Comparative Exegesis

Comparative exegesis is a methodology in Quranic exegesis (tafsir) in which the meaning of a verse is clarified through a comparison of various exegetical accounts. By employing this approach, the strengths and weaknesses of different exegetical accounts become evident, thereby enabling the selection of the most superior interpretation.

According to some researchers, comparative exegesis is limited solely to comparing Shia and Sunni views on Quranic concepts. However, others have divided it into three categories: (1) Comparative interpretation between the Quran and the two Testaments, (2) comparative interpretation between Islamic denominations, and (3) comparative interpretation between the Quran and sciences.

Definition and Significance

Comparative exegesis is a method of Quranic interpretation in which the apparent meaning of verses or an exegetical theory is clarified by comparing various viewpoints with one another and examining their similarities and differences. In comparative exegesis, sometimes two exegetes, sometimes two exegetical schools, and sometimes two exegetical books are compared. Some authors consider comparative exegesis to be a type of thematic exegesis; however, according to others, it stands alongside thematic exegesis and sequential exegesis. The origin of this exegetical method is attributed to verses such as verse 50 of Sura al-An'am.

The goal of comparative exegesis is to clarify viewpoints and illuminate their strengths and weaknesses in terms of their grounds and arguments, enabling an individual to select a more robust exegetical account. According to some researchers, comparative exegesis involves a comparative study of Quranic exegeses on a single topic or on the school and method of two exegetes. In Arabic, this type of exegesis is commonly referred to as "al-tafsir al-muqarin" or "al-tafsir al-muwazin."

Comparative exegesis has always existed throughout the history of Quranic exegesis, but in the fourteenth century Sh, it became systematic and rule-based. Works such as Tafsir tatbiqi by Fathollah Najjarzadegan and Tafsir tatbiqi aya mawaddat by Fada-Hossein Abedi are books that have been compiled in the framework of comparative studies.

Varieties

Mohammad Ali Rezaee Esfehani, a Quranic scholar, has divided comparative exegesis into three categories: (1) Comparative interpretation between the Quran and the two Testaments, (2) comparative interpretation between Islamic denominations, (3) comparative interpretation between the Quran and other sciences. However, Fathollah Najjarzadegan, the author of the book Tafsir tatbiqi, believes that comparative exegesis is dedicated to comparing Shia and Sunni viewpoints on Quranic concepts and does not include comparisons of other methods and schools of thought.

Comparative Exegesis between Islamic Denominations

Comparative interpretation between Islamic denominations has been a subject of attention for Shia and Sunni exegetes from the past. Among Shia exegetes, al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d. 460 AH) in his exegesis al-Tibyan and al-Tabrisi (d. 548 AH) in Majma' al-bayan, in verses related to wilaya (guardianship), jabr (determinism), and tafwid (delegation), have examined the views of the Mu'tazila and Ash'ariyya and compared them with the Shia perspective. Likewise, Fakhr al-Razi (d. 606 AH), a Sunni exegete, in Mafatih al-ghayb, has compared Shia and Sunni exegetical and theological viewpoints. It is said that the most prominent exegetical book written according to this method is al-Tafsir al-athari al-jami' by Mohammad Hadi Marefat.

Comparative Exegesis between the Quran and the Two Testaments

In the method of comparative interpretation between the Quran and the two Testaments, the text of the Quran and the Testaments are compared on shared topics (such as stories of prophets). In this exegetical approach, the unity of the source of the Quran and other heavenly books (i.e., their divine revelation) is explained, and the distortions that occurred in the Testaments and the Quran's immunity from alteration are elucidated. Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i has employed this method in his exegesis al-Mizan under discussions related to the story of Adam and Eve, and Muhammad Jawad Balaghi in Ala' al-Rahman.

Comparative Exegesis between the Quran and Sciences

In the method of comparative interpretation between the Quran and sciences, common issues from various sciences that are also related to the Quran are discussed. This exegetical approach has been deemed useful in explaining the scientific verses of the Quran, dispelling the notion of conflict between science and religion, and deriving the Quran's scientific theory. The permissibility and authority of scientific interpretation, the Quran's encompassing of the general principles of sciences, and the existence of a relationship between the Quran and science are considered the principles and foundations of this method. Additionally, employing sciences to understand Quranic verses, attention to the Quran's language and historical context, and the necessity of employing analogy and adaptation in interpreting verses have been introduced as the rules of this method. Disadvantages of this exegetical approach have been believed to include: imposing scientific viewpoints on Quranic verses, attempting to extract all details of a science from the Quran, neglecting the context and circumstances of revelation of the verses, and consequently presenting an incomplete interpretation of the Quranic verses.

Stages of Comparative Exegesis

Some researchers have outlined the following seven stages for employing the method of comparative exegesis:

Selecting the disputed issue;

Explaining the issue and its key terms;

Designing the structure;

Identifying the parties for comparison;

Determining the types of differences;

Extracting the Quranic viewpoint;

Evaluating the correctness or incorrectness of the perspectives under consideration.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The following advantages have been mentioned for comparative exegesis:

Freeing the exegetes from narrow-mindedness;

Clarifying unclear aspects of the topic;

Awareness of flaws and deficiencies in the interpretation of verses.

According to Mohammad Ali Rezaee Esfehani, comparative exegesis may, in some cases, suffer from the following disadvantages:

Mixing Israelite traditions with Quranic interpretation;

Emergence of disputes due to religious biases;

Imposing unproven scientific theories on the Quran.