Analysis of Article: Twelver Shi i Ta wil

Diana Steigerwald has written an article titled Twelver Shi‘i Ta‘wil. Her theory is that the Shi‘ah has accepted the present Qur’an based on taqiyyah and believes that the names of the Shi’ah Imams were once mentioned in the Qur’an, but their names are not mentioned now. In order to prove her theory, she analyzes ta‘wil in the view of the Shi’ah. She also seeks to prove that the Shi‘ah hold that the Qur’an has different outward and inward meanings. She believes that the most inward interpretations may be found in Shi’ah belief. Of course, such exegeses revolve around the concept of wilayah (guardianship) and imamate (leadership). She posits that the Shi’ah believe some Qur’anic verses have been revealed regarding the Shi’ah and that understanding them is possible only through inward interpretation. Here, the author seeks to investigate the Steigerwald’s idea and explain Shi’ah beliefs about ta‘wil and the inward meaning of the Qur’an. She seeks to show that the inward meanings of the Qur’an are mentioned in narrations and both the Shi‘a and the Sunni accept them. Some of Steigerwald’s ideas about the Shi‘a and the Qur’an are incorrect or incomplete.