The role of Imam Khamenei’s personal experience in interpreting the Holy Qur’an

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Tafsir, Imam khomayni school, Qum, Iran

2 Almustafa university, Qum, Iran

10.22034/dqm.2025.17898.1057

Abstract

This article aims to highlight the significance of a Qur’anic exegete’s personal experience and its impact on Qur’anic exegesis. It specifically examines the personal experiences of Imam Khamenei and their contribution to the development of his exegetical studies. The research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to analyze the content of Imam Khamenei’s interpretative works and extract the roles and effects of personal experience on them. The study identifies multiple roles of personal experience in Imam Khamenei’s interpretation of the Qur’an. The first role is psychological and emotional, reinforcing the exegete’s faith in the Qur’anic message and fostering complete trust in its promises. The second role involves deepening the exegete’s understanding of Qur’anic verses related to the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him and his family) leadership of society, as well as enhancing comprehension of verses that describe the actions, behaviors, and strategies of adversaries—including disbelievers and hypocrites. It also aids in developing insights into the social philosophy of Islamic rulings and their challenges. The third role pertains to discovering new meanings within Qur’anic verses, guided by personal experiences, thereby expanding the scope of certain Qur’anic concepts and identifying new applications for them. The fourth role involves leveraging both personal and contemporary societal experiences to clarify and effectively communicate the meanings of Qur’anic verses to the audience, making them more accessible and impactful. This interplay between personal life experiences and the Qur’an opens a vital avenue for strengthening the Qur’an’s presence in society. It also lays the foundation for an interpretative methodology that bridges real-world challenges with the authenticity of the Qur’anic framework.

Keywords

References

  1. Holy Qur’an

    1. Fakhr al-Rāzī (1981), Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, Beirut: Dār al-Fikr lil-Ṭibāʿah wa al-Tawzīʿ wa al-Nashr.
    2. Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Ṭāhir (1984), Al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, Tunisia: Al-Dār al-Tūnisiyyah lil-Nashr.
    3. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (1401 Sh.a), Tafsīr Sūrah-yi Baqarah, Tehran: Inqilāb Islāmī Publications.
    4. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (1401 Sh.b), Tafsīr Sūrah-yi Ḥashr, Tehran: Inqilāb Islāmī Publications.
    5. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (1401 Sh.c), Tafsīr Sūrah-yi Ḥamd, Tehran: Inqilāb Islāmī Publications.
    6. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (1401 Sh.d), Tafsīr Sūrah-yi Jumuʿah, Tehran: Inqilāb Islāmī Publications.
    7. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (1402 Sh.a), Tafsīr Sūrah-yi Ṣaff, Ṭihrān: Inqilāb Islāmī Publications.
    8. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (1402 Sh.b), Tafsīr Sūrah-yi Munāfiqūn, Tehran: Inqilāb Islāmī Publications.
    9. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2015a), Insān bi-ʿUmr 250 Sanah, Beirut: Jamʿiyyat al-Maʿārif al-Islāmiyyah al-Thaqāfiyyah.
    10. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2015b), Al-Fikr al-Islāmī ʿalā Ḍawʾ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, trans. Sayyid ʿAbbās Nūr al-Dīn, Beirut: Dār al-Maʿārif al-Ḥikmiyyah.
    11. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2020a), Tafsīr Sūrat al-Mujādilah, Ṭihrān: Institute for the Preservation and Publication of the Works of Imam Khamenei.
    12. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2020b), Tafsīr Sūrat al-Mumtaḥanah, Tehran: Institute for the Preservation and Publication of the Works of Imam Khamenei.
    13. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2020c), Maʿrifat al-ʿAduw, Tehran: The Institute of Islamic Revolution for Culture and Research.
    14. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2020d), Naẓariyyat al-Muqāwamah, Tehran: The Institute of Islamic Revolution for Culture and Research.
    15. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2021a), Tafsīr Sūrat al-Taghābun, Tehran: Institute for the Preservation and Publication of the Works of Imam Khamenei.
    16. Imam al-Khameneʾi, ʿAli (2021b), Tafsīr Sūrat al-Tawbah, trans. Muḥammad Zaraqāṭ, Beirut: Jamʿiyyat al-Maʿārif al-Islāmiyyah.
    17. Kulaynī, Muḥammad ibn Yaʿqūb (1407 AH), Al-Kāfī, Beirut: Manshūrāt al-Fajr.
    18. Quṭb, Sayyid (2003), Fī Ẓilāl al-Qurʾān, 32nd ed., Cairo: Dār al-Shurūq.
    19. Ṣadr, Muḥammad Bāqir. (2011), Al-Sunan al-Tārīkhiyyah fī al-Qurʾān, Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī.
    20. Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Muḥammad Ḥusayn. (2010), Al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān bil-Qurʾān, Beirut: Maṭbūʿāt Dār al-Andalus.
Contemporary Quranic Studies
Volume 3, Issue 10
March 2025
Pages 117-143

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics