قرآنِ کریم میں سوالات (يسْأَلُونَكَ اور يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ) کا تجزیاتی، تقابلی مطالعہ: اثرِ ابنِ عباسؓ اور فخر رازی و مفتی محمد شفیعؒ کی تفسیری عبارات کے تناظر میں

An Analytical, Comparative, and Quantitative Study of Qur’anic Questions (Yasʾalūnaka and Yastaftūnaka) Based on the Athar of Ibn ʿAbbās and the Exegetical Statements of Fakhr al-Rāzī and Mufti Muhammad Shafiʿ

Abstract

This study provides an analytical, evaluative, and comparative examination of the occurrences of the Qur’anic expressions يسْأَلُونَكَ "they ask you" and يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ "they seek your ruling" throughout the Qur’an. These expressions appear in various contexts, sometimes posed by the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and sometimes by disbelievers or general inquiries.

The research highlights the numerical and interpretive discrepancies reported in classical and contemporary sources. The narration of Ibn Abbas رضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ indicates thirteen or fourteen questions posed by the Companions, as cited by earlier scholars such as Fakhr al-Razi, whereas Mufti Muhammad Shafi ‘(a later scholar) enumerates seventeen questions, encompassing both Companion and disbeliever inquiries. The study provides a comparative analysis of these sources, establishing correlations wherever possible, and examining the methodological and interpretive reasoning behind the counts. A tabular presentation details all eighteen questions, specifying the relevant Surah and Ayah, the form of inquiry يسْأَلُونَكَ or يَسْتَفْتُونَكَ and the identity of the questioner (Companion or disbeliever). This research adopts a strictly analytical approach, focusing on classification, enumeration, and source comparison, without delving into the detailed reasons of revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl). The primary aim is to provide clarity on the occurrence, distribution, and scholarly interpretation of these Qur’anic questions, highlighting both classical and contemporary perspectives and reconciling the numerical discrepancies where feasible.