A Comparative Study of Verse 40 of Sura al-Tawbah with Emphasis on Sheikh Mufid's Debate

The verse 40 Sura al-Tawba known as the Verse of the Cave due to its inclusion of the case of Abu Bakr's accompanying the Prophet (s) to the cave has been debated and discussed by both Imamiyyah and Sunni commentators. The purpose of this article is to analyze and explain the interpretive arguments of the two branches of faith and to judge between them by emphasizing the debate transmitted from Sheikh Mufid based on the information collected from library resources from both Shiite and Sunni schools of jurisprudence and some related theological books and their comparative descriptive-analytic methods. Attention has been paid to the differences and then judgments have been passed about the reasons offered by both sides. The fact that Abu Bakr has been considered superior and virtuous by Sunni commentators is subject to objections. There are, for example, reports saying that the verse could refer to Abdullah bin Abu Bakr or there is a narration  from Aisha which says that no verse was revealed about her and her family except the  verse concerning the Ifk incident and the presence of Abu Bakr in the Jama'at prayer led by Salim bin Huzaifa which was concurrent with the Cave incident.  When it comes to Shiite scholars' commentary or arguments and its comparison with those of the opposition, it is clear that there is more logic and rationale behind their arguments; secondly, the polity of the debate has been respected, while some Sunni commentators have interpreted this verse in a biased way.