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A Critical Analysis of Allamah Tabataba’i’s Perspective on Moses’s (PBUH) Conduct in the Killing of the Copt
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Hamid Naderi Qahfarokhi *   |
| Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Education, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran , Hamid.naderi@sku.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (4276 Views) |
Based on the verses of the Holy Quran, Prophet Moses (PBUH), in defense of his follower during a conflict, killed a Coptic man. Researchers have proposed three perspectives in the exegesis of this killing: “commission of accidental manslaughter and abandoning the better alternative (Tark al-Awla)”, “commission of accidental manslaughter and a minor sin”, and “commission of a justified intentional killing”. Meanwhile, Allamah Tabataba’i, in addition to accepting the accidental nature of this killing, considers it neither a sin nor a Tark al-Awla. Although this perspective is harmonious with Allamah’s foundational belief regarding the infallibility of the prophets, it apparently contradicts his propositional and methodological framework. The “innovative nature of the views of a prominent figure like Allamah in Quranic exegesis” and “the extensive recourse of researchers to his exegetical opinions” highlight the necessity of re-examining the perspective of this Islamic thinker to discover its strengths and ambiguities. The analysis of the verses pertaining to this narrative and the critical review of the aforementioned perspective demonstrate that, despite Allamah’s extensive attention to contextual evidence (Siyaq) and the nuances of Quranic vocabulary in his exegesis, in analyzing this specific story: first, he excluded a portion of the context; and second, he overlooked certain lexical subtleties within the narrative. This is while the perspective of “commission of a justified intentional killing” is entirely compatible with the methodological and propositional framework endorsed by Allamah. |
Article number: 1 |
| Keywords: Prophet Moses (PBUH), Killing of the Copt, Allamah Tabataba’i, Infallibility of the Prophets, Accidental Manslaughter, Abandoning the Better Alternative (Tark al-Awla), Context of Verses (Siyaq), Lexical Analysis. |
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Full-Text [PDF 1581 kb]
(532 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/04/1 | Accepted: 2026/05/19 | Published: 2026/06/10
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