A Study and Critique of the Chain of transmission and the Text of an Interpretive Hadith about Muqattaah Letters

The Quranic Muqatta''a letters are one of the Quranic topics about which scholars expressed different viewpoints. Considering the interpretation of these letters and the intention of God، many various views have been mentioned. Some narrations are found to interpret these letters. For example، a hadith in Maani al-Akhbar of Sheikh Saduq has interpreted all these letters. This hadith is assumed to be an interpretive source for subsequent books such as narrative Quranic exegeses. Different sections of these books refer to this hadith as their source. So، the validity of this hadith is very important. The aim of this study is to examine validity and authenticity of this hadith as a reference. The results indicate that the aforementioned hadith has neither authentic chain of transmission nor acceptable text. Therefore، it might not be an authentic source for the interpretation of Muqatta''ah letters of the Quran.