Quran in Isalm [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Moreover, all the meanings are based on a real situation, an actual physical
event. In the case of the dream, the interpretation has an external reality
which appears before its actual occurrence in a special form to the dreamer.
Likewise, in the story of Moses and Khidr, the interpretation that the latter
gives is, in fact, a reality which is to take place as a result of his action.
Therefore, the interpretation of the event is rooted in the event. In the
verse which orders man to fair dealing and measuring, the aspect of the verse is
a reality which appears as a social benefit. Thus the order is connected to the
effect it is supposed to have in the raising up of society and, in particular,
of trade. In the verse concerning referral of the dispute to God and His
messenger, the meaning is again fixed to reality, namely, the spiritualization
of the life of the community.
To conclude, we may say that interpretation of each verse springs from a
reality; the interpretation looks forward to or, in a subtle way, actually
brings into being the reality it is talking about. Thus its meaning both
contains and springs from a future or ulterior event. Just as the interpreter
makes the interpretation meaningful, so the manifestation of the interpretation
is already a reality for the interpreter.
The idea is also present in the form of the Qur'an since this sacred book
has as its source realities and meanings other than the material and physical
or, we may say, beyond the sensory level. Thus it expresses meanings which are
more expansive than those contained in the words and phrases used by man in the
material world. Although these realities and meanings are not contained in the
literal explanation of man, the Qur'an uses the same language to inform man of
the unseen and to produce correct belief and good action.
Thus, through belief in the unseen, in the last day and in the meeting with
God, man adopts a system of morals and a quality of character which allows him
to achieve happiness and well-being. In this way the Qur'an produces a spiritual
effect which, in turn, produces a physical social change, the importance of
which will become clear on the Day of Resurrection and the meeting with God.
There is further reference to this same theme when God says in chapter
XLIII:2-4, By the Book which makes plain. Take heed, we have appointed
it a lecture in Arabic that perhaps you will understand. And indeed the
source of the Book which we possess, it is indeed sublime, decisive.

It is sublime, in that the ordinary understanding cannot fully comprehend
it, and decisive in that it cannot be faulted.
The relationship of the last part of the verse to the meaning of exegesis
ta'wil, (as we have discussed above) is clear. It says,
in particular, that "perhaps you will understand," implying that one may or may
not understand it; it does not imply that one will understand the book fully,
merely by studying it.
As we have seen in the verse concerning the explicit mahkam and
the implicit mutashabih, knowledge of exegesis ta'wil, is
particular to God; moreover, when in this same verse corrupt men are blamed
for following the implicit mutashabih, verses and for intending
to sow dissension and conflict by searching for an exegesis, ta'wil, or
special interpretation, it does not state that they necessarily find it.
The exegesis of the Qur'an is a reality, or several realities, which
are to be found in the Source Book, the Book of Decrees with God; the Source
Book is part of the unseen and far from the reach of corrupters. The same
idea is treated again in chapter LVI:75-80 when God says, Indeed
I swear by the places of the Stars - And truly that is surely a tremendous
oath if you but knew - that this is indeed a noble Qur'an, in a book kept
hidden, which none touch except the purified, a revelation from the Lord
of the Worlds.

It is clear that these verses establish for the Qur'an two aspects,
namely the position of the hidden book protected from being touched and
the aspect of revelation which is understandable by the people. What is
of particular interest to us in this verse is the phrase of exception,
"except the purified.

" According to this phrase, we
can arrive at an understanding of the reality of the exegesis of the Qur'an.
This positive view of man's capability to understand the Qur'an does
not conflict with the negation of the verse, "And no one knows its ta'wil except God." Since the comparison of the two
verses produces a whole which is independent and harmonious. Thus we understand
that God is alone in understanding these realities, yet one may come to know
these truths by His leave and teaching.
Knowledge of the unseen is, according to many verses, the special domain
of God but in chapter LXXII:26-27, those who are worthy are excepted from
this: "He is the knower of the unseen and He reveals to no one His
secret, except to every messenger whom He has chosen. " Again we conclude
that knowledge of the unseen is particular to God and that it is fitting
for no one except Him and for those he gives leave to.

Thus the purified amongst men take the verse concerning the "purified
ones

" as leave to enter into contact with the reality of the Qur'an.
In a similar way we read in chapter XXXIII:33, "God's wish is but
to remove uncleanliness from you, O people of the Household, and clean
you with a thorough cleaning.

" This verse was revealed, (according to a
sound tradition with an unbroken chain of transmission), specifically with
regard to the family of the Prophet.
The Existence of Abrogating and Abrogated Verses in the Qur'an
Among the verses in the Qur'an containing orders or laws, there are
verses that abrogate verses previously revealed and acted upon. These abrogating
verses are called nasikh and those whose validity they terminate
are called mansukh.
For example, at the beginning of the Prophet's mission, Muslims were
ordered to cultivate peace and friendship with the people of the Book,
"Forgive and be indulgent (towards them) until God gives command,

"
[II:109]. Some time later, fighting was allowed and the order to establish
peace was abrogated: Fight against such as those who have been given
the Book but who believe not in God nor the last day, and do not forbid
that which God has forbidden by His messenger, and follow not the religion
of truth ...

[XI:29]
The common notion of abrogation, that is, a cancelling of one law or code by
another, is based on the idea that a new law is needed because of a mistake or
shortcoming in the previous one. It is clearly inappropriate to ascribe a
mistake in law-making to God, Who is perfect, and whose creation admits of no
flaws.
However, in the Qur'an, the abrogating verses mark the end of the validity
of the abrogated verses because their heed and effect was of a temporary
or limited nature. In time the new law appears and announces the end of
the validity of the earlier law. Considering that the Qur'an was revealed
over a period of twenty-three years in ever-changing circumstances, it
is not difficult to imagine the necessity of such laws. It is in this light
that we should regard the wisdom of abrogation within the Qur'an: And
when We put a revelation in place of (another) revelation and God knows
best what He reveals - they say: you are just inventing it. Most of them
do not know. Say: The Holy Spirit (Gabriel) has revealed it from your hand
with truth and as a guidance and good news for those who have surrendered
(to God)

[XVI:101-102]..

Applicability and Validity of the Qur'an

Bearing in mind that the Qur'an is valid for all times, the verses revealed
in special circumstances informing Muslims of their specific duties are also
valid for those who, in future, experience the same circumstances. Similarly,
those verses which praise or reproach certain qualities, and promise reward or
threaten punishment accordingly, are applicable to all ages and places. Thus the
meaning of a verse is not limited to the circumstances or the times of its
revelation.
Similar circumstances occurring subsequent to the revelation of a verse are
to be followed; this is known in Qur'anic Science as jary, or applicability. The
fifth Imam said, "were a verse after its revelation to pass away with the
passing away of that people, then nothing would have remained of the Qur'an. "
As long as the heavens and the earth exist, there are verses for every people,
wherever they be, which they may read and act upon for the benefit or reject at
their loss.

Qur'anic Commentary: Its Advent and Development

Commentary on the words and expressions used in the Qur'an began at the time
of the first revelation. The Prophet himself undertook the teaching of the
Qur'an and the explanation of its meanings and intent.
Thus, in chapter XVI:44 God says, "And we have revealed to you
the Remembrance that you may explain to mankind that which has been revealed
for them.

" And He says in LXII :2, "He it is Who has sent
among the unlettered ones a messenger of their own to recite to them His
revelations and to make them grow and to teach them the Scriptures and
wisdom.

"
At the time of the Prophet a group of men, on his orders, were instructed to
read, record and learn the Qur'an by heart. When the Prophet's companions passed
away, other Muslims took over the responsibility of learning and teaching the
Qur'an; and so it has continued until the present day.

The Science of Qur'anic Commentary and the Different Groups of Commentators

After the death of the Prophet a group of his companions, including Ubayy
ibn Ka'b, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansari, Abu Sa'id
al-Khudri, 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, Anas, Abu Hurayrah,
Abu Musa, and, above all, the famous 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, were occupied with
the Science of Commentary. Just as they had heard the Prophet explaining the
meanings of the verses, they would transmit it orally to other trustworthy
persons.
The traditions specifically concerned with the subject of Qur'anic verses
number over two hundred and forty; many were transmitted through weak chains of
transmission and the texts of some have been rejected as incorrect or forged.
Sometimes the transmission would include commentaries based on personal
judgements rather than on a narration of the actual sayings, hadiths, from the
Prophet.
The later Sunni commentators considered this kind of commentary as part of
the body of Sayings of The Prophet, since the companions were learned in the
science of Qur'anic commentary. They argued that these companions had acquired
their knowledge of this science from the Prophet himself and that it was
unlikely they would say anything which they themselves had invented.
There is, however, no absolute proof for their reasoning. A large proportion
of these sayings, or traditions, about the reasons and historical circumstances
of the revelation of verses do not possess an acceptable chain of narration. It
should be noted that many of the narrators like Ka'b al-Akhbar, were learned
companions who had belonged to the Jewish faith before accepting Islam.
Moreover, it should not be overlooked that Ibn Abbas usually expressed the
meanings of verses in poetry. In one of his narrations over two hundred
questions of Nafi' ibn al-Azraq are replied to in the form of poetry; al-Suyuti
in his book, al-Itqan, related one hundred and ninety of these questions.
It is evident, therefore, that many of the narrations made by the
commentators amongst the companions cannot be counted as actual narrations from
the Prophet himself; therefore, such additional material related by the
companions must be rejected.
The second group of commentators were the companions of the followers
(tabi'un), who were the students of the compan- ions. Amongst them we find
Mujahid, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, 'Ikrimah and Dahhak. Also from this group were Hasan
al-Basri, 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah,, 'Ata' ibn Abi Muslim, Abu al-'Aliyah, Muhammad
ibn Ka'b al-Qurazi, Qatadah, 'Atiyah, Zayd ibn Aslam, Ta'us al-Yamani.
The third group were comprised of the students of the second group, namely,
Rabi ibn Anas, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, Abu Salih al-Kalbi and others.
The tabi'un sometimes narrated the commentary on a verse as a tradition of the
Prophet or of the companions and, sometimes, they explained its meaning without
attributing a narrator to the source, this they did especially when there was
any doubt as to the identity of the narrator. The later commentators treat these
narrations as traditions of the Prophet, but count them as mawquf in their
science of the levels of hadiths (that is as a tradition whose chain of
narration does not reach back to the Prophet) .
The fourth group comprised the first compilers of commentaries, like Sufyan
ibn 'Uyaynah, Waki' ibn al-Jarrah, Shu'bah al-Hajjaj and 'Abd ibn Humayd; others
from this group include Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, the author of the famous Qur'anic
Commentary.'
This group recorded the sayings of the companions and the followers of the
companions with a chain of narrators in their works of commentary; they avoided
expressing personal opinions except, perhaps, Ibn Jarir al-Tabari who sometimes
expressed his views by indicating his preference when discus- sing two similar
traditions. The basis of the work of later groups may be traced to this group.
The fifth group omitted the chain of narrators in their writings and
contented themselves with a simple relation of the text of the traditions. Some
scholars regard these commentators as the source of varying views in the
commentaries by connecting many traditions to a companion or a follower without
verifying their validity or mentioning their chain of narration. Consequently,
confusion has arisen allowing many false traditions to enter the body of
traditions, thus undermining the reputation of this section of hadith
literature.
Careful examination of the chains of transmission of the traditions leaves
one in doubt as to the extent of the deceitful additions and false testimonies.
Many conflicting traditions can be traced to one companion or follower and many
traditions, which are complete fabrications, may be found amongst this body of
narrations.
Thus reasons for the revelation of a particular verse, including the
abrogating and abrogated verses, do not seem to ac- cord with the actual order
of the verses. No more than one or two of the traditions are found to be
acceptable when submitted to such an examination.
It is for this reason that Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, who himself was born
before this generation of narrators, said, "Three things have no sound
basis: military virtues, bloody battles and the traditions pertaining to
Qur'anic commentary." Imam al-Shafi'i relates that only about
one hundred traditions from Ibn 'Abbas have been confirmed as valid.
The sixth group consists of those commentators who appeared after the growth
and development of the various Islamic Sciences and each undertook the study of
Qur'anic commentary according to his specialization: al-Zajjaj studied the
subject from the grammatical point of view; al-Wahidi and Abu Hayyan'
investigated the verses by studying the inflection of the verbs, the vowels and
the diacritical points. There is also commentary on the rhetoric and eloquence
of the verses by al-Zamakhshari in his work entitled al- Kashshaf. There is a
theological discussion in the "Grand Commentary" of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi. The
gnosis of Ibn al-'Arabi and 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani treated in their
commentaries. Other narrators, like al-Tha'labi, record the history of
transmission of the traditions. Some commentators, among them al-Qurtubi,
concentrate on aspects of fiqh (jurisprudence) .
There also exists a number-of commentaries composed of many of these
sciences, such as Ruh al-bayan by Shaykh Isma'il Haqqi, Ruh al ma'ani by Shihab
al Dm Mahmud al- Alusi al-Baghdadi Ghara'ib al-Qur'an by Nizam al-Din al
Nisaburi. This group rendered a great service to the Science of Qur'anic
commentary in that it brought the Science out of a state of stagnation
(characteristic of the fifth group before it), and developed it into a Science
of precise investigation and theory.
However, if one were to examine closely the precision of this group's
research, one would see that rnuch of its Qur'anic commentary imposes its
theories onto the Qur'an rather than allowing the content of the verses to speak
for themselves.

The Methods Used by the Shi'ite Commentators and their Different Groupings

All the groups mentioned above are Sunni commentators. Their method, used in
the earliest commentaries of this period, was based on ijtihad, that is, the
reports of the companions and the followers of the companions were examined
according to certain rules in order to reach an acceptable understanding of the
text. This resulted in varying opinions amongst those making ijtihad and caused
disorder, contradiction and, even, fabrication to enter into the body of the
traditions.
The method employed by the Shi'ite commentators, how- ever, was different,
with the result that the patterning of the groups was also different. The
Shi'ite commentators in their study of a verse of the Qur'an, viewed the
explanation given by the Prophet as proof of the meaning of the verse, they did
not accept the saying of the companions, or the followers, as indisputable proof
that the tradition was from the Prophet.
The Shi'ite commentators only recognized as valid an unbroken chain of
narration from the Prophet and through members of his family. Accordingly, in
using and transmitting the verses concerning Qur'anic commentary, they
restricted themselves to the use of traditions transmitted by the Prophet and by
the Imams of the Prophet's family. This has given rise to the following groups:
The first group comprises those who have learned these traditions from the
Prophet and from the Imams of the Prophet's family, studying and recording them
according to their own method but not in any particular order. Among them we may
mention such scholars as Zararah, Muhammad ibn Muslim, Ma'ruf and Jarir who were
companions of the fifth and sixth Imams.
The second group comprises the first compilers of the commentaries, like
Furat ibn Ibrahlm al-Kufi, Abu Hamzah al-Thumali, Muhammad al-'Ayyashi, 'Ali ibn
Ibrahim al-Qummi and al-Nu'mam who lived between the second and fourth centuries
after Hijrah. The method of this group was similar to that of the fourth Sunni
group of Commentators.
Thus, they avoided any kind of ijtihad or passing of judgement. We should
remember that the Imams of the Prophet's family were living amongst Muslims and
available for questioning (on matters of commentary, for example) for a period
of almost three hundred years. Thus the first groups were not divided
chronologically but rather according to their relationship with the Imams.
There are very few who recorded the tradition without a chain of
transmission. As an example, we should mention one of the students of
al-'Ayyashi who omitted to record the chains of transmission. It was his work,
instead of the original of al-'Ayyashi which came into common use.
The third group comprises masters of various sciences, like al-Sharif
al-Radi who provided a commentary concerned with Qur'anic language and Shaykh
al-Tusi who wrote a commentary and analysis on metaphvsical matters. Included,
too, is Sadr al-Din al-Shirazi's philosophic work, al-Maybudi al-Kunabadi's
gnostic commentary and 'Abd 'Ali al-Huwayzi's commentary Nur al-thaqalayn.
Hashim al- Bahram composed the commentary al-Burhan and al-Fayd al-Kashani
compiled the work known as al-Safi.
There were others who brought together many different themes to their
commentaries, like Shaykh al-Tabarsi who in his Majma' al-bayan researches
different fields of language, grammar, Qur'an recitation, gnosis of death,
after-life and paradise, and knowledge of the traditions.

How Does the Qur'an Lend Itself to Interpretation?

The answer to this question is contained in the previous section where we
discussed the eternal validity of the Qur'an: it speaks to, instructs and guides
man now as it did in the past.
As we have seen, the whole text of the Qur'an is a challenge to mankind and