Imam al-§adiq (A.S.)ʹs Methods in Interpretation of the Qurʹan and a Glance at the Sunni Exegetical Traditions

Abstract

Knowledge about the exegetical methods of the Infallible Imams — especially Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.), the founder of Jaʹfari School of Law — has not only guided us toward correct and systematic use of the Qurʹan, but also shows us when the Imam has employed such methods. In this article, first the exegetical traditions of Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) in Sunni exegetical sources have been explored and extracted, then with a close study of them and the methods used by the Imam in the Qurʹan interpretation — rather than its ta ʹwil — it has been clarified and included that the Imam has interpreted and elucidated the Qurʹan with different methods, depending on the capacity of the listeners and the dominant atmosphere. In some instances, he would interpret the most difficult issues with the most beautiful analogies and in the simplest language. All this is apart from the esoteric instances in which the Imam has given an allegorical interpretation (taʹwil) of a specific Qurʹanic verse.