A Comparative Study of Sunni and Shiʿi Exegetical Narrations on the Verse of Corruption (Qurʾan 30:41)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Hazrat-e Masoumeh University

2 Bint Al-Huda Higher Education Complex, Al-Mustafa Al-Alamiyah Community

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of the exegetical narrations employed in Sunni and Shiʿi Qurʾanic commentaries on verse 41 of Sūrat al-Rūm. Given the lack of a comprehensive comparative investigation dedicated specifically to the exegetical narrations associated with this verse, the present study addresses a significant gap in the existing literature. Employing a descriptive–analytical method within a comparative framework, the study classifies and examines the exegetical narrations of both traditions across four thematic dimensions: the concepts of land (barr) and sea (bar), corruption (fasād), the educational and moral objectives of the verse, and historical–political and Mahdist interpretations. The findings reveal that although the exegetical narrations cited in the commentaries of both traditions exhibit notable conceptual similarities, they also reflect substantial differences arising from the commentators' distinct epistemological and theological foundations. Narrations transmitted in Sunni commentaries primarily emphasize ethical and social interpretations, together with the natural and economic consequences of human wrongdoing. By contrast, Shiʿi commentaries more frequently incorporate narrations that, alongside these interpretive dimensions, associate the concept of corruption with the doctrines of the Imamate, the Occultation (Ghayba), and the expectation of the appearance of the Savior.

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