Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni
- Died
- 1442 AH
- Born in
- Aleppo
Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni (1347–1442 AH / 1928–2021 CE) was a Syrian scholar of Quranic exegesis from Aleppo, known for his simplified exegetical writings such as Safwat al-Tafasir and Rawa'i' al-Bayan .
Early life and education
Muhammad Ali ibn Jamil al-Sabuni was born in Aleppo in 1928 CE . He completed his secondary religious education at al-Thanawiyya al-Shar'iyya in Aleppo, which marked the end of his formal schooling in Syria . Sent on an academic mission by the Syrian Ministry of Awqaf, he pursued higher studies at al-Azhar University in Cairo, where he obtained his licentiate degree in 1952 CE and earned a master's degree specializing in Sharia judiciary (al-qada' al-shar'i) in 1954 CE .
Teaching career and scholarship
Following his return from Egypt, al-Sabuni taught for eight years in public secondary schools in Aleppo . He was subsequently seconded to Saudi Arabia to teach at the College of Sharia in Mecca, where he served as an instructor for more than twenty years and engaged in research and teaching on Quranic sciences and exegesis .
Al-Sabuni focused extensively on rendering classical exegetical literature accessible to modern readers through structured and abridged presentations . In 1391 AH (1971 CE), he published Rawa'i' al-Bayan Tafsir Ayat al-Ahkam, a two-volume thematic study of Quranic legal verses arranged in structured academic lessons . In 1400 AH (1980 CE), he completed his three-volume exegesis Safwat al-Tafasir, which sought to synthesize key classical commentaries into an organized and accessible format . He also produced Mukhtasar Tafsir Ibn Kathir, a three-volume abridgment of the classical commentary of Ibn Kathir .
Theological views and reception
Al-Sabuni adhered to the Ash'ari school in theology, a position he actively defended in a series of articles in the Kuwaiti magazine al-Mujtama' during the early 1400s AH . His theological writings and exegetical works elicited widespread rebuttals from contemporary Salafi scholars, including Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, Muhammad Nasir al-Din al-Albani, Salih al-Fawzan, Bakr Abu Zayd, and Abd Allah ibn Jibreen .
Critics focused particularly on Safwat al-Tafasir, objecting to his use of figurative interpretation (ta'wil) for verses concerning the divine attributes and his combination of diverse classical sources . Following these critiques, the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Awqaf issued a circular in Rabi' al-Thani 1408 AH ordering the confiscation of Safwat al-Tafasir and halting its distribution until its perceived theological errors were addressed . Nevertheless, scholars such as Ibn Jibreen noted that the non-theological portions of the book contained valuable benefits and exhibited fewer contentious doctrinal issues than earlier classical Ash'ari commentaries .
Death
Al-Sabuni died in 1442 AH (2021 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Safwat al-Tafasir (The Quintessence of Commentaries) is a three-volume Arabic work of Quranic exegesis designed to synthesize key classical commentaries in an accessible style. Completed in 1400 AH (1980 CE), it balances traditional transmission with rational analysis, collecting essential selections from extensive classical exegetical compendia with clear organization and brevity.
Mukhtasar Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridgment of Ibn Kathir's Exegesis) is a modern abridgment of the classical Quranic commentary Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Ibn Kathir. It was prepared to offer general readers an accessible religious resource by streamlining the dense specialized terminology found in classical exegesis while preserving Ibn Kathir's methodology of interpreting the Quran through scripture, the Prophetic Sunnah, and early transmitted reports.
Rawai al-Bayan Tafsir Ayat al-Ahkam (Marvels of Exposition: Exegesis of the Legal Verses) is a specialized twentieth-century work of legal exegesis dedicated to elucidating the legal rulings contained in the Quran. Published in two volumes and completed in 1391 AH (1971 CE), it presents material drawn from classical and contemporary sources in the format of structured academic lectures.