Rule of Textual Extension and Application and Its Impact on Interpretation According to Imam Al-Sajjad (Peace Be Upon Him) (Derivational Study)

Abstract

Ahlalbayt (Peace Be Upon Them) establish several rules for interpreting the Glorious Quran in their exegetical responses, foremost among which is the Rule of Textual Extension for it undertakes the process of defining the referents and particulars of the universal concept in the Ayats.

Imam al-Sajjad (Peace Be Upon Him) possesses a profound impact on uncovering the meanings of the Quran by defining the factual referents that render the Quran living, eternal, and concurrent with time in light of exegetical traditions. These traditions reveal their connection to a set of exegetical foundations, such as the authority of the prima facie meaning (Hujjiyyat al-Zuhur), the negation of alteration (Nafi al-Tahrif), the manifest and the latent (al-Zahir wa al-Batin), Tawil and revelation, and that consideration is granted to the generality of the expression rather than the specificity of the cause, among other rules of interpretation.

The research comes to reveal the reality of the relationship between the aforementioned points in a concise manner, and to establish the possibility of focusing on the rule within the field of contemporary interpretation on the basis of historical and exegetical critique. The researcher emphasizes the importance of the role of those firmly grounded in knowledge from the Progeny of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him and His Progeny) and those of knowledge, Fiqh, and exegesis who follow them, who have attained high ranks in their studies of Islamic sciences in exegesis and the application of the Glorious Quran to contemporary reality.