Tafsir Ibn Badran = Jawahir al-Afkar wa Maadin al-Asrar al-Mustakhraja min Kalam al-Aziz al-Jabbar
- Author died
- 1346 AH
- Editions
- al-Maktab al-Islami
Jawahir al-Afkar wa-Ma'adin al-Asrar al-Mustakhraja min Kalam al-Aziz al-Jabbar (Arabic: جواهر الأفكار ومعادن الأسرار المستخرجة من كلام العزيز الجبار), commonly known as Tafsir Ibn Badran, is an incomplete Quranic commentary by the Damascene Hanbali scholar Abd al-Qadir ibn Ahmad ibn Badran (d. 1346 AH / 1927 CE) .
Composition and Title
Ibn Badran initially began drafting the commentary seven or eight years before completing its first part, but suspended work due to various commitments, notably his multi-volume abridgment of Ibn Asakir's history (Tahdhib Tarikh Ibn Asakir) and other pressing compositions . After concluding that project, he resumed writing and completed the first part on Friday, 11 Shawwal 1335 AH, amidst the hardships of World War I . He initially called the work Ma'arij al-Afkar ila Fahm Ayat al-Furqan before adopting its definitive title .
Scope and Content
The surviving text of the work is unfinished and covers Surah al-Fatiha and Surah al-Baqarah up to verse 189 . It focuses on the derivation of legal, creedal, and practical rulings (استنباط) and addresses core exegetical questions .
Method and Sources
Ibn Badran sought to rectify errors, theological deviations, and uncritical transmissions found in circulating classical and later commentaries . His method is characterized by:
- Exegesis by transmission (التفسير بالمأثور): Interpreting the Quran first by the Quran, then by the Sunnah, followed by the reports of the Companions and, with caution, the Successors .
- Linguistic analysis: Relying primarily on the Arabic language to clarify literal meanings and elucidate the divine intent while rejecting invalid allegorical interpretation (التأويل) .
- Critique of sectarianism and Israelite lore: Purging the text of sectarian interpretations introduced by groups such as the Mu'tazilites, Shi'ites, Qarmatians, and esoteric Sufis, while curtailing reliance on unverified historical tales, Israelite traditions (Isra'iliyyat), and superstition .
- Quranic readings: Utilizing both standard and aberrant (shadhdh) variant readings (القراءات) to provide nuances of meaning and establish textual coherence .
- Engagement with modern science: Acknowledging contemporary empirical discoveries—such as electrical explanations for lightning—while cautioning against dogmatically imposing transient scientific theories onto the text, maintaining that human scientific knowledge continually evolves .
In his overall exegetical direction, he drew upon the path of his contemporary Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi, while avoiding positions where he considered al-Qasimi to have stood alone .
Manuscripts and Publication
Following Ibn Badran's departure from Douma and his residence in a school in Damascus, his library was dispersed, but several manuscripts—including this commentary—were acquired from his heirs by Zuhayr al-Shawish . Al-Shawish prepared the text for publication based on the author's unique manuscript as early as 1381 AH / 1961 CE, delaying printing in an unsuccessful attempt to locate any remaining portions . The work was published in one volume by al-Maktab al-Islami in Beirut in 1420 AH / 1999 CE .
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