Document Type : Academicm and Research
Authors
1 1 Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Farabi School, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran . Email: ali.rad@ut.ac.ir
2 2 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Farabi School, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran. Email: shahidi@ut.ac.ir
3 3 Ph.D. Student, Quran and Hadith Sciences, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Farabi School, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran. Email: at.mohammadzadeh@ut.ac.ir
Abstract
Highlights
Criteria for Applying the Interpretive Rule “Authenticity of the Contents of the Independent Sentences of the Qurʾan” in al-Mizan and al-Tahrir wa-l Tanwir *
Ali Rad1 , Rouhollah Shahidi2 , and Atefe Mohammad Zadeh3
1 Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Farabi School, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran (corresponding author). Email: ali.rad@ut.ac.ir
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Farabi School, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran. Email: shahidi@ut.ac.ir
3 Ph.D. Student, Quran and Hadith Sciences, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Farabi School, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran. Email: at.mohammadzadeh@ut.ac.ir
The rule of “authenticity of the contents of the independent sentences of the Qurʾan” is one of the rules that has been considered in contemporary exegeses. Allamah Tabatabai and Ibn Ashour have applied this rule in their interpretive discussions. However, they have not explained the criteria and conditions of its application in the framework of a coherent theory so that others can methodically apply this rule in interpretive studies and assess the scope and accuracy of the use of this rule by these two commentators. The result of collecting and analyzing the views of Allameh Tabatabai and Ibn Ashur is that both of them have relied on common criteria in applying the mentioned rule such as referring the sentences to divine traditions, the implication of sentences on belief and moral standards, the existence of reasoning in sentences, and matching the sentences with proverbs. Among the criteria, Allamah Tabatabai has paid special attention to the narrations of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) and the law “The example is taken from the generality of the words not the specificity of the cause”. Therefore, it can be said that although both commentators are somewhat in agreement with each other; however, in general, Allamah Tabatabai has surpassed in the systematic application of this rule due to due to the use of narrations and the interpretive teachings of the AhlulBayt (peace be upon them).
Keywords: Interpretation rules, Transcontextual interpretation of the Qurʾan, Allamah Tabatabai, Ibn Ashour
One of the rules of interpretation that contemporaries have tried to revive is the rule of the “authenticity of the contents of the independent sentences of the Qurʾan”. According to the mentioned rule, the separated sentences from the verses – provided they are compatible with Sharia and the intellect and do not contradict the context – have a complete and independent meaning out of the context of the verse, and they are used in the explanation of belief, social, jurisprudence, moral, etc. issues and the interpretation of other verses.
It is expected that the application of this rule is obvious in al-Mizān and al-Taḥrīr wa-l Tanwīr with the influence of the method and interpretive tendency of Allamah Tabatabai and Ibn Ashour. Therefore, the purpose of the present article is to examine the mentioned interpretations about a number of selected verses and to extract and organize the criteria for the application of the rule based on these two interpretations.
By studying multiple interpretive sources, especially al-Mizān and al-Taḥrīr wa-l Tanwīr, it was found that the commentators, relying on evidence, have revealed their method of discovering the semantic independence of Quranic sentences. These proofs which are the criteria for the application of the discussed rule within the scope of the current research, include intratextual and extratextual evidence.
Most of these criteria, which are in the category of in-text evidence, are related to the content and literary features of the sentences. These criteria are the following: referring the sentences to divine traditions, belief and moral standards, the ability of the sentences to apply to extra-contextual examples, explaining the cause (existence of reasoning in sentences), or them being allegorical and metaphorical. Using the sentence “And We alternate those days among mankind.” [Aal Imran: 140] as one of the general divine traditions, and using the sentences “Allah knows best with whom to place His message” [Anʿaam: 124] and “So that you do not grieve over what you have lost” [Hadid: 23] in referring to the belief and moral standards and citing the sentences “Allah desires ease for you and does not desire hardship for you” [Baqarah: 185], in explaining the cause for many Sharia rulings, etc. independently and out of the context of the verses, are the examples for the application of the aforementioned rule in the interpretations.
Most of the extratextual evidence is provided by narrations. The application of the narrations of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) in Shia interpretations, including the interpretation of al-Mizān, can be examined in two groups to prove the authenticity of the contents of the sentences out of the context of the verses. A group of narrations informs about the point of view of the Infallibles (peace be upon them) in the theoretical discussion of the rule, and another group shows their conduct in applying the rule. It seems that the most important narration in the theoretical discussion is the famous narration of Jaber b. Jofi from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) on the topic of the apparent and inner aspects of the Qurʾan.The second category of narrations includes narrations indicating the generality of the meaning of the sentences, narrations indicating continuity and adaptation, and similar cases.
The role of such narrations in expressing the independent authenticity of some sentences, such as “And enter the houses through their doors” [Baqarah: 189], is significant. According to various sayings, this sentence opposes the ignorant act of making holes in the back of houses and entering and leaving through that way while being in the state of iḥrām[1]. According to the narration of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), what is meant by this sentence is that everything should be done in the right way.
In this way, the abovementioned sentence mentioned has a broad concept outside the historical context of the verse and is not limited to the apparent departure from the house. Thus, by using the hadiths, it is possible to understand the method of the Imams in how to use independent sentences and utilize their method in the interpretation of the verses.
Among other cases that are worth considering in narrations is the introduction of the sentence ”Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change which is in their hearts” [Raʿd: 11] as one of the divine rules. This type of documentation proves the generality of the meaning of the sentence and the validity of its independent application for human societies at any time and place.
It is worth mentioning that some of the traditions have defended the authenticity of the contents of the sentences by emphasizing the role of the sentences in expressing the importance of a topic unrelated to the context. The use of the sentence “And be not cast by your own hands to ruin” [Baqarah: 195], in the discussion of “obedience to the ruler of the time”, although the context is related to the issue of Jihad and spending money for war equipment, is an example of this kind of application.
Allamah Tabatabai and Ibn Ashour, relying on in-text and extra-textual evidence, have laid a foundation for the use of the discussed rule. They did not have a significant difference in the method of interacting with independent sentences in citing in-text evidence. Their association is evident in some of the criteria for applying this rule, whether the sentences refer to divine traditions or their implication on belief and moral standards, matching the sentences with metaphors, and the use of reasoning in sentences. In the field of the studied verses, only Tabatabai cited a few traditions that indicate the authenticity of the contents of the independent sentences; however, despite belonging to the Shia faith, he has not used some important narrations in this regard.
Holy Quran.
Abedini, A. (1997).Hijjiyat-i farazha-yi Qurʾan-i karim. Bayyinat, 4(2), 48-63. [In Persian].
Ayazi, M. A. (2001). Fiqh pazhouhi-yi Qurʾani: dar amadi ba babani-yi Nazari-yi aayaat al-ahkam. Bustani-i Ketab. [In Persian].
Ayyashi, M. (1960). Ketab al-tafsir. Ilmiyyah. [In Arabic].
Babaie, A. A. (2015). Qawaʿid-i tafsir-i Qurʾan. Research Institute of Hawzeh and University. [In Persian].
Ibn Ashour, M. (n.d.). Al-Tahrir wa al-tanwir. Al-Tarikh. [In Arabic].
Kulayni, M. (2008). Al-Kafi. Dar al-Hadith. [In Arabic].
Makarem Shirazi, N. (1995). Tafsir Namuna. Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah. [In Persian].
Qasemi, M. J. D. (1997). Mahasen al-taʼwil. Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah. [In Arabic].
Tabatabai, M. H. (1996). Al-Mizan. Jame al-Modarresin. [In Arabic].
* Received: 2023 May 03 | Received in revised from: 2023 Jun 12 | Accepted: 2023 Jul 02 | published online: 2023 Dec 21
[1] A sacred state Muslims enter into while on pilgrimage to Makkah
Keywords
Main Subjects
)
Send comment about this article