Approaches to the history of the interpretation of the Qur'ān

In recent years, the Qur an has come to the forefront of scholarly investigations in Islamic studies, in both its role as scripture and as literature within the Muslim community. However, the traditional interpretation of the book, commonly termed tafsir, remains a vast, virtually untapped field of investigation. First published in 1988, this collection of essays marks a significant turning point in the scholarly study of tafsir, bringing the discipline a new prominence and stimulating a new generation of scholars to devote their energy to its study. Although the state of research has improved, many Muslims tend to ignore the material, seeing it as a storehouse of traditional restraints, and scholars frequently gloss over its importance as a historical record of the Muslim community, not appreciating the depth and breadth of the literature. Building on the work of Ignas Goldziher s Die Richtungen der islamischen Koranauslegung and the investigations of Sezgin, Abbott, and Wansbrough, the essays gathered here expose and explore various aspects of the field of tafsir, and their potential for scholarly research. The essays are divided into four main sections: formation and development; genres; sectarian dimensions; and modern trends. Origins And Early Development Of The Tafsīr Tradition / Fred Leemhuis -- The Value Of The Ḥafṣ And Warsh Transmissions For The Textual History Of The Qurʼān / Adrian Brockett -- Quranic Hermeneutics : The Views Of Al-Ṭabarī And Ibn Kathīr / Jane Dammen Mcauliffe -- The Function Of ḥadīth As Commentary On The Qurʼān, As Seen In The Six Authoritative Collections / R. Marston Speight -- Legends In Tafsīr And ḥadīth Literature : The Creation Of Ādam And Related Stories / M. J. Kister -- The Exegetical Genre Nāsikh Al-qurʼān Wa Mansūkhuhu / David S. Powers -- The Rhetorical Interpretaion Of The Qurʼān : Iʻjāz And Related Topics / Issa J. Boullata -- Lexicographical Texts And The Qurʼān / Andrew Rippin -- The Speaking Qurʼān And The Silent Qurʼān : A Study Of The Principles And Development Of Imāmī Shīʻī Tafsīr / Mahmoud Ayoub -- Ismāʻīlī Taʼwīl Of The Qurʼān / Ismail K. Poonawala -- Interpretation As Revelation : The Qurʼān Commentary Of Sayyid ʻalī Muḥammad Shīrāzī, The Bāb (1819-1850) / B. Todd Lawson -- Quranic Exegesis In The Malay World : In Search Of A Profile / Anthony H. Johns -- Qurʼān Recitation Training In Indonesia : A Survey Of Contexts And Handbooks / Frederick M. Denny -- Abūʼl-aʻlā Mawdūdī's Tafhīm Al-qurʼān / Charles J. Adams. Edited By Andrew Rippin. Reprint Of Rev. And Enlarged Versions Of Papers Originally Presented At A Conference Called The History Of The Interpretation Of The Qurʼān Which Was Held In April 1985 At The University Of Calgary. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.