Quranic comentations

Quranic comentations

The methodology of ta'wili (hermeneutical) interpretation in the exclusive determination of the instances of wilayah (guardianship) and imamah (leadership) in the Holy Quran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 quranic Sciences and Research Center of Qom Quranic Sciences.Iran
2 Professor of the Holy Quran Science and Technology Faculty of Quranic Sciences Amal.Iran
10.22034/qc.2026.572562.1245
Abstract
This research aims to analyze and substantiate the principles of the ta'wili (hermeneutical) exegetical method in the exclusive application of the Quran's pivotal verses to the station of wilayah (guardianship) and imamah (leadership) of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). The research method is analytical-descriptive, relying on library sources and gathering data from Quranic verses, narrations of the Infallibles (AS), and exegeses from both major Islamic schools of thought.



The research findings indicate that the general Quranic concepts in the verses: **"The Foremost, the first" (al-Sābiqūn al-Awwalūn)**, **"Or do they envy the people?" (am yaḥsudūna al-nās)**, **"From where the people departed" (min ḥaythu afāḍa al-nās)**, and **"A middle community" (ummatan wasaṭan)**, through the use of the ta'wili method rooted in the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS) and through literary, contextual, and narrational analysis, acquire an **"exclusive and specific referent"**—namely, the station of wilayah and imamah of the Infallible Imams (AS). In contrast, generalist views that apply these terms to the general body of the Companions, Muslims, or the Quraysh are critiqued through historical, narrational, and contextual analysis, and their inadequacy in aligning with the Quran's guiding purpose and established historical realities is demonstrated.



The ultimate conclusion of the research emphasizes the principle that understanding the inner layers and true referents of these verses remains incomplete and deficient without recourse to the exegesis of the Infallibles (AS) and the acceptance of the ta'wili method centered on wilayah. This is because these verses, within an interconnected framework, d community.
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  • Receive Date 02 February 2026
  • Revise Date 20 April 2026
  • Accept Date 09 May 2026