Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim - al-Sakhawi
- Author died
- 643 AH
- Editions
- Dar al-Nashr lil-Jami'at
Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim (Exegesis of the Mighty Quran) is a comprehensive Quranic commentary by the Egyptian Shafi'i grammarian and reciter Alam al-Din al-Sakhawi (558/559–643 AH / 1163–1245 CE) that blends traditional exegesis with extensive linguistic and grammatical analysis.
Scope and Attribution
Biographical sources, beginning with Yaqut al-Hamawi and followed by later bibliographers such as Katip Celebi in Kashf al-Zunun, recorded that al-Sakhawi authored a commentary that reached only up to Surat al-Kahf. Salah al-Din al-Ala'i similarly described an incomplete work by al-Sakhawi titled Rawd al-Adhan wa-Hawd al-Zam'an fi Tafsir al-Quran, which terminated at Surat al-Kahf. However, al-Sakhawi's student Abu Shama referred to that incomplete text as his teacher's "first commentary" (tafsiruhu al-awwal), whereas the extant Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim is a complete work spanning the entire Quran from Surat al-Fatihah to Surat al-Nas.
Methodology and Sources
In his introduction, al-Sakhawi stated that existing commentaries were either overly long and difficult to manage or excessively brief and deficient in benefit. He therefore adopted a middle course, aiming for concise expression, refined phrasing, and brief summaries of stories and grammatical analyses.
The commentary relies on traditional exegesis (al-tafsir bi-l-ma'thur), drawing upon the Quran, Prophetic traditions, and the statements of the Companions and Successors. It places strong emphasis on Arabic grammar, linguistic usage, and poetic citations (shawahid shi'riyya), while attributing verses of poetry to their authors. Al-Sakhawi also gives detailed attention to variant Quranic readings (qira'at), explaining their grammatical foundations and attributing them to their respective authorities. Additionally, he identifies the Meccan or Medinan classification of surahs, records occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), evaluates competing interpretations, and structures legal and theological discussions in a question-and-answer format.
Al-Sakhawi draws heavily from earlier works, notably al-Nukat wa-l-Uyun by al-Mawardi and al-Kashshaf by al-Zamakhshari. While utilizing al-Zamakhshari's linguistic material, he actively refutes his Mu'tazilism|Mu'tazilite theological viewpoints. The work adheres to the Shafi'i school in legal matters, employs figurative interpretation (ta'wil) regarding divine attributes, and contains very little narrative material from biblical traditions (Isra'iliyyat).
Manuscript Tradition and Edition
The primary surviving witness of the complete work is preserved in the Ahmad Taymur Collection at the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya, MS 159 Tafsir). It comprises 352 folios bound in two volumes: the first spans from Surat al-Fatihah to Surat al-Shu'ara' (160 folios), and the second covers from Surat al-Naml to Surat al-Nas (190 folios). Another cataloged manuscript attributed to al-Sakhawi at the Veliuddin Library in Turkey (MS 11-166, 600 folios) was found upon examination to mention tenth-century AH authorities, demonstrating that it was misattributed. The text was edited from the Cairo manuscript by Musa ibn Ali ibn Musa ibn Mas'ud.
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