Nafahat min Ulum al-Quran
- Author died
- 1430 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Salam
Nafahat min Ulum al-Quran (Nafahat min 'Ulum al-Qur'an, "Breezes from the Quranic Sciences") is an introductory manual on the Quranic sciences by the Egyptian reciter and teacher Muhammad Mabad (d. 1430 AH / 2009 CE), structured in a pedagogical question-and-answer format.
Purpose and Scope
The author composed the work to simplify key topics in the Quranic sciences for general readers and students of Islamic knowledge. In his introduction, Ma'bad noted that while classical authorities—such as Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi in al-Burhan fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an ("The Proof in the Sciences of the Quran"), Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in al-Itqan fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an ("Mastery in the Sciences of the Quran"), and Muhammad Abd al-Azim al-Zarqani in Manahil al-'Irfan ("Springs of Knowledge")—as well as contemporary scholars such as Manna' al-Qattan, Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni, and Muhammad Husayn al-Dhahabi had authored foundational treatises in the field, there remained a need for an accessible presentation of its fundamental chapters.
Method and Structure
The book is arranged as a didactic dialogue, presenting each subtopic through direct questions followed by concise explanatory answers. At the conclusion of each chapter, the author appends review questions and practical exercises (as'ilah wa-tamrinat) to help students consolidate their comprehension and extract legal and textual rulings from the material.
The subjects covered include standard divisions of Quranic studies, such as the criteria and characteristics distinguishing Makki and Madani revelations, the first and last verses revealed, and the principles governing textual chronology and revelation.
Reception
The book received a commendatory preface (taqriz) from Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Radwan Salih, who praised the author's clarity of expression, systematic organization, and adoption of the question-and-answer technique as an effective tool for facilitating retention among students.
Answer updated