Mabahith fi al-Tafsir al-Mawdui
- Author died
- 1442 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Qalam
Mabahith fi al-Tafsir al-Mawdui (Studies in Thematic Exegesis) is a single-volume methodological treatise on Quranic thematic interpretation by the scholar Mustafa Muslim (d. 1442 AH / 2021 CE) .
Composition and Publication
Mustafa Muslim completed the text in Riyadh on 10 Muharram 1410 AH (11 August 1989 CE) . Its first edition was published in Damascus by Dar al-Ilm in 1410 AH (1989 CE) , and subsequent editions were issued by Dar al-Qalam, including a fourth edition in 1426 AH (2005 CE) and a sixth edition in 2009 CE .
Scope and Concepts
The work lays out the theoretical principles, historical emergence, significance, and research methodology of thematic Quranic exegesis (al-tafsir al-mawdui) . Muslim defines tafsir linguistically as disclosure and clarification, and technically as the science that uncovers the meanings of the Quranic verses and explains God's intent according to human capacity . He derives al-mawdu from placement and containment, observing that an exegete in thematic exegesis commits to a specific subject without departing from it until completing its exposition .
Regarding its historical origins, the author notes that while the technical label al-tafsir al-mawdui formally appeared in the fourteenth century AH when introduced into the curriculum of the Faculty of Usul al-Din at al-Azhar University, its core elements and foundational practice date back to the era of revelation through the principle of interpreting the Quran by the Quran .
Structure and Methodological Framework
The book categorizes thematic exegesis into three distinct approaches (alwan):
- Lexical/Term Tracking (Tatabbu al-Kalimah): Gathering a Quranic word or its derivatives across verses, examining its usages, and deducing its terminological meanings within the Quranic idiom without necessarily extracting broader societal guidance .
- Thematic Study Across the Quran: Identifying a subject addressed throughout various surahs, collecting relevant verses, extracting its core themes, and structuring the topic into chapters and sections to address contemporary questions while avoiding excessive grammatical and rhetorical digressions .
- Thematic Study of a Single Surah: Establishing the central axis or primary objective of an individual surah, investigating its context and reasons for revelation, its chronological order, and the structural correlations between its passages .
The book further clarifies the relationship between thematic exegesis and other modes of Quranic commentary, such as analytical exegesis (al-tafsir al-tahlili), and examines the role of the science of textual correlations (ilm al-munasabat) .
Practical Applications
To demonstrate his methodology, Muslim includes practical models in the latter half of the book:
- A Multi-Surah Thematic Study: An extended study of the concept of Divinity (al-Uluhiyyah) in the Quran, exploring arguments drawn from cosmic creation, divine care, innate disposition (fitrah), and reason, alongside the practical impact of creedal beliefs on daily human life .
- A Single-Surah Thematic Study: An analysis of Surat al-Kahf titled "Values in Light of Surat al-Kahf" (al-Qiyam fi Daw Surat al-Kahf), which examines the surah's overarching objectives, historical context, textual correlations between its opening and conclusion, and the narrative segments of the Companions of the Cave .
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