The Shia conception of the Qur'an

In Islamic history, following the death of the Prophet Muhammad, disputes arose over certain issues, particularly the caliphate. These differences of opinion led to the emergence of various sects and groups. One of these groups is the Shi'a, who, as in many religious matters, have adopted distinct views regarding the Qur'an. Like other Islamic sects, the Shi'a believe that the Qur'an is the word of Allah and was revealed to the final Prophet, Muhammad. However, because of their ima-mate-centered ideology, they interpret many verses of the Qur'an in relation to the imams and the concept of imamate. They maintain that the Qur'an should be unders-tood through the guidance and knowledge of the imams, argue that it contains esote-ric meanings in addition to its apparent ones, and present spiritual and mystical in-terpretations that go beyond the literal text. Some Shi'a sources have also raised cla-ims of textual distortion. This study, by considering these Shi'a claims, examines the entire process from the revelation of the Qur'an to its compilation, along with related topics within ʿUlûm al-Qur'an (Qur'anic sciences), in order to shed light on their conception of the Qur'an. The study is divided into three sections. The first section discusses the defini-tion of the Qur'an, its revelation, its miraculous nature, the concept of the seven let-ters, modes of recitation, and the debate over whether it is created or uncreated. The second section analyzes Shi'a perspectives on the history of the Qur'an such as its revelation, compilation, transcription, and allegations of distortion considering both the akhbârî and uṣûlî schools of thought. The third section addresses Shi'a views on tafsîr and ta'wîl, ẓâhir and bâṭin, asbâb al-nuzûl, Makkî and Madanî verses, nâsikh and mansûkh, muḥkam and mutashâbih, ḥurûf al-muqaṭṭaa, and mubhamât al-Qur'an. Keywords: Shia, Imamate, Ahl al-Bayt, Qur'an, Revelation, Compilation, Alteration, Ap-parent, Hidden.