Authors
1 PhD graduate, Department of Jurisprudence, Faculty of Theology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
2 Postdoctoral researcher in Quran and Hadith sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad &researcher at the Astan Quds Razavi Research Foundation,
Abstract
Verse 99 of Surah al-Tawbah is at the center of a significant interpretive challenge. In the exegetical tradition, this verse is understood as a "particular proposition" (qaḍīyah khārijīyah) with a meaning confined to the praise of a specific group of believing Bedouins. However, in the Imami juristic tradition, it has undergone a fundamental evolution, transforming into a "universal proposition" (qaḍīyah ḥaqīqīyah) and a foundation for the general principle of the "necessity of the intention of seeking proximity to God" in all acts of worship.
This research, employing an analytical-comparative method, aims to dissect this semantic transition by analyzing its underlying principles and mechanisms. The findings indicate that this evolution is a systematic jurisprudential (ijtihadi) process resulting from the interplay of two core foundations. The first is a principle of legal theory (uṣūl al-fiqh) manifested in the process of "extracting the general criterion from a specific case" (tanqīḥ al-manāṭ), which generalizes the "intention of seeking proximity" as the basis for divine praise by disregarding circumstantial particulars. The second is a theological (kalāmī) foundation rooted in the "necessity of conscious sincerity in servitude," which provides a meaningful context that justifies and reinforces this juristic interpretation. This systematic interaction has not only converted a descriptive statement into a prescriptive rule but has also elevated an ethical virtue to a condition for juristic validity, thereby illustrating the dynamic logic of interpretation within the Islamic tradition.
Keywords
- Qasd al-Qurbah (Intention of Seeking Proximity)
- Evolution of Interpretation
- Juristic Exegesis of the Qur'an
- Tanqīḥ al-Manāṭ (Refining the Ratio Legis)
- Verse 99 of Surah al-Tawbah
Main Subjects
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