As the first and major source of the sharī"ah, the Holy Qurān has been the reference
book of Muslims since it was first revealed. Juridical interpretation has been one of
the oldest and the most useful approaches to the Qurān, one through which juridical
rules are derived from among juridical verses. The development of juridical
interpretation is dealt with in this article, beginning with the history of juridical
interpretation in the early years of Islam, at the time of the Prophet"s Companions,
followed by an analysis of the role of the Imāms in clarifying the sharī"ah and
jurisprudence. Then, the development ofjuridical interpretation during the era of the
compilation of the Qurān is paid attention to. Major works on juridical verses from
the Shi"ite and Sunni scholars are also listed, along with their major distinctive
features.