مجله پژوهش های قرآن و حدیث
سال چهل و پنجم شماره 1 (بهار و تابستان 1391)

Conformity of miracle of every prophet with the prevailing art and occupation of every time is a well-known matter among scholars. Such a theme is narrated for the first time through a chain of transmitters from the 10th Shi‘a Imam (al-Hadi), though it is attributed to the 8th Imam (al-Rida). As the chain of transmission of the hadith is poor, investigation of its theme is necessary. In this hadith, the transmitter asks first the reason of difference of prophets’ miracles first and Imam treats conformity of miracles with the prevailing art of prophet’s time as necessary considering eloquence of people of the time as an accomplishing factor in this regard. Then, the transmitter asks about the authoritative agent of his own time and Imam introduces the intellect. In order to present a way for understanding why authority of the intellect is presented as opposing the miraculousness of the Quran which may allude to non-authority of the Quran because of lack of eloquence in people of later times, the present essay investigates the role of intellect in the authority of miracles, whether sensory or intellectual, and comes to the conclusion that the intellect has simultaneously been present even in sensory miracles playing a significant role in accomplishment of the latter’s authority. On the other hand, authority of the Quran in all times is concluded by mentioning various dimensions of Quranic miraculousness and eternity of its miraculousness. Therefore, it is concluded that the final part of hadith does not intend to negate authority of the Quran; rather, it introduces the intellect as an authoritative proof which can distinguish between truthful and liar people.

Shiite scholars have always been concerned with the question of authenticity of hadiths of infallible-innocent personalities from the very beginning. Text criticism and consideration of contextual criticism of hadiths is a significant component in this connection. Evidence available indicates that text criticism of hadiths, whose consideration had been rooted in Shi‘a Imams’ directions, has had a deep-rooted history for Shiites. Analysis of reports handed down from early Shi‘a scholars conveys the significant role of contextual criticism on the basis of multiple cognitional criteria as to evaluation of veraciousness of themes of hadiths, examination of hadiths and books collecting them, valuation of issuance of hadiths, evaluation of mode of issuance, and examination of transmitters.

Denotation is defined as being a sign of something, as smoke denotes fire. However, literal denotation is used where meaning of a word takes shape in the mind because of conception of the word. Taking shape of meanings of words in man’s mind may be caused by such variety of causes as structure of the word, role of the word in a phrase, using a dictionary, circumstances of utterance of the word, and kind of phones of the word. The present essay intends to analyze and evaluate the 8th prayer of Sahifa from a phonological point of view and delve into the role of phones in conveying the message to the addressee. The main conclusion this research reaches at is that all phones in Sahifa are applied in their appropriate position and in conformity with addressee’s situation. Phones are so influential in the text that one can detect meanings of words and the dominant flavor of the text by listening to the tunes. Thus, in all prayers of Sahifa, including the 8th, form and content are tied together in such a way that replacement of any terms even with its synonym is impossible.

Meeting of the fourth Shi‘a Imam with Muslim b. ‘Uqba in Harra uprising is narrated in various forms. Investigation of narrations of that meeting can remove ambiguity of a controversial event in the political life of the fourth Shi‘a Imam and expound part of political policies of Shi‘a school in the dissimulation era. Investigations made earlier as to those narrations, however, do not seem sufficient. That is why the present essay discusses two problems in this regard: companions of Imam in that meeting, and his pledge of allegiance with Muslim. As for the former, historical evidence denotes that Imam refuged to no one, including Marwan and Abd al-Malik, to be safeguarded from Muslim. There are also multiple evidence as to the latter that Imam’s pledge with Muslim in such a way that Imam declared his servitude to Yazid is unacceptable. Evidence of forgery on the part of Abbasids in those narrations is also presented in this essay which can prepare grounds for further research in this connection.

As Imam Ali’s precious words, which are endowed with sublime ethical and religious concepts, have been fountainhead of rhetoric, a good number of scholars and poets have attempted to manifest literal and thematic beauty in their works through memorizing Imam’s speeches and benefitting from them. Such influence of Imam Ali’s language and thoughts had a very special manifestation in the poetry of sharp-sighted poets. Mahmood Warraq (d. 221 A. H.) is among such poets whose strongest impression of Imam Ali’s words has manifested itself in changing Imam’s words, both literally and thematically, from prose to poetry. In addition to 21 thematic and 4 visual adaptations, the present research reveals 20 literal adaptations of Imam’s speeches in Warraq’s poetry in order to manifest another scene of profundity and extensivity of the influence as well as uncontested sovereignty of Imam Ali’s sagacious words in the world of eloquence.

The question of essentials or principles of Quranic exegesis is among major discussions of Quranic sciences. Essentials of exegesis, i.e., definite beliefs accepted by the commentator, play some role in the process of one’s commentary, as acceptance or otherwise of such principles may cause specific approach to the commentary creating different interpretations of same verses. There are so many hadiths narrated from the fifth Shi‘a Imam as to interpretation of verses as well as Quranic sciences whose consideration can reveal some essentials of Quranic commentary from Imam’s viewpoint some of which to be counted as follows: sacredness of the holy Quran, the Quran not being distorted, the single recitation of the Quran, possibility and lawfulness of its interpretation, multi-meaning structure of the Quran, authority of the holy prophet and Imams in interpreting the holy Quran, and so forth.

There are a good number of historical verses in the holy Quran which relate to circumstances of descending ere as well as events occurred in early Islam whose understanding is in need of reference to history, especially that of early Islam. That is why consideration of history of early Islam is of great necessity and importance in the Quranic exegesis. In fact, knowledge of events occurred in early Islam, hinted by the holy Quran, causes clarity of concepts of verses related to such events, including ghazwas and sarriyas (different kinds of war), in such a way that verses would become ambiguous or understanding of as well as commenting on verses would become impossible without such knowledge of history. Furthermore, history plays a significant role in solving apparently contradiction of verses, determining instances of verses, rejecting illusion of exclusivity, validation of context of verses, knowledge of Meccan and Medinan as well as chronology of verses, and knowledge of invariable and variable as well as abolishing and abolished precepts – in the same way that knowledge of language and terminology of prophetic era is a great aid to understanding Quranic terminology and language.

In his book Quranic Studies, Wansbrough presents two criteria of style and function for typification of old commentatorial texts before al-Tabari. Recognizing twelve commentatorial devices and borrowing some expressions from Jewish commentatorial works, he divides old Quranic commentaries into five categories of parabolic, juristic, textual, rhetorical, and analogical. Based on literary analysis, he believes in the same chronology of those types, save the last. Surveying chain of transmission as well as text of Mudjahid’s commentary, the present essay evaluates Wansbrough’s style of typification and literal analysis and reveals that the core of written form of Mudjahid’s commentary, whose major characteristic is lexical explanation, goes back to the early half of the second Hijri century. Contrary to Wansbrough’s view, therefore, early types of Quranic commentaries were lexical and not parabolic.