Methods of Employing the Principle of Applicability and Comparison in Understanding the Qur’ān

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Abstract

The Qur’ān’s words and doctrinal knowledge (ma‘ārif) have originated from inclusive truths and principles that are trans-regional and trans-historical. Accordingly, by discovering the real concept and inclusive precept and bypassing the evidentiary characteristics, the apparent content of the verses can be compared to other evidences. Therefore, what is pursued by this article is to address the methods of using the principle of applicability (jar-y) and comparison (taṭbīq), and similarly, to study the logical concept and evidence and the method of refining the basis of the ruling (tanqīḥ-i manāṭ), since it is also the same in the principle of applicability and comparison. After fulfillment of procedures that are considered as preliminary to understanding the text, the verses of similar subject are set together so that by abolition of ineffective features, the general ruling is discovered (applicability) and this ruling and manāṭ can be a reliable basis for comparison to other evidences.