employs multiple methodological approaches, including the "descriptive method" for portraying historical events mentioned in the Qur'an, the "comparative historical method" for analyzing similar events comparatively, and the "analytical method" for investigating events through documents and written records. The principal finding of the study is that it is possible to establish a scientifically and method ologically sound framework for documenting the Qur'anic narratives as historically reliable. This framework demonstrates that the narratives in the Qur'an are free from distortion and manipulation and are strongly linked to the historical period in which they were revealed. The study also reveals the existence of numerous tablets and archaeological findings in Mesopotamia that correspond to the prophetic missions described in the Qur'an. Keywords: Historical Method – Qur'anic Narratives – Archaeology – Bible – Mesopotamia