Understanding the Status of Intellect In Shiite Quranic Exegesis

Throughout history, Muslims have approached Quranic exegesis in various ways among which being a persuasive, intellectual way on the basis of proofs from the Quran, hadiths, and intellect. Although they benefitted from hadiths up tothe third/fourth Hijri centuries in their commentaries, they did not ignore intellectual method – as will be proved in the present essay. Overshadowing other methods, the intellectual method manifested itself more and more from the fourth century onwards, for thinking independently on the basis of intellect in various dimensions commenced to play a role in benefitting more from Quranic concepts and objectives - something to be expound in length in this essay.