Theological Approaches to Qur'anic Exegesis

Believed to be the unaltered Word of God, the Qur’an holds a special place in the hearts of all Muslims. It is central to the understanding of the religion of Islam, its moral code, laws, dogmas and spiritual teachings. Ever since its revelation, the Qur’an generated a great deal of interest from Muslims and non-Muslims alike, ranging from fascinated frustration to besotted adoration. Throughout the years, from the formative phase of Islam to the contemporary period, scholars have devoted their lives to trying to understand the Qur’an, producing a wide range of works from compendiums of super commentaries to simple non-Arabic renditions. This fascination with the Qur’an was not particular to Muslim scholars, but non-Muslim theologians were also captivated by the challenge of Qur’anic inimitability and this Book’s claim that it has no doubt regarding its contents. The rich linguistic features of the Qur’an allow it to have a multitude of interpretations, provided it is carried out by qualified scholarship and following a strict methodology. This book comprises five chapters. In the first chapter, the author examines the development of the orthodox schools of Qur’anic exegesis known as Tafsir bi’l-Athar, their sources and approaches as well as some of the major works of that school. The second chapter deals with the Tafsir bi’l-Ra’y school which the author oddly calls the ‘hypothetical opinion school of exegesis’. This chapter investigates and analyses the development and major approaches of this school, its sources and some of the major works representing it. It also highlights the major schools that constitutes non-Sunni Qur’anic exegesis, such as the schools of the Ibadis, Mu[tazilah, Shi[ah and others. The third chapter looks at the linguistic schools of Qur’anic exegesis. It provides details about the exegetes who adopted a linguistic/stylistic approach in their exegetical analysis, all while giving some examples from the major works representing that particular method or approach.