Method of Teaching Interpretation

They are truth-oriented. Just as the prayer that the Prophet (PBUH) recited as worship and a model, the Qur’anic examples also possess authenticity and depth.

الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ اِلَى جَهَنَّمَ أُولَئِکَ شَرّ مَكَانآ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلا

Those who are driven upon their faces towards Hell, they have the worst place and have taken the most misguided path.

Method of Teaching Interpretation

The method of teaching interpretation involves definition, clarification, and providing examples before and after the definition. This method is like a structure built upon solid foundations with precise adornments, ensuring the audience’s deep comprehension.

Comprehensiveness of the Knowledge of the Divine Saints

The knowledge of the divine saints, due to its truth-oriented nature, is comprehensive and complete. This knowledge is like a sea into which all rivers of understanding converge, deriving its source from the Holy Qur’an.

Conclusion on the Essence of Interpretation

Verses 32 and 33 of Surah Al-Furqan, by clarifying the wisdom of the gradual revelation of the Qur’an, provide a comprehensive response to the doubts of the disbelievers. These verses not only refute the doubts with reason and fairness but also reveal the divine wisdom in strengthening the Prophet’s (PBUH) heart and the measured recitation of the verses. Distinctions between “anzal” and “nazzal,” the continuity of revelation, and moral lessons in debate are among the key points of this analysis. This section demonstrates that the Qur’an is a field of divine truths, each verse serving as a lesson for guidance and human development.

The gradual revelation of the Qur’an, as a wise method, not only strengthened the Prophet’s (PBUH) heart but also guided the society slowly towards perfection. Divine responses to the doubts of disbelievers offer lessons in fairness, reasoning, and debate ethics, which hold high value for researchers and exegetes. This work invites reflection on the divine word and exploration of its profound wisdom so that humanity may be guided towards truth in the light of the Holy Qur’an.

The Concept and Position of Interpretation in the Holy Qur’an

Interpretation in the Qur’an refers to clarifying and explaining the apparent meaning of the verses, not probing into their inner meanings or allegorical exegesis. This definition, rooted in verse 33 of Surah Al-Furqan, presents interpretation as a methodical and scholarly process that, relying on literary, semantic, and linguistic jurisprudence knowledge, extracts divine questions and answers. Unlike allegorical exegesis, which seeks deeper meanings and esoteric derivations, interpretation focuses on the surface text and avoids unsupported conjectures. This distinction is like a line drawn between manifest truth and hidden secrets, inviting the exegete to scientific precision in analyzing the verses.

Verse-Centric Focus: Meaning of Interpretation in Surah Al-Furqan

وَلاَ يَأْتُونَکَ بِمَثَلٍ اِلاَّ جِئْنَاکَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرآ

“And they bring you no example except that We bring you the truth and the best interpretation.”

This verse defines interpretation as a divine response to the doubts of disbelievers, polytheists, and Jews. The phrase “best interpretation” indicates the superiority and completeness of Qur’anic responses, which not only reveal the truth but also dispel doubts with eloquence and logic. The term “example” refers to the doubt or objection raised by opponents, and the divine response, with the dual characteristics of truth-orientation and excellence in expression, acts as an impenetrable shield neutralizing these doubts.

Key Point: Qur’anic interpretation is a truth-oriented and superior response that dispels doubts with precision and clarity, distinguishing it from other interpretive methods.

Characteristics of the Qur’anic Exegete

A Qur’anic exegete must possess two fundamental skills: first, the ability to recognize questions and doubts raised by opponents; and second, the ability to extract divine answers from the verses, whether explicitly or implicitly. This process requires mastery of Qur’anic sciences such as vocabulary, syntax, rhetoric, and linguistic jurisprudence. Furthermore, the exegete’s inner purity, akin to an inner light, helps in understanding semantic connections between questions and answers with greater accuracy and depth. This combination of knowledge and spirituality makes interpretation a comprehensive and elevated experience.

Requirements for Qur’anic Interpretation

Qur’anic interpretation relies on two main aspects: the apparent aspect, which includes mastery of literary, syntactic, rhetorical, and semantic sciences, and the inner aspect, which requires heart’s purity and intuitive understanding of the verses’ meanings. The apparent aspect acts as pillars that uphold the scientific edifice of interpretation, while the inner aspect functions as the soul giving life to this edifice. Together, they transform interpretation into a comprehensive and profound process.

Key Point: Qur’anic interpretation is a combination of scholarly knowledge and inner purity, guiding the exegete toward accurate and profound understanding of the verses.

In any case, interpretation in the Qur’an is a methodical process for elucidating the apparent meaning of the verses, revealing the truth in the best expression by addressing doubts. This process, requiring scholarly knowledge and inner purity, demonstrates the exalted position of the Qur’an in answering human inquiries, characterized by truth-orientation and excellence in expression.

Analysis of Disbelievers’ Doubts and Qur’anic Responses

The disbelievers, in a verse of Surah Al-Furqan, questioned why the Qur’an was not revealed all at once:

لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً

“Why was the Qur’an not revealed to him all at once?”

This doubt stems from their lack of understanding of the divine wisdom in the gradual revelation of the Qur’an. The disbelievers expected the Qur’an, like some other heavenly books, to be revealed in a single compilation. This objection indicates their ignorance of the divine wisdom, which designed gradual revelation to strengthen the Prophet’s (PBUH) heart, facilitate comprehension and implementation of the verses, and address the progressive needs of the Muslim community.

Divine Response to the Disbelievers’ Doubt

Allah, the Exalted, clarifies the wisdom of gradual revelation:

كَذَلِکَ نَزَّلْنَاهُ لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَکَ وَرَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا

“Thus We have revealed it so that We may strengthen your heart with it and recite it with measured recitation.”

This response contains three key elements:

• كَذَلِکَ نَزَّلْنَاهُ: Affirmation of gradual revelation as a divine method.
• لِنُثَبِّتَ بِهِ فُؤَادَکَ: The purpose of gradual revelation is to strengthen the Prophet’s heart against hardships and doubts.
• رَتَّلْنَاهُ تَرْتِيلا: Revelation with order and coherence, meaning the continuity and arrangement of the verses.

“Tartil” in language denotes well-composed sequencing, like a thread linking prayer beads. This feature ensured the verses were revealed in an orderly manner, appropriate to temporal and spatial needs, highlighting divine wisdom against the doubts of the disbelievers.

Key Point: Gradual and sequenced revelation of the Qur’an constitutes a comprehensive response to the disbelievers’ doubts, demonstrating divine wisdom in strengthening the Prophet’s heart and maintaining the coherence of the verses.

Application of Doubt and Response

The disbelievers’ doubt had two aspects: objection to gradual revelation (why revealed gradually?) and expectation of total revelation (why not all at once?). The divine response addresses both: gradual revelation to strengthen the Prophet’s heart and tartil to maintain coherence and connection among verses. This response acts like a key unlocking the doubt and manifesting divine wisdom in the method of revelation.

Second Example of Interpretation

Verse 34 of Surah Al-Furqan provides another example of interpretation:

الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ اِلَى جَهَنَّمَ أُولَئِکَ شَرّ مَّكَانآ وَأَضَلُّ سَبِيلا

Those who are driven upon their faces towards Hell, they have the worst place and have taken the most misguided path.

This verse answers the preordained doubt of the disbelievers who considered the Prophet (PBUH) and his followers as the worst people. Allah, with a subject-predicate structure (“الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ” as the first subject and “أُولَئِکَ شَر مَّكَانآ” as the second), emphasizes that the disbelievers themselves occupy the worst place and follow the most misguided path. This response mirrors a reflection that returns the truth to those creating doubts.

Other Examples of Disbelievers’ Doubts

The Qur’an in other verses also mentions disbelievers’ doubts without providing direct responses:

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا اِنْ هَذَا اِلاَّ اِفْكٌ افْتَرَاهُ وَأَعَانَهُ عَلَيْهِ قَوْمٌ آخَرُونَ

“And those who disbelieved said: This is nothing but a lie fabricated by him, and some others have helped him in it.”

وَقَالُوا مَالِ هَذَا الرَّسُولِ يَأْكُلُ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشِي فِي الاَْسْوَاقِ

“And they said: What is with this Messenger that he eats food and walks in the markets?”

These verses object to the authenticity of the Qur’an and the humanity of the Prophet (PBUH). By mentioning these doubts without direct answers, the Qur’an guides the audience’s mind to seek answers in other verses, like a teacher inviting a student to reflection and contemplation.

Structure of Question and Answer in the Qur’an

The Qur’an demonstrates unparalleled variety in responding to doubts: sometimes question and answer appear together (as in verse 33), sometimes only the answer is given (as in verse 34), and sometimes only the question is mentioned (as in verses 4 and 7). This diversity, like different melodies in a symphony, showcases the beauty and flexibility of the Qur’an in teaching and responding.

Key Point: Diversity in the question-and-answer structure indicates the flexibility and comprehensiveness of the Qur’an in addressing doubts.

In any case, the doubts of disbelievers, including objection to gradual revelation and the humanity of the Prophet, have been dispelled with precise and wise responses in the Qur’an. These responses, characterized by gradualness, tartil, and truth-orientation, reveal divine wisdom and demonstrate the Qur’an’s ability to answer human inquiries.

Critique of Allameh Tabatabai’s View in Tafsir Al-Mizan

Allameh Tabatabai in Tafsir Al-Mizan believed that three verses (لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ, وَلاَ يَأْتُونَکَ, الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ) were revealed for a single purpose and complement each other. He considered the third verse as a supplement to the first and viewed the three verses as a coherent unit responding to the doubt about total revelation of the Qur’an.

Contrary to Allameh’s view, this analysis emphasizes the independent thematic and semantic content of each verse:

• First verse (لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ): an example of complete question-and-answer interpretation, explaining the wisdom of gradual revelation.
• Second verse (وَلاَ يَأْتُونَکَ): provides the definition and theoretical framework of interpretation.
• Third verse (الَّذِينَ يُحْشَرُونَ): another example of interpretation, addressing a different doubt (the condition of disbelievers).

The third verse, due to its thematic difference (the situation of disbelievers in relation to the revelation of the Qur’an), cannot be considered a supplement to the first verse. This critique, like a light illuminating hidden angles, highlights the independence of each verse and refutes the assumption of thematic unity proposed by Allameh.