مناهج المفسرين في التعامل مع النص العقدي في القرآن: دراسة مقارنة في الصفات الإلهية وعصمة الأنبياء

Abstract

This study aims to examine the methodologies of four prominent Qur’anic interpreters — al-Tabari, al-Razi, al-Qurtubi, and Ibn Kathir — in interpreting Qur’anic verses related to the Attributes of God, the infallibility of prophets, and the story of Harut and Marut. The study focuses on how these interpreters dealt with verses whose apparent meanings might suggest interpretations that conflict with established religious principles, particularly the principles of declaring God free from any likeness to His creation and of prophetic infallibility. It also explores their approaches to determining literal and metaphorical meanings in the Qur’anic discourse. The research problem lies in examining how these Qur’anic interpreters approached verses that seem problematic in their apparent meanings: whether they interpreted them according to the outward sense of the texts and the supporting prophetic traditions and reports to resolve the ambiguity, or whether they reinterpreted them while critically evaluating reports that suggest problematic apparent meanings, so as to clarify interpretations consistent with the foundational principles of faith without denying the verses themselves. The diversity of opinions regarding the interpretation of verses on divine attributes and prophetic infallibility stems from their connection to the issues of divine transcendence and the moral perfection of prophets — a reason the researcher selected these themes for study. The researcher adopted an inductive method to trace the interpreters’ statements on the relevant verses, an analytical method to examine their views and interpretive criteria, a comparative method to identify similarities and differences in their methodologies and applications, and a critical method to assess the consistency of their interpretations with prophetic traditions and the mutual responses among them or with other scholars. The study concludes that the four Qur’anic interpreters differed considerably in their approaches to the verses of divine attributes and prophetic infallibility, with each displaying a distinct methodology and interpretive signature. Al-Tabari was characterised by his strong reliance on the apparent (literal) meaning of the verses and on what was transmitted in hadith and reports. Al-Razi was distinguished by his precision in employing rational arguments to establish theological principles and in interpreting verses in accordance with those principles. Al-Qurtubi stood out for his extensive transmission of earlier exegetical opinions and the debates that circulated among them. Meanwhile, Ibn Kathir was notable for renewing the tradition of transmitted exegesis (tafsīr bi’l-maʾthūr), critically examining narrations and weighing between them, while remaining cautious about delving into the outward meanings of the verses of divine attributes and those concerning the stories of the prophets, which on their surface, may appear problematic in relation to the doctrine of prophetic infallibility.