نشریه مطالعات تاریخی قرآن و حدیث
سال بیست و دوم شماره 1 (پیاپی 59، بهار و تابستان 1395)

Al-Ṭabarī’s commentary is among the important Quranic exegeses in the Islamic world. In his work, al-Ṭabarī refers to the fewest number of Shiite exegetical traditions, as the early Shiite exegete living at his time __ Such as al-ʻAyyāshī, al-Qummī and Furāt al-Kūfī __ did the same and did not narrate non-Shiite traditions. In spite of this, his commentary in addition to having a direct impact on later Sunnis’ commentaries, starting from the late 4th century, has influenced the Shiite exegetical works as well. One century after al-Ṭabarī, the Shiite exegetes in Baghdad gradually started to pay more attention to his commentary, and after the writing of al-Tibyān by al-Shaykh al-Ṭūsī (d. 460 AH) this trend in attending to Sunnis’ exegetical views with emphasis on al-Ṭabarī’s commentary, reached its summit. The present study aims at reviewing this trend and tries firstly to identify the Shiite traces in Ṭabarī’s commentary and then will attempt to clarify the direct and indirect influences of al-Ṭabarī on bringing the Sunni’s concepts (The Sayings of Companions and Successors) into Shiite commentaries especially after the emergence of al-Tibyān by al-Shaykh al Ṭūsī in the mid-fifth century.

The present study tries to investigate and criticize the Persian equivalences suggested by some Persian translators of the Quran for the syntax function of “al-Ḥāl,” a function, which, based on some sources, is estimated to be around 700 cases in the Quran. The complexity of this grammatical function in Arabic has caused much confusion and disagreement among the translators of the Quran while interpreting the words with this function has led to a variety of suggested Persian literal formats to render this Arabic grammar function. The attempts made by these translators, however, are worth being considered from different aspects. The comparative study of these attempts can firstly lead to the recognition of the defects and mistakes made by some translators in identifying this function and applying the proper Persian formats in translating them, in addition, the potentials and constraints of the Persian language in translating this function will be clarified and thus the best Persian forms will be suggested for future translations. For this purpose first, the most important usages of this Arabic grammatical function in the Quran will be selected, then the suggested Persian equivalences will be mentioned and then based on Persian grammatical formats for this function, the translations will be criticized.

Study of the themes embedded in the story, storytelling methods and objectives and benefits of each of them, has long been considered important in literary sciences. In particular, scholars involved in literary criticism, have made many efforts in this regard. Narratology as one of the trends in literary criticism is a new approach to the analysis of the tale forms. Because one of the Quranic ways to express the teachings is the storytelling method, the present study, aiming at applying the narratology approach for the literary criticism of the Quranic text, has been done. We plan to study the four stories mentioned in Surah Maryam- namely Zechariah, Mary, Abraham and Moses- with a narrative approach and explore similarities and differences, their narrative elements, and to identify their narrative patterns. The result of such an exploration, is to determine common elements in the lives of these divine figures: Facing various challenges and fighting against them, God’s contribution to them and His mercy when the problems reach their summit, ignoring themselves and attributing the blessings to God, and finally being included in the circle of the blessed ones and accessing His bounties. The differences include: the different conditions of each figure, their way of dealing with the problems and the unique bounty each one received.

Asceticism as a lifestyle and an Ethical way of conduct was very common in different areas of the Islamic world during the first two centuries. Meanwhile, Ibn al-Mubārk was the first Muslim scholar who collected and classified the Hadiths related to ascetic, he was a Hadith expert who tried to organize and systemize the ascetic thoughts based on Hadith collections. His familiarity with different ascetic views and various ethical schools common among different areas caused him to access different sources in establishing the ascetic method compatible with Islamic tradition and thus, presented a theory accepted by all schools active in this field. The present study aims at introducing the ascetic methods which were common at the time of Ibn al-Mubārak and tries to trace their signs back in the book of al-Zuhd. As you will notice, he is the first person who has been able to combine different local ascetic methods and present an Ultra-local view.

The present study is a semantic research which aims to perform a scientific investigation of the relationships among the meanings extracted from different usages of one word in various places in the Qur’an and to identify the hidden meaning of the text. We have chosen the Constructive Approach of Semantics which focuses on the analysis of the semantic relation of the textual usage to describe the meaning. The Term which has been chosen for this study is “Baṣīr” used in the Qur’an in both definite and indefinite forms 51 times. Other derivatives of the term have various Quranic applications as well. Given the usages of the term in the Qur’an and after inspecting its Paradigmatic and Syntagmatic relations with other terms, we will try to identify the basic elements forming the meaning of “Baṣīr” in the Quran. As it will be indicated, the term “Baṣīr” (insightful) is used to refer to someone who has precise knowledge, proper cognition and is capable of distinguishingright from wrong and is bound to acting according to his inner beliefs. Such an insight is gained only through remembrance, reasoning, instructs, piety and certainty.

It has been reported that, Ibn Qūlavayh (d. 367 AH), the Shiite scholar from Baghdad wrote a book entitled Kāmil al-Zīyārāt which included the traditions concerning the advantages and ceremonials of visiting Shiite Imams. The present study aims at reviewing the well-known copy of this book and the tracing its real author. The purpose of the essay is to support the theory which was first presented by the contemporary Hadith expert, Muḥammad Bāqir Behbūdī, according to whom the author of the book is believed to be one of the Shiite scholars and Ibn Qūlavayh’s disciple namely Ḥuseyn b. Aḥmad ibn Mughayrih Būshanjī, a Hadith expert who has been described by Shiite Rijāl experts as weak and unreliable and whose reports are not accepted. Based on Bihbūdī’s view, he wrote the book by considering the Ibn Qūlavayh’s work as the main source and added other Hadiths to it as well. To evaluate this theory, first the Bihbūdī’s evidences will be analyzed and then by reviewing the book itself, we will try to identify more textual signs for such claim.