A comparative study of the meaning and signification of Bayyinat in the Holy Quran based on the views of Shiite and Sunni commentators

The word ‘Bayyenāt’(بینات) is one of the key words of the Holy Qur’an which has been repeated 71 times in the Holy Qur’an considering its other derivatives. The key use and repetition of this word in the Holy Qur'an requires a close examination of its meaning and examples in the referenced verses. Since Bayyenāt has been used in different contexts, the purpose of this study is to discover the distinctions between the causes of which the word Bayyenāt have been use in each verse, according to its Quranic conceptual meaning. For this purpose, first the lexical meaning of Bayyenāt was investigated by examining several dictionaries, then the verses that contain this word were extracted, and finally the examples of Bayyenāt were examined through a comparative analysis of different interpretations. The results of the research show that Bayyenāt, which literal meaning is ‘clear and enlightening reasons’, has been used in the Holy Qur'an in both material and spiritual instances. For the materialistic examples of using Bayyenāt, we can mention the miracles of the prophets and the remnants of the past. The spiritual examples of Bayyenāt also include the Holy books, especially the Qur'an, divine knowledge and insight, and rational arguments. A comparative analysis of the Shiite and Sunni commentators shows that the commentators agree on the examples related to the prophets, their miracles, and arguments, as well as the example of the Holy Qur'an. Differences of opinion can be seen only in the verses that refer to the concealment of evidence, and only the Shia commentators, have stated Imam Ali’s leadership as an example of concealed evidence based on Hadith.