Research of Alâeddin es-Samerkandî's work called Şerhu't-Te'vilât (Surah an-Nisâ, verses 1-50)

One of the key components of the scientific richness of Islamic civilization is the identification and publication of handwritten works, their retrieval from library shelves for scholarly use, and making them accessible by preparing critical editions. These efforts aim to determine the historical and academic value of such works and to make them available to the scientific community. In this context, the subject of this thesis is the critical edition of the commentary Sharḥu't-Taʾwīlāt by Alāeddīn as-Samarqandī (d. 539/1144), specifically focusing on verses 1–50 of Sūrat an-Nisāʾ. As-Samarqandī was a student of Abū'l-Muʿīn an-Nasafī (d. 508/1115) and Abū Manṣūr al-Māturīdī (d. 333/944). His commentary Sharḥu't-Taʾwīlāt al-Qurʾān has long been considered lost or inaccessible, but this study confirms that parts of it still exist and can be critically edited. The study is based primarily on the Esad Efendi manuscript, with the Şehid Ali Paşa manuscript used for textual comparison. The thesis consists of four chapters. The first chapter examines the author's biography, including his teachers, students, and works, to better understand his scholarly identity. The second chapter explores the title Sharḥu't-Taʾwīlāt, the reasons behind the name, sources, characteristics, methodology, and works that have used it as a reference. The third chapter analyzes the manuscript copies of Sharḥu't-Taʾwīlāt, their features, and the critical method used to assess them. The final chapter presents the critically edited Arabic text of the selected section of the work.