al-Azf ala Anwar al-Dhikr
- Author died
- 1446 AH
- Editions
- al-Azf ala Anwar al-Dhikr
al-Azf ala Anwar al-Dhikr: Ma'alim al-Tariq ila Fiqh al-Ma'na al-Qur'ani fi Siyaq al-Surah ("Playing upon the Lights of the Remembrance: Landmarks on the Path to Comprehending Qur'anic Meaning in the Context of the Surah") is a treatise on Qur'anic rhetoric and contemplative hermeneutics by the Egyptian Azhari scholar Mahmud Tawfiq Muhammad Saad (d. 1446 AH / 2024 CE) .
Purpose and Scope
The work was completed in 1424 AH (2003–2004 CE) while the author served as professor and head of the Department of Rhetoric and Criticism at the Faculty of Arabic Language at al-Azhar University in Shibin al-Kawm . The book outlines a contemplative framework (manhaj tadabburi) designed to deduce the rhetorical and literary meanings of the Qur'an within the context of the individual surah, grounded in the premise that the surah constitutes the minimal unit of Qur'anic challenge and inimitability (wahdat al-tahaddi al-sughra) . Saad emphasizes that this approach serves as a guiding method of textual experimentation and discernment rather than a rigid, prescriptive formula .
Structure and Method
The book opens with an introductory section defining the nature of contemplation (tadabbur), its objectives, the concept of Qur'anic meaning, and the hierarchical scopes of contemplation extending from individual passages to the complete Qur'anic text from Surat al-Fatihah to Surat al-Nas . The body of the work is arranged into sequential thematic stages:
- Chapter One: Examines the position of the surah across the broader Qur'anic sequence (madrajat al-siyaq al-Qur'ani). It addresses the descents of the revelation, the central role of al-Fatihah as the comprehensive core of the text (Umm al-Kitab), and Surat al-Baqarah as the beginning of detailed exposition. It draws upon the structural insights of classical and modern scholars, including Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani, al-Suyuti, Ibrahim ibn Umar al-Biqa'i, al-Sa'd al-Taftazani, and Muhammad Abu Musa .
- Chapter Two: Explores the contextual unity of the surah and its overarching purpose (al-maqsud al-a'zam). It discusses the wisdom behind the division of the Qur'an into surahs, the distinct spiritual character of each surah, and methodologies for discerning its central aim through internal textual markers, such as the surah's title, opening (fatihah), closing (khatimah), stylistic repetitions, and lexical choices .
- Chapter Three: Focuses on dividing the surah into major thematic hubs (ma'aqid kulliyyah), establishing the criteria for identifying interconnected structural units within a single surah and assessing the interpretive impact of this division .
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