QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): August

Al-Tusi's Concept of Imamah in al-Tibyan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an: A Review of the Doctrine of Imamah in Modern Muslim Socio-Political Models

Hafid Syaifuddin Fatah (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya)
Jullul Wara (Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya)
Hisam Sidqi (Ahlul Bayt International University)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Aug 2026

Abstract

Purpose - This study examines how Abū Ja'far Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī constructs the doctrine of imāmah in al-Tibyān fī Tafsīr al-Qur'ān and how this classical exegetical construction can be traced through subsequent Imāmī scholarship into the modern doctrine of wilāyat al-faqīh. It addresses a gap in scholarship that has generally treated al-Ṭūsī's exegesis and modern Shī'ī political thought as separate fields. Design/methodology/approach - The study employs qualitative library research and thematic analysis. Primary data consist of al-Tibyān, with relevant Qur'ānic verses identified through keyword-based selection. Al-Ṭūsī's exegetical arguments are classified according to naṣṣ, 'iṣmah, and wilāyah, while Talal Asad's concept of discursive tradition is used to trace their intellectual transmission across subsequent generations. Findings - The findings demonstrate that al-Ṭūsī integrates naql and 'aql to construct imāmah as divinely sanctioned leadership centered on the Ahl al-Bayt. This exegetical framework subsequently became a stable reference point for later Imāmī jurists, particularly Naraqi, whose expanded conception of juristic authority provided an identifiable link to Khomeini's formulation of wilāyat al-faqīh. Research implications/limitations - The study is limited by its library-based design, primary focus on al-Tibyān, reliance on secondary sources for parts of the intellectual genealogy, and contextual rather than fully weighted comparison with Sunnī khilāfah. Originality/value - The study contributes an exegetical genealogy connecting classical Shī'ī tafsīr with modern political thought and extends the application of discursive-tradition theory to Qur'ānic hermeneutics.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

qist

Publisher

Subject

Religion Humanities Environmental Science Law, Crime, Criminology & Criminal Justice Social Sciences Other

Description

QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing the scholarly study of the Quran from many different perspectives. Particular attention is paid to the works dealing with: Quranic Studies, Quranic sciences, Living Quran, Quranic Studies across different ...