The Relationship between Wilāyah-Based Taʾwīl and the Apparent Meaning of Qurʾānic Verses in Tafsīr al-Burhān: A Case Study of Sūrat al-Baqarah

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Islamic Knowledge and Thought, University Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Faculty of Islamic Knowledge and Thought, University of Tehran, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Islamic Knowledge and Thought, University of Tehran, Iran.

4 PhD student in Islamic Studies and Thought, University of Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Tafsīr al-Burhān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān is one of the principal Imāmī tradition-based (riwāʾī) Qurʾānic commentaries, distinguished by its extensive use of narrations interpreting Qurʾānic verses in relation to the Imamate and the opponents of the Ahl al-Bayt (ʿa). This study examines the relationship between wilāyah-based taʾwīl and the authority of the apparent (ẓāhir) meaning of the Qurʾān in this commentary. Specifically, it investigates whether the extensive use of jary (ongoing applicability) and taṭbīq (referential application) preserves the apparent meaning of the text or contributes to its displacement. Employing a descriptive–analytical method with a critical approach, the study analyzes taʾwīl-related narrations concerning the Imamate and the opponents of the Ahl al-Bayt (ʿa) in Sūrat al-Baqarah. These narrations are examined across three interpretive levels: the apparent meaning (ẓāhir), the esoteric meaning (bāṭin), and referential application (taṭbīq al-miṣdāq). The findings demonstrate that the relationship between taʾwīl and the apparent meaning is neither fixed nor uniform. Although al-Baḥrānī explicitly maintains that taʾwīl complements rather than replaces the apparent meaning, his exegetical practice occasionally diverges from this principle. In several cases, the broad application of jary and taṭbīq, together with the conflation of distinct interpretive levels, allows taʾwīl to overshadow the apparent meaning of the text. The study concludes that while wilāyah-based taʾwīl is theoretically compatible with the authority of the apparent meaning, some applications extend beyond its legitimate interpretive boundaries.

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Main Subjects

References

 
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Biannual Journal of research in the interpretation of Quran
Volume 12, Issue 24
August 2025
Pages 305-333

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History

  • Receive Date: 13 July 2026
  • Revise Date: 22 July 2026
  • Accept Date: 05 August 2026

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