Tafsir: Difference between revisions

The sayings of the [[Imams (a)]] related to the exegesis of [[Quran]]ic [[verse]]s are contained in the works of their disciples. According to verse 44 of [[Qur'an 16]], elaborating on the Quran was the task of the [[Prophet (s)]]; the Shi'a maintain that, according to [[Hadith al-Thaqalayn]], after the Prophet (s) this task was given to [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and that their hadiths has the same authority of prophetic hadiths. [[Al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] quotes a hadith indicating that the sayings of Ahl al-Bayt (a) are rooted in the sayings of the Prophet (s) and ultimately in [[God]]'s words. A hadith from [[Imam al-Sadiq (a)]] also indicates that the teachings of the Imams (a) are derived from those of the Prophet (s). [[Imam al-Baqir (a)]] too speaks of the Imams (a) as the heirs of prophets. According to a hadith from [[Imam Ali (a)]], the Prophet (s) taught Ali (a) the exoteric and esoteric interpretation of the Quran, including its general and specific, manifest and ambiguous, and abrogating and abrogated verses. The authority of the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (a) is also rooted in the Quran. According to [[Quran 33:33]], Ahl al-Bayt (a) are free from all impurities, and thus they have a perfect understanding of the Quran (see 56:79).  

The sayings of the Imams (a) on Quranic verses focus mostly on explicating the intended meanings of the verses but sometimes also tackle their lexical and grammatical aspects.  

According to hadiths and historical reports, there was a "mushaf" (codex) of the Quran that was collected by Imam Ali (a), who was the most knowledgeable companion of the Prophet (s) especially with regard to the exegesis of the Quran and the occasions of its [[revelation]]. In this codex, the verses of the Quran were organized based on the order of their revelation; it also provided exegetical notes and information on abrogating and abrogated verses, among other things. One can also find implicit or explicit exegetical notes in the collection of Imam Ali's sayings and words in ''[[Nahj al-balagha]]''.  

There are reports of exegesis by [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]. Historical reports point to the efforts of [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] in interpreting the Quran. The Imam's [[supplication]]s in ''[[al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya]]'' contain explanations of the meanings of the Quran and abundantly use and refer to Quranic verses (e.g., [[The 44th Supplication of al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya|supplication 44]] and the interpretation of "righteous servants" therein). A number of hadiths are narrated from Imam al-Sajjad (a) on the merits of the Quran and the occasions of the revelation of some verses.  

Abu l-Jarud Ziyad b. Mundhir, one of the companions of Imam al-Baqir (a), collected the Imam's exegetical sayings, which are mostly concerned with explicating difficult verses and words by referring to other Quranic verses and also referring Quranic verses to what would happen to the Imams (a). In some cases, Imam al-Baqir (a) talked about abrogating and abrogated verses and expounded jurisprudential aspects of the Quran.  

The exegetical sayings of Imam al-Sadiq (a) are collected in hadith collections and [[hadith-based commentaries]].  

In the exegetical hadith of Ahl al-Bayt (a), explicating the meaning of legal verses and answering the related [[jurisprudence|jurisprudential]] questions is a predominant theme. In addition to the methodology of interpreting the Quran by the Quran, the Imams (a) would use the sayings of the Prophet (s) or other Imams (a) in their exegesis, which can be regarded as a type of hadith-based exegesis.