Guardianship of Imam Ali Over Glorious Quran: Elucidating Its Value and Preserving It from Distortion

Abstract

The research establishes the conceptual basis for the term "Al-Qayyim",The Guardian, in its capacity as the one in charge of an affair and the manager of its concerns. This is done to arrive at the meaning of the guardianship (Qayyumiyyah) of Imam Ali (Peace Be Upon Him) over Glorious Quran, identifying him as an authority without whose clarification the authoritativeness of the Quran remains incomplete.

      Referring to him (Peace Be Upon Him) represents an epistemological necessity that reveals, beyond a shadow of a doubt, his superiority over the Companions in the fields of exegesis (Tafsir) and hermeneutics (Ta'wil). In fact, the matter extends further due to the requirements of guardianship, which impose multiple cognitive authorities in dealing with the Glorious Quran. These authorities possess cognitive extensions inherent to the revelation of the Glorious Quran in both the unseen realms (al-ghayb) and the manifest world (al-shahadah). The research is limited to grounding two specific authorities as befits the scope of this study:

    The research aims to draw the reader's attention to the necessity of referring to Ahlalbayt to ascertain the correct position of Quranic issues. This should serve as a methodology and a code of conduct for anyone seeking to know the truth, given the cognitive correlation between the Quran and the Pure Progeny. They stand as a guardian authority over Glorious Quran—an explanatory authority for all that is concise and a corrective one for the distorted.