al-Tafsir al-Qurani lil-Quran

al-Tafsir al-Qurani lil-Quran (The Quranic Interpretation of the Quran) is a modern Arabic commentary on the Quran written by Egyptian scholar Abd al-Karim Yunus al-Khatib (d. 1406 AH / 1985 CE; also recorded as d. after 1390 AH) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. The work interprets the Quran primarily through the text of the Quran itself, employing an accessible literary style directed at contemporary readers al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

Composition and Scope

Al-Khatib completed the composition of the commentary on the morning of Thursday, 19 Jumada al-Ula 1390 AH (23 July 1970 CE) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…. It was published by Dar al-Fikr al-Arabi in Cairo in sixteen volumes, though it has also been described as comprising fifteen parts al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+2. In his introduction, al-Khatib identified a prevailing estrangement between modern Muslims and the Quran, which prompted him to compose an accessible, literary exegesis free from obscure technical terms al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….

Method and Structure

Al-Khatib follows a systematic structural framework across all chapters of the Quran:

• Surah Introductions: At the beginning of each surah, he specifies its place of revelation (Meccan or Medinan), its total number of verses, words, and letters, and its recorded names al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….
• Thematic Continuity: He provides an overall summary of the central themes, legal rulings, and subjects of each surah, concluding with a synopsis that links its beginning to its end al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….
• Textual Contextualization: He treats consecutive verses as an interconnected unit rather than isolated fragments, frequently highlighting structural links between the opening of a surah and the opening of preceding or succeeding surahs al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….
• Exegesis of Quran by Quran: Rather than relying extensively on external reports or circumstances of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), he focuses primarily on direct engagement with the Quranic text, using parallel verses to weigh and determine preferred interpretations al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

Key Thematic and Rhetorical Positions

• Linguistic and Rhetorical Views: Al-Khatib rejects the notion of superfluous or redundant grammatical letters (al-huruf al-za'idah) in the Quran, contending that divine speech transcends ordinary grammatical contrivances and that asserting redundancy detracts from Quranic inimitability (i'jaz) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….
• Rejection of Abrogation: He denies the occurrence of textual abrogation (naskh) within the Quran, arguing that differences over the issue stem from misinterpreting verse 106 of Surah al-Baqarah and emphasizing the divine guarantee of preservation in إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….
• Quranic Narratives: He rejects claims of redundant repetition in Quranic stories and refutes secular and modernist assertions—specifically those of Taha Husayn and Muhammad Ahmad Khalafallah—that Quranic historical narratives represent literary legends or allegorical fiction rather than factual occurrences al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.
• Scientific Exegesis: Al-Khatib cautions against subjugating the Quran to mutable scientific theories and inventions, asserting that the Quran is fundamentally a book of creed and legislation designed to reform the human conscience rather than a manual of empirical sciences such as medicine, astronomy, or engineering al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….
• Doctrinal and Legal Debates: He addresses social and juristic topics, including a refutation of the validity of temporary marriage (nikah al-mut'ah), directly engaging with Shi'i arguments and citing the commentary Majma al-Bayan by al-Tabarsi al-Mawsua al-Muyassara fi…+1.

Reception and Scholarly Assessment

Scholars of contemporary exegesis have evaluated the book's methodology from various angles. Abd al-Majid al-Muhtasib listed the commentary under the Salafi trend due to its title and its reliance on interpreting the Quran through the Quran, while simultaneously pointing to rationalist tendencies and influences from the reformist school of Muhammad Abduh al-Mawsua al-Muyassara fi…+1. Subsequent researchers, including Fahd al-Rumi, critiqued this classification, arguing that al-Muhtasib was influenced by the book's title and that the work represents a different methodological orientation Ittijahat al-Tafsir fi al…. Other scholars, such as Fadl Hasan Abbas, defended the value of the work against overly broad categorizations of deviation, while noting specific methodological idiosyncrasies in its thematic scope and occasional allegorical explanations (tafsir ishari) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.