Document Type : Academicm and Research

Authors

• Aliahmad Naseh ¹
• Sayed mohammad hadi Hosseini nejad ²

¹ Professor, Quran and Hadith Sciences Departement, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

² Ph.D. Candidate, Quran and Hadith Sciences Departement, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

Abstract

Highlights

Introduction

The sixth verse of the al-Ahzab Chapter refers to the absolute guardianship (wilāyah) of the Prophet of Islam over the souls of the believers and the status of his wives as “Mothers of the Believers”. It then proceeds to discuss the rights of inheritance among relatives: “The Prophet is closer to the faithful than their own souls, and his wives are their mothers. The blood relatives are more entitled to inherit from one another in the Book of Allah than the [other] faithful and Emigrants, barring any favour you may do your comrades. This has been written in the Book.” The core issue of this research is whether the phrase “The blood relatives are more entitled” in this verse, in addition to the matter of inheritance, also signifies the guardianship of the Ahlulbayt. The aim of this study is to conduct a historical and comparative analysis of the interpretations of Shiite and Sunni exegetes to arrive at a comprehensive analysis and select the more credible and well-documented interpretation.

Analysis of the Views of Commentators

Analysis of the Views of Sunni Commentators

In examining the opinions of Sunni commentators, even in the contemporary period, it can be observed that there is little difference from the views of earlier scholars. These commentators have primarily interpreted the discussed portion of the verse in the context of inheritance among relatives, considering it to abrogate inheritance based on brotherhood and faith. This consistency in interpretation indicates the continued dominance of the traditional interpretation among the Sunnis. However, a small number of Sunni commentators, such as Fakhr Razi, have attempted to establish a connection between this part of the verse and its other segments, proposing a broader meaning. Some others have considered the verse’s meaning to be general, encompassing not only inheritance but also other concepts. However, such views are not widely prevalent among Sunni scholars.

Analysis of the Views of Shiite Exegetes

In the early centuries, Shiite exegetes, relying on narrations, clearly interpreted this verse as pertaining to Imamate, considering it as evidence for the guardianship of the Ahlulbayt (AS). They considered verse 75 of the al-Anfal Chapter to pertain to inheritance, and the “kinship” as related to Imamate.

From the 5th and 6th centuries onward, exegetes such as Tusi and Tabarsi, while acknowledging the verse’s applicability to inheritance, introduced new perspectives. They rejected the abrogation related to inheritance through migration and faith and focused their views primarily on inheritance issues.

From later centuries up to the 14th century, Shiite exegetes adopted a broader interpretation of this verse, considering it to encompass both the guardianship of the Ahlulbayt (AS) and inheritance. Some exegetes, due to apparent linguistic issues in the verse’s apparent aspect, attributed the concept of wilāyah to its esoteric interpretation. This approach demonstrates the evolution of Shiite theological perspectives over time.

In the 14th century, certain Shiite exegetes interpreted this verse as a general principle in all divine religions concerning inheritance and succession. In the 15th century, given the verse’s denotation of inheritance and the context of the Prophet’s precedence at the beginning of the verse, this portion came to be interpreted as generally applying to the relatives of all believers regarding inheritance, while specifically referring to the “possessors of kinship” (ulul-arḥām) of the Prophet, namely the Imams (AS).

The Preferred Perspective

Some commentators, in an effort to reconcile the apparent meaning of the verse with narrations, have employed the theory of “a word being used in more than one meaning.” However, does this verse truly meet the conditions for such a usage? The authors of this article believe the answer is affirmative. In this verse, sufficient contextual evidence exists to support this view because conventionally, the term “ulul arḥām” (possessors of kinship) is used in two contexts: 1) inheritance and 2) successorship. Regarding its use in terms of inheritance, the evidence is primarily based on scholarly consensus (ijmāʿ), which itself either stems from conventional linguistic usage or narrations from scholars like Qatadah and others. However, concerning guardianship (wilāyah), the verbal evidence at the beginning of the verse, “The Prophet has more authority over the believers…,” serves as the best evidence and indicates that the verse refers to guardianship. It means that the possessors of kinship of the Prophet have priority in guardianship over one another.

However, it must be noted that this part of the verse also serves to remove misconceptions so that one does not assume that when the Prophet’s (PBUH) wives are introduced as the “mother of the believers,” this does not mean they inherit from all believers. Rather, this title denotes their honored status. On the other hand, honoring the Prophet's wives does not mean they have guardianship over the people. Rather, the possessors of kinship of the Prophet (PBUH) hold priority in guardianship over others. The preferred perspective has considered the content of the narrations while also establishing an exegetical connection between all parts of the verse.

Conclusion

In this research, we demonstrated how the views of exegetes about verse six of the al-Ahzab Chapter regarding its proof of the guardianship of Ahlulbayt and inheritance of relatives have evolved historically. In early centuries, both esoteric (taʾwīlī) and interpretive (tafsīrī) narrations were widely used in exegeses. However, in the 5th century, with the emergence of jurisprudential exegesis in al-Tusi’s exegesis, esoteric narrations were eliminated and only interpretive narrations were relied upon. These changes relate to al-Tusi’s reconciliatory theological foundations. From the 10th century onward, with the revival of the Akhbari thought, esoteric narrations re-entered exegeses, and attempts were made to provide interpretive justifications for them.

In this research, the views of some later exegetes, who considered the verse as an instance of a word being used in more than one meaning, were selected. This view was confirmed through discussing the possibility and occurrence of a word being used in multiple meanings in this verse, and it was shown that different parts of the verse can be interpreted in a way that relates them to each other.

References

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Keywords

• verse of possessors of kinship
• al-Ahzab verse 6
• Imamate in the Quran
• inheritance in the Quran
• Ahlulbayt

Main Subjects

• Islamic