A Comparative Study of the Element of Imagination  in The stories of Qur’an in the Tafsirs Min Wahy al-Qur’an and al-Tafsīr al-Munīr

SHamkhi, Mina; Bostani, Qasem; Daghaghele, Sobhan

doi:10.22091/ptt.2025.12860.2453

A Comparative Study of the Element of Imagination in The stories of Qur’an in the Tafsirs Min Wahy al-Qur’an and al-Tafsīr al-Munīr

Document Type : Academicm and Research

Authors

¹ Full Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

² PhD student, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

10.22091/ptt.2025.12860.2453

Abstract

Imagination, as an intermediary faculty between reason and sensation, is one of the key tools for grasping meanings that go beyond the apparent in sacred texts—especially in the Qur'an. This study, using a comparative analytical method, explores the role and modes of employing imagination in two contemporary Qur'anic exegeses: Min Wahy al-Qur’an by Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlullah (a prominent Shi'a exegete) and al-Tafsīr al-Munīr by Dr. Wahbah al-Zuḥaylī (a notable Sunni exegete). The findings indicate that Fadlullah, with a creative and artistic approach, utilizes imagination to reconstruct the psychological, emotional, and social settings of Qur'anic narratives, thereby deepening and enhancing the interpretive impact of the verses. In contrast, al-Zuḥaylī adopts a more cautious approach, employing imagination primarily within the frameworks of rational, historical, and didactic analysis. The study concludes that while both exegetes make balanced use of imagination, they differ significantly in the extent, form, and purpose of its application. This article elucidates the status of imagination in Qur'anic interpretation and offers a comparative analysis of diverse exegetical approaches to its use.

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