Razavi University of Islamic Sciences Quranic Doctrines 2251-9378 22 41 2025 06 22 A Narrative Approach to the Types of Apparent Significations in the Quran A Narrative Approach to the Types of Apparent Significations in the Quran 7 34 2022 10.30513/qd.2025.6726.2491 FA Omid Qorbankhani Corresponding author, Assistant Professor, Department of Theology, Faculty of Humanities, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran. Seyed Mahmoud Tayyeb Hoseini Professor, Department of the Quranic Studies, Research Institute of Hawzeh and University, Qom, Iran. Journal Article 2025 01 23 One of the foundational topics in understanding and interpreting the Quran is identifying and differentiating the various types of significations present in the Divine speech. Clarifying the Quranic significations can serve as a criterion for evaluating and measuring interpretative readings and can prevent subjective and arbitrary exegeses. Despite the importance of this matter, the types of the Quran’s meanings have not yet been studied in a detailed and independent manner. Moreover, attributing any type of signification to the Holy Quran requires a valid proof. Therefore, this study adopts an analytical-descriptive approach to examine Qur’anic significations, relying on the narrations of the Infallibles (pbut) as the most important source for understanding the Qur’an. Given the scope of the discussion, the research is limited to apparent significations. According to the findings of the research, the apparent meanings of the Quran fall into three general categories: explicit significations (Maḍlūl-e manṭūqī), narrower implicative significations (Maḍlūl-e eltezāmī akhaṣṣ), and broader implicative significations (Maḍlūl-e eltezāmī a'amm). Under these categories, various types such as literal, metaphorical, allusive, ambiguous, implied, anticipatory, critical or censuring, inferential, assertive/confirmative, and others are classified. This study explains these categories and provides narrational examples for each. One of the foundational topics in understanding and interpreting the Quran is identifying and differentiating the various types of significations present in the Divine speech. Clarifying the Quranic significations can serve as a criterion for evaluating and measuring interpretative readings and can prevent subjective and arbitrary exegeses. Despite the importance of this matter, the types of the Quran’s meanings have not yet been studied in a detailed and independent manner. Moreover, attributing any type of signification to the Holy Quran requires a valid proof. Therefore, this study adopts an analytical-descriptive approach to examine Qur’anic significations, relying on the narrations of the Infallibles (pbut) as the most important source for understanding the Qur’an. Given the scope of the discussion, the research is limited to apparent significations. According to the findings of the research, the apparent meanings of the Quran fall into three general categories: explicit significations (Maḍlūl-e manṭūqī), narrower implicative significations (Maḍlūl-e eltezāmī akhaṣṣ), and broader implicative significations (Maḍlūl-e eltezāmī a'amm). Under these categories, various types such as literal, metaphorical, allusive, ambiguous, implied, anticipatory, critical or censuring, inferential, assertive/confirmative, and others are classified. This study explains these categories and provides narrational examples for each. https://qd.razavi.ac.ir/article_2022_1427dc3a1d246da3f615bc8321368b90.pdf