al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat fi Kutub al-Tafsir

al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat fi Kutub al-Tafsir (Isra'iliyyat and Fabricated Reports in Books of Qur'anic Exegesis) is a critical study of exegesis by the Azharite scholar Muhammad Abu Shahba (d. 1403 AH / 1983 CE), examining Judeo-Christian traditions (isra'iliyyat) and fabricated reports (mawdu'at) found across classical tafsir literature al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…+1.

Background and Composition

The author composed the work at the request of Abd al-Halim Mahmud, then Secretary-General of the Islamic Research Academy at al-Azhar, who asked him to write a book identifying and refuting the isra'iliyyat widespread in works of Qur'anic exegesis al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…. Abu Shahba completed the introduction to the text in Muharram 1391 AH (March 1971 CE) al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat….

Purpose and Method

The work aims to alert readers to unreliable narratives transmitted in tafsir works without explicit refutation, warning against accepting them as sound al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…. In evaluating these reports, Abu Shahba draws upon the methodologies and judgments of classical hadith masters and critics of transmission (rijal), while also employing rational critique and referencing established findings of modern science where applicable al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat….

Structure and Contents

The book opens with foundational discussions on the definitions of tafsir, ta'wil, isra'iliyyat, and mawdu'at, the ruling on narrating false reports, and the origins of hadith fabrication al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…+1. It outlines the disciplines required of an exegete and the divisions of exegesis into transmission-based (tafsir bi-al-ma'thur) and opinion-based (tafsir bi-al-ra'y) approaches al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…+1.

In its introductory survey, the work addresses:

• The exegetical contributions and transmission paths of early figures, including Companions such as Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, Zayd ibn Thabit, and Abd Allah ibn Abbas, as well as Successors and early transmitters associated with biblical lore, such as Abd Allah ibn Salam, Ka'b al-Ahbar, and Wahb ibn Munabbih al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…+1.
• The three classical categories of isra'iliyyat: those verified by Islamic scripture, those contradicted and invalidated by it, and those regarding which judgment is withheld al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…+1.
• A critical assessment of major classical tafsir compilations regarding their reliance on transmitted reports and inclusion of weak material, including al-Tabari's Jami' al-Bayan, al-Tha'labi's al-Kashf wal-Bayan, al-Baghawi's Ma'alim al-Tanzil, al-Suyuti's al-Durr al-Manthur, and Ibn Kathir's Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat….

The core of the book analyzes specific ungrounded narratives and biblical legends found in commentaries, including tales concerning the creation of the universe, cosmic phenomena (such as thunder, lightning, and the mythical Mount Qaf), the Ark of Noah, the stories of prophets (such as Joseph, David, Solomon, Job, and Elijah), the Companions of the Cave, Dhu al-Qarnayn, Gog and Magog, and the Queen of Sheba al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat…. It also examines fabricated hadiths in exegesis, particularly spurious reports on the specific virtues of Qur'anic surahs—such as the long narration attributed to Ubayy ibn Ka'b cited by al-Tha'labi and al-Zamakhshari—and fabricated reports regarding occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), including the story of the Cranes (al-Gharaniq) al-Israiliyat wal-Mawduat….