Theological and Cosmological Interpretation of the Qurʾan in the Thought of al-Shahrastānī: A Case Study of Sūrat al-Baqara

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Toby Mayer ¹

Seddigheh Kardan ²

¹ Senior Research Associate, Qur’anic Studies Unit, Institute of Ismaili Studies, London, United Kingdom

² PhD Candidate in Islamic Studies, Institute of Islamic Studies, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

10.22067/jquran.2025.93790.1842

Abstract

This article analyzes the distinctive approach of Tāj al-Dīn Muḥammad al-Shahrastānī to the interpretation of Sūrat al-Baqara, based on his exegetical work Mafātīḥ al-Asrār wa-Maṣābīḥ al-Abrār. The study examines al-Shahrastānī’s critical engagement with theological (kalām) doctrines, particularly their arguments concerning the inimitability of the Qurʾan, and argues that such proofs are deficient due to their reliance on impossibility claims, such as the requirement of a miracle that must remain manifestly beyond human capacity in all eras. In contrast, al-Shahrastānī regards the testimony of faith (shahāda) as the ultimate and undeniable miracle, which becomes incontestable once its truth is presented to human understanding. The article further analyzes al-Shahrastānī’s doctrine of the pre-eternity of the Qurʾan and compares it with Ashʿarite and Muʿtazilite positions. He criticizes the Ashʿarites for distancing the eternal divine speech from the revealed Qurʾan, while his own view—shaped by Ismāʿīlī thought—emphasizes a stronger identity between the pre-eternal command (amr) and its manifestation in the form of the Qurʾan, despite acknowledging the historical process of its compilation. The study also examines the concept of exalted letters, influenced by Ismāʿīlī teachings, and their cosmological significance, portraying the realm of amr as the foundational language of creation. Finally, it explores al-Shahrastānī’s angelology as a mediating domain between the realms command (amr) and creation (khalq), highlighting the synthesis of prophetic and philosophical wisdom. The study concludes that al-Shahrastānī’s hermeneutical system (in the form of taʾwīl) is deeply shaped by Ismāʿīlī doctrines and offers an alternative to traditional theological approaches, aiming at the realization of jāmiʿ al-ḥikmatayn—the integration of prophetic and philosophical wisdom.

Keywords

al-Shahrastānī

Qurʾanic exegesis

Mafātīḥ al-Asrār

command (amr)

creation (khalq)

Subjects

• Qurʾanic Exegesis and its methods

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