An Analytical and Descriptive Examination of the Wisdoms and Secrets of the Phenomenon of Repetition in the Holy Qur’an

Abstract

The phenomenon of repetition in the Holy Qur’an is among the significant and longstanding subjects in Qur’anic studies and the science of exegesis. Despite the attention given by some exegetes and scholars to the nature and underlying wisdoms of repetition, this issue still requires independent and more in-depth investigation. This necessity arises because many viewpoints on the subject have been presented only sporadically or implicitly, leaving a noticeable research gap in its systematic examination. In this regard, the approach of Allameh Tabataba’i, as a distinguished contemporary Qur’anic exegete, deserves particular attention due to its methodological and ijtihād-based nature. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, the present study examines his perspectives as articulated in Tafsir al-Mizan and succeeds in identifying more than twenty wisdoms and functions of repetition in the Qur’an. The findings indicate that repetition in the Qur’an is by no means redundant; rather, it is founded upon profound wisdoms, including differences in meaning and context, clarification and elaboration, emphasis and reinforcement of concepts, causal explanation, stimulation and encouragement, receptiveness to admonition, magnification and intensification, prevention of misunderstanding, and reminder for the avoidance of forgetfulness and misguidance. Ultimately, this study explains repetition as a divine instrument employed in the path of guidance, education, and the manifestation of God's grace and mercy through diverse rhetorical forms.