" El Yasin," Its Proper Pronunciation and Meaning In the Commentaries of the Two Sects

The term “El Yāsin” has been mentioned in the Quran just once in the verse 130 of the 37th chapter: “Peace be unto Elias”. Both the correct pronunciation and meaning of the term has been a point of disagreement among the commentators and readers of the Quran. Some of the Shiite and most of the Sunni commentators believe that El Yasin is another version of Elyasin and is equal to Elyas who is a Quranic prophet. The supporters of this idea refer to the popular reading, similar terms and the context as the proofs for their preference. On the other hand, other Shiite commentators by referring to some traditions believe that the phrase should be pronounced as “Āl Yāsin” and it implies Ahlul-Bayt. The fact that one of the Prophet's names is “Yāsin” is a good reason for such an inference. In the present study, we try to determine the meaning of the term by reviewing the commentator's ideas, Quranic proofs and various readings as well as the traditions received in this subject.