The Marfūʿ, Mawqūf, and Maqṭūʿ Sunnah and Their Role in Qur’anic Interpretation

Abstract

This study examines the interpretation of the Holy Qur’an through the Prophetic Sunnah in its three categories: Marfūʿ (attributed to the Prophet), Mawqūf (attributed to the Companions), and Maqṭūʿ (attributed to the Successors), highlighting their essential role in clarifying Qur’anic meanings, explaining ambiguous verses, restricting absolute texts, and specifying general rulings. The research aims to reaffirm the authority of the Sunnah as the second source of Islamic legislation and to refute claims that undermine its evidentiary value, emphasizing its complementary relationship with the Qur’an.

The study adopts an inductive and analytical methodology by surveying Qur’anic interpretations transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ, followed by the explanations of the Companions and the interpretations of the Successors and leading exegetes from the schools of Mecca, Madinah, and Iraq, with practical examples for each category. The findings demonstrate that the Marfūʿ Sunnah represents the highest level of Qur’anic interpretation, followed by the Mawqūf and then the Maqṭūʿ, and conclude that sound understanding of the Qur’an cannot be achieved without reference to these transmitted interpretive sources, which preserve the integrity and correct understanding of the Qur’anic text