The scholarly approaches in Quranic exegesis

Abstract

This research employs an inductive approach to general exegesis books and their scholarly approaches, and a descriptive approach to study the seven approaches addressed in this research: the chain of transmission and hadith approach, the doctrinal approach, the jurisprudential approach, the linguistic and grammatical approach, the rhetorical approach, the scientific approach, and contemporary approaches, which are further subdivided into four: the contemporary rational approach, the thematic interpretation approach, the chronological order of revelation approach, and the modernist approach. The study of each approach aims to achieve the following objectives: 1- To highlight the leading and representative exegeses of each of these approaches. 2- To name the most important exegesis books that fall under each of these approaches in general. 3- To indicate the most prominent studies that have focused specifically on these approaches. Among the most important findings of the research were the following: 1- The linguistic and grammatical approach was the most prevalent in books of exegesis, while the doctrinal approach was the most significant and dangerous, given that anyone who disagreed with it was considered an innovator, and his exegesis was discouraged from being read except by a scholar capable of discerning its contents. It was also found that there was no connection between the doctrinal and jurisprudential approaches among the exegetes. 2- It emerged that al-Tabari's exegesis is the most comprehensive book in the chain of transmission approach, Ibn Kathir's in the hadith approach, Fakhr al-Razi's in the doctrinal approach in general, al-Zamakhshari's al-Kashshaf in the Mu'tazili doctrinal approach, while also being a pioneer in the rhetorical approach, Ibn Ashur's al-Tahrir as the culmination and most comprehensive of the rhetorical exegeses, al-Qurtubi's al-Jami' in the jurisprudential approach, Abu Hayyan's al-Bahr in the grammatical approach, and the modern rationalist school in the contemporary rationalist approach. However the most important recommendations of the research is that given the topic of the scholarly approaches in books of exegesis cannot be fully addressed in such a brief study; The recommendation concluded with a call for broader, more comprehensive, in-depth, and more thorough studies on the subject, focusing on general interpretations that address all verses of the Quran.