Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Divine Measures for Preserving Revelation: A Theological Explanation of the Relation between Prophets’ Historical Understanding and Infallibility

Document Type : Original article

Authors
Behrouz Fadaei Rad 1
Hosein Khoshdelmofrad 2
1 PhD student in Quran and Hadith Sciences, Kashan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kashan, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor Department of Islamic Education, Kashan Branch, Islamic Azad University, kashan, Iran.
10.22034/naghdeara.2026.570215.1373
Abstract
This study analyzes God’s role in preventing historically-conditioned prophetic understanding from influencing revelation. Islamic scholars have generally explained the preservation of revelation through prophets’ knowledge (*ʿilm*) and infallibility (*ʿiṣma*), often expanding these concepts considerably to interpret contrary Qurʾānic verses. However, the variety of verses reporting prophets’ personal—and sometimes incorrect—understandings calls for a re-examination. Using a descriptive-analytical method and focusing on Qurʾānic divine-prophetic dialogues, the article identifies several divine measures: pre-mission considerations in selecting prophets (including the Prophet Muhammad’s being unlettered, *ummī*); gradual and occasion-based divine interaction; repetition; and personal reprimands during the prophetic mission. The article argues that the possibility of historically-conditioned understanding in prophets is compatible with their infallibility and provides a more precise explanation of how infallibility is attained without requiring strained interpretations. By distinguishing between the human (*basharī*) and prophetic (*risālī*) dimensions of prophets, this framework offers an interpretation of problematic verses that avoids both theological overreach and the reduction of revelation to purely human experience. The study operates within the premises of Islamic theology, specifically Shīʿī theological traditions, while engaging critically with classical and contemporary theories of revelation.
Keywords
Prophetic Missionary Station
Divine Interactions with Prophets
Revelatory Rebukes
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 07 January 2026
  • Revise Date 27 February 2026
  • Accept Date 27 February 2026