JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE TAFSIR STUDIES
Year:2019 | Volume:4 | Issue:1 (9)|Papers Count:16

The Moqatta’ a (disjoined) letters have had various analyses in the view of commentators of the Noble Qur’ an since the past until the present. Ayatollah Ma’ refat has classified these viewpoints in terms of two criteria: Some have considered those letters as an unknown allegory and hidden science that no one knows but God; and some others regard them as enigmatic codes between God and His holy Prophet so interpret their meaning as a kind of decoding. Ayatollah Javadi Amoli states the commentators’ views in his exegesis from another perspective and critically analyzes them. These two great scholars have disagreement not only about their perspective regarding the ideas on Moqatta’ a letters but also in their final conclusion as the selected idea. The present study briefly mentions various views on this subject and also explains the viewpoint of Ayatollah Ma’ refat as well as its criticism by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli.

The prophets’ inheritance is one of important Qur’ anic issues. Thus, the present study aims to critically analyze the viewpoint of Yusuf She’ ar on this issue according to the 16th verse of the Holy Surah an-Naml, as well as his interpretation of Fatimah Zahra’ s reference to that verse in the sermon of Fadakia. Contrary to Shi’ ite commentators who believe that the term “ legacy” in the abovementioned verse refers to “ property” and “ rights” , Yusuf She’ ar attribute that to “ knowledge and prophecy” and accordingly interprets the reference to the aforementioned verse by Fatimah Zahra in the sermon of Fadak at the presence of the Prophet’ s companions as an accusation. Therefore, the present research relying on the meaning and context of the verses and with reference to the exegetical and theological views of commentators and theologians has critically analyzed the ideas of Yusuf She’ ar. The results of the study show that his reference to the Qur’ anic verses is a conceptual fallacy, and his citation to the verse “ Prophets do have any hairs” is perceived as a verdict mistake.

Shaz (irregular) Qira’ at as a variety of methods in the recitation of the Noble Qur’ an has not received adequate attention and review yet. Irregular recitation is a method in Qira’ at which has authentic reference but is not narrated through a sound chain of transmission or Istifazah acceptable among people. Contemplation and research on these recitations can have considerable effects on Sunni and Shi’ ite exegesis of the Qur’ anic verses. Therefore, such recitations cannot be totally rejected or ignored. This study aims to compare irregular recitations with the regular and well-known ones and explain their function in Sunni and Shi’ ite exegesis. For this purpose, the most important criteria and relevant arguments to irregular recitations and their different function in Sunni and Shi’ ite exegesis of the Noble Qur’ an are first reviewed; and then, some instances from these recitations along with their different effects and functions in Sunni and Shi’ ite exegesis of the Holy Qur’ an are displayed. Semantic explanation and expansion of the verses are of the most important functions of the abovementioned recitations for the exegesis of the Noble Qur’ an. In this regard, the analysis of some irregular recitations compared to their regular counterparts can foster exegetical review of the verses and also reveal their function.

Sunni and Shi’ ite commentators have presented various views on “ the subject of disagreement” in Surah an-Nisa: 59. Some of them have included all the matters in this world and hereafter as the subject of disagreement in that verse. Considering the fact that God and the Messenger have been introduced as the reference for solving disputes in the rest of the verse, some other commentators have regarded only religious events including theological rules and beliefs as the subject of disagreement. On the other hand, some interpreters related the abovementioned subject just to the rules regulated by God and the Messenger while others interpreted that as associated with indecisive rules and accordingly, interpreted the verse as an evidence for Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (deductive analogy). In the view of some scholars, the axis of disagreement refers to Olelamar-those in authority-whom Muslims have been ordered to obey in the previous words in the verse. The present study conducted through descriptive analysis and with the purpose of critical evaluation of Sunni and Shi'ite commentators' views on the subject of disagreement in the aforementioned verse, attempts to explain this issue, mention relative research questions, and also review the perspective of the commentators in this regard. Then, a viewpoint which considers Olelamr (those in authority) as the axis of disagreement is chosen and displaying the drawbacks of other viewpoints, the study regards other perspectives as inappropriate. Finally, with reference to the existing evidences in the verse and historical-narrative clues, the causes of choosing the last viewpoint is explained.

The commentators’ disagreement about the meaning of the 77th verse of Surah al-Furqan has led to two major approaches in terms of its interpretation. In the first one which is more common, the verse denotes the worth of prayer for God considering the value of every human as much as his prayers. However, the second approach which has a warning view regards God’ s ultimatum as the main cause to address the deniers of Wahy (revelation) and disbelievers in God. The contributing factor for the above disagreement relies in these two points: 1. the exact meaning of “ prayer” and whether it is used in its lexical or idiomatic meaning, 2. the syntactic combination of “ Do’ akom” in the verse and whether “ Kom” has the subjective or objective role. Exploring the extent of accuracy in each of the above semantic approaches is a serious issue which has been neglected yet. The descriptive analysis of the exegeses relying on five factors, namely 1. the addressee of the verse, 2. fact checking for either subjective and objective roles attributed to “ Kom” , 3. dating for the exegetical narrations, 4. the context and content of the verses in the aforementioned Surah, and 5. the analysis of the relative narrations shows that idiomatic meaning of the term “ prayer” is not intended in the verse and the second approach is more appropriate.

The issue of Efk which means falsehood and accusation has been stated by God in Surah an-Nur. Using comparative and critical analysis of arguments in the triplet theory and considering historical and exegetical resources, this study aims to achieve an accurate theory in this regard. Sunni commentators hold that this verse has been revealed as a tribute to Ayesheh, and a number of Shi’ ite commentators have also agreed with them. Some other Shi’ ite jurists believe that the verse is revealed as a tribute to Mariah Qebtiah, while some others attribute it to the chaste women. Relying on historical references and arguments, this study shows that the third theory is accepted and the verse has not been revealed for any of the Prophet’ s wives. Unfortunately, many interpretations in this regard are under the influence of religious bias and political views so that some have attempted to abuse this verse for the sake of their own political intentions.

One of the questions propounded in the society is whether the evil eye is factual or imaginary. This study aims to review the evil eye form Sunni and Shi'ite perspectives. Since many people are concerned with this issue, it seems essential to discuss and analyze this subject. This research has been accomplished by descriptive analysis and data collection through library method and note taking. The results of the study show that according to what has been stated in Sunni and Shi'ite exegetical books, the evil eye is not only superstition but also it is confirmed by some verses in the Qur'an and various narrations. It means that some people have a sort of power which is supernaturally effective; and the extent of which depends on those people. Moreover, some guidelines have been suggested to ward off and dispel this negative energy.

“ Intercession” is a common theological belief among Mushrikin (polytheists), Jews, and Muslims. This tenet has played an important role among Muslims. Since the distant past, there has been controversy among Muslim scholars and commentators on whether a sinful Muslim will benefit from intercession or not. Some negate the idea of intercession totally while some others accept it. It should be noted that these two different approaches have been effective on the exegesis of Qur’ anic verses. It seems that each of the abovementioned approaches used in the exegesis of intercession verses relies on a certain principle. This study seeks to analyze the foundations of these two approaches in the exegetical books “ al-Kashshaf” , Ruh ol-Ma’ ani” , and “ al-Kashef” which respectively represent Mu’ tazilah, Ash’ ari, and Shi’ ite viewpoints about the Qur’ an. This paper attempts to delve deep into the exegetical principles of accepting and rejecting intercession for the sinful Muslim. The results revealed that three principles (coherence of faith and act, coherence of faith and heartfelt confirmation, coherence of faith and heartfelt confirmation along with doing religious duties) have been effective on the exegetical approaches of “ al-Kashshaf” , “ Ruh ol-Ma’ ani” , and al-Kashef” respectively.

One of the important strategies for human societies dealing with social-economic crises is “ resistive economy” which has been discussed from different perspectives. Some theoretical foundations in this method of economic management has been eloquently depicted in the Noble Qur’ an, especially in Surah Yusuf. Using descriptive method and with reference to Sunni and Shi’ ite exegeses on the relative verses in Surah Yusuf and other chapters in the Quran, the present study aims to analyze the management strategy of Prophet Joseph (PBUH) in this regard. The objective of this study is to present a role model for management based on the divine commands in order to achieve an economy with characteristics that can be called “ resistive economy” . The results of this research showed that resistive economy in Islam relies on the absolute sovereignty of God as well as people’ s cooperation. Solving economic crises requires meritocracy in order to rigorously choose righteous individuals based on accurate planning, saving, and appropriate allocation of resources. Therefore, the well-chosen individuals can manage the government and community and execute resistive economy relying on justice, impartiality, sincere cooperation, and with special attention to public assets and Beyt ol-Mal.

The Qur'an has applied noble and unique methods to display some arguments; one of the Qur’ anic verses in this regard is the seventh verse of the holy Surah az-Zuha. The term “ Zal” in this verse being considered as an active participle noun derived from “ Zalalat” refers to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and it needs to be more accurately researched. The present study simultaneously pursues the conceptual and attributional analysis of the term "Zalalat" in this verse classifying the most significant Sunni and Shi’ ite views into two categories. The first one recognizes the attribution of "Zalalat" to the Prophet Muhammad himself stating several aspects to justify the Prophet being lost (Zalalat-e Nabi). In the second category, “ Zalalat” , in its various meanings and with mostly literary justifications, refers to the Prophet’ s nation. Both of these viewpoints have some drawbacks not being able to answer the ambiguities and questions raised in the mind of the audience especially when confronted with the surface structure of the verse, its context, and the accurate meaning of guidance versus Zalalat. The current research has achieved a selected viewpoint which can be fostered through the Qur’ an to the Qur’ an exegesis, coherence with the context of the verses, and coordination with theological principles in the realm of prophetic infallibility. The findings of this article can be applied in the Qur’ anic studies and exegetical-theological research.

The necessity of Hijab or covering based on the Qur’ anic verses and narrations is definitely unquestionable; however, it is immensely important to recognize the boundaries of Hijab as one of the divine commands effective in social health or corruption. In recent centuries, due to some western views relying on the emerging schools on Hijab and its boundaries, there has been some doubt and confusion over this issue. For instance, it is said that the current state of Hijab is not what has been intended by God in the Qur’ an and what has been common during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) but it is under the influence of cultural viewpoints of the great companions of the Prophet interpreting the verses on Hijab. Considering the fact that there is disagreement on the exegesis of the verses on Hijab and its boundaries, this study seeks to survey the views of the companions as a bridge between the Prophet (PBUH) and later time periods in order to shed light on the limits and boundaries of Hijab from their perspective and then explain its impact and cause. As for Hijab, the companions of the Prophet do not have common views and often act according to their independent reasoning, if it is not attributed to deviation in narrations, it might be under the influence of common culture and political and cultural changes to keep the society safe from corruption.

The comprehensiveness of the Qur’ an is one of significant issues which has been reviewed by Islamic scholars from different perspectives since the early history of Islam. Absolute comprehensiveness, comprehensiveness in terms of guidance, and minimal comprehensiveness are among the most important perspectives in this regard. Qur’ anic verses and traditions on this subject claim that the Qur’ an has absolute integrity in terms of guidance and religious matters, that is to say, there is no religious or guidance issue which has not been mentioned in the Qur’ an while an investigation of its apparent structure reveals that it is not comprehensive even in terms of religious arguments. In another words, we cannot extract all religious commands and arguments from the surface structure of the Qur’ an; yet, there are numerous verses and particularly traditions which mention the absolute comprehensiveness of the Qur’ an. Using descriptive analysis, the present study critically analyzes the views of Sunni and Shi’ ite commentators in this regard and admits the absolute comprehensiveness of the Qur’ an on guidance affairs for the infallible Imams. It also draws a line between the comprehensiveness of the Qur’ an and the comprehensiveness of Islam, appointing the latter to those other than the infallibles. The results of the study show that, first, the Qur’ an independently has absolute comprehensiveness in terms of guidance and religious issues having vivid evidence in the deep structure of the Qur’ an; however, this sort of absolute comprehensiveness is exclusively for the infallible Imams who can extract knowledge from the profound aspects of the Qur’ an. Second, for those other than the infallibles, the comprehensiveness of Islam is mentioned and the Noble Qur’ an along the tradition of holy Imams pave the ground for that sort of integrity. Third, the comprehensiveness of Islam indicates absolute comprehensiveness in terms of guidance affairs which fulfills human need up until hereafter.

The purpose of this study is the comparative analysis of the exegetical views in al-Manar and al-Mizan about the tradition of Istisal (instant punishment) in the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH). In this regard, the present research seeks an answer to the question on whether the tradition of instant punishment can be practiced in the Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH). Therefore, the theoretical principles of the discussion are first mentioned; and then the relationship between the tradition of Istisal and other divine traditions such as Imhal (giving opportunity to the wrongdoer), sending prophets, and repentance are explained. Afterwards, by classifying verses on the tradition of Istisal, the viewpoints in the exegetical books al-Manar and al-Mizan are comparatively analyzed. The results of this comparative analysis show that there is disagreement between Allameh Tabatabaii and Rashid Riza on the interpretation of the verses about Istisal tradition. According to the views of Allameh Tabatabaii, the tradition of Istisal is viable in the Ummah of Muhammad, while form the standpoint of Rashid Riza and other renown commentators, it is not possible due to some reasons. In conclusion, the two aforementioned arguments reach one common result, that is to say, Istisal or instant punishment cannot be practiced in the Ummah of Muhammad.

Verses 74 and 80 of Surah al-Kahf are among verses which in a superficial inspection are not compatible with some principles of belief and theology in Islam. Giving the command to murder Gholam before his crime is proved and justifying that by some evidences such as awareness of his heresy in future or fear and reluctance of the incoming heresy are some of the most basic apparent drawbacks in these verses. Some commentators have attempted to make use of narrative, literary, juristic, theological, and mystical approaches to solve this problem. Making a reference to historical and rational evidences, they have presented some analyses of this event and in this regard, they have often been influenced by the exegetical movements relying on those evidences. Using descriptive analysis, the present study aims to discover each of the abovementioned approaches, then determine and evaluate their underlying viewpoints and finally explore the effect of various exegetical schools on the Sunni and Shi’ ite commentators’ views during the history of Qur’ anic exegesis. It seems that using the theological approach, especially belief in the divine wisdom, has been more effective that other alternatives as it is compatible with foundations and ancillaries of faith as well as the rest of approaches.