Tefsir Araştırmaları Dergisi

Öz

The issue of “Mutashabih,” which manifests the efforts to comprehend, has been a subject of curiosity since the early times of the Quran’s revelation, and nearly every mufassir has expressed opinions on this matter. Burhan al-Din al-Biqâî (d. 885/1480), a prominent scholar of the 9th Hijri century, emphasized the importance of interpreting Mutasabih verses while evaluating them in his commentary titled “Nazm al-durar.” He believed that the deviation of Jews and Christians from the message sent by Allah was related to their adherence to the apparent meanings of the revealed verses. According to him, they distanced themselves from the profound meanings of Mutashabih verses, resulting in a detachment from the true essence. Although al-Biqâî’s approach to Mutashabih verses is noteworthy, it appears that there has not been sufficient research on the subject. It is evident that he pushed the boundaries of the scholarly tradition of his era with the method he adopted in his tafsir. Particularly, al-Biqâî systematically compiled words, verses, and the relationships between them, making significant contributions to the field of commentary for his era and beyond. His tafsir, which predominantly employs the method of dirayet tafsir, endeavors to reach the meanings of verses and the content of chapters based on the smallest components such as letters or words. He classified the contents of chapters, establishing connections with the names of the chapters. By determining the meaning expressed by the verses, he interpreted the Basmala at the beginning of the chapters according to the content of the chapters, while also addressing the relationship with the previous chapter. All these characteristics of al-Biqâî’s tafsir present a unique perspective on the consideration and resolution of topics Mutasabih and al-Huruf al-Muqattaa. The discussions on whether al-Huruf al-Muqattaa at the beginning of twentynine chapters in the Quran are mutasabih or not continue to this day. The fundamental idea behind these debates is the belief that all verses in the Quran should be understood in a manner consistent with Allah’s intended meaning. Scholars who hold this view have resorted to interpreting these letters. In conclusion, in both aspects that make understanding the Quran challenging for its recipients in every era, al-Biqâî developed a unique method and emphasized the necessity of interpretation. When explaining the verses, he used the Quran with the Quran method in a distinctive way, drawing attention to the relationship between verses and chapters to correctly ascertain the meaning. He attempted to demonstrate that the miraculous aspect of the Quran’s coherence becomes evident through the complementary nature of verses and chapters. This study aims to examine and evaluate al-Biqâî’s considerations regarding the relationship between the Quran’s Mutasabih and al-Huruf al-Muqattaa. In this context, we will particularly strive to elucidate the meanings al-Biqâî attributed to al-Huruf al-Muqattaa in conjunction with his views on Mutasabih.