Objective: The field of Qur’anic sciences and exegesis has a fourteen-century intellectual and scholarly heritage, during which hundreds of exegetes and Qur’anic scholars have produced scholarly works and presented new perspectives and theories. One of the contemporary Qur’anic figures—regarded as one of the students of Allamah Tabataba’i, who began teaching Qur’anic exegesis in Mashhad in 1343 SH (1964 CE) and has published numerous works on the Qur’an—is Grand Ayatollah Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei. Method: He has introduced numerous innovations in both the methodological and substantive dimensions of Qur’anic exegesis, evident throughout his written works, speeches, statements, and sermons. Findings: Among these theoretical innovations are his original exegetical foundations and principles, including the non-individualistic interpretation of Qur’anic verses, practical rules for life derived from the Qur’an, the epistemic authority (marjaʿiyyah) of the Qur’an, the transformation of the human sciences on the basis of the Qur’an, and the conceptualization of the Qur’an as a book of steadfastness, resistance to arrogance and hegemonic domination, unity-building, politics, and revolutionary transformation. In the practical domain, his initiatives and transformative efforts include innovations in Qur’anic recitation, memorization, the organization of major Qur’anic gatherings during Ramadan, the defense of the Qur’an against insults and attacks by its adversaries, and the application of Qur’anic teachings to national scientific advancement and the defense industries. Conclusion: This article was developed through the collection of data using field-based and documentary methods from Imam Khamenei’s written and oral works, followed by their descriptive-analytical evaluation.
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Website of the Statements of the Supreme Leader, available at: farsi.khamenei.ir.
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