Sunni and Shi’ite Qur’anic Exegetes on (Q. 13:11)

Abstract

Received: 2021/1/21 | Accepted: 2021/5/21 (Q. 13:11) introduces taghyīr (change) as a divine tradition. Indeed, it has specific importance due to its connection with human destiny, which is based on the individual free will to take the path of felicity or fall into the chasm of misery. The present article demonstrates that the Qur’anic exegetes of two major Islamic sects, namely Sunni and Shi’a, have suggested two approaches concerning this type of change. In the first approach, that the present article is seeking to prove, what the relating pronoun "mā" implies in the Qur’anic phrase “mā bi qawmin” can include both blessing and cursing. However, there is another approach that dedicates the mentioned "mā" exclusively to blessings and, for example, has been adopted by Muḥammad-Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabāʾī, the famous Shi’i scholar and exegete. In this research, the second one has been criticized through a descriptive-analytical method. Additionally, it is emphasized that the change meant by the Qur’an is an inner and real transition, not an apparent and external one. Moreover, such a change may be reached through the purification of the human soul. It seems proper to suggest as well that all divine traditions, especially the tradition of change that has the main role in human destiny, are regarded as one of the significant factors in the training of men. * Associate Professor, Aa-Mustafa International University | [email protected] Eskandarlu, M.J. (2022) Sunni and Shi’ite Qur’anic Exegetes on (Q. 13:11). Biannual Journal of Comparative Exegetical Researches, 7 (14) 217-239. Doi: 22091/PTT.2021.6025.1843.

Keywords

• divine traditions
• change
• human destiny
• (q. 13:11)