Muhadarat fi Ulum al-Quran - Ghanim Qadduri
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Dār ʿAmmār
Muhadarat fi Ulum al-Quran (Lectures on the Sciences of the Quran) is an academic introductory textbook on Quranic sciences by the Iraqi scholar Ghanim Qadduri al-Hamad, originally written as university lectures and organized around four core disciplines of Quranic study .
Background and Purpose
The work was designed to meet the needs of undergraduate students in Arabic and Islamic studies as well as non-specialist readers . Al-Hamad noted that classical Islamic heritage contains hundreds of extensive treatises on Quranic sciences and the history of the Quran, but their sheer volume, elaborate details, and classical style often present difficulties for modern non-specialists . The book was therefore composed to synthesize these topics into an accessible presentation without compromising academic rigor .
Methodology and Sources
The author bases his discussion on primary sources, relying upon explicit Quranic passages, prophetic traditions, authenticated historical reports, and the deductions of mainstream classical scholars . The methodology focuses on established, agreed-upon conclusions while discarding anomalous (shadhdh) opinions that lack evidence . Later scholars evaluating contemporary writings on Quranic sciences have noted the work's explicit documentation and reliance on reliable sources in its annotations .
Structure and Content
The book begins with an introductory survey that outlines the definition of Quranic sciences and traces the historical development of authorship in the field across distinct stages: the pre-codification era of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions, the early era of specialized single-subject monographs during the second and third centuries AH, and the emergence of comprehensive compendia by scholars such as Ibn al-Jawzi, Alam al-Din al-Sakhawi, Abu Shama al-Maqdisi, Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi, and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti .
The main body of the work is divided into four primary parts:
- The Revelation of the Quran (Nuzul al-Quran): Examining the modes of revelation, the stages of descent, and related topics .
- The Codification of the Quran (Tadwin al-Quran): Covering the recording of the text during the prophetic era, the compilations under the caliphs Abu Bakr and Uthman ibn Affan, and orthography (rasm) .
- The Recitation of the Quran (Qira'at al-Quran): Addressing the transmission of variant readings, the criteria of authentic recitation, and their history .
- The Exegesis of the Quran (Tafsir al-Quran): Discussing principles of Quranic interpretation, early exegetical traditions, and methodological rules for understanding verses .
Publication History
The first edition was published in Baghdad in 1401 AH / 1981 CE by Dar al-Kitab with the support of the University of Baghdad, and it was also circulated under the alternate title Ulum al-Quran al-Karim . In Safar 1420 AH / May 1999 CE, al-Hamad completed a revised and expanded second edition, updating references and refining complex sections to make them clearer for beginner and non-specialist students .
Answer updated