Comparative Studies of Quran

Comparative Studies of Quran

Explanation and Analytical Study of Surah Hal Atā Based on the Views of Gholamreza Arani, with a Comparative Review of Sunni and Shia Interpretations

Document Type : Original

Authors
1 university azad islamic of kashan
2 univercity azad islamic of kashan
3 univercity payam noor iran
10.22034/csq.2026.578485.1645
Abstract
One of the issues discussed in Qurʾanic exegesis is the application and determination of the referents of certain verses concerning the Household of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt). In some cases, this determination is based on the statements of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Imams (AS), while in other instances it has been proposed by exegetes. Surah Hal Atā is among the chapters whose concrete referent, particularly with regard to establishing the status of the Ahl al-Bayt, has consistently been a subject of scholarly critique and debate from the time of revelation to the present.

Mulla Gholamreza Kashani Arani (d. 1265 AH), a student of Ṣāḥib al-Riyāḍ, authored several works, including Risālah-ye Hilāliyya, in which he devoted special attention to the explanation and interpretation of Surah Hal Atā. In this treatise, alongside lexical interpretation, citation of similar Qurʾanic verses, and discussions of narrations, he sought to establish the concrete referent of this surah and attribute it to the Ahl al-Bayt.

Relying on library-based sources and employing a content analysis method, this article presents Mulla Gholamreza’s viewpoint while also referring to the opinions of other scholars. Through critical analysis of the subject and evaluation of the author’s approach in Risālah-ye Hilāliyya, the study concludes that his claim regarding the determination of a concrete referent and the definitive application of Surah Hal Atā to the Household of the Prophet (PBUH) goes beyond a merely personal opinion. Rather, it is supported by transmitted evidence as well as internal and external textual documentation found in the exegetical traditions of both Sunni and Shia scholars. Accordingly, this view is considered credible among the interpretations of Surah Hal Atā.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 08 June 2026

  • Receive Date 30 April 2026
  • Revise Date 02 June 2026
  • Accept Date 08 June 2026
  • Publish Date 08 June 2026