Classification of Scientific Elucidations of the Holy Quran

Scientific interpretation is one of the methods for interpreting the Holy Quran that has flourished in the contemporary era with numerous works. In this method, the findings of empirical sciences are used to better elucidate the verses of the Quran. Identifying this explanatory role of science can lead to a better understanding of the relation of science and the Quran. This article by employing the analytical-descriptive method, this explanatory role is investigated at three levels: Explaining the concepts of the words of ayahs, explaining the concepts of the sentences of the Quran, and the representing the new referents. While the explanatory role of science can further help human beings have a clearer understanding of religious facts, the scientific interpretations at the level of explaining the words of ayahs, lead to widening or narrowing the meaning, or strengthens one, in the process of preferring one meaning out of multiple meanings possible for one ayah .The elucidating role of scientific data in the study of sentences of the Quran can be classified into seven groups: clarifying the meaning, the basis of resemblance, the basis of division, the process, the reason for specification of the mention, relation and ultimate preference of a possibility. Meanwhile, some of the scientific interpretations seem to be more consistent with the literal meaning of the verse, making the complicated interpretations of the past seem unjustifiable. Moreover, some of the other scientific interpretations widen the scope of the meaning by suggesting a new possible interpretation beside those of the past.