Abstract

The present study, entitled “A Critical Study of the Model of Self‑Sacrifice in Shinto with Emphasis on Qur’anic Teachings,” aims to analyze and elucidate the foundations, objectives, and defining characteristics of the model of self‑sacrifice within the Shinto tradition, while critically examining this model through the lens of Qur’anic teachings. Given the fundamental role of belief systems in legitimizing sacrificial and military actions, along with the scarcity of analytical research on Shinto defensive doctrines, a critical examination of this model from a Qur’anic perspective appears necessary.



This research is based on a library‑based method for data collection and employs a descriptive–analytical approach for data analysis. The examination of self‑sacrifice is conducted through a study of authentic and academic Shinto sources, while its critique is grounded in the Qur’an. An analysis of key concepts such as gisei (sacrifice), chūsei (absolute loyalty), meiyo no shi (honorable death), Bushidō, and harakiri reveals that the Shinto model of self‑sacrifice has primarily emerged within a context of nationalism and emperor‑centered ideology and lacks a coherent rational‑theological foundation.



In contrast, Qur’anic teachings construct the model of self‑sacrifice upon the principles of monotheism, justice, human dignity, and divine love, regarding it as a means for the realization of truth and the establishment of a just Islamic order. From a Qur’anic perspective, the Shinto model faces serious epistemological and monotheistic challenges and can attain rational justification only through critical re‑examination in light of Qur’anic teachings.