Journal of Imamiyyah Studies

Journal of Imamiyyah Studies

An Assessment of the Occasions of Revelation (Asbāb al-Nuzūl) of the Verse of Wilāyah in Sunni Traditions Using the Method of Presentation to the Holy Qur'an

Authors
mahdi mashayekhi 1
Mohammad Hadi Mansouri 2
Muhammad Ali Majd Faqihi 2
1 Ph.D. candidates, Traditional Islamic Studies of the Quran and Islamic Texts, Islamic Sciences University, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Teachings, Islamic Sciences University, Qom, Iran
10.22034/jis.2026.245679
Abstract
Fabrication (jaʿl), distortion (taḥrīf), misreading (misspelling, etc.) (taṣḥīf), and paraphrasing (naql bi al-maʿnā) with incorrect meaning are among the most significant harms affecting hadiths, particularly in Sunni sources. The spread of these harms after the demise of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) underscores the necessity of critically examining traditions, especially those related to the occasion of revelation of the Verse of Wilāyah (5:55). To uncover and counter fabricated occasions of revelation, a content criticism of traditions based on presenting hadith to the Qur'an—following the recommendation of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) and the Infallible Imams (AS)—was adopted as the basis for analysis. This research aims to take a step towards refining the research environment and discovering the true school of thought by identifying traditions compatible and incompatible with the Qur'an and reducing the influence of fabricated hadiths related to the occasion of revelation. To this end, a narrative-revelatory study has been organized using a descriptive-analytical method. Based on the findings of this research, five categories of traditions concerning the occasion of revelation of the Verse of Wilāyah (5:55) are mentioned in Sunni sources; including: "the complaint of `Abdullah ibn Salam", "Abu Bakr", and "the giving of a ring to a poor person by Amīr al-Mu'minīn ʿAlī (AS)". In the process of presenting these traditions to the Holy Qur'an, only the last-mentioned tradition is fully compatible with the text of the Verse and thus acceptable, and other cases are rejected and unacceptable due to reasons such as non-conformity with the verse's content and inconsistency with the Qur'anic context.
Keywords
Occasions of Revelation (Asbāb al-Nuzūl)
Traditions of the Occasions of Revelation
Presentation to the Qur'an
Agreement and Disagreement with the Qur'an
Verse of Wilāyah
The Holy Qur’an.
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