Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an,

The Prolegomena to the Qur’an

Author(s): Ayatullah Sayyid Abulqasim al-Khui

Publisher(s): Ansariyan Publications – Qum

www.alhassannain.org/english

Table of Contents

Translator’s Introduction 6

Al-Khu’i’s Early Life and Education 6

The Shi’ite Leadership under al-Khui 7

The Crisis of Leadership in the Aftermath of al-Khu’i's Death 13

Al-Khu’i's Legal and Exegetical Thought 17

The Qur'anic Exegesis 19

Juridical Significance of the Exegesis 23

The Present Translation 24

Notes 24

Introduction 27

Foreword 28

Preface to the First Edition 29

The Excellence of the Qur'an 30

The Merits of Reciting the Qur'an 35

Contemplating the Qur'an and Understanding Its Meanings 38

Notes 39

1. The Inimitability of the Qur'an 42

The Necessity for a Prophet to Perform Miracles 43

The Best Miracles Are Those Which Best Resemble the Most Advanced Arts of the Time 45

The Qur'an as a Divine Miracle 47

The Qur'an: An Eternal Miracle 49

The Qur'an and the Forms of Knowledge 51

The Qur'an and the Integrity of Elucidation 57

The Legislative System of the Qur'an 59

The Precision of Expression in the Qur'an 63

Information about Hidden Matters in the Qur'an 64

The Qur'an and the Mysteries of the Creation 66

Notes 70

2. Erroneous Impressions concerning the Miraculous Inimitability of the Qur’an 72

Myths and Absurdities 80

Notes 84

3. Concerning the Prophet's Other Miracles 86

The Annunciation of Muhammad's Prophethood in the Torah and the Gospel 95

Notes 95

4. Insight about the Readers of the Qur'an 97

'Abd Allah b. 'Amir al-Dimishqi 98

Ibn Kathir al-Makki 99

'Asim b. Bahdala al-Kufi 100

Abu 'Amr al-Basri 102

Hamza al-Kufi 103

Nafi' al-Madani 104

Al-Kisa' al-Kufi 105

Khalaf b. Hisham al-Bazzar 106

Ya'qub b. lshaq 107

Yazid b. al-Qa'qa' 107

Notes 108

5. An Examination of the Readings 110

Statements by the Scholars Who Deny the Uninterrupted Transmission of the Readings 111

The Evidence That Supports the Uninterrupted Transmission of the Readings 114

Further Observations 116

The Readings and the Seven harfs 117

The Authoritativeness of the Readings 119

The Permissibility of the Recitation [of the Readings] in Prayer 121

Notes 122

6. Was the Qur’an Revealed according to Seven Harfs? 124

The Incoherence of the Traditions 127

The Interpretations of the Seven Harfs 128

The Approximation Interpretation 128

The Seven Gates 131

Another Meaning of the Seven Gates 132

The Eloquent Dialects 132

The Mudar Dialect 133

The Differences in the Readings 133

Variation in the Readings in Another Sense 135

Single-Digit Plurality 136

The Seven Readings 136

The Different Dialects 137

Notes 138

7. The Protection of the Qur'an from Alteration 140

The Meaning of Alteration 140

The Opinion of Muslims Regarding al-Tahrif 142

Abrogation and the Recital (tilawa) 143

Alteration and the Book of God 146

Alteration and the Sunna 149

Permission to Recite the Chapters in the Salat (Ritual Prayers) 152

Assertion about Alteration under the Caliphs 153

The Errors of Those Who Maintain the Alteration View 157

The First Error 157

The Second Error 158

The Third Error 160

Examination of the Traditions on Tahrif 161

The First Group of Traditions 161

Actual Signification of the Traditions 162

Second Group of Traditions 163

Third Group of Traditions 165

Fourth Group of Traditions 165

The Fourth Error 166

Notes 166

8. The Collection of the Qur'an 169

Traditions about the Collection of the Qur'an 169

Inconsistency of the Traditions Regarding the Collection of the Qur'an 174

The Contradiction among the Traditions in Their Account of the Collection of the Qur 'an 176

The Contrariety of the Collection Traditions to the Book of God 178

The Contrariety of the Collection Traditions to Rational Judgment 178

The Contrariety of the Collection Traditions to the Consensus (Ijma') of the Community 180

Collection Traditions and the Alteration (Tahrif) of the Qur'an through Addition 181

Summary 182

Notes 182

9. Evidence Based on the Literal Sense of the Qur'an 184

Arguments against the Evidential Nature of the Apparent Meanings of the Qur'an 186

Notes 190

10. Abrogation in the Qur’an 192

Al-Naskh (Abrogation) in the Lexicons 192

Al-Naskh in Its Technical Usage 192

Possibility of Abrogation 193

Abrogation in the Torah 195

Abrogation in the Islamic Shari'a 197

Abrogation of Both the Recitation and the Ruling 198

Abrogation of the Ruling without the Recitation 198

Discussion of the Verses that Are Claimed to Have Been Abrogated 199

Stoning as a Penalty for Contracting a Mut'a 223

Assertions Regarding the Mut'a 224

The Rules Pertaining to the Disbelievers Who Are at War 246

Other Views about This Verse [Q 47:4] 248

Traditions that Relate the Practice based on the Colloquy Verse [58: 12] 251

The Reason for the Abrogation of the "Colloquy" Charity 252

The Wisdom of Legislating the Charitable Offering of the Colloquy 253

Open Prejudice in Muslim Traditions 254

Remarks on al-Razi's Views 254

Notes 256

11. Modification in the Creation 262

The Jewish Position Regarding God's Omnipotence 263

The Place of Modification (bada) in the Sh 'ite Doctrine 263

The Real Meaning of al-Bada' in the Shi’ite Doctrine 267

Notes 268

12. The Principles of the Exegesis 270

Sources of the Exegesis 270

Particularization of the Qu r'anic Ordinances through a Single Narration 272

Notes 275

13. The Qur'an: Created or Eternal with God? 276

Influence of Greek Philosophy on Muslim Lives 276

God's Attributes of Essence and Attributes of Action 277

The Speech of the Soul 277

Refutation of the Thesis about the Speech of the Soul 280

Ash'arite Arguments in Support of the Thesis about the Speech of the Soul 281

Notes 282