Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Prophetic Doubt in Qurʾān 10:94 (Between a Prophet's Traits and Inerrancy)

Document Type : Original article

Authors
Mohammad Mahdi Farrahi 1
Mohammad Etratdoost 2
1 PhD Graduate in Quranic Sciences and Hadith, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Theology and Islamic Studies, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/naghdeara.2025.544082.1338
Abstract
This study critically examines Qurʾān 10:94, “So if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, then ask those who read the Book before you,” a verse whose address to the Prophet Muḥammad has been widely considered by Muslim exegetes—especially within Shiʿi theology—to conflict with the doctrine of prophetic inerrancy (ʿiṣma). The article surveys and critiques the major interpretive approaches: redefining the addressee as someone other than the Prophet, interpreting “doubt” metaphorically, or treating the conditional as an impossible supposition (farḍ maḥāl). Through a detailed analysis of the verse’s wording, its immediate context (Q. 10:93-96), and parallel Qurʾānic passages (e.g., Q. 2:260, 21:87, 25:32), the study argues that these solutions depart unnecessarily from the apparent meaning (ẓāhir). Instead, it proposes a reading that accepts the Prophet as the direct addressee while maintaining his inerrancy: the conditional “if you are in doubt” is purely hypothetical and preventive, not a report of actual doubt. Fleeting, transient thoughts (khuṭūrāt qalbiyya) are possible for any human being, including prophets, and the verse serves as a divine measure for heart-strengthening (tathbīt al-qalb) and the preemptive removal of even hypothetical uncertainty. This interpretation respects both the linguistic integrity of the text and the foundational Shiʿi commitment to prophetic ʿiṣma.
Keywords
Prophetic Doubt and Uncertainty
Transient Mental Thoughts (Khaṭarāt Qalbiyya)
Heart-Strengthening (Tathbīt al-Qalb)
Prophetic Inerrancy (ʿIṣma)
Critical Exegesis
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 22 September 2025
  • Revise Date 02 December 2025
  • Accept Date 07 December 2025