The Methodological Divide in Comprehending the Prophecy of the Defeat and Victory of al-Rūm (Q.۳۰:۲-۴): A Comparative Analysis of Historical Reading and Esoteric Interpretation

The prophecy of Ghulibat al-Rūm (the Romans has been vanquished) (Q.۳۰:۲) in the opening verses of Surah al-Rūm has become a point of controversy within the Sunni and Shi'i exegetical tradition, due to its reference to a historical-unseen (ghaybī) event. By posing the question of what intellectual and methodological foundations underlie this exegetical conflict, this study conducts a comparative analysis of the two primary approaches to understanding these verses. The research hypothesis posits that this dichotomy is rooted not in minor details, but in a profound rupture in epistemological sources, textual function, and semantic horizons. Employing a qualitative content analysis method and examining classical exegetical sources, the article demonstrates that the first approach (historical-narrative), relying on the principles of contextualism and the primacy of the apparent meaning (aṣālat al-ẓāhir), understands the prophecy as a retrospective proof validating the veracity of the prophetic mission. Conversely, the second approach (esoteric-hermeneutic), based on the exclusive authority of “those firmly grounded in knowledge” (al-rāsikhūn fī al-ʿilm), interprets these verses as a prospective charter for eschatological glad tidings and the political guidance of the Ummah. The findings reveal that this duality is clearly traceable across epistemological foundations (the authority of history vs. the authority of the Imam's naṣṣ), textual function (a static proof vs. a dynamic charter), and semantic horizons (linear temporality vs. cyclical trans-historicism). Ultimately, this research redefines these verses as a methodological focal point for recognizing fundamental schisms within the exegetical tradition.

کلیدواژه ها:

Qur’an ، Methodology of Interpretation ، Historical Exegesis ، Esoteric Interpretation ، Taʾwīl ، Inimitability of the Qur’an ، Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān