Journal of Researches of Quran and Hadith Sciences
Year:2016 | Volume:12 | Issue:4 (28)|Papers Count:7

The theory of “Abrogation in Quranic verses” is one of the most important Quranic subjects upon which scholars of Quranic sciences and interpretation has debate. Most of them concur in accepting it on the whole, while they diverge about the number of verses abrogated and its examples. However, among the recent scholars, specially the contemporary ones, there is a great trend towards denying its occurrence in Qur’an. Considering the debates upon the types of abrogation, number of abrogated verses, its different definitions among the early and later scholars, this article has criticized this theory. In addition the implications of the two key verses in this issue (al-Baqara: 106/ al-Nahl: 101) have been examined and its denotation on the acclaimed theory has been rejected. This article has concluded that the abrogation of the Quranic instructions (naskh hokm) has not occurred in Qur’an, since accepting any alteration in its words and concepts, which are implied by abrogation, will contradict with its eternality. Therefore abrogation actually means that the Holy Qur’an as the last eternal divine book has abrogated all the former miracles, religions and books.

Mohammad Bagher Behbudi is one of the contemporary scholars in the field of tradition with new ideas on criticizing hadith. In his evaluation of hadith, he does not limit himself to superficial investigations of isnad but further, he considers simultaneously, both text and isnad. In his viewpoint, the defects of traditions including any kind of hidden or apparent flaws are divided into three categories: Those concerning the isnad, that of the text and those concerning both together. In order to reach this objective, he employs any kind of data from text and content as well as other sources such as historical books, books on transmitters of hadith (rijāl) and that of hadiths from which information can be obtained concerning the transmitters of traditions, their chain of narration, the context of hadith, along with the cultural and historical realities of that era. Precise analysis of the aforementioned data along with comparing similar traditions in four different levels and considering the criteria of textual criticism has led him to discover and amend numerous hidden defects of traditions.

Shaykh Al-Hurr Al-Āmilī (1033/1624 - 1104/1693), one the most prominent Shiite scholars in the fields of Shiite knowledge and jurisprudence, has specifically addressed the issue of the creation of the unbeliever in an unpublished manuscript entitled “Khalq al-Kāfir wa al-Gharaḍ Minhu”, in which he has tried to answer the question why God has created the unbeliever, giving him opportunity to live and to dominate the believers, while his traits where obvious in the Divine decree. Other notions in the Qur’an and hadiths such as the special nature (ṭinat), Destiny and Providence (qaḍa-qadar) and the divine Will have in one or other way supported the belief of determinism. The main solution provided by Shaykh in this book is to give priority to the rational arguments. He first assesses his creed according to rational argumentation and then provides support from the Qur’an and hadiths for those rational conclusions. Regarding the many hadiths cited by the author, this article has foremost studied his methodology of understanding i.e. his “fiqh al-hadith system” considering doctrinal hadiths in two steps: “understanding the meaning” and “understanding the sense”. Given the fact that Shaykh sought to provide a convincing and applicable answer, this article has examined his answers by the aforementioned features in respect to his doctrinal believes and his system of categorizing.

Among later scholars’ requisite qualifications of transmitters for their hadith to be accepted, religion plays a central role which leads to four fold classification of hadith. Nonetheless the crucial question is whether “the religion of the transmitters is of such significance to be used as a basis for ranking the narratives? ” The present study, thus, pursues to examine this issue in one of the early prominent Shiite experts on hadith transmitters (rijāl), Abolabbas Najāshī. Wāqifeh was one of Shiite sects to which various famous narrators adhered.Studying the status of Wāqifī transmitters and the value- oriented terms applied to them in Najāshī’s book, this article attained that adherence to Wāqf was not considered as weakness in Najāshī’s viewpoint and that he actually judged this group of narrators by their truthfulness and exactitude. As a result, it is necessary to reconsider the school of Helleh‘s classification of hadith which is based on religious differences, regardless of the early Shiite doctrine of authentic hadith, leading to the neglecting of a large amount of hadiths from non-Imami transmitters.

"Min Wahy Al-Qur’an" is a contemporary Shiite exegesis. Mohammad Hosein Faḍlollah is an exegete who gives priority to the apparent meaning as one of his interpretive principles. He employs this principle at different occasions: Confirming a probable interpretation, criticizing and rejecting other commentators’ opinions or interpretive traditions. In addition to the apparent meaning, he often quotes Quranic, traditional and rational evidences to confirm his points. However, he abandons the apparent meaning whenever Quranic, traditional and rational evidence are in contradiction with it. Nonetheless, Faḍlollah's excessive reliance on this principle has led him to divergent views in some verses which is in conflict with exegetes’ famous views, especially that of the Shiites.

In modern linguistics, studying a text considering non-verbal communication can lead to a new reading of the text and unveil the multiple layers of the message; as a text is a chain of vast signs from which extensive and diverse messages can be received according to the cultural context of the recipients. In this context, this article has considered the Holy Qur’an in view of nonverbal communication cues, including behaviors, time and location in order to decode the message transmitted through non-verbal elements. It has initially introduced various forms of communication and has benefited from theories of communication The results show that in the Qur'anic verses, different messages have been conveyed to the recipient through non-verbal communication by hearing, smelling and seeing, discovering which has a great impact on decoding the hidden message in the text. Therefore, it is necessary to acknowledge and employ this form of communication in order to reach a more profound and precise understanding of the meaning intended by Qur’an.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has always recommended the pious to be faithful to the Islamic ethics and behave fairly toward all people. Quranic verses and hadiths of Ahl-ol-Bayt all emphasize on the fact that even in the face of heretical people and movements, justice and morality should not be violated and moreover religion should never be defended employing deceitful and rebuking ways. But in the recent era, a theory has emerged that validates attributing lies to some of the religious opponents (heretics) by means of defaming them in order to prevent people from been deceived by them. This theory‘s main argument is a narration known as “Mobahata” (calumniation) along with other acclaimed evidences.The present study with critical –analytical reconsideration of the aforementioned narration as well as other reasons did not find the provided documentations sufficient to prove the theory and authoritative enough for specifying the general rules mentioned in religious sources against such conduct. Consequently the author believes that Islamic doctrine never justifies these kinds of behaviors.