al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassirun fi Gharb Ifriqiya

al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassirun fi Gharb Ifriqiya (Qur'anic Exegesis and Exegetes in West Africa) is an academic study of the history, figures, and literature of Qur'anic exegesis in western Africa, written by Muhammad bin Rizq al-Tarhuni al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

Background and Publication

The work originated as a doctoral dissertation submitted to the Department of Tafsir and Qur'anic Sciences at the Faculty of Usul al-Din at Al-Azhar University al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. The research was supervised by Prof. Dr. Abd al-Ghafur Mahmud Mustafa, and examined by Prof. Dr. Jum'ah Ali Abd al-Qadir and Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Tawfiq al-Dib al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…. The book was published in two volumes by Dar Ibn al-Jawzi in Dammam in 1426 AH (2005 CE) Jami Marwiyyat Istidrakat…+1.

The author chose the topic to bridge the gap between eastern and western Islamic scholarship and to document the contributions of West African scholars to Qur'anic exegesis and biographical literature al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. Although he planned field trips to the region, political instability, border restrictions in countries such as Tunisia and Algeria, and logistical constraints led him to rely instead on regional manuscript catalogs, encyclopedias, and direct correspondence with scholars and students from Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

Structure and Contents

The book is structured into an introduction, a prelude, two main parts, a conclusion, and extensive analytical indexes al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1:

• Prelude (Tamhid): Covers the significance of exegesis, the geography and historical boundaries of West Africa and the Islamic West, the arrival and spread of Islam in the region, local engagement with Islamic disciplines, and geographical and political maps al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.
• Part One: Exegetes in West Africa (al-Mufassirun fi Gharb Ifriqiya): Contains biographical profiles of 360 scholars, arranged alphabetically by their given names, with patronymics (kunya) and female scholars placed at the end al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…. It is divided into two chapters:
  • Chapter 1: Biographies of 255 native exegetes of the region al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.
  • Chapter 2: Biographies of 105 visiting or immigrant exegetes who settled or traveled through West Africa al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.
• Part Two: Exegesis in West Africa (al-Tafsir fi Gharb Ifriqiya): An analytical study comprising three chapters al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…:
  • Chapter 1: The origins and development of tafsir in West Africa, examining influences from the Mashriq (Islamic East), al-Andalus, neighboring regions, the Maliki and Zahiri legal schools, and Qur'anic variant readings (qira'at) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.
  • Chapter 2: Case studies of traditional exegesis works based on transmitted tradition (al-tafsir bi-l-ma'thur) produced in the region al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….
  • Chapter 3: Case studies of rational or opinion-based exegesis works (al-tafsir bi-l-ra'y), categorized into praiseworthy opinion (al-ra'y al-mahmud) and blameworthy or sectarian interpretations (al-ra'y al-madhmum) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.
• Indexes: Eight indexes concluding the work, referencing Qur'anic verses, hadiths, profiled exegetes by generation and death date, cited exegesis titles, geographical places and lineages, poetry verses, bibliography, and detailed subjects al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….

Method and Sources

In compiling the biographical entries, the author drew primarily on specialized biographical dictionaries of exegetes—notably al-Dawudi's Tabaqat al-Mufassirin—as well as regional biographical works from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, such as al-Umr, Fath al-Shakur fi Ma'rifat A'yan 'Ulama' Takrur, Salwat al-Anfas, and al-Wasit fi Tarajim Udaba' Shinqit al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. Each entry provides the scholar's complete name, nisba, birth and death dates, regional affiliation, verified exegesis writings (including manuscript locations), notable teachers and students, and appraisals by other scholars al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

In the analytical section, exegesis texts are evaluated against criteria including theological stance, reliance on Qur'anic cross-referencing and Prophetic traditions, handling of weak narrations and Isra'iliyyat, engagement with Arabic linguistics and rhetoric, Qur'anic readings, jurisprudence, and modern scientific and philosophical topics al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….