Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Explanatory Revelation: Revisiting Q. 20:114: An Imāmī Theological Apologia

Document Type : Original article

Author
Mahdi Hayati
Assistant Professor, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran.
10.22034/naghdeara.2025.531712.1315
Abstract
This study reexamines the meaning of waḥy in Q. 20:114, where both Qurʾān and waḥy appear together. Classical exegetes have offered different readings, but each faces significant difficulties. Some hold that both terms refer to the Qurʾānic text itself, interpreting the verse as a prohibition against the Prophet reciting the verses prematurely out of eagerness or fear of forgetting. This view, however, seems incompatible with the Prophet’s moral perfection and with the divine guarantee in Q. 87:6 that he would not forget. Others understand the verse as forbidding the Prophet to request a new revelation, yet this reading departs from the verse’s apparent meaning. This study argues that both difficulties are resolved by recognizing a distinction between two kinds of revelation. Drawing on classical Shīʿī sources, the study defends the view that Qurʾān refers to the recited, inimitable text (Qurʾānic revelation), while “its waḥy” refers to a separate, non‑Qurʾānic revelation—termed explanatory revelation (al-waḥy al-bayānī)—which provides the interpretation, commentary, and inner meaning of the verses. The verse is thus read as prohibiting the Prophet from reciting the Qurʾān to the community before the divine explanation of its verses has been completed. This interpretation upholds the Prophet’s perfect character, aligns with the divine guarantee of preservation and explanation, and does justice to the distinct terminology of the verse. It also supports the classical Shīʿī and Sunnī view that the prophetic Sunnah itself partakes in revelation, albeit in a different mode from the Qurʾān.
Keywords
Explanatory revelation
Qurʾānic revelation
Non‑Qurʾānic revelation
Q. 20:114
Shīʿī exegesis
Prophetic Sunnah
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 26 July 2025
  • Revise Date 19 September 2025
  • Accept Date 22 September 2025