The Hidden Meanings of the Qur’an and the Mechanisms of Its Understanding According to the Scholar Maarifa and Sheikh Nasir Al-Makarem Al-Shirazi

My thesis entitled (The Hidden Meanings of the Qur’an and the Mechanisms of its Understanding according to the scholar Maarifa and Sheikh Nasir al-Makarem al-Shirazi) dealt with the issue of the hidden meanings according to the scholar Maarifa and Sheikh Makarim al-Shirazi. This topic has utmost importance since it contributes in dispelling false beliefs, and hereby it reunites Muslims and unifies their word and finally leads to enriching exegesis and Quranic sciences. Moreover, it contributes to understanding the rest of Quranic verses; its negligence, however, lead into perversions and dissention.

My work in the research has been analytical and descriptive, in which I presented, after tracing, the opinion of the scholar Maarifa about the Qur’anic hidden meanings and the mechanism of his understanding in a separate chapter, as well as with Sheikh Makarim Al-Shirazi in another chapter, and I analyzed each of their opinions, and then compared their opinions in a third chapter.

It became apparent to me that the hidden meanings in language refer to the inner and hidden side of a thing. As for the term “hidden meanings of the Qur’an”, several opinions have emerged regarding its meaning. It means “interpretation” according to the opinion of the scholar Maarifa, which is the secondary meaning of the verse, and according to the opinion of Sheikh Makarim Al-Shirazi it is the use of polysemous word in more than one meaning.

The mechanism of understanding the hidden meanings according to the scholar Maarifa is represented by using the proof of delving into and division, while according to Sheikh Makarim Al-Shirazi it is by looking at the Polysemous words and their occasions in the verses.