Tahqiqat wa Anzar fi al-Quran wa al-Sunna
- Author died
- 1393 AH
- Editions
- Dār Saḥnūn lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzīʿ
Tahqiqat wa Anzar fi al-Quran wa al-Sunna (Investigations and Inquiries into the Quran and Sunna) is a collection of scholarly treatises and articles on Quranic exegesis and prophetic traditions by the Tunisian scholar Muhammad al-Tahir ibn Ashur (d. 1393 AH / 1973 CE).
Compilation and Structure
The work was compiled and introduced by the author's son, Abd al-Malik Ibn Ashur. It comprises twenty-one research articles of varying length, organized into two thematic parts:
- Studies on the Quran: A section containing six articles dedicated to Quranic interpretation and related topics.
- Studies on the Sunna: A section containing fifteen articles addressing prophetic traditions.
A portion of these papers was originally published in periodicals such as Majallat al-Hidaya al-Islamiyya (Journal of Islamic Guidance) and other contemporary journals, while several pieces had not been published prior to this collection.
Content and Method
The collection opens with an advisory preface (Tanbih wa-Nasiha), in which Ibn Ashur cautions against interpreting the Quran without sound transmission from authoritative exegetes or possessing the requisite scholarly qualifications. He highlights that an exegete must be deeply grounded in Sharia disciplines and the Arabic language—particularly the rhetorical sciences of al-ma'ani (semantics) and al-bayan (figures of speech)—to avoid recurring errors in understanding Quranic meanings.
The studies address specific interpretive and theological inquiries, including:
- An analysis of the theological implications of ambiguous (mutashabih) verses regarding divine attributes, such as الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى ("The Most Merciful rose over the Throne," Surah Ta-Ha: 5), contrasting the approaches of early generations (al-salaf) with those of later theologians (al-khalaf).
- A treatise elucidating the verse وَالشَّمْسُ تَجْرِي لِمُسْتَقَرٍّ لَهَا ("And the sun runs to its resting place," Surah Ya-Sin: 38), framed as a response to a query regarding principles of astronomy ('ilm al-hay'a).
Publication History
The collection was first published jointly in 1985 by al-Dar al-Tunisiyya lil-Nashr in Tunis and al-Mu'assasa al-Wataniyya lil-Kitab in Algiers. It was later reissued in 1428 AH / 2007 CE by Dar al-Salam in Cairo (in conjunction with Dar Sahnun in Tunis).
Answer updated