Qur'anic exegesis and sectarian politics : intellectual dialectics and contestation between Sunnī and Shī'ī tafsīrs in the twelfth century

Abstract

The twelfth century marks a significant period of political fragmentation within the Muslim world, a reality that deeply reshaped the intellectual landscape and transformed Qur'anic exegesis (tafsīr) into arena for articulating Sunnī and Shī'ī theological identities. Recognizing that tafsīr is never entirely neutral, this study investigates how tafsīr was utilized for sectarian political purposes by contrasting the interpretations of Imāmī exegete, al-Ṭabrisī (d. 548) in his Majma' al-Bayān with Sunnī exegete, Ibn al-Jawzī (d. 597) in Zād al-Masīr. Several questions are raised in this study; How has Qur'anic exegesis evolved from religious texts to sectarian political texts? What hermeneutical strategies and interpretative frameworks were employed by al-Ṭabrisī and Ibn al-Jawzī in negotiating political and theological debates during the twelfth century? How did they interpret political and sectarian verses of the Qur'ān, and in what ways did their interpretations reflect and respond to the socio-political contexts of the twelfth century? What is their intellectual significance in shaping the trajectory of Sunnī and Shī'ī Qur'anic exegetical traditions. Through the dual lenses of Walid A. Saleh's genealogical framework and Hans-Georg Gadamer's hermeneutics, this study reveals that sectarian reading had already entered to Qur'anic exegesis during the first and early second centuries Hijri, becoming fully entrenched by subsequent century through a profound fusion of horizons between ancient scripture and medieval political realities. Genealogically, both mufasirs demonstrate deep epistemological continuity within their tradition-bound lineages, as al-Ṭabrisī builds upon al-Ṭūsī's al-Tibyān (d. 460) by employing Imāmī traditions and allegorical meanings, while Ibn al-Jawzī adapts al-Ṭabarī's Jāmi' al-Bayān (d.310) into a more selective traditionalist framework. Furthermore, their divergent commentaries are not mere distortions, but rather products of what Gadamer names "productive prejudices" (Vorurteil), necessary sectarian commitments that functioned as normative, authoritative framework to shape public opinion and legitimize rival political authorities within the medieval social order. Ultimately, both scholars left an enduring methodological legacy: al-Ṭabrisī introduced a cross-referencing approach by engaging with other traditions, particularly Sunnī and Mu'tazilī, whereas Ibn al-Jawzī introduced medium-sized (mutawassiṭ) tafsīr style by reducing long transmission chains. By analyzing these magnum opuses, this study demonstrates that the interpretative differences between al-Ṭabrisī and Ibn al-Jawzī are not problem to be resolved, but vital historical phenomena illustrating how the Qur'an functions as an ever-living, dynamic source of guidance for diverse Muslim communities navigating complex historical realities.