Zahrat al-Tafasir
- Author died
- 1394 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Fikr al-‘Arabī
Zahrat al-Tafasir (The Flower of Commentaries) is a modern Quranic commentary (tafsir) by the Egyptian scholar and jurist Muhammad Abu Zahra (1316–1394 AH / 1898–1974 CE), left incomplete at his death .
Composition and Scope
Abu Zahra originally began writing commentary articles for a religious periodical to continue a serial tafsir begun by Shaykh Muhammad al-Khadir Husayn, who had reached Surah al-Baqarah (2:189) . Abu Zahra continued that work until reaching Surah al-An'am (6:59), after which publication ceased . He subsequently returned to the beginning of the Quran to author a comprehensive commentary covering the opening surahs up to al-Khadir's stopping point, integrated his earlier published work, and continued beyond verse 6:59 .
Abu Zahra continued composing the work until his death on 12 April 1974 (1394 AH), when he collapsed over his manuscript while writing the commentary on Surah al-Naml . As a result, the commentary concludes at verse 73 of Surah al-Naml (Surah 27) . In the printed ten-volume edition published by Dar al-Fikr al-Arabi, a lacuna in Abu Zahra's manuscript for verses 190–193 of Surah al-Baqarah was supplemented by the publisher using the commentary of al-Qurtubi .
Method and Objectives
In his introduction, Abu Zahra criticized earlier classical commentaries for obscuring the spiritual and moral message of the Quran amidst extended polemics in scholastic theology (kalam), sectarian alignments (such as Ash'ari or Mu'tazili disputes), fiqh partisanship, and exhaustive grammatical parsing (i'rab) . His stated aim was to bring readers closer to the core guidance, legal principles, and inimitability of the Quran through an accessible, explanatory style .
He outlined several principles governing his methodology:
- Avoidance of Obscurities: Refraining from rare linguistic interpretations (al-agharib) unless strictly necessary for clarifying the text .
- Selective Discussion of Variant Readings: Mentioning variant readings (qira'at) only when they impact the underlying meaning, viewing all established readings as revelations contributing to Quranic inimitability .
- Expository Elaboration: Utilizing explanatory exposition (itnab) to unpack concise Quranic phrasing and convey its broader implications clearly .
- Restraint on Cosmic Verses: Avoiding the imposition of speculative theories onto verses concerning the physical cosmos beyond what the wording naturally supports .
- Critique of Unreliable Narratives: Rejecting widespread interpretive traditions or historical reports that he viewed as contradictory to overarching Quranic principles or incompatible with the status of the Prophet, such as certain historical accounts concerning marital narratives or social hierarchy .
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