The Concept of Bayyinah between Qur'anic Indication and Terminological Usage in Imami Jurisprudence: A Foundational-Analytical Study

عبیداوی, قاسم

doi:10.22034/icwj.2026.596310.1059

The Concept of Bayyinah between Qur'anic Indication and Terminological Usage in Imami Jurisprudence: A Foundational-Analytical Study

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Research Article

Author

قاسم عبیداوی

دانشگاه پیام نور

10.22034/icwj.2026.596310.1059

Abstract

In jurisprudential studies, the term "al-bayyinah" is predominantly used to mean testimony, while Quranic texts carry broader meanings, which may lead to misinterpretation of the divine intent. The study employs a descriptive-analytical method by tracing the occurrences of "al-bayyinah" in the Quran, surveying the opinions of Imami exegetes and jurists, and analyzing narrations from Ahl al-Bayt (AS), distinguishing between literal quotation and reported understanding. The Quranic usage of "al-bayyinah" indicates clear evidence whose referent varies according to context (message, miracle, insight, proof), whereas in later jurisprudential usage it has been predominantly applied to testimony in judicial matters as one of the manifestations of clear evidence, although early scholars like al-Tusi and al-Muhaqqiq al-Hilli indicate that its linguistic origin is broader. The terminological usage of al-bayyinah in the judicial field was not a transition from one meaning to another, but rather a specification of one of the manifestations of clear evidence within the context of judicial proof.

Keywords

البینة

القرآن

الفقه الإمامی

الشهادة

الدلالة

الاستعمال الاصطلاحی

Subjects