Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings

Ahl al-Bayt (as) Teachings

Typology of the Exegetical Traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) Concerning the Qurʾānic Qisas

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PHD Student, Department of Quranic Sciences and Hadith, Sciences and Research Branch Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant professor, Department of Quranic Sciences and Hadith, Zanjan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Zanjan, Iran.
Abstract
The exegetical narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) have consistently drawn scholarly attention, and various studies have explored their interpretive approaches. Yet, typological investigations into their engagement with Qurʾanic stories (Qaṣaṣ al-Qurʾān) remain largely absent, and the independent treatment of this category of verses has not been systematically examined. The Ahl al-Bayt (as), in their interaction with Qurʾanic Qisas, adopted diverse interpretive strategies: at times they clarified and unveiled the apparent meanings of words; at other times they offered allegorical readings that pointed to deeper, esoteric dimensions; and in certain instances, without assuming the role of formal tafsīr or taʾwīl, they extracted subtle insights and delicate lessons from the stories. In this study, various typologies of ḥadīth in the field of Qurʾānic exegesis were examined, and from among them, those types that were relevant to the Qurʾānic stories (Qiṣaṣ al-Qurʾān) were selected. By exploring the traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (as), examples were chosen for each type, and a new category of exegetical traditions—exclusive to the Ahl al-Bayt (as) and accorded special importance by them—was introduced. These categories include: Depicting the Context of Revelation, Clarification of Qurʾānic Terms (īḍāḥ al-alfāẓ), Clarification of Concepts (Īḍāḥ al-Mafāhīm), Exemplification (al-Miṣdāq), Clarification of Divine Wisdom (Ḥikmah), Purification of the Prophets (Tanzīh al-Anbiyāʾ).


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Volume 3, Issue 2
Summer 2025
Pages 27-42

  • Receive Date 20 November 2025
  • Revise Date 02 December 2025
  • Accept Date 02 January 2026
  • First Publish Date 02 January 2026
  • Publish Date 01 September 2025