Peer Review Process
All research and review articles in Al Furqan undergo double-blind peer review: the identities of authors and reviewers are concealed from each other throughout the process.
1. Initial editorial screening
Within about 14 days of submission, the editor checks the manuscript for fit with the Focus and Scope, adherence to the author guidelines and template, adequate English, anonymisation, and a similarity index of no more than 20%. Manuscripts that fail this stage are declined or returned to the authors without external review (desk rejection).
2. External review
- Each manuscript is sent to at least two independent reviewers with expertise in the topic, from outside the authors’ institution and, wherever possible, from different institutions and countries.
- Reviewers are asked to return their reports within 3–4 weeks. If the two reports conflict, the editor may invite a third reviewer.
- Reviewers use the journal’s review form and assess:
- originality and contribution to Qur’anic and tafsir studies;
- clarity of the research problem and argument;
- soundness of method and use of primary sources;
- depth of analysis and engagement with current literature;
- consistency between title, abstract, findings and conclusion;
- quality of language, references and presentation;
- ethical issues (plagiarism, data integrity, consent).
3. Recommendations and decisions
Reviewers recommend one of: Accept, Minor revisions, Major revisions, or Decline. The handling editor weighs the reports and the Editor-in-Chief makes the final decision. Authors receive the anonymised reports with the decision.
4. Revision
Authors submit the revised manuscript with a point-by-point response letter, normally within 2 weeks (minor) or 4 weeks (major). Revisions may be returned to the original reviewers. A manuscript usually goes through no more than two rounds of revision.
5. Production
Accepted articles are copyedited, laid out, and sent to the corresponding author for proofreading (only typographical corrections are allowed at this stage). The article then receives its DOI and is published online as soon as it is ready in the current Issue in Progress, which is completed by the end of June or December. Articles are never added to an issue after it has been completed.
Typical timeline
| Submission to first decision | 6–10 weeks |
|---|---|
| Submission to acceptance | about 3–4 months |
| Acceptance to publication | online as soon as ready; issue completed in June or December |
Editorial standards
- Minimum two reports. No manuscript is accepted with fewer than two completed review reports. All reviews are carried out and recorded in the journal’s OJS system; reports sent by e-mail or messaging apps are not accepted.
- Reviewer qualification. Reviewers have a relevant publication record in the last three years and are listed on the Reviewers page. Reviewers are not members of the editorial team.
- Similarity check. Every manuscript is checked with a similarity-detection tool before review and again before publication.
- Integrity of decisions. Decisions are based solely on academic merit and are free from interference by the publisher, sponsors or commercial interests. The journal does not offer fast-track publication, and a Letter of Acceptance is issued only after a manuscript has been formally accepted.
- Editors as authors. A member of the editorial team may publish at most one article per year in Al Furqan; such manuscripts are handled by another editor and reviewed under the same double-blind process.
Confidentiality and conflicts of interest
Reviewers must keep manuscripts confidential, must not use artificial intelligence in any part of the review (see the AI Policy), and must decline if they have a conflict of interest or can guess the authors’ identity. Manuscripts by editors or by the journal’s home institution receive the same double-blind review, handled by an independent editor.
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