Explanation of the Methodological Error of Abul-Fadl Burqe’i about the Succession Verse of Imam Mehdi (A.S.)(Istikhlaf Verse)

• Main Author: Samira Mahdinezhad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International journal of multicultural and multireligious understanding 2019-11-01
• Series: International Journal of Multicultural and Multireligious Understanding
• Subjects: istikhlaf verse; imam mahdi (pbuh); abul-fadl burqe’i; scientific study in the traditions about mahdi; successorship
• Online Access: https://ijmmu.com/index.php/ijmmu/article/view/1186

The Istikhlaf verse is the fifty-fifth verse of the Surah Nur, in which God gives the glad tidings of being successors of rulership of righteousness ones, spreading the religion and achieving peace, to those faithful who do good deeds. This verse is one of the verses which is interpreted as a proof on the uprising of hazrat Mahdi (a.s.). Abul-Fadl Burqe’i, having a background of being a Shia but moving towards a revisionist tendency, expressed some believes opposing the fundamental principles of Shiite and raised doubts in these principles. In his book "A Scientific Study on the Mahdi’s Hadiths," in the chapter of "Ayyat al-Mu'wala Be-Qiyyam al-Qa'im, الآيات المؤوله بقيام القائم ", he attempts to reject the opinion of majority of Shiite commentators that say the reference of the Promised Government is in the " Istikhlaf verse ",  is Imam Mahdi and his companions. In this way, through fallacy in the words of the Imamiyah scholars such as Sheikh Tusi in Tebyan, Tabarsi in the Majma’ Al-Bayan and Abul-Futtuh in Ruh al-Jinan he tried to show that they agreed him. This article seeks to evaluate his arguments in this regard by comparing the above-mentioned interpretations with those of Abul-Fadl Burqe’i.