Detailed Abstract
Research Objective: The aim of this research is a comparative study between the Tafsīr Tasnīm and Tafsīr Nemūneh regarding the story of the meeting between Hazrat Musa and Khidr. Due to characteristics such as the contemporaneity of the two Qur’anic exegetes, the fact that both benefited from the teachings of ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, the temporal and geographical alignment of their scholarly development and also certain distinctions—such as Tafsīr Tasnīm being a single-author work whereas Tafsīr Nemūneh being a group-authored commentary—these two Qur’anic exegeses were selected for a comparative study of the story of Hazrat Musa and Khidr, to examine and compare the views of the respective exegetes.
Research Methodology: This study, conducted as a comparative analysis between Tafsīr Tasnīm and Tafsir Nemūneh, employs the method of thematic analysis. Relying on the textual content of the two Qur’anic exegeses, the thematic networks related to the story of Hazrat Musa and Khidr in both exegeses were identified and their systematic structures were mapped out. After mapping the thematic networks concerning the story, the weight of the basic themes under each organizing and overarching theme was also determined.
Findings: Based on the tables obtained in this study, the differences between the basic themes and organizing themes in the two Qur’anic exegeses are clearly evident. The greatest difference in the basic thematic themes and weight between the two exegeses appears under the overarching theme of knowledge. In Tafsir Nemūneh, under the overarching theme of knowledge, there are seven basic themes categorized under three organizing themes: types of knowledge, the importance of knowledge, and the purpose of knowledge. In contrast, Tafsīr Tasnīm contains 28 basic themes under five organizing themes: the importance of knowledge, types of knowledge, the purpose of knowledge, knowledge-centeredness, and characteristics of divine knowledge.
The smallest difference in thematic weight occurs under the overarching theme of education and training. Under this theme, Tafsīr Nemūneh includes 26 basic themes, while Tafsīr Tasnīm has 25. The organizing themes under this overarching theme—such as the etiquette of seeking knowledge, the importance of the teacher, the value of education and training, patience in the pursuit of knowledge, teaching methods, and how to interact with students—are identical in both exegeses.
Mystical and ethical points in Tafsīr Tasnīm consist of 22 basic themes, compared to 9 in Tafsīr Nemūneh, indicating a broader spiritual focus in Tasnīm. As for the overarching theme of doubts and objections, Tafsīr Tasnīm includes 18 basic themes, while Tafsīr Nemūneh contains only 5, showing a greater emphasis by Javadi Āmuli on addressing theological and exegetical doubts surrounding the story. The organizing themes in Tasnīm under this category include: the story’s reference to determinism, doubts about Musa’s infallibility, the identity of Hazrat Musa and whether he is Hazrat Musa the son of ʿImrān, the role of Satan in forgetfulness, theological responses to criticisms of the story, the objection to the apparently unjust killing, and the issue of forgetfulness in a major prophet. In contrast, Tafsīr Nemūneh addresses only four organizing themes under this category: response to the objection regarding the killing, the role of Satan in forgetfulness, doubts about Musa’s infallibility, and the identity of Hazrat Musa—each of which is associated with only one basic theme. Meanwhile, in Tafsīr Tasnīm, the basic themes under each organizing theme range from two to five.
Conclusion: This study revealed that Tafsīr Tasnīm addresses a broader range of themes in the story of Hazrat Musa and Khidr and provides a more detailed elaboration of its concepts. Greater attention is given in Tasnīm to the core narrative, its various dimensions, and especially the characterization of Khidr, resulting in a higher thematic weight for the overarching theme of the story. In line with this deeper focus, the Tafsīr Tasnīm also gives considerable attention to the doubts and theological questions surrounding the narrative and its characters.  Another key area where Tafsīr Tasnīm stands out is in its treatment of the theme of knowledge, which showed the greatest difference in the number and depth of basic themes compared to Tafsīr Nemūneh. This indicates a more comprehensive and analytical approach in Tasnīm, particularly regarding foundational and philosophical elements of the narrative.