An analysis of the work 'al-Muhtasar fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim' from the perspective of tafsir methodology

This study involves an evaluation of the work titled al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim, authored by a committee affiliated with the Center for Tafsir Studies, from the perspective of tafsir methodology and Qur'anic sciences. The work, prepared in the format of concise (ijmali) tafsir, includes a brief two-page introduction. This introduction addresses the reason for the compilation of the work, the principles to be followed in the tafsir, and the general characteristics of the work. It has been observed that the principles outlined in the introduction have generally been adhered to throughout the work. In this tafsir, it is observed that the transmission (riwayah) method relies on the Qur'an, hadith, occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), and occasionally Israeli reports (israiliyyat) in interpreting the verses. However, the text and source of the explanatory narrations are generally not provided. As for the intellectual reasoning (dirayah) method, although linguistic details and terminology are not included, it is seen that the rules from the sciences of syntax (nahw), morphology (sarf), and rhetoric (balaghah) are applied to reflect the meaning of the verses. Regarding jurisprudence, it can be said that the authors do not hesitate to express their opinions, especially on legal verses (ahkam), but they do not follow a specific school of thought in a consistent manner, or if they do, it is not reflected in the work. In general, it is observed that verses related to belief, especially ambiguous (mutashabih) ones, are interpreted within the framework of Salafi views, and at times, explanations that refute other schools of thought are included. In al-Mukhtasar, strange (gharib) words found in the verses are explained, and the existence of abrogation (naskh) in the Qur'an, as well as the possibility of the Qur'an being abrogated by the Sunnah, is accepted. Due to the sensitivity towards authentic narrations, weak or fabricated narrations regarding the virtues of the surahs are not included. As for the virtues of the verses, it is noted that only the virtue of Ayat al-Kursi, based on a sound narration, is mentioned in the work. Additionally, ambiguous expressions are clarified, and apparent contradictions between verses are reconciled; if reconciliation is not possible, abrogation is applied. Furthermore, while the relationship between verses is frequently highlighted, no explanation regarding the relationship between surahs has been found. In conclusion, al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim is a tafsir that, although predominantly based on transmission, skillfully employs the reasoning method in many verses. Despite being a concise tafsir, it is one of the rare works containing numerous examples of Qur'anic sciences. Due to its brevity and simplicity, it is an ideal book for beginners in the science of tafsir.