What are the qualifications that a Qur’anic exegete must possess?

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah عز وجل be upon you.

A Qur’anic exegete must possess certain conditions, qualifications, and skills upon which he can rely and from which he can draw in order to fulfil this noble task. These can be classified into two areas:

First: The scholarly and intellectual dimension. This encompasses the various auxiliary sciences and areas of knowledge that an exegete must possess in order to be qualified to interpret the Qur’an.

Second: The personal and psychological dimension. This refers to the personal qualifications, skills, and psychological characteristics that an exegete should possess.

As for the first dimension, namely the scholarly and intellectual dimension, an exegete must possess the following:

1. Thorough knowledge of the Arabic language and its sciences

This is because the Noble Qur’an was revealed in the language of eloquent Arabs and is expressed in their language and according to their linguistic conventions. Understanding its implications and meanings is therefore connected to understanding the words and meanings of the Arabic vocabulary that was prevalent at the time of its revelation. One must also understand the various linguistic differences, grammatical parsing (iʿrāb), rhetorical expressions, and everything else related to the Arabic language.

2. Knowledge of certain Qur’anic sciences

This includes subjects such as the clear (muḥkam) and ambiguous (mutashābih) verses, the inimitability of the Qur’an, the occasions of revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl), and related subjects.

3. Sciences related to Qur’anic exegesis

These include the following:

This science deals with the fundamental principles of Islamic belief, such as divine unity (tawḥīd), divine justice (ʿadl), prophethood (nubuwwah), and resurrection (maʿād). It also addresses related theological questions, such as compulsion and delegated free will (jabr wa-tafwīḍ), and moral goodness and evil (ḥusn wa-qubḥ), among other subjects.

B. The Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (ʿIlm Uṣūl al-Fiqh)

The science of uṣūl al-fiqh benefits the exegete in the interpretation of verses concerning legal rulings (āyāt al-aḥkām) and in juristic discussions.

The connection between uṣūl al-fiqh and Qur’anic exegesis lies in the fact that a significant portion of the Noble Qur’an addresses religious rulings and jurisprudential questions. These verses have been collectively designated as āyāt al-aḥkām (verses pertaining to legal rulings), and they constitute one of the subjects studied in uṣūl al-fiqh.

The foundations of this science were established on the basis of rational and transmitted principles. Scholars have also derived many of its discussions from various other sciences, including Qur’anic exegesis itself.

This science provides Qur’anic exegesis with general principles and rules that can benefit the exegete when employed, particularly when explaining verses concerning legal rulings.

C. The Sciences of Hadith and Biographical Evaluation (ʿIlm al-Ḥadīth wa-ʿIlm al-Rijāl)

These are two sciences that study the reports transmitted from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt عليهم السلام.

Through these two sciences, authentic narrations can be distinguished from weak ones, and fabricated reports can be distinguished from truthful ones. This is because numerous reports have been transmitted from the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt عليهم السلام explaining the intended meanings of verses from the Noble Book.

However, these reports vary in quality, containing both sound and unsound material, as explained in the relevant scholarly discussions.

Thorough knowledge of these two sciences therefore assists the exegete in distinguishing authentic narrations from others, enabling him to rely upon them with confidence and assurance when explaining the intended meanings of the Qur’anic verses.

D. Knowledge of the History of the Arabs Before and After Islam

Knowledge of the history of the Arabs before and after Islam is among the subjects relevant to Qur’anic exegesis. An exegete benefits from studying Arab history, by which we mean examining the circumstances and conditions in which people lived before Islam and during the time of the noble Prophetic mission.

The Noble Qur’an was revealed within the social environment of the Arabian Peninsula, and this society had its own historical, social, and geographical particularities, as well as distinctive educational, cultural, and religious characteristics. It was a society comprising multiple religions and cultures. At that time, the Arabian Peninsula was home to polytheists and idolaters, in addition to the People of the Book, namely Jews and Christians. Various customs, values, and traditions also prevailed among its inhabitants, governing their conduct and social interactions. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله was sent to this community and to all these people.

The Noble Qur’an addressed all these groups, engaged them in argument, affirmed certain aspects of their beliefs and practices while challenging others, reprimanded them for certain things and prohibited them from others, and worked to transform the existing social reality and establish a new one. In numerous passages, the Qur’an refers to that community and discusses its customs and traditions from the pre-Islamic era of ignorance (Jāhiliyyah).

This establishes the close connection between Qur’anic exegesis and historical knowledge. Familiarity with the history of the Arabian Peninsula before Islam, as well as the history of the era of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله and his blessed Prophetic mission, has a significant positive impact on explaining and clarifying the meanings and purposes of many Qur’anic verses.

It is inconceivable, for example, that someone could interpret the saying of Allah عز وجل:

وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنْتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا

“And remember the favour of Allah upon you: when you were enemies, He united your hearts, so that by His favour you became brothers.” ⁽¹⁾

without knowing what their circumstances had been beforehand, the causes of the enmity between them, its nature and extent, how Allah عز وجل removed hostility and hatred from their hearts, how He brought them together, and how their brotherhood manifested itself. These and other matters must be examined in order to understand and fully grasp the meaning intended by this noble verse.

The same applies to the saying of Allah عز وجل:

وَإِذَا الْمَوْءُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ بِأَيِّ ذَنْبٍ قُتِلَتْ

“And when the girl buried alive is asked for what sin she was killed.” ⁽²⁾

Interpreting this verse requires knowledge of the Arabs’ customs and their treatment of women and daughters, particularly newborn girls, so that the meaning and implications of this noble verse can be properly understood. The same applies to other verses dealing with related subjects.

The Second Dimension: The Personal and Psychological Dimension

By this, we mean the personal qualifications, skills, and psychological characteristics that a Qur’anic exegete must possess. These include the following:

1. Soundness and Sincerity of Belief

A Qur’anic exegete must possess sound and correct beliefs, particularly belief in the wilāyah of the Ahl al-Bayt عليهم السلام, their role, and their authority as intellectual and religious points of reference. This is because they عليهم السلام are the second of the two weighty trusts, following the Qur’an, the first weighty trust, which the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وآله commanded us to hold firmly to.

They عليهم السلام are the speaking Qur’an (al-Qurʾān al-nāṭiq), who clarify and explain Qur’anic truths in the most complete manner.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله said:

إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ، مَا إِنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا لَنْ تَضِلُّوا أَبَدًا: كِتَابَ اللهِ وَعِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي، وَإِنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ.

“Indeed, I am leaving among you the two weighty trusts. As long as you hold firmly to both of them, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my progeny, the Ahl al-Bayt. Indeed, they will never separate from one another until they come to me at the Pond.” ⁽³⁾

Therefore, someone who does not hold sound beliefs regarding this matter cannot attain a correct understanding of the Qur’an.

2. Sincerity and Soundness of Intention and Purpose

Among the qualities and proper conduct required of a Qur’anic exegete are sincerity and soundness of intention in what he says, so that he may receive divine guidance and assistance in arriving at the intended meaning.

Allah عز وجل says:

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“As for those who strive for Our sake, We shall surely guide them to Our ways. Indeed, Allah is with those who excel in doing good.” ⁽⁴⁾

And He, Glorified is He, says:

لَا يَمَسُّهُ إِلَّا الْمُطَهَّرُونَ

“None touch it except the purified.” ⁽⁵⁾

Thus, the realities of the Noble Qur’an can be apprehended only by those whose hearts are pure and whose souls are purified.

(Abū Ṭālib) Al-Ṭabarī stated:

وَإِنَّمَا يَخْلُصُ لَهُ الْقَصْدُ إِذَا زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنْيَا، لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا رَغِبَ فِيهَا لَمْ يُؤْمَنْ أَنْ يَتَوَسَّلَ بِهِ إِلَى غَرَضٍ يَصُدُّهُ عَنْ صَوَابِ قَصْدِهِ وَيُفْسِدَ عَلَيْهِ عَمَلَهُ.

“His intention becomes sincere only when he renounces attachment to worldly life, for if he desires it, there is no guarantee that he will not use it as a means to achieve an objective that diverts him from the correctness of his intention and corrupts his deeds.” ⁽⁶⁾

Accordingly, the exegete should seek grace from Allah عز وجل and His pleasure. He should not pursue worldly benefits or the attainment of worldly ranks through the act of interpreting the Qur’an. Such motives can lead him to deviate from the divine purpose of exegesis, as occurred with preachers who served rulers and with certain exegetes who adopted a political approach to interpretation. In other words, they interpreted the Qur’an in a distorted political manner, in accordance with the ruler’s desires.

Al-Zarkashī states in al-Burhān:

اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا يَحْصُلُ لِلنَّاظِرِ فَهْمُ مَعَانِي الْوَحْيِ وَلَا يَظْهَرُ لَهُ أَسْرَارُهُ وَفِي قَلْبِهِ بِدْعَةٌ أَوْ كِبْرٌ أَوْ هَوًى أَوْ حُبُّ الدُّنْيَا أَوْ وَهُوَ مُصِرٌّ عَلَى ذَنْبٍ أَوْ غَيْرُ مُتَحَقِّقٍ بِالْإِيمَانِ أَوْ ضَعِيفُ التَّحْقِيقِ

“Know that a person engaged in studying the meanings of revelation will not attain an understanding of them, nor will its secrets become manifest to him, if his heart contains heretical innovation, arrogance, caprice, or love of worldly life; if he persists in sin; if his faith is not firmly established; or if his conviction is weak.” ⁽⁷⁾

In this regard, Allah عز وجل says:

سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آيَاتِيَ الَّذِينَ يَتَكَبَّرُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ

“I shall turn away from My signs those who act arrogantly upon the earth without right.” ⁽⁸⁾

3. Objectivity: This means detachment, that is, approaching the verses without preconceived biases. The exegete should follow wherever the verses lead him, rather than forcing the verses to conform to his own ideas and pre-existing beliefs and imposing these upon the Qur’an. Objectivity here is the opposite of bias.

4. The exegete’s ability to bring verses together and establish connections between them: This means that the exegete must possess a comprehensive understanding of the Noble Qur’an. The Qur’an cannot be approached and interpreted as a collection of scattered, disconnected verses, because there is a thematic unity connecting the verses. The exegete must take this unity into account and establish connections between them; otherwise, he will be unable to interpret and understand the Qur’an correctly.

5. The exegete must possess a reflective and conscious intellect, rather than an inattentive intellect that merely reads: There are two types of exegetes. The first reads a verse, examines the narrations related to it, reviews the opinions of other exegetes, gathers this material, and then writes on the basis of what he has found. This is what is called a reading writer—someone who merely reproduces what he has read.

The second type reads the verse, the relevant narrations, and the opinions of other exegetes, but then reflects, thinks, and draws conclusions, thereby arriving at a new meaning. This is one of the most important qualities an exegete must possess: he must have a conscious intellect that enables him to draw conclusions and contribute something new, rather than remaining at a standstill.

In this regard, Shaykh Muḥammad Jawād Mughniyyah states in his book al-Tafsīr al-Kāshif (vol. 1, p. 10):

فإنَّ أيَّ مُفسِّرٍ لا يأتي بجديدٍ لم يسبقهُ إليهِ أحدٌ، ولو بفكرةٍ واحدةٍ في التّفسيرِ، هذا يعني أنَّ هذا المُفسِّرَ لا يملكُ عقلاً واعياً، وإنّما يملكُ عقلاً قارئاً، يرسمُ فيه ما يقرأُ لغيرِه، تماماً كما ترتسمُ صورةُ الشّيءِ في المرآةِ على ما هوَ مِن لونٍ وحجمٍ دونَ أيّ تأثُّرٍ أو تأثيرٍ.

“Any exegete who fails to contribute something new that no one before him has arrived at—even if it is only a single idea concerning Qur’anic exegesis—demonstrates that he does not possess a conscious intellect, but merely an intellect that reads. He simply reproduces within himself what he reads from others, just as the image of an object is reflected in a mirror, retaining its colour and size without undergoing or producing any change.” ⁽⁹⁾

This is because the meanings of the Qur’an are profound beyond measure. No one can reach their ultimate depths, regardless of how great their standing in knowledge and understanding may be. Rather, each person uncovers from them what their knowledge and qualifications enable them to discover.

Thus, if an earlier exegete reaches a certain limit and a later exegete merely follows in his footsteps without going beyond that limit by even a single step, the latter is like a blind man leaning on a cane: if he loses it, he remains frozen in place.

6. Viewing the Qur’an as a Book of Guidance and Life: Anyone who carefully examines and reflects upon the verses of the Noble Qur’an will discover that they are united by an overarching purpose and a general framework connecting all its verses and chapters. This purpose is to guide humanity towards that which is most upright and to invite people to a wholesome life characterised by security, justice, and peace, in which they may live in happiness, tranquillity, and prosperity.

Allah عز وجل says:

إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا

“Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most upright and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward.” ⁽¹⁰⁾

And He, Glorified is He, says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ

“O you who believe, respond to Allah and the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life.” ⁽¹¹⁾

On this basis, the exegete should begin his attempt to interpret the verses of the Noble Reminder and explain their sources and objectives by allowing this overarching, shared purpose to govern everything he arrives at during his interpretation, so that he neither contradicts nor neglects it.

7. Presence, Sensitivity, and Harmony of the Heart and Intellect with the Qur’an: Shaykh Muḥammad Jawād Mughniyyah states:

وهُنا شيءٌ آخرُ يحتاجُ إليهِ المُفسِّرُ، وهوَ أهمُّ وأعظمُ مِن كُلِّ ما ذكرَهُ المُفسِّرونَ في مُقدّمةِ تفاسيرِهم لأنّهُ الأساسُ والرّكيزةُ الأولى لتفهُّمِ كلامِه جلَّ وعلا. ولم أرَ مَن أشارَ إليه... وهوَ أنَّ معاني القُرآنِ لا يُدركُها، ولَن يُدركَها على حقيقتِها، ويعرفَ عظمتَها إلّا مَن يحسُّها في أعماقِه، ويُسلِّمُ معها بقلبِه وعقلِه، ويختلطُ إيمانُه بها بدمِه ولحمِه، وهُنا يكمنُ السِّرُّ في قولِ أميرِ المؤمنينَ عليه السّلام: «ذاكَ القرآنُ الصّامتُ وأنا القُرآنُ النّاطقُ».

“There is something else that the exegete needs, something more important and more significant than everything the exegetes have mentioned in the introductions to their commentaries, because it constitutes the foundation and primary basis for understanding the words of the Almighty. I have not seen anyone draw attention to it.

It is that the meanings of the Qur’an cannot be comprehended—and will never be comprehended in their true reality, nor can their greatness be recognised—except by someone who feels them deep within himself, submits to them with both heart and intellect, and whose faith in them becomes interwoven with his very flesh and blood.

Herein lies the secret behind the statement of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ʿAlī عليه السلام: “That is the silent Qur’an, while I am the speaking Qur’an.” ⁽¹²⁾

May you remain safe and well.