al-Mawsua al-Quraniya Khasais al-Suwar
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- Dar al-Taqrib bayna al-Madhahib al-Islamiyyah
al-Mawsua al-Quraniya: Khasais al-Suwar (The Quranic Encyclopedia: Characteristics of the Surahs) is an extensive multi-volume reference work on Quranic studies compiled by the Lebanese scholar Jafar Sharaf al-Din and published by Dar al-Taqrib bayn al-Madhahib al-Islamiyya in collaboration with the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) .
Scope and Structure
The work is organized sequentially according to the traditional arrangement of the Quranic codex, covering all 114 surahs from Surat al-Fatiha to Surat al-Nas across twelve volumes . For each surah, the author structures the material around eight recurring analytical themes (mabahith) :
- Objectives and Purposes of the Surah (Ahdaf al-surah wa-maqasiduha)
- Interconnection of Verses (Tarabut al-ayat fi al-surah)
- Secrets of Ordering and Placement (Asrar tartib al-surah)
- Inner Dimensions and Themes (Maknunat al-surah)
- Language of Revelation (Lughat al-tanzil fi al-surah)
- Lexical Meanings (al-Maani al-lughawiyya fi al-surah)
- Questions and Answers (Li-kull su'al jawab fi al-surah)
- Metaphorical Meanings (al-Maani al-majaziyya fi al-surah)
In the later volumes covering shorter surahs, certain sections—such as lexical or metaphorical analysis—are omitted whenever a surah's text lacks complex linguistic obscurities or figurative language, or where addressing them would lead to repetition .
Methodology and Sources
The encyclopedia adopts an encyclopedic compilation method: rather than commissioning original articles from contemporary specialists, Sharaf al-Din selected, synthesized, and harmonized core texts from classic Arabic Islamic heritage works and modern scholarship on Quranic exegesis and Quranic sciences . For each section, the source texts were adapted with minor editorial clarifications to maintain consistency and clarity while avoiding redundancy . Each thematic entry concludes with explicit references indicating its specific source material . In his introduction, the author acknowledged the assistance of his office director, Huda Ali al-Zaidi, in verifying and organizing the encyclopedia's material .
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