THE INTERPRETATION OF MUHKAM AND MUTASYABIH VERSES ACCORDING TO FAKHRUDDIN AR-RAZI AND IBN KATHIR

Abstract

The Qur’an, as the primary source of Islamic teachings, contains verses that in terms of meaning are categorized into muhkam and mutasyabih, which play an important role in understanding the content of the Qur’an, particularly in the determination of Islamic law and the formation of creed (ʿaqīdah). This study aims to examine and compare the interpretations of muhkam and mutasyabih verses according to Fakhruddin ar-Razi and Ibn Kathir, with an emphasis on their methodological and epistemological differences. Using a library research method with a descriptive-analytical and comparative approach to their major exegetical works, this study finds that Fakhruddin ar-Razi tends to employ a rational-epistemological approach, emphasizing linguistic analysis, logic, and the strength of textual indication (dalālah al-lafẓ), while allowing room for rational taʾwīl of mutasyabih verses. In contrast, Ibn Kathir applies a tafsīr bi al-maʾthūr approach grounded in the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the narrations of the Companions and the Successors, based on the principle of referring mutasyabih verses back to muhkam verses in order to preserve the coherence of Qur’anic meaning. Despite their methodological differences, both exegetes share the same objective: to safeguard the purity of the Qur’an’s meaning and to prevent interpretive deviation. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of balancing rationality, textual authority, and faith-based attitudes in understanding muhkam and mutasyabih verses.