Tafsīr ul-Qur’ān bi-l-Qur’ān: An Analytical Study of Selected Arabic Exegetical Literature of the Indian Subcontinent

تفسیر القرآن بالقرآن: برصغیر پاک و ہند کے منتخب عربی تفسیری ادب کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

This article highlights the rich tradition of Qur’ānic exegeses in the Indian subcontinent. The main focus of the article is on the principle of “Tafsīr ul-Qur’ān bi-l-Qur’ān” (interpretation of the Qur'an by the Qur'an). This principle of tafsīr is considered a key approach by the classical and contemporary scholars as well. The Indian subcontinent, known for its different values and languages, has historically been a significant center of Islamic knowledge and traditions, mainly during the era of Muslim rulers. This period saw the flourishing of religious institutions, with scholars producing a huge body of works in Qur'anic exegeses.  The article starts by emphasizing the importance of Tafsīr ul-Qur’ān bi-l-Qur’ān in classical and contemporary exegetical literature. It deliberates how prominent scholars like Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī and Ibn Kathīr put the foundation for this interpretative method. The focus then swings to the contributions of scholars from the Indian subcontinent, such as Shah Walīullāh and Shah ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz. The article traces the application of Tafsīr ul-Qur’ān bi-l-Qur’ān in many exegeses of the Arabic language. These exegeses were written by renowned scholars from the Indian subcontinent., including Mullā Jīwan’s Al-Tafsīrāt al-Aḥmadiyya, Qāzī Thanā'ullāh’s Tafsīr Mazharī, Fath ul-Bayān and Nayl ul-Marām of Nawāb Ṣadīq Ḥasan Khān Qinnaujī, Tafsīr Niẓām al-Qur'ān wa Ta'wīl al-Furqān bil-Furqān of Farāhī School of thought and Tafsīr bi-Kalām al-Raḥmān of Mawlānā Thanā'ullāh Amritsarī. Overall, the article shows the principal role of Tafsīr ul-Qur’ān bi-l-Qur’ān in influencing the Arabic exegetical literature of the Indian subcontinent, highlighting its significance in understanding the teachings of Holy Qur'an.