Fath al-Rahman bi-Kashf ma Yaltabis fi al-Quran
- Author died
- 926 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Qur'an al-Karim
Fath al-Rahman bi-Kashf ma Yaltabis fi al-Quran (The Opening of the Beneficent in Unveiling What is Ambiguous in the Quran) is a treatise on Quranic sciences by the Shafi'i jurist and scholar Zakariya al-Ansari (d. 926 AH / 1520 CE), dedicated to resolving verbal variations and apparent difficulties across similar verses of the Quran .
Purpose and Scope
The work belongs to the genres of al-mutashabih al-lafzi (verbally similar verses) and mushkil al-Quran (difficult or ambiguous Quranic passages) . In his introduction, al-Ansari states that he composed it as an abridgment addressing verses that differ by addition, transposition, substitution of letters or words, or other variations, while clarifying the reasons for repetition and providing a selection of explicit and implicit questions and answers regarding the text . He compiled these explanations from earlier verifying scholars alongside his own reflections .
Method and Sources
The book is arranged according to the standard order of the Quranic chapters (surahs) . According to Haji Khalifa in Kashf al-Zunun, al-Ansari drew extensively upon the work of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, while incorporating his own additional observations and rulings . For individual passages, al-Ansari contrasts nuances such as definite versus indefinite forms, word ordering, and stylistic choices across different contexts to explain why specific phrasings were employed in each instance . The text concludes with an examination of questions arising in Surat al-Nas regarding demonic and human whisperings .
Printed Editions
The work has been edited by Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni and published in Beirut by Dar al-Quran al-Karim (1403 AH / 1983 CE) and later by Dar 'Alam al-Kutub (1405 AH / 1985 CE) .
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