Al-Hakim al-Jushami wa Manhajuhu fi al-Tafsir
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Mu'assasat al-Risalah
Al-Hakim al-Jushami wa Manhajuhu fi al-Tafsir (Al-Hakim al-Jushami and His Method in Quranic Exegesis) is an academic study by the contemporary Syrian scholar Adnan Zarzur, devoted to the life, thought, and interpretive methodology of the fifth-century AH Mu'tazilite theologian and exegete al-Hakim al-Jushami (d. 494 AH) and his major commentary al-Tahdhib fi al-Tafsir (The Refinement in Exegesis) .
Background and Purpose
The book originated as an academic master's thesis submitted to the Faculty of Dar al-Ulum at Cairo University, prepared under the supervision of the Egyptian scholar Muhammad Abu Zahrah . The author conceived the work while editing al-Qadi Abd al-Jabbar's Mutashabah al-Qur'an, where al-Jushami's al-Tahdhib served as a key source . Zarzur aimed to address the long-standing neglect of Mu'tazilite exegesis and re-examine their theological and hermeneutical views directly from their surviving manuscript heritage preserved in Yemen, rather than through the lens of their doctrinal opponents .
Structure and Content
The work is organized into an introduction (tamhid) and five comprehensive parts (abwab), subdivided into chapters (fusul) :
- Introduction (al-Tamhid): Reviews the historical, intellectual, and political landscape of the fifth century AH .
- Part One: Al-Hakim's Life and Works (Hayat al-Hakim wa Atharuh): Covers al-Jushami's biography, upbringing, intellectual formation, and his scholarly writings .
- Part Two: Introduction to al-Hakim's Exegesis (Madkhal ila Tafsir al-Hakim): Examines Mu'tazilite commentaries prior to al-Jushami—including the lost works of Abu Ali al-Jubba'i, Abu Muslim al-Isfahani, Ali ibn Isa al-Rummani, and al-Mawardi—and identifies the primary written sources used in al-Tahdhib .
- Part Three: Al-Hakim's Interpretive Methodology (Manhaj al-Hakim fi Tafsir al-Qur'an): Analyzes al-Jushami's theological premises, his core principles of exegesis, the boundaries of allegorical interpretation (ta'wil), and the impact of his dialectical theology (kalam) on his reading of the Quran .
- Part Four: Al-Hakim's Exegetical Method and Views on Quranic Sciences (Tariqat al-Hakim fi Tafsirihi wa Ara'uhu fi Ulum al-Qur'an): Details the standard structural unit al-Jushami adopted for analyzing verses—systematically proceeding through variant readings (qira'at), lexicology (lughah), grammatical syntax (i'rab), occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), textual coherence (nazm), meaning (ma'na), theological rulings (ahkam), narratives (al-qissah), and jurisprudence (fiqh)—along with his stances on Quranic sciences .
- Part Five: Al-Hakim's Scholarly Standing and Exegetical Legacy (Makanat al-Hakim wa Atharuh): Evaluates his stature as an exegete and demonstrates his direct pedagogical and textual influence on later scholars, notably al-Zamakhshari—author of al-Kashshaf—as well as the reception, preservation, and glosses of his work in Yemen .
Publication
The book was published in Beirut by Mu'assasat al-Risalah in a single volume .
Answer updated