The Explanation of Shahristānī’s View of the Comprehensibility of the Qur’ān Based on the Narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a) of the Prophet (s) Expressed in the Introduction of Mafātīḥ al-asrār wa maṣābīḥ al-abrār Commentary

The purpose of this article is to show that how Shahristānī, as one of the Sunnī great writers and exegetes, is influenced in his commentary by the narrations of Imāms (a) and in particular those of Imām Ṣādiq (a), how he expresses his views on the issues of interpretation and comprehensibility of the Qur’ān, and what solutions he proposed in this regard. The article at hand has adopted the analytical research method. Examining the comprehensibility principles proposed by Shahristānī in Mafātīḥ al-asrār commentary, we come to the point that Shahristānī deems that the reference to the narrations of Ahl al-Bayt (a) is the only way to understanding the Holy Qur’ān, and he himself has been influenced greatly by them in his discussion of the Qur’ānic principles. In addition, he takes the knowledge of the Qur’ān - including exegesis and esoteric interpretation – exclusive to Ahl al-Bayt (a), maintains that exegetes wonder in the interpretation of the Qur’ān because they do not refer to Ahl al-Bayt (a),  deems that staying away from them is the cause of destruction, and believes that Ahl al-Bayt (a) are the true protectors of the Qur’ān. In the light of Shahristānī’s comments in the introduction to his commentary and using Ahl al-Bayt’s (a) narratives, we might conclude that there is a possibility to understand and interpret the Qur’ān for all exegetes provided that they set aside their religious presuppositions in interpretation and choose the correct method for the interpretation of the Qur’ān, which is referring to Ahl al-Bayt (a) and using their narration, as the Prophet (s) repeatedly noted in his valuable words.