Abstract: The present article explores the application of modal logic to Qurʾānic exegesis ( tafsīr ). This is attempted through closely examining Burhān al-Dīn al-Biqāʿī's (d. 1480 CE) commentary on a short Qurʾānic verse, Qurʾān 86:4 ( Sūrat al-Ṭāriq , verse 4). The article provides a detailed exposition of al-Biqāʿī's commentary which pays particular attention to the two canonical readings in this verse. The article also outlines in detail the background logical theory behind al-Biqāʿī's treatment of Qurʾān 86:4. It is shown that while there is a general indifference to modal logic among Qurʾān exegetes, al-Biqāʿī's commentary on Qurʾān 86:4 presents a notable exception. His analysis, I suggest, gives perhaps one of the most hospitable receptions of modal logic in the history of Qurʾānic exegesis. It is hoped that the textual analysis conducted in the present article leads to a deeper understanding of not only al-Biqāʿī's hermeneutics and the practical value of modal logic, but also of the application of logic to the Qurʾān more generally. This is accomplished in three parts. This article begins by considering the variant readings ( qirāʾāt ) of Qurʾān 86:4, followed by an examination of treatments of this verse in major exegetical works written prior to al-Biqāʿī. It then provides a brief introduction to the logical topics considered here, namely the Avicennan logic of modalities, contradiction, and exponible propositions. The article then turns to a detailed examination of al-Biqāʿī's commentary on Qurʾān 86:4, giving special attention to its logical component.
Tareq Moqbel (Sat,) studied this question.