<![CDATA[Despite extensive scholarship on the Deobandi and Barelvi movements in South Asia, limited attention has been devoted to the philosophical foundations and competing epistemological frameworks that shape their traditions of Qur’anic interpretation. This study examines the philosophical and epistemological dimensions of Qur’anic interpretation within the Deobandi and Barelvi traditions in Bangladesh, focusing on their sources of knowledge, interpretive methodologies, religious authority, and engagement with contemporary social realities. Employing qualitative library research and a comparative-analytical approach, the study analyzes major exegetical works, intellectual traditions, and scholarly discourses associated with both schools. The findings reveal that the Deobandi tradition is grounded in a textual-normative philosophical orientation and an epistemology that prioritizes the authority of hadith, Sunni-Hanafi orthodoxy, and methodological rigor in preserving doctrinal purity. In contrast, the Barelvi tradition develops a spiritual-cultural philosophical outlook and an epistemological framework that integrates scriptural interpretation with Sufi thought, devotional practices, and religious experience. These competing epistemologies produce distinct approaches to Qur’anic interpretation, Islamic education, religious authority, and Muslim responses to modernity and social transformation. The study concludes that the Deobandi and Barelvi traditions represent two enduring yet competing paradigms of knowledge production that continue to shape contemporary Islamic thought and religious identity in Bangladesh. By highlighting the interaction between scripture, philosophy, spirituality, authority, and socio-cultural change, this study contributes to broader discussions in Qur’anic Studies, Islamic epistemology, and the intellectual history of South Asian Islam.]]>
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