The method of using classical sources in Muhammed Ahmed Halefullah's work titled el-Fennu'l-Kasasî

Muhammed Ahmed Halefullah who is a follower of the school of literary exegesis, have exhibited a resonance in the Islamic world with his work el-Fennu'l-Kasasî. This work offers an unusual theory that stems from Quranic stories implementing Muhammed Abduh and Emîn el-Hûlî's literary exegesis method. According to this theory, Halefullah questions the actuality of the stories and narrations that seem problematic according to the literary style of Qur'an. With attempts to support his theory by quoting from Qur'an and and scholars of exegesis of the classical period, Halefullah concludes that Qur'an contains mythological elements. His approach had an impact on the contemporary Qur'anic studies and have added another dimension to the issue of "historicism". In this research, we tackle and analyze the passages from classical period scholars of exegesis which Halefullah quotes to support his theory. Halefullah believes he gains support either directly or indirectly from some passages. On the other hand, he suggests that the predicaments the scholars of exegesis have faced forced them into implementing his method of literary exegesis. From this aspect, investigating Halefullah's attempts to find support in classical sources constitutes the topic of this research. Key words: Halefullah, el-Fennu'l-Kasasî, story, legends