Zaydī Elements in the Tafsīr of Furāt al-Kūfī

The Evaluation of Furāt among the Imāmīya

Abstract

This paper examines Zaydī elements in the Tafsīr of Furāt b. Ibrāhīm al-Kūfī, who was an Imāmī traditionalist in the 9th and 10th century. In Tafsīr Furāt, there are several ḥadīths of non-Imāmī Shī‘ī sects. Among those, the number of ḥadīths transmitted from Zaydī Imāms is larger than that of other sects. Some of the contents of the ḥadīths from Zayd b. ‘Alī are not compatible with Imāmī doctrines. In this paper, we analyze the possibility that Furāt had not been recognized as an Imāmī scholar for a long time after his death. We also demonstrate that one of the main reasons for the low evaluation of Furāt among the Imāmīya was his sympathy for the Zaydīya. Furāt's evaluation underwent a transition over the ages although al-Majlisī's re-evaluation of Furāt was accepted by the Imāmīya from the 17th century onward. By examining the Zaydī elements, which are the most outstanding characteristics in his tafsīr, we also reveal that in early Imāmī literatures there are several transmissions that seem to be from non-Imāmī Shī‘ī sects.