The science of Makki and Madani in Ibn 'Ashūr's tafsīr

ABSTRACT Muḥammad Ṭāhir b. 'Āshūr is one of Tunisia's most prominent scholars of the 20th century. His upbringing in a family of Andalusian origin and his education at the University of Zaytūna played a decisive role in shaping his intellectual development. He specialized in fields such as tafsīr, fiqh, and the Arabic language, and is regarded as one of the leading figures who made significant contributions to the sciences of the Qur'an. At a young age, he held high-ranking academic positions and sought both to preserve the traditional Islamic heritage and to introduce innovative approaches to education. This dual orientation reflects his effort to strike a balance between classical scholarship and reformist thought. His thirty-volume tafsīr, al-Taḥrīr wa'l-Tanwīr, stands as a concrete manifestation of Ibn 'Āshūr's vast knowledge. This study examines his life, scholarly personality, and approach to Meccan and Medinan knowledge in his tafsīr. It is structured into an introduction, three chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction outlines the purpose, subject, methodology, and sources of the research. The first chapter explores Ibn 'Āshūr's life, his exegetical work, its characteristics, and the introduction to his tafsīr. The second chapter evaluates the definition, historical development, and various perspectives on the science of Meccan and Medinan revelation within the framework of both classical and modern literature. Within this context, Ibn 'Āshūr's approach is analyzed in light of the distinguishing criteria of time, place, audience, and subject matter. The third chapter examines in detail his evaluations of Meccan and Medinan sūrahs in al-Taḥrīr wa'l-Tanwīr. Ibn 'Āshūr's approach to the classification of Meccan and Medinan sūrahs and verses is one of the central topics of this study. In making such distinctions, he considered not only the place and time of revelation, but also the broader context and content of the verses. This multifaceted perspective demonstrates that more nuanced and in-depth interpretations can be made beyond the framework of classical classifications. Keywords: Qur'an, Tafsir, Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa'l-Tanwīr, Makkan and Madinan Verses