An examination of the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of Muhammad Ali Taha al-Durra's Commentary Titled "Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim wa I'rabuhû wa Bayanuhû"

Mong the notable spheres of influence that manifested themselves in the earliest phases of the Qur'ān's revelation was its profound impact upon Arabic literature. This divine discourse, endowed with an inimitable style and refined literary subtleties, exerted a deep impression even upon those Arab communities who refused to acknowledge it, compelling them towards contemplation. Throughout history, in order to attain a deeper understanding of the Qur'ān—which has ever addressed its recipients with such a powerful mode of expression and profound rhetorical grace—numerous works of tafsīr and lexicography were composed. These compositions, across successive generations, have preserved the vitality of the Muslims' bond with the Qur'ān, and have served as means whereby their faith in, and servitude to, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), the Revealer thereof, might rest upon a firmer foundation. Within this framework, the tafsīr entitled Tafsīru'l-Qur'āni'l-Karīm wa I'rābuhū wa Bayānuhū, authored by Muḥammad 'Alī Ṭāhā al-Durra—a scholar of the later period born in Ḥimṣ, Syria—may be cited as an exemplary instance. The most conspicuous characteristic of this work lies in its methodological orientation, wherein the Qur'ān is primarily examined from the vantage points of lexicon, grammar, and style. The present study considers this tafsīr within the broader horizon of the literature on uslūb and balāgha. Accordingly, attention has been directed to the exegete's definitions of eloquence and rhetoric, his treatment of verses that embody diverse juridical rulings arising from disputed grammatical principles occasioned by stylistic or linguistic considerations, his classification and explication of grammatical rules concerning, inter alia, ḥāl and nidā', as well as his manner of addressing certain contemporary parables. Likewise, his determinations regarding Qur'ānic terminology, together with his perspective upon select principles of taṣawwuf, have been examined with a view to presenting the content of the work. Moreover, the subjects encompassed within the rhetorical sciences of Ma'ānī, Bayān, and Badī' are adduced, and their definitions, analyses, and applications within the tafsīr are duly considered. In light of the foregoing, the work reveals an encyclopedic character inasmuch as it comprises a variety of sciences. At the same time, it constitutes a contemporary aperture within the field of Islamic disciplines, forging connections with diverse branches of knowledge and offering fresh avenues of engagement with this domain. In this study, the work in question has been introduced through recourse to both classical and contemporary philological sources.