Mawqif al-Shawkani fi Tafsirihi min al-Munasabat
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- Mawqif al-Shawkani fi Tafsirihi min al-Munasabat
Mawqif al-Shawkani fi Tafsirihi min al-Munasabat (Al-Shawkani's Stance on Textual Coherence in His Exegesis) is a specialized academic study in Quranic sciences authored by Dr. Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Sharqawi, Associate Professor at Al-Azhar University and the College of Education for Girls in Unayzah, Qassim . Completed in Shawwal 1423 AH (2002 CE), the treatise examines and critically evaluates the theoretical opposition and practical application of the science of textual coherence (ilm al-munasabat) by the Yemeni scholar Muhammad ibn Ali al-Shawkani in his exegesis, Fath al-Qadir .
Background and Purpose
The science of munasabat deals with discerning the structural links, semantic correlations, and structural harmony among individual Quranic verses and entire chapters (surahs) . In the introduction to his exegetical work Fath al-Qadir, al-Shawkani adopted a stance rejecting the study of munasabat, characterizing it as an artificial affectation (takalluf) devoid of utility, and arguing that searching for correlation among verses revealed under disparate historical circumstances amounts to speaking by prohibited mere opinion (al-kalam bi-mahd al-ra'y) . Al-Sharqawi wrote this work to analyze al-Shawkani's explicit statements, provide general and detailed counter-arguments against his objections, and demonstrate the contradiction between al-Shawkani's theoretical dismissal and his practical reliance on textual coherence throughout Fath al-Qadir .
Structure and Content
The book begins with an introduction outlining its objectives, followed by a preliminary section (tamhid) that defines Fath al-Qadir, summarizes al-Shawkani's biography, and provides the linguistic, legal, rhetorical, and exegetical definitions of munasaba . The core treatise is organized into major sections:
Al-Shawkani's Position and General Refutations
This section sets out al-Shawkani's critique of scholars such as Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i and presents general rejoinders to his reasoning :
- The Piecemeal Revelation Argument: Al-Shawkani argued that because the Quran was revealed piecemeal (munajjaman) across over twenty years in response to shifting, independent, and sometimes contrasting occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), attempting to link verses is an untenable imposition .
- The Author's Counter-Arguments: Al-Sharqawi argues that while the piecemeal descent served historical pedagogical and legislative wisdom, the final canonical ordering of verses and surahs in the mushaf is divinely dictated (tawqifi) in accordance with the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), embedding profound wisdom in its sequence . He also notes that several major surahs (such as al-An'am and al-Fatihah) and lengthy passages were revealed all at once rather than piecemeal .
- Inconsistency with Biographical Writings: Al-Sharqawi highlights that despite censuring al-Biqa'i in Fath al-Qadir, al-Shawkani praised al-Biqa'i's Nazm al-Durar in his biographical dictionary al-Badr al-Tali', acknowledging that he frequently consulted it when unresolved difficulties arose in other commentaries .
Detailed Refutations and Analysis of Benefits
This section refutes al-Shawkani's specific claim that the science of munasabat yields no benefit and creates doubts:
- Benefits of the Science: Al-Sharqawi establishes that studying structural coherence reveals a major aspect of the Quran's inimitability (i'jaz), aids in contemplation (tadabbur), elucidates core thematic objectives (maqasid), removes interpretive ambiguity, and helps exegetes weigh differing interpretations (al-tarjih bayn al-ara') .
- Rebuttal of the Doubts Claim: Al-Sharqawi dismisses al-Shawkani's warning that searching for coherence opens doors to skepticism, noting that studying literary perfection and structural harmony enhances conviction and refutes accusations of randomness .
Al-Shawkani's Practical Employment of Munasabat
Al-Sharqawi demonstrates that al-Shawkani did not abide by his own theoretical rejection, frequently engaging in the derivation of munasabat throughout Fath al-Qadir . He identifies al-Shawkani's use of explanatory resumption (al-isti'naf al-bayani) to link contiguous passages (such as in Surah al-Baqarah and Surah Al 'Imran), as well as internal and external relationships, including contextual diction, the thematic links between oaths and what is sworn upon, the appropriateness of verse endings (fawasil), and the connection between the conclusion of one surah and the opening of the next .
Conclusions
The study concludes that although al-Shawkani legitimately condemned artificial affectation and baseless speculation in interpretation, his complete denial of the discipline of munasabat was unwarranted . Al-Sharqawi affirms that Fath al-Qadir remains an essential exegesis combining transmitted narration (riwaya) and reasoned deduction (diraya), while concluding that al-Shawkani's actual practice within the body of his commentary consistently reflected, rather than refuted, the principles of textual coherence .
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