Sufi Commentaries On The Qur An In Classical Islam

Meeting the ever increasing interest in Islam and Sufism, this book is the first comprehensive study of Sufi Qur’anic commentaries and includes translations of many writings previously unavailable in English. It examines the shared hermeneutical assumptions of Sufi writers and the diversity in style of Sufi commentaries. Some of the assumptions analyzed are: * the Qur’an is a multi-layered and ambiguous text open to endless interpretation * the knowledge of deeper meanings of the Qur’an is attainable by means other than transmitted interpretations and rational thought * the self is dynamic, moving through states and stations which result in different interpretations at different times. The styles of Sufi commentaries are explored, which range from philosophical musings to popular preaching to literary narrative and poetry. Other commentaries from the classical period are also investigated to provide context in understanding Sufi approaches and exegetical styles.

Meeting the ever increasing interest in Islam and Sufism, this book is the first comprehensive study of Sufi Qur’anic commentaries and includes translations of many writings previously unavailable in English. It examines the shared hermeneutical assumptions of Sufi writers and the diversity in style of Sufi commentaries. Some of the assumptions analyzed are: * the Qur’an is a multi-layered and ambiguous text open to endless interpretation * the knowledge of deeper meanings of the Qur’an is attainable by means other than transmitted interpretations and rational thought * the self is dynamic, moving through states and stations which result in different interpretations at different times. The styles of Sufi commentaries are explored, which range from philosophical musings to popular preaching to literary narrative and poetry. Other commentaries from the classical period are also investigated to provide context in understanding Sufi approaches and exegetical styles.

The author explores the interplay between scriptural exegesis and mystical doctrine in a twelfth-century Sufi commentary on the Qur'an. Previously little-known outside the Persian-speaking world, it is increasingly recognized as a key work in the development of Sufi Qur'anic interpretation. Dr Keeler provides invaluable background for anyone wanting to gain a deeper understanding of Persian mystical poetry and prose, and other major works of Sufi literature.

The Sufi commentary on the Qur'an by 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani (Ta'wilat al-Qur'an)--long believed to have been written by Muhyi al-Din Ibn 'Arabi (d. 1240)--is one of the masterpieces of Sufi exegesis. It is a complete commentary on the Qur'an, commenting on every chapter but not on every verse. A Sufi Commentary on the Qur'an is the first translation into English of this seminal work. Though little is known about the life of 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Kashani (d. between 1329-35), it is accepted that he studied under Mu'ayyid al-Din al-Jandi, who himself had studied with Sadr al-Din Qunawi, the stepson of Ibn 'Arabi and leading exponent of Akbarian doctrine. Despite the paucity of information on his life, Kashani is recognised for the significant contribution he made to the school of Ibn 'Arabi; his influence and legacy lie in his systemisation of the ideas and thoughts of Ibn 'Arabi. The central theme of Kashani's commen-tary on the Qur'an is gnosis or direct experiential knowledge of God: the seeker of the Divine is to engage in dedicated spiritual exertion in conformity with the Sacred Law until the heart becomes illu-minated. The Ta'wilat al-Qur'an has been translated in two volumes: Volume I includes the commentary from the first Chapter, The Opening (al-Fatiha), until the eighteenth Chapter, The Cave (al-Kahf); while Volume II includes the commentary from Chapter nineteen, Mary (Maryam), to the end of the Qur'an.

Focused on Aḥmad Ibn ‘Ajība – an eighteenth-century Moroccan Sufi scholar renowned for his contribution to Sufi Qur’ānic exegesis – this book engages critically with his theory of divine love to elucidate his impact on the wider field of Qur’ānic scholarship. The principal source of analysis is Ibn ‘Ajība’s Oceanic Exegesis of the Qur’ān which connected theoretical works on the concept of divine love to their practical application, a breakthrough in Sufi literature. Close analysis of this text is supplemented by a comparative approach focusing on several other eminent Sufi commentaries, including those of Abū al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī and Rūzbihān Baqlī Shīrāzī. This comparative approach situates Ibn ‘Ajība’s thought in theological and historical perspective, engaging with his mystical approach which integrates his theory of divine love with other Sufi doctrines in an accessible manner. This approach, it is argued, left an indelible impact on future generations of Qur’ānic exegetes within North Africa and across the Islamic world. The book will prove an important resource for academic researchers who wish to explore the vast intellectual heritage that Ibn ‘Ajība left, as well as to those interested in Sufi literature and Islamic theology in general.

The Studies in the History and Culture of the Islamic Orient (STIO) is the series of “Supplements” to the journal Der Islam. Both are published by the Section for the History and Culture of the Near East in the Asian-African Institute of the University of Hamburg. The Section was established in 1908, before the foundation of the University of Hamburg. Under its first Director, C.H. Becker, it was the first academic centre in Germany in which teaching and research concentrated on the historical and cultural aspects of the Islamic world, and not just on philological issues. Many of Germany’s leading authorities in Islamic Studies have studied and/or taught here. The “Supplements” have maintained the same high quality and met the same high demands as the journal Der Islam and have published numerous studies on the history and culture of the Islamic world which have represented milestones in their relevant fields. The “New Series” of Supplements appearing since 2004 carries this tradition forward and provides a platform for publishing studies on the history and culture of the Islamic world from the beginnings of Islam up to the present day.

"Abu. al-Qāsim al-Qushayrī (b. 376), the author of al-Risāilah (Epistle to the Sufis), one of the earliest manuals of the science of taṣawwuf, was also a mufassir who wrote a complete commentary of the Qurʼan. His work is regarded as the first original mystical commentary written by a man who was both a theologian and a sufi. It is also considered a fusion of both the Sharīʻah and Ṭarīqah, bridging the gap between the ʻulamāʼ and the sufis, during a time when the friction between sufis and traditional ʻulamāʼ was at its peak with both sides accusing each other of deviating from Islam. In studying this historic tafsīr, the author first discusses the science of Qurʼanic exegesis and its development from the earliest days. He discusses briefly the history of early tafsīr works, the various kinds of tafsīrs and their historical and political backgrounds. He also aims to show how sufi scholars have given a new life to the interpretation of the Qur'an."-- Book cover

The Qur’an and the Bible have been called "intertwined scriptures" due to the Qur’an’s frequent invocation of biblical narratives and figures. But what is the history of Muslims’ exegetical engagement with the biblical text? Through a comprehensive survey of more than 170 Qur’an commentaries, Samuel Ross traces the longitudinal history of the Bible in tafsῑr. Offering detailed case studies and rich in historical context, Ross’s narrative culminates in the remarkable late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century biblical turn. Global in scope, this development has not only generated new Muslim views of the Bible but even new interpretations of the Qur’an itself. This monograph has been awarded the annual BRAIS – De Gruyter Prize in the Study of Islam and the Muslim World.