Discourse analysis of the evolution of the wisdom of the tradition of mediation in the history of Quranic exegesis (with an emphasis on the conceptual marketization of wisdoms)”

One of the Quranic social traditions is the tradition of Mudaawalah (consultation/exchange), for which various wisdoms have been stated in exegeses. The present study aims to analyze the evolution of the understanding of the ‘Tradition of Mudaawalah’ throughout the history of Quranic exegesis, based on the hypothesis that the understanding and articulation of the wisdoms of this tradition can be contingent upon the dominant power-knowledge discourses in each historical period. To this end, using a qualitative and critical approach, 23 scattered wisdoms related to this tradition were first extracted from various exegeses and, through a conceptual reorganization, were structured into 13 macro-wisdoms across five domains (individual, social, theological, mystical, and historical). Subsequently, employing Foucault’s discourse analysis method, the evolution of these wisdoms across six historical periods was analyzed. The findings indicated that in each period, the dominant discourse directly influenced the highlighting or marginalization of specific wisdoms; for example, the discourse of monotheism in the 5th-6th centuries, and especially the discourse of survival in the 7th-9th centuries, elevated mystical wisdoms such as ‘constriction and expansion’ (qabd va bast) and ‘the worthlessness of the world’ as strategies for societal cohesion and psychological solace. Similarly, the Safavid-Ottoman polarization discourse in the 10th-11th centuries transformed the wisdom of ‘distinction and sifting’ (tamyeiz va gharbalgari) into a tool for sectarian demarcation. In the contemporary era, reformist and defensive discourses against the West highlighted the wisdoms of ‘prevention of power corruption’ and ‘historical evolution,’ respectively, in response to internal despotism and historical rupture.

Ultimately, the research concludes that the Tradition of Mudaawalah is a fluid concept whose application fluctuates between consolidating despotism and inspiring revolution, depending on the discursive context. This historicity of understanding reveals the necessity of adopting a critical and comprehensive approach to the history of religious thought.