A Critical Review of the Benefits of Interpretation Based on the Revelation Order

One of the important and at the same time controversial issues in the field of the Qur’ānic sciences is the way this Revealed Book is compiled and authored and then interpreted. A group of scholars and researchers of the Qur’ānic sciences believe that the compilation, authorship, and arrangement of the Qur'an has been executed during the lifetime of the Prophet (S.A.W.), and another have attributed it to a period after his lifetime, namely, during the caliphs' rule, assuming that the present compilation of the Qur'an is not tawqīfī (subject to scriptural ruling) and carried out after the Prophet, thus what is considered as the basis for comprehension and interpretation of the Qur'an is the order in which it has been revealed. But the question that arises here is: for what reason is this order, which has been common among the interpreters and a basis for interpretation since the early Islam, is to be put aside and the method of Revelation order be practiced? More importantly, how can it be proved that the traditions related about some sūras are sound and reliable, although very contradictory and different traditions have been related in this regard and the sources are various accordingly? Besides, to what extent is there really a difference between the interpretation based on the order of [the extant compilation] the Qur'an and the order of the Revelation in terms of meaning and understanding of the āya, so that it can be attributed to the difference in the method of interpretation of āyas and preference of Revelation order?
This writing is intended to prove that all the above questions give negative answers to the Revelation [based] interpretation and that there has been some exaggerations in claiming that if interpretation is carried out according to Revelation, it would yield many benefits, and that even if it has some benefit, it is obtainable through the current interpretations and according to the order of the [present compilation of the] Qur'an (Muṣḥaf).