al-Bahr al-Madid fi Tafsir al-Quran al-Majid
- Author died
- 1224 AH
- Editions
- Dr. Hasan Abbas Zaki
al-Bahr al-Madid fi Tafsir al-Quran al-Majid (The Vast Ocean in the Interpretation of the Glorious Quran) is a comprehensive multi-volume Quranic commentary by the Moroccan Sufi scholar Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ajiba al-Hasani (1160–1224 AH / 1747–1809 CE), distinguished by its systematic integration of conventional exoteric exegesis (al-tafsir al-zahir) and mystical allusive commentary (al-tafsir al-ishari) .
Composition and Purpose
Ibn Ajiba undertook the compilation of the commentary at the direction of his spiritual master, Muhammad al-Buzidi, and the founder of their branch of the Shadhili order, Mawlay al-Arabi al-Darqawi . They asked him to author a work that would unite exoteric exegesis with the spiritual allusions of the inward path, balancing detail and concision . Ibn Ajiba prefaced the project with ten introductory discourses on the foundations of Islamic sciences and Quranic disciplines, which he had detailed in his earlier extensive commentary on Surat al-Fatiha (al-Tafsir al-Kabir li-l-Fatiha) . He stated that his underlying aim was to cultivate spiritual certainty through the speech of God .
Structure and Methodology
The commentary systematically treats the entire Quran from beginning to end, dividing each chapter (surah) into coherent passages . For each surah, Ibn Ajiba opens by stating its place of revelation (Meccan or Medinan), its verse count along with scholarly variations, its thematic relations (munasabat) to the preceding surah, its occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), its merits, and its overall subject matter .
Within each passage, his exegesis proceeds in two clearly demarcated stages:
- Exoteric Interpretation (al-Tafsir al-Zahir): Ibn Ajiba clarifies vocabulary and rare expressions, addresses syntax and grammatical analysis (i'rab), cites canonical and non-canonical Quranic readings (qira'at) and their semantic effects, and explains legal rulings (ahkam) and theological matters . He interprets verses through other Quranic passages, prophetic traditions, and reports from early authorities .
- Mystical Allusions (al-Tafsir al-Ishari): Following the outward explanation, Ibn Ajiba provides an esoteric interpretation under the rubric of spiritual allusion (ishara) . He asserts that the outward meaning must remain established and that the inner meaning serves as an additional layer of insight accessible to spiritual wayfarers . These sections elaborate on spiritual wayfaring (suluk), moral disciplines, internal spiritual states (ahwal), and stations (maqamat) such as sincerity, patience, asceticism, reliance on God, and spiritual love . A central rule in his allusive commentary is that every divine reproach directed at those who abandon faith applies analogously to those who neglect the higher station of spiritual excellence (ihsan) .
Sources
Ibn Ajiba drew upon a broad spectrum of classical scholarship across various disciplines:
- Exegesis: He relied on foundational commentaries including al-Baydawi's Anwar al-Tanzil, Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi's al-Kashf wa-l-Bayan, Abu al-Barakat al-Nasafi's Madarik al-Tanzil, Ibn Atiyya's al-Muharrar al-Wajiz, Ibn Juzayy's al-Tashil li-Ulum al-Tanzil, Abu al-Su'ud's Irshad al-Aql al-Salim, Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti's marginal gloss Nawahid al-Abkar, and Abu Zayd al-Fasi's supercommentary on Tafsir al-Jalalayn, as well as works by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi and al-Zamakhshari .
- Sufi Literature: His spiritual interpretations cite Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri's Lata'if al-Isharat, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali's Ihya Ulum al-Din, Ruzbihan al-Baqli al-Shirazi's Ara'is al-Bayan, Ibn Abbad al-Rundi's Ghayth al-Mawahib al-Aliyya, and the Hikam of Ibn Ata' Allah al-Iskandari . He also incorporates sayings and poetry from masters such as Abu Yazid al-Bistami, al-Junayd, Abu al-Hasan al-Shadhili, Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi, Ahmad Zarruq, Ibn al-Farid, Abd al-Karim al-Jili, and al-Shushtari .
- Hadith and Language: In Hadith, he cited the Sahihayn of al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Sunan compilations, and commentaries such as Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani's Fath al-Bari . In grammar and lexicography, he utilized the grammatical treatises of Ibn Malik, the works of al-Farra and al-Zajjaj on the meanings of the Quran, and dictionaries such as al-Jawhari's al-Sihah and al-Zamakhshari's Asas al-Balagha .
Publication History
The work survived in manuscript form across major Moroccan and Egyptian collections, traditionally transcribed into four large volumes . An initial partial edition covering up to إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ (Surat Al Imran: 190) was printed in Cairo by Matba'at Dar al-Thana' in 1373 AH . The complete commentary was subsequently edited and published in full in multi-volume editions, including an eight-volume edition .
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