A Comparative Look at the Status of Exegetic Rules in Majmaul Bayan and Mafatih al-Ghaib (with the centrality of the Verse of Wilayah)

Correct interpretation and understanding of the Quran is based on certain rules that are applied in an exegetic process. The extent to which the exegete adheres to these rules and how he applies them directly determines how far he is able to explore the true divine purpose. Among various Quranic topics, the subject of "wilayah and imamate" (Governance and Leadership) is among the key contentious issues about which there are different readings and interpretations in Shiite and Sunnite scholarly circles. These differences are due, mainly, to the use or incorrect use of the exegetic rules. Hence, the object of this of this article is to study the status and role of exegetic rules in commentary works such as Majmaul Bayan and Mafatih al-Ghaib especially in the interpretation of the verse of wilayah. Using a descriptive – analytic method, this article seeks to examine how far the authors of these two commentary works have made use of exegetic rules so that by so doing the root cause of the contention and differences that have existed between Shiite and Sunnite schools about the subject of wilayah could be verified. As per the finding of this research, the most important rules that have been used in these two commentary works in the process of interpreting the verse of wilayah are the following: paying attention to Arabic grammar, context of verses, occasion of revelation, and relevance of other verses.