Ally Shabir 2012 PHD Thesis

The Culmination of Tradition-based Tafsr
The Qurn Exegesis al-Durr al-manthr

of al-Suy (d. 911/1505)
by
Shabir Ally
A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Toronto
Copyright by Shabir Ally 2012
The Culmination of Tradition-based Tafsr

The Qurn Exegesis al-Durr al-manthr
of al-Suy (d. 911/1505)
Shabir Ally
Doctor of Philosophy
Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
University of Toronto
2012
Abstract
This is a study of Jall al-Dn al-Suys al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr bi-lmathur (The scattered pearls of tradition-based exegesis), hereinafter al-Durr. In the
present study, the distinctiveness of al-Durr becomes evident in comparison with the
tafsrs of al- a ar (d. 310/923) and I n Kathr (d. 774/1373). Al-Suy surpassed these
exegetes by relying entirely on adth (tradition). Al-Suy rarely offers a comment of
his own. Thus, in terms of its formal features, al-Durr is the culmination of traditionbased exegesis (tafsr bi-l-mathr).
This study also shows that al-Suy intended in al-Durr to subtly challenge the
tradition- ased hermeneutics of I n Taymyah (d. 728/1328). According to Ibn
Taymyah, the true, unified, interpretation of the Qurn must be sought in the Qurn
ii
itself, in the traditions of Muammad, and in the exegeses of the earliest Muslims.
Moreover, I n Taymyah strongly denounced opinion-based exegesis (tafsr bi-l-ray).
By means of the traditions in al-Durr, al-Suy supports several of his views in
contradistinction to those of I n Taymyah. Al-Suys traditions support the following
views. First, opinion-based exegesis is a valid supplement to tradition-based exegesis.
Second, the early Muslim community was not quite unified. Third, the earliest Qurnic
exegetes did not offer a unified exegesis of the Qurn. Fourth, Qurnic exegesis is
necessarily polyvalent since Muslims accept a num er of readings of the Qurn, and
variant readings give rise to various interpretations.
Al-Suy collected his traditions from a wide variety of sources some of which
are now lost. Two major exegetes, al-Shawkn (d. 1250/1834) and al-ls (d.
1270/1854), copied some of these traditions from al-Durr into their Qurn
commentaries. In this way, al-Suy has succeeded in shedding new light on rare,
neglected, and previously scattered traditions.
iii
Acknowledgments
My thanks are due to each of the numerous persons who have helped me to
complete this dissertation. My special thanks are due to my advisor, Professor Walid
Saleh, and to the other members of my advisory committee, Professors Todd Lawson and
Sebastian Guenther. I would also like to thank those who have taught me over the years,
including Professors Linda Northrup, Maria Subtelny, Abdel Khaliq Ali, Harry Fox, and
the late Professor Michael Marmura. I would also like to thank each of the several
persons who volunteered their time to sit with me, patiently teaching me the Arabic
language.
I would also like to thank all those individuals in the Department of Near and
Middle Eastern Civilizations at the University of Toronto who have helped me with the
administrative aspects of student life, especially Anna Souza and Jennie Jones.
I would also like to offer my thanks for the University of Toronto Fellowship
grant. Likewise I thank the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for
awarding me a Canada Graduate Scholarship. These grants made it feasible for me to
devote much of my time to study and research over the last several years.
I would also like to thank my children for putting up with a father who always had
his nose buried in books for as long as they could remember. Finally, I would like to
thank my wife, for she has sacrificed a lot to see me through my studies. She is a real
blessing in my life.
I dedicate this study to my parents. May God have mercy on them.
iv
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... iv
Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
Survey of scholarship .................................................................................... 12
Thesis Outline ............................................................................................... 17
Chapter 1 ....................................................................................................................... 19
The Life and Works of al-Suy .................................................................................. 19
1.1 Life .......................................................................................................... 19
1.2 Controversies .......................................................................................... 21
1.3 Mujaddid ................................................................................................. 26
1.4 Disappointment and Seclusion ................................................................ 30
1.5 Spirituality............................................................................................... 35
1.6 Literary Accomplishments ...................................................................... 37
1.7 Unique views .......................................................................................... 40
Chapter 2 ....................................................................................................................... 49
The Composition of al-Durr al-manthr ...................................................................... 49
2.1 The Author at Work ................................................................................ 49
2.2 The Structure of al-Durr ......................................................................... 49
2.3 Al-Suys Introduction to al-Durr........................................................ 52
2.4 Al-Suys Purpose in Composing a Tradition-based Exegesis ............ 59
2.5 Acknowledged Sources of al-Durr ......................................................... 63
v
2.6 Emphasis on Four Sources ...................................................................... 66

2.7 Unacknowledged Sources of al-Durr ..................................................... 73
2.8 Summary ................................................................................................. 88
Chapter 3 ....................................................................................................................... 92
Legends and Isrlyt in al-Durr al-manthr............................................................. 92
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 92
3.2 The Mountain Qf ................................................................................... 96
3.3 The Ascension of Idrs .......................................................................... 103
3.4 Fallen Angels ........................................................................................ 113
3.5 The Explanatory Power of the Fable of the Fallen Angels ................... 128
3.6 Connecting the Ascension of Idrs with the Fall of the Angels ............ 132
3.7 Al-Suys Influence on Su sequent Exegeses.................................... 136
3.8 Summary ............................................................................................... 140
Chapter 4 ..................................................................................................................... 142
Reclaiming Wisdom Traditions .................................................................................. 142
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 142
4.2 The Struggle to Redefine ikmah ......................................................... 146
4.3 The Wisdom of Solomon ...................................................................... 157
4.4 Luqmn ................................................................................................. 162
4.5 Al-Shawkns Reaction ....................................................................... 174
4.6 Al-Suys Influence on al-ls ......................................................... 175
4.7 Indirect Influence on Ibn shr........................................................... 176
4.8 Summary ............................................................................................... 177
vi
Chapter 5 ..................................................................................................................... 180

Jesus Wisdom and f Exegesis .............................................................................. 180
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 180
5.2 The Christ Child and Allegorical Exegesis ........................................... 189
5.3 The Wisdom of the Ascetic Jesus ......................................................... 208
5.4 Summary ............................................................................................... 221
Chapter 6 ..................................................................................................................... 225
Political and Sectarian Exegesis ................................................................................. 225
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 225
6.2 Al as the Patron of Muslims ............................................................... 227
6.3 Al as the Guide of Muslims ................................................................ 236
6.4 The Seven Civil Wars ........................................................................... 244
6.5 Summary ............................................................................................... 258
Chapter 7 ..................................................................................................................... 262
Variant Readings of the Qurn .................................................................................. 262
7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 262
7.1.1 The Exegetes Attitudes towards Variant Readings .......................... 263
7.1.2 The Importance of Variant Readings for Exegesis ............................ 274
7.2 Variant Readings as a Source of Various Exegeses .............................. 276
7.3 Variants Mentioned by al- a ar and I n Kathr .................................. 281
7.4 Variants Not Mentioned by al- a ar and I n Kathr ........................... 295
7.5 Variants Mentioned by al-Suy Alone ............................................... 303
7.6 Summary ............................................................................................... 307
vii
Chapter 8 ..................................................................................................................... 312

Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 312
Bibliography ............................................................................................... 327
viii
Introduction
Jall al-Dn al-Suy (d. 911/1505) was born in Cairo in 849/1445. He was to
become one of the most celebrated scholars from the medieval period of Islamic history.1
Al-Suys works num er as many as six hundred.2 Among them, his al-Itqn f ulm
al-Qurn (The perfection of the sciences of the Qurn) has become a classical textbook
of Qurnic studies.3 Moreover, Tafsr al-Jallayn is one of the most popular tafsrs due
to its accessibility and its placement within developed Sunn orthodoxy. That short
Qurn exegesis was begun by al-Suys teacher Jall al-Dn al Maall (d. 864/1459)
and completed by al-Suy.4
Despite al-Suys fame, however, his massive tafsr, al-Durr al-manthr fi-ltafsr bi-l-mathur (The scattered pearls of tradition-based exegesis) remains relatively
neglected.5 Yet this work is important for scholarly study, for it gathers traditions from
many adth sources and classical exegetical texts, some of them now lost.6 That the
Roy Jackson, Fifty Key Figures in Islam (New York: Routledge, 2006).
McAuliffe, Jane Dammen, Exegetical Sciences in Andrew Rippin, ed. The Blackwell
Companion to the Qurn. Oxford: Blackwell, 2006, pp. 403-419, p.404.
3
Al-Suy, al-Itqn f ulm al-Qur'n, ed. Sad al-Mandh (Beirut: Muassat al-Kutub alThaqfyah, 2004), hereinafter the Itqn.
4
Al-Maall and Al-Suy, Tafsr al-Jallayn (Beirut: Makta at Lu nn, 2000).
Al-Suy, al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr bi-l-mathr, ed. Shaykh Najdat Naj (Beirut: Dar Ehia
al-Tourath al-Arabi, 2001) hereinafter al-Durr.
6
I use the lowercase adth to depict an individual tradition, and also to denote the massive
literature comprising countless adths. The distinction will be clear from the context. However, John
adth collections are important sources for Qurnic commentary has been highlighted
in an article by R. Marston Speight.7 Al-Suys encyclopaedic commentary is justifiably
the culmination of the exegetical genre tafsr bi-l-mathur (exegesis according to
tradition). As a commentary of this type, al-Durr strictly maintains the form of the
discipline, reporting traditional comments with only a very few interventions from the
author.
Al-Durr will be best understood as a response to what Walid Saleh referred to as
the radical hermeneutics of the anbal theologian I n Taymyah (d. 728/1328).8 An
early distinction between tafsrs of two genres, tafsr bi-l-mathr and tafsr bi-l-ray
(opinion-based exegesis), was brought into sharp focus in Muqaddimah f ul al-tafsr
(An introduction to the principles of exegesis) by I n Taymyah.9 Such a dichotomy is
misleading, but it has nonetheless become common to refer to exegetical works as being
on either side of the divide. Although no work has proved itself under scrutiny to be
clearly based on tradition only, the work of al- a ar (d. 310/923) has achieved scholarly
recognition as the first major collection of exegetical traditions.10 For the last work of this
genre from the medieval period, scholars usually look to a student of I n Taymyah, Ibn
Burton prefers to use the uppercase adth to denote the literature. See John Burton, An Introduction to the
adth (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1994) p. ix.
7
R. Marston Speight, The Function of adth as Commentary on the Qurn, as Seen in the Six
Authoritative Collections, in Andrew Rippin, ed., Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the
Qurn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988) pp. 63-81.
8
Walid Saleh, I n Taymiyya and the Rise of Radical Hermeneutics, in Ibn Taymiyya and his
Times, ed. Yossef Rapoport and Shahab Ahmed (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010) 123-62, p. 125.
9
I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah f uul al-tafsr in Musid . Sulaymn . Nir al- ayyr, Sharh
Muqaddimah f uul al-tafsr li-bn Taymyah (Damam: Dr I n al-Jawz, 2007-8).
10
Al- a ar, A Ja far Muammad b. Jarr. Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn Tafsr alabar. Beirut: Iya al-Turth al- Ara , 2001.
Kathr (d. 774/1373). In the introduction to his Qurn commentary, I n Kathr outlined
the same hermeneutical strategy delineated by his teacher: tradition-based
hermeneutics.11
The extent to which both al- a ar and I n Kathr lived up to the traditional ideal
is an open question. Nevertheless, these two exegetes are often regarded in academic
writings as the two chronological milestones that bracket the entire history of traditionbased tafsrs. However, there are two problems in seeing these two works as the best
representatives from the period. The first problem is that al-Durr is better positioned than
the tafsr of I n Kathr as the final major work of this nature in the middle ages. AlSuy died a mere dozen years efore the fall of the Mamlks whose defeat in Egypt,
according to David Nicolle, marked the end of the Middle Ages for the Islamic world.12
On the other hand, I n Kathr comes too early to mark the close of the medieval period.13
The second problem is that, in terms of formal features, al-Durr is a better
representative of tradition-based tafsir than both the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr. It
is clear that al-Durr contains a greater stock of traditional material than Tafsr al-Qurn
al-am of I n Kathr. Hence al-Durr is a more comprehensive receptacle of early
exegetical traditions than is the tafsr of I n Kathr. Moreover, in al-Durr, al-Suy
exercises exceptional restraint in expressing his opinions on exegetical questions. AlDurr appears to be a mere listing of traditions linked to verses. Whatever opinions al-
11
I n Kathr al-Dimashq, Tafsr al-Qurn al-am (Beirut: Maktabat al-Nur al-Ilmiyah, 1995).
12
David Nicolle, Historical Atlas of the Islamic World (New York: Checkmark Books, 2003) p.
133.
13
On the problem of periodization in Islamic studies, see Sebastian Guenther, Ideas, Images, and
Methods of Portrayal: Insights into Classical Arabic Literature and Islam (Leiden: Brill, 2005) p. xx.
Suy wished to express must now be detected mainly from his selection and
presentation of the traditional material. In terms of form, then, al-Durr is more traditional
than the tafsr of I n Kathr, for the latter often makes his opinions explicit. Likewise, alDurr is much more adth-oriented than is the Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn of
al- a ar. Al- a ar often evaluates the traditional material he presents, and then
expresses his own opinion on the matter, at times even in defiance of the views he cites
from tradition. Compared with al-Durr, then, the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr egin
to look like tafsrs of the other genre: opinion-based exegesis (tafsr bi-l-ray).
In fact, al-Suys strict reliance on traditions illustrates the logical outcome of
tradition-based hermeneutics. As outlined by I n Taymyah, there is a hiercharcy of
authoritative sources for the interpretation of the Qurn. The answer to an exegetical
question must first be sought from within the Qurn itself.14 If it is not found there, then
the exegete has recourse to the adth. If the adth does not provide the answer, then the
exegete may proceed to the sayings of the companions of Muammad. If the answer is
still not found, the exegete may turn to the sayings of the successors to the companions of
Muammad.15 In his reliance on the standard adth collections, al-Suy is thus faithful
to the hermeneutical principle of explaining the Qurn according to the prophetic
traditions. And, by inserting only a few interventions of his own, he remains true to the
form of tradition-based exegesis.
14
I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, p. 253.
15
I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, pp. 258-60.
From al-Dhaha s al-Tafsr wa-l-mufassirn, a comprehensive overview of the

history of tafsr, we can expect to obtain no more than an introduction to al-Durr.16 But
some of al-Dhaha s o servations may serve to highlight the puzzles we need to address
with regards to al-Suy and his magnum opus. First, al-Dhahab notes that the
compendium contains sheer narrations from the salaf on exegesis without any critical
comment on the nature of the reports, whether to denounce or justify them on the basis of
their chains of authorities (asnd).17 Al-Suys failure to excise the weak and exculpate
the strong traditions leads to al-Dhahabs exasperation. No mere historian, al-Dhahab is
interested in the preservation of the Salaf path, and hence suggests that someone should
clean up the book by distinguishing for us its fat from its meat.
Najdat Naj , the editor of the 2001 edition of al-Durr, is likewise irritated by
every weak adth that escapes criticism. In his introduction to that edition, Naj
complains about the times when al-Suy, though reputed as a scholar of adth, quietly
presents a weak adth or even a false one.18 My study is concerned neither with
separating wheat from chaff in al-Durr, nor in judging the soundness of adths. My
study recognises that al-Suy had his reasons for including numerous adths which the
Salafs find o jectiona le. It is a matter of historical interest that we discover those
reasons.
16
Muammad Husayn Al-Dhaha , Al-Tafsr wa-l-Mufassirn (Cairo: Matabi Dar al-Kutub alArabi, 1962). The author (d. 1977) should not be confused with the famous medieval tradition-critic and
historian Shams al-Dn al-Dhahab (d. 748/1348).
17
Ibid, vol. 1, p. 254.
18
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 26.
Second, al-Dhaha s evaluation of al-Durr among other tradition-based tafsrs

gives much food for thought. After describing a total of eight encyclopaedic exegeses
from al- a ar to al-Suy, al-Dhaha writes,
From among these books of which we have spoken, al-Durr is the only one that
restricts itself to tradition-based tafsr. Contrary to what the others have done, alDurr does not dilute the transmitted narratives with anything that is creditable to
opinion.19
Through this praise of al-Durr, al-Dhaha indirectly admitted that the other
seven giants of tafsr bi-l-mathr are not really so. His retention of al-Durr in that
category, however, needs an important clarification. As we have seen above, the
stereotypical view of al-Durr as a tradition-only storehouse can only be maintained until
one looks beyond its form to its content. As we shall see from the present study, al-Suy
was not averse to opinion-based tafsr coming from those who are equipped to make
inferences from Qurnic verses. If such opinions are related from past masters, al-Suy
does not shrink from relating them. He knows how tafsr has always been done. The salaf
themselves inferred much that is subsequently traded as tafsr bi-l-mathr.
Al-Durr is at first puzzling, for it appears counter to the current of the authors
other exegetical works which embrace opinion-based exegesis. But, read as a reaction to
I n Taymyahs radical hermeneutics, it egins to make sense. After all, this is the same
scholar who wrote half of Tafsr al-Jallayn, a work which al-Dhaha included in the
category of tafsr bi-l-ray.20 Moreover, al-Suy also composed al-Ikll f-stinb al-
19
Al-Dhaha , al-Tafsr wa-l-mufassirn, p. 254.
20
Al-Dhaha , vol. 1, p. 333.
tanzil (The crown-jewels of inferences from the revelation),21 an exegesis that is nothing
if not a collection of opinions expressed on the meanings of Qurnic verses. It is the
same al-Suy whom al-Dhaha faults for following the way of al-Ghazl (d.
505/1111) in pursuit of al-tafsr al-ilm.22 Today this term applies to the attempt to link
Qurnic verses to scientific knowledge, hence scientific tafsr. But in al-Suys day,
as in al-Ghazls, it meant no more than deriving knowledge y way of exegesis, an
alternative to empirical knowledge. The presence of al-Durr among al-Suys other
tafsrs thus makes sense as a response to I n Taymyah.
I will now give an example of the insight into al-Durr one gains by reading it as a
response to I n Taymyah. Qurn 1:6 reads, Guide us to the straight path.23 The point
made in al-Durr is that the meaning of that verse is not restricted but wide open to
various possibilities. After listing a variety of meanings for the term al-ir (the path) in
his typical manner, and prior to moving on to a discussion of the next verse, as one might
expect, al-Suy suddenly inserts four traditions which argue for the validity of
polyvalent readings of the Qurn.24 The presence of these adths at this particular point
in his tafsr, which otherwise adheres to the traditional pattern in which lemma is
followed by comment, is at first glance incomprehensible. But one familiar with the
21
Al-Suy, al-Ikll f-stinb al-tanzil, edited y mir . Al al-Ara (Jeddah: Dar al-Andalus,
22
Al-Dhaha , vol. 3, p. 143.
23
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, The Quran A New Translation (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2002).
2004) p. 3.
24
Muqaddimah of I n Taymyah will recognise that al-Suy is here subtly arguing against
the Salaf ideologue.
In his Muqaddimah, I n Taymyah argues for a monovalent reading of the
Qurn. For him, the task of the exegete is to aim at a verses singular meaning. He
cautions the later generations who miss the Qurns singular meaning and thus find
themselves in hopeless contradiction. According to I n Taymyah, the earliest generation
of Muslims presented a unified exegesis, even though they often expressed the same
meaning in non-contradictory variations. I n Taymyah maintains that the different
meanings which the pious predecessors have assigned to the same Qurnic verses are
variations on the same theme (ikhtilf tanawwu) and not contradictions (ikhtilf
tadd).25 To illustrate this type of harmless variation, I n Taymyah made reference to
the various meanings typically suggested for al-ir.26 In the Itqn, al-Suy reproduced
that argument verbatim, explicitly attributing it to I n Taymyah, and added the remark
that the citation is very precious.27 But then al-Suy continued in his Itqn to argue
for a polyvalent reading of the Qurn. It is obvious, then, that al-Suy did not quite
agree with I n Taymyahs argument. In al-Durr, therefore, while commenting on Qurn
1:6, al-Suy was responding to I n Taymyahs argument.
Al-Suys point here is quite opposite to that of I n Taymyah. According to
first two of al-Suys four traditions here, one cannot understand Islamic law without
25
26
27
The Itqn, vol. 4, pp. 469 and 472.
grasping the idea of polyvalent readings. The Qurn means this and it means that.28 The
last two traditions further emphasize the polyvalent nature of Qurnic exegesis. These
traditions recount the fourth caliph Als conflict with the seceders (khawrij). Al
commissioned his cousin I n A s to argue his case with them using only the sunnah,
since the Qurns meanings are multiple. Contenders may weasel their way out of the
Qurns dictates, ut in the adths they will find no wiggle room.29 The incident aside,
these two traditions have become the stock-in-trade for the partisans of adth (ahl-aladth). These two traditions serve as proof-texts for the need for adths over and above
the Qurn. But in the hands of al-Suy the two traditions serve as well to prove the
principle that they openly state. Pace I n Taymyah, there is no hiding from the obvious:
the Qurns expressions contain multiple meanings, and there is no need to presume that
the early Muslim exegetes all mean the same thing by their varied commentaries.
The discovery of al-Suys divergence from the radical hermeneutics of Ibn
Taymyah prompts a rereading of his hermeneutical principles as detailed in the Itqn.
There al-Suy adds a dimension to the discussion on polyvalence that could have been
obscured only by I n Taymyahs desire to present a unified past of which the present is a
deplorable corruption. Al-Suy knows what was obvious to the pious predecessors. The
reported exegeses of the Sabah were sometimes based on a variety of qirt
(readings).30 This needs some elaboration, as we have become accustomed in academia to
refer to interpretations as readings. An ancient unvowelled text in a Semitic language
28
29
30
The Itqn, vol. 4, p. 484.
such as Arabic is susceptible to be read, literally, in a variety of ways. An attempted

reading is itself inseparable from the attempt to understand the text. Each suggested
reading is then susceptible to a variety of interpretations. Al-Suy supplies a number of
examples to show that sometimes the reported divergent exegeses of the earliest Muslims
were each based on a different but acceptable reading (qirah). Again, he does not
challenge I n Taymyah openly, but his point here is a useful correction to the latters
mythologizing of the past.
In the Itqn, al-Suy champions the use of istinb (deduction). He insists that
God bestows special knowledge on exegetes whose actions are commensurate with their
knowledge. To defend these principles, al-Suy worked hard to overcome the final
chapter of I n Taymyahs Muqaddimah which is devoted to castigating opinion-based
exegesis. adths cited by I n Taymyah against opinion-based tafsr had to be carefully
and systematically worked over by al-Suy. Al-Suys responses reached their summit
in his treatment of the adth, Whoever speaks of the Qurn without knowledge may as
well assume his seat in hell. In a series of steps al-Suy styled this to mean, Whoever
speaks of the Qurn knowing that the truth is other than what he says may as well
assume his seat in hell.31 The adth has been turned on its head.
It was conventional wisdom among exegetes that opinions are among the tools of
the trade. I n Taymyah boldly attempted to take away that tool, and it was al-Suys
task to regain it. Al-Suy cites the conventional wisdom given in the words of A
ayyn (d. 745/1344). A ayyn complained a out one of his contemporaries who
held that tafsr is restricted to the citation of tradition complete with isnds linked to early
31
10
exegetes.32 Salehs article on I n Taymyah makes it clear that Ibn Taymyah was the
target of A ayyns criticism.33
Al-Suys view of al- a ars tafsr, and of his own work in relation to the work
of that renowned exegete, will in no small part help our understanding of al-Durr.
Whereas al-Dhaha sees al-Durr as a tradition-based tafsr par excellence, al-Suy
himself saw the tafsr of al- a ar as the ideal. Whereas I n Taymyah appreciates ala ar as a good tradition-based exegete, al-Suy favours him above the crowd for his
inclusion of opinion-based exegesis along with traditional elements. Not one to settle for
mediocrity, al-Suy had to produce the epitome in every field. So why not write a tafsr
that trumps that of al- a ar? He intended to do just that, to compose Majma al-barayn
wa mala al-badrayn (The meeting of the two seas, and the horizon of the two full
moons).34 This he would have composed as a compendium of the best of both worlds:
tafsr based on tradition and tafsr based on opinion. It was that encyclopaedia of
exegesis for which he intended his Itqn as an introduction.35 However, the exegesis is
unfinished, and the little he wrote of it is lost. In that work, al-Suy managed to
comment on no more than two short srahs of the Qurn: the first and the 108th
chapters.36
32
33
Saleh, I n Taymiyya, p. 123.
34
35
36
Hzim Sad aydar, Muqaddimat tafsr al-durr al-manthr li-l-Suy bayna-l-makh wa-lmab, Majallat al-buth wa-l-dirst al-Qurnya, Year 1, Issue 1 (2006) 231-301, p. 238.
11
Survey of scholarship
It is disappointing to see the extent to which al-Durr is overlooked in scholarly
writings on the history of tafsr. In her introduction to al-Suys autobiography, Sartain
made only a passing reference to al-Durr in a footnote.37 Andrew Rippin made no
mention of this major work in his article on tafsr in the Encyclopedia of Religion.38 Neal
Ro insons Christ in Islam and Christianity is an excellent survey of the tafsr tradition
dealing with the Qurnic portrayal of Jesus.39 Robinson began with al- a ar and ended
with Ibn Kathr. Jane Dammen McAuliffe, in her Qurnic Christians, similarly surveyed
the traditional exegeses on the portrayal of Christians in the Qurn.40 She has included
many tafsrs, traditional and modern, Sunn, Sh, and f, but excluded al-Durr. Her
essay, Qurnic Hermeneutics: The Views of al- a ar and I n Kathr, reflects in its
very title the prominence of al- a ar and Ibn Kathr.41 Likewise Norman Calder, in
attempting to define traditional tafsrs, did not look beyond Ibn Kathr for a work whose
37
E. M. Sartain, Jall al-Dn Al-Suyi: Biography and Background (Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press, 1975). In her notes to the Arabic portion of this work, that being al-Suyis
auto iography, Sartain identified the authors refence to his tafsr al-musnad as being a reference to his alDurr (p. 200, n. 17). But that is a mistake. As I demonstrate in Chapter 2 below, al-Durr is an expansion of
the tafsr to which the autobiography referred. The two works are not to be conflated.
38
Andrew Rippin, "Tafsr" in The Encyclopedia of Religion, ed. Mircea Eliade (NY: Macmillan,
1987) XIV:236-44.
39
Neal Robinson, Christ in Islam and Christianity (Albany:
SUNY, 1991) pp. 70-74.
40
Jane Dammen Mc Auliffe, Qurnic Christians An Analysis of Classical and Modern Exegesis
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991) pp. 38 and 71.
41
Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Qurnic Hermeneutics: The Views of al- a ar and I n Kathr in
Andrew Rippin, ed., Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the Qurn (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1988).
12
features may inform such a definition.42 Yet Calder was not altogether unaware of the
importance of al-Durr. Todd Lawson in his article on Akh ri Sh tafsrs credits Calder
with the view that al-Durr is a better representative of the genre than is the Tafsr of ala ar.43
However, some of the secondary writings do highlight the importance of al-Durr.
Claude Gilliots article in the Encyclopedia of the Qurn mentions that al-Durr ought to
be studied for its dependence on earlier tafsrs of its genre.44 Gilliot mentions four early
exegetes whose works served as sources for al-Durr: I n A tim al-Rzi (d. 327/938);
Ibn Mardawayh (d. 401/1010); Abd b. amd (or umayd) (d. 249/863); and Ibn alMundhir (d. 318/930). A fairly complete edition of the tafsr of I n A tim is
available in print.45 However, only minor portions of the tafsrs of Abd b. umayd and
Ibn al-Mundhir survive.46 The tafsr of Ibn Mardawayh is lost. Obviously, the lost works
need to be located and studied in their own right. Nonetheless, we get an indirect glimpse
of these works in al-Durr. For this reason, Walid Saleh, in his article in the Blackwell
42
Norman Calder, "Tafsr from a ari to I n Kathr: Pro lems in the Description of a Genre,
Illustrated with Reference to the Story of Abraham" In Approaches to the Qurn, eds. G. R. Hawting and
Abdul-Kader A. Shareef (London: Routledge, 1993), 101-140.
43
Todd Lawson, "Akh r Sh approaches to tafsr," in Approaches to the Qurn, ed. G. R.

Hawting and Abdul-Kader A. Shareef (London: Routledge, 1993) 173-210, p. 205, n. 11.
44
Claude Gilliot, "Exegesis of the Qurn: Classical and Medieval," in Encyclopaedia of the
Qur'n, ed. Jane McAuliffe, Vol. 2 (Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 2002), 99-124.
45
I n A tim al-Rz, Tafsr Ibn Ab tim al-Rz, ed. Amad Fat A d al-Ramn ijz
(Beirut: Dar Al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, 2006) 7 vols.
46
Mukhlif Banh al-Urf, Qiah min tafsr al-imm Abd ibn umayd (Beirut: Dr I n azm,
2004) 137 pp.; A Bakr Muammad b. I rhm b. al-Mundhir al-Nays r, Kitb tafsr al-Qurn, ed.
Sad b. Muammad al-Sad (Medina: Dr al-Mathir, 2002) 2 vols.
13
Companion to the Qurn, has drawn attention to the importance of studying al-Durr. 47
Moreover, in his major work on the formation of the tafsr tradition, Saleh remarked,
Al-Suys work, the only work to have relied heavily on these authors, is thus a
fundamental source for us. We await a study of this work.48
I have already mentioned a ove Eliza eth Mary Sartains study of the life of alSuy, and al-Dhaha s study of tafsrs in history, including those of al-Suy. I will
now survey some other significant works on al-Suy and his contributions to Qurnic
studies. An article by Andrew Rippin deals with the function of reports about the
occasions of revelation (asbb al-nuzl) of specific Qurnic segments. The article
mentions al-Suys monograph on that su ject.49 In 1968 Kenneth Nolin wrote his
dissertation on the Itqn.50 Since then, surprisingly little has been written on the subject,
as if Nolins work is itself the itqn in the field. Relying heavily on Nolin, however, Jane
Dammen McAuliffe has broken nearly four decades of silence with her article on the
subject in The Blackwell Companion to the Qurn.51 There is no work I know of in
English that deals directly with al-Durr.
47
Walid A. Saleh, "Hermeneutics: Al-Thala " In The Blackwell Companion to the Qurn, ed.
Andrew Rippin (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006), 324-337; p. 337, n. 1.
48
Walid A. Saleh, The Formation of the Classical Tafsr Tradition: The Qurn Commentary of
Al-Thalab (d. 427/1035) (Leiden: Brill, 2004) p. 226.
49
Andrew Rippin, "The Function of Asbb-Al-Nuzl in Qurnic Exegesis," Cambidge: Bulletin of

the School of Oriental and African Studies-University Press of London vol. 51, pt. 1, pp. 1-20, (1988); alSuyi, Lubb an-nuql f asbb al-nuzl, ed. Muammad Muammad Tamir (Cairo: Maktabat alThaqfah al-Dnyyah, 2004).
50
Kenneth Edward Nolin, "The Itqn and its Sourcesa Study of al-Itqan f ulm al-Qurn by
Jall al-Dn al-Suyi, with Special Reference to al-Burhn f ulm al-Qurn by Badr al-Din al-Zarkash,"
(Ph.D. thesis, Hartford Seminary, 1968).
51
Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Exegetical Sciences in Andrew Rippin, ed. The Blackwell
Companion to the Qurn (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006) pp. 403-419.
14
As one might expect, there is no shortage of works in Arabic on al-Suy. On alSuys linguistic skills is Naj bt. Amad al-ahhrs Juhd al-Imm Jall al-Dn alSuy f ilm-l-man.52 There is a comprehensive collection of articles dealing with
several issues related to al-Suy: al-Imm Jall al-Dn al-Suy faqhan wa lughawyan
wa muaddithan wa mujtahidan, edited by Muammad Tawfq A Al and Slih
Qishmir.53
A few recent Arabic works deal with ulm al-Qurn, tafsr in general, and alDurr in particular. Muammad Yusuf al-Shur ajs, al-Imm al-Suy wa juhduh f
ulm al-Qurn deals with the three subjects.54 Its treatment of al-Durr is quite
informative, yet limited in scope. In the same vein is the unpublished work al-Imm
Jall al-Dn al-Suy wa juhduh f-l-tafsr wa ulm al-Qurn by Abdul Fattah
Khalifa al-Farnawn.55 A slightly different ordering of words is reflected in the title of
Al-Hasan . Suwards MA thesis: al-Imm al-Suy wa juhduh f ulm al-Qurn
wa-l-tafsr.56
Only a few Arabic works focus specifically on al-Durr. One such work
concentrates on the adths included in al-Durr which speak of the virtues of Qurnic
verses: Ahdth fail al-Qurn al-karm min al-Durr al-manthr li-l-Suy by Hind
52
Naj bt. Amad al-ahhr, Juhd al-Imm Jall al-Dn al-Suy f ilm-l-man (Riyadh:
Maktabat al-Rushd, 2012).
53
Muammad Tawfq A Al and Slih Qishmir, editors, al-Imm Jall al-Dn al-Suy
faqhan wa lughawyan wa muaddithan wa mujtahidan (Beirut: Dr al-Taqr , 2001) 538 pp.
54
Muammad Yusuf al-Shur aj, al-Imm al-Suyi wa juhduh f ulm al-Qurn (Damascus:
Dr al-Maktabi, 1421/2000).
55
A dul Fattah Khalfa al-Farnawn, al-Imm Jall al-Dn al-Suy wa juhduh f-l-tafsr wa
ulm al-Qurn (Al-Azhar University Press, 1974).
56
Al-Hasan . Suward, al-Imm al-Suy wa juhduh f ulm al-Qurn wa-l-tafsr (MA thesis).
15
Muammad b. Al al-Jrallah.57 In the subtitle the author has clearly outlined the scope
of her work on these adths: Takhrjuh wa dirsatu asndih wa-l-ukm alayh
(Identifying their sources, studying their chains of transmission, and passing judgment on
them).
Some of these works draw attention to foreign elements such as Israelite tales in
al-Durr. Such is the thesis al-Dakhl f kitb al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr bi-l-mathr
li-l-Suy y Nawl A d al-Majd Tamm.58 The subtitle indicates that the author
concentrated on the exegesis of the twenty-third to the thirty-ninth srahs of the Qurn.
That work complements the work of Mun Muammad Munr Ysuf.59 The titles of the
two works are identical. But whereas the su title of the first indicates the studys focus on
one portion of the Qurn, the subtitle of the second indicates a focus on another portion:
the twelfth to twenty-second Qurnic chapters. Along the same lines is the doctoral work
of Ilhm Ysuf a: al-Dakhl wa-l-isrlyt f tafsr al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr
bi-l-mathr li-l-Suy.60
57
Hind Muammad b. Ali al-Jrallah, Ahdth fail al-Qurn al-karm min al-Durr al-manthr
li-l-Suy Takhrjuh wa dirsatu asndih wa-l-ukm alayh (M.A. Thesis: Al-Risah al-mmah,
Riyadh. 1993).
58
Nawl A d al-Majd Tamm, al-Dakhl f kitb al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr bi-l-mathr li-lSuy Taqq wa dirsa min awwali srat al-muminn il khir surat al-zumar (MA thesis: al-Azhar
59
Mun Muammad Munr Ysuf, al-Dakhl f kitb al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr bi-l-mathr lil-Suy Taqq wa dirsa min awwali srat ysuf il khir surat al-ajj, (M.A. thesis: al-Azhar University
Press, n.d.).
60
Ilhm Ysuf a, al-Dakhl wa-l-isrlyt f tafsr al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr bi-lmathr li-l-Suy (Ph.D. Thesis: Al-Azhar University Press, 1986).
16
It is my hope that the present study of al-Durr will add to this body of literature
and serve to increase our comprehension of its contents, its purpose, and its place in the
history of tafsr.
Thesis Outline
What follows is an outline of my thesis. The first chapter summarizes the life and
accomplishments of al-Suy. I draw attention to both his remarkable literary
accomplishments and his controversial views.
The second chapter examines al-Suys sources, and his reasons for composing
a tradition-based exegesis. I also delve into the mysterious relationship between al-Durr
and al-Suys lost tradition-based tafsr. I show that al-Durr is an expansion of the lost
work.
In the third chapter I show that al-Suy has drawn together an extraordinary
number of exegetical traditions containing legends. He presents such traditions in a fair
light, even in cases where earlier tradition-based tafsrs had dubbed the stories as Israelite
tales. I also show that two significant subsequent tafsrs, those of al-Shawkn and alls, have een influenced y al-Suys inclusion of these stories. Al-Suys
influence on these two exegetes will likewise be shown with reference to the themes of
my next four chapters.
In my fourth chapter I show that, while explicating Qurnic verses in praise of
wisdom (ikmah), the earlier tradition-based tafsrs attempted to reduce ikmah to the
sunnah, the practice of Muammad. On the other hand, al-Suy reclaimed the meaning
of ikmah as wisdom. He also illustrated the fruits of wisdom by supplying a large
num er of traditions highlighting the wisdom of Solomon and Luqmn.
17
My fifth chapter continues to deal with wisdom pronouncements, but now of

Jesus. In his exegesis of Qurn 3:48, al-Suy included one hundred and four traditions
depicting Jesus wisdom. The inclusion of such a large stock of traditions depicting the
wisdom of Jesus renders al-Suys exegesis of that verse a unique moment in the history
of tafsr. Al-Suy also depicted the Christ Child as espousing allegorical scriptural
exegesis. Moreover al-Suy showed Jesus to be a wandering ascetic. Thus oth Jesus
exegesis and his lifestyle have been made to conform to al-Suys f expectations.
The sixth chapter shows al-Suys extraordinary interest in the political and
sectarian conflicts that split the early Muslim communities. His daring inclusion of
traditions naming significant early personages as perpretrators of fitnah (civil strife)
makes his exegesis distinct from the earlier tradition- ased ones. Though a Sunn, alSuy has included traditions which Shs have used in their anti-Sunn polemics.
In my seventh chapter I show that al-Suy had a special interest in qirt
(readings) of the Qurn. He included in al-Durr traditions mentioning a wide range of
early readings. Moreover, he developed in his Itqn a special theory that justifies the use
of such readings in Qurnic exegesis.
In my final chapter I draw together various minor conclusions reached in the
previous chapters to show how these altogether indicate the major conclusion from this
study: that al-Suys exegesis is a response to the radical hermeneutics of I n
Taymyah.
18
Chapter 1
The Life and Works of al-Suy

1.1 Life
As a prelude to our examination of al-Durr al-manthr, I will set forth here an
outline of the life of its author. The life of al-Suy, A al-Fal A d al-Ramn . A
Bakr b. Muammad, has already been amply described by E. M. Sartain in her Jall alDn al-Suyi: Biography and Background.61 It will therefore suffice here to provide a
brief sketch of his life with special attention to those events which have some bearing on
his exegetical activity in general and on his al-Durr al-manthr in particular. A d alRamn . A Bakr was orn in Cairo in 849/1445.62 In recognition of his scholarship,
he came to be called Jall al-Dn (the glory of the religion). I will refer to him simply as
al-Suy (a reference to Asyt in Upper Egypt which his father left behind when he
moved up to Cairo).63
Primary biographical information on al-Suy is abundant. He has written an
autobiography al-Taadduth bi nimat Allh (Speaking of the blessings of God), edited
61
M. Sartain, Jall al-Dn Al-Suyi: Biography and Background (Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press, 1975). A -l-Fal is a nickname (kunyah).
62
Sartain, p. 24.
63
His nisbah (toponymic appellation) might therefore be expected to be al-Asyi. However, the
other spelling represents a smoother pronunciation, and this is what al-Suys father preferred as the
familys designation.
19
and introduced by Sartain.64 Al-Suy has also written usn al-muarah, a history of
Cairo, in which he himself is featured.65 Aside from this, biographical details can be
gleaned from many of his writings. Moreover, some of al-Suys students have written
biographies of their teacher. Al-Shdhil has composed Bahjat al-bidn bi-tarjamat
fi al-asr Jall al-Dn.66 Another student, Shams al-Dn al-Dwd, wrote Tarjamat
al-Suy which survives only in manuscript form.67
Al-Suy was nurtured in a scholarly environment in which many state-supported
Islamic teaching institutions were established. Among the remarkable literary productions
of the period is the extensive adth commentary of Ibn ajar (d. 852/1448) and, more
notable for its innovativeness, the Qurn exegesis of al-Biq (d. 885/1480).68 Al-Suy
recalls that when he was only three years old he had accompanied his father to Ibn
ajars lectures on adth.
Al-Suys father, of Persian origin, had taught Shfi law in Cairo where he
also acted as a su stitute Qd. Al-Suy was merely six years old when his father died.
The boy was subsequently cared for, and taught, y his fathers scholarly friends such as
64
E. M. Sartain, Jall al-Dn al-Suyi: Biography and Background (Cambridge: Cambridge

65
Al-Suy, usn al-muarah f trkh Mir wa-l-Qhirah (Cairo: 'Is al-Ba al-ala , 1967-
68).
66
Abd al-Qadir al-Shdhil, Bahjat al-bidn bi-tarjamat fi al-asr Jall al-Dn, ed. Abd alIlah Na hn (Damascus: Majma al-Lughat al-Arabiyya, 1998).
67
Shams al-Din al-Dwd, Tarjamat al-Suy. Sartain was able to access microfilms of this
work from Stiftung Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Depot der Staatsbibliothek (see Sartain, p. ix).
68
Ibn ajar al-Asqaln. Fath al-br bi shar sa al-Bukhr (Cairo: Dr al-adth, 1998);
I rahim . Umar al- Biq, Nam al-durar f tansub al-yt wa-l-suwar (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub alIlmiyyah, 2006).
20
Jall al-Dn al Maall (d. 864/1459). By his eighth birthday, al-Suy had memorized
the Qurn. At eighteen, he inherited his fathers position as teacher of Shfi law at the
mosque of Shaykh, and he egan issuing juristic rulings as well. At twenty-two years of
age he was dictating adth at the mosque of Ibn uln where his father had een a
preacher. In doing so, al-Suy was determined to revive a practice that had been out of
vogue since the death of Ibn ajar almost two decades earlier. Nominated by his teacher
al-Kfiyaj (d. 879/1474), and supported y the Mamlk amr, he obtained the post of
adth teacher at the Shaykhnyah a year later.69
In the year 891/1486, when al-Suy was just over forty years old, he decided to
give up his teaching positions in order to devote his time to research and writing. It was
not a complete retreat from public life, as he was in the same year appointed in a largely
administrative role as shaykh of the fs at the Bay arsyah Khnqah.70 He retained a
similar post, which he held since he was twenty-five years old, as shaykh of the fs at
the mausoleum of Barqq al-Nir, the late governor of Syria.71 He also retained his
room in the mosque of Ibn uln where he kept his ooks, and where he may have
conducted much of his study.72
1.2 Controversies
Al-Suy was surrounded y scholars who were always on guard to preserve
tradition and always watchful to weed out innovations, deviations, and heresies. Al-
69
Sartain, p. 42.
70
Sartain, pp. 25-26, 45, and 82.
71
Sartain, pp. 44-45.
72
Sartain, p. 46.
21
Suy was himself very much at home with such traditionalism. He had, for example,
ruled against the study of logic since he was eighteen.73 He considered the study of adth
the noblest of all the sciences, and believed that God had guided him to the study of that
very science as a suitable substitute for any dabbling in the ways of the Greeks.74 Hence
he had been inspired to love the practice of the Prophet (the sunnah) and to hate
innovations (bidah).75 Al-Suy was thus constrained not only by the criticisms of other
scholars, but also by his own traditionalism.
Nevertheless, aware of the power of his pen, which he was ever ready to wield in
his own defence, al-Suy provoked his critics time and again. He prompted several
acrimonious disputes due to his willingness to test his fellow scholars tolerance for
innovations, and his constant pro ing at the oundaries of orthodoxy. As noted y Iyd
Khlid al- a
, it is as a result of such activity that we now possess a stock of articles
and counter-articles depicting the dispositions of al-Suy and his opponents.76

According to al-Sakhw (d. 902/1497) in his al-aw al-lmi f ayn al-qarn al-tsi,
al-Suys written denunciation of logic is a copy of I n Taymyahs anathema of the
science.77 In his defense, al-Suy pointed out that in those days he had not even read Ibn
73
Sartain, p. 33.
74
For the orthodox resistance to logic more generally, see Mufti Ali, A Statistical Portrait of the
Resistance to Logic y Sunni Muslim Scholars: Based on the Works of Jall al-Dn al-Suy in Islamic
Law and Society 15 (2008) 250-67.
75
Sartain, pp. 32-33.
76
Iyd Khlid al- a , al-Imm al-fi Jall al-Dn al-Suy malamatu-l-ulm al-Islmiyya
(Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 1997) p. 82.
77
Muammad . A d al-Ramn al-Sakhw, al-aw al-lmi li-ahl al-qarn al-tsi (Cairo:

Maktabat al-Quds, 1934-36) vol. 4, p. 66; Sartain, p. 54.
22
Taymyahs Naat ahl al-mn f-l-radd al maniq al-ynn (Advice for the faithful:
in refutation of the logic of the Greeks).78
In his mid-twenties, al-Suy fell into further disputation when he defended the
f poet Umar . al-Fri (d. 632/1235) who had een accused of heresy. The latters
expressions in al-Qadah al-iyyah (The ode rhyming in the letter t) convinced some
scholars that he believed in ull and ittid (the divine spirits incarnation in, or union
with, man).79 On the other hand, al-Suy believed that Ibn al-Fri was one of Gods
saints whose poetic language was misunderstood. Hence al-Suy took issue with his
contemporaries for casting aspersions on a pious man who had been dead for three
centuries. Al-Suy made a similar defence of yet another famously controversial f,
Muhy-l-Dn I n Ara (d. 638/1240). In oth cases al-Suy aimed for compromise by
suggesting that the controversial books be banned lest laypersons should misunderstand
the poetic license employed therein.80 Many articles composed by al-Suy in response
to these and other disputes are mentioned in his autobiography, and have been
conveniently collected in his al-w li-l-fatw (The receptacle of juristic
determinations).81
78
I n Taymyah, Kitb al-radd al al-maniqyn naat ahl al-mn f al-radd al maniq alYnn ed. A d al-amad Sharaf al-Dn al-Kutu and Muammad alah Bill Minyr (Beirut: Muassat
al-Rayyan, 2005). See also Wael B. Hallaq, Ibn Taymiyya against the Greek logicians (trans. of Jahd alqarah f tajrd al-naah) (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993).
79
For this definition of the two terms, taken together, see Sartain, p. 54. For a detailed discussion
of each term, see EI2, Ittid, and ull.
80
Sartain, p. 55.
81
Al-Suy, al-w li-l-fatw (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 2004) 2 vols.
23
About three years before his fortieth birthday, al-Suy made public his selfassessment that he had achieved the status of a mujtahid (one qualified to perform ijtihd,
independent juristic reasoning). Appropriating to himself such a lofty status, al-Suy
thus stirred some controversy resulting in significant disputations in the year 889/1484.
His claim was met with two main objections.
First, his opponents believed that the gates of ijtihd had been closed for half of a
millennium.82 Second, the presumed closure of the gates of ijtihd was the corollary of
another presumption: that no one could reach the grade of an independent mujtahid after
the lessed era of the eponyms of the four dominant schools of Sunn jurisprudence. To
deal with these objections, al-Suy composed al-Radd al man akhlada il-l-ar wa
jahila anna-l-ijtihd f kulli asr far (A refutation of those who cling to the earth not
knowing that ijtihd is an obligation in every era).83 That monograph is a sustained
argument in favour of the independent exertion of juristic effort. Al-Suy supported his
argument not only with references to the Qurn but also by appealing to previous
scholars, including scholars postdating the fourth centurythe date of the presumed
closure.
Responding to the second objection, al-Suy assures his readers that he is
merely claiming the right to absolute ijtihd (ijtihd mulaq). He explains that he is not
claiming the right to independent ijtihd (ijtihd istiqll), for he remains a follower of the
82
Sartain, p. 66.
83
Al-Suy, al-Radd al man akhlada il-l-ard wa jahila anna-l-ijtihd f kulli asr far (Beirut:
Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyya, 1983). See Sartain, pp. 63-64.
24
Shfi school.84 He writes further that he is an absolute attached mujtahid (mujtahid

mulaq muntasib), and that he is therefore not independent (mustaqill) of his legal school.
In sum, he maintains that he follows the principles of the school as set out y Imm alShfi, but he is free to arrive at new rulings based on those principles.85
However, a third objection was launched against his claimed status of mujtahid. It
was suggested that one of the prerequisites of such a rank was a knowledge of logic, the
very subject which al-Suy had once declared arm (prohibited). Not to be defeated on
this score, al-Suy rushed to demonstrate his knowledge of the subject. It was then that
he wrote awn al-maniq wa-al-kalm (The safeguarding of logic and dialectic theology),
a summary of Ibn Taymyahs ook cautioning against the logic of the Greeks.86
Al-Suy was not ashful a out his accomplishments. Among the many su jects
he had studied, he boasted of his mastery of seven: tafsr, adth, fiqh (jurisprudence),
naw (syntax), and rhetoric. Rhetoric consisted of three subjects: man (word order),
bayn (figures of speech), and bad (embellishment).87 Of the seven subjects altogether,
al-Suy claims the status of ijtihd not only in fiqh, as already seen above, but also in
adth and in the Arabic language.88 How one can be a mujtahid in adth and in the
Arabic language required an explanation. However, al-Suy furnished such an
84
Al-Suy, al-Radd, p. 116.
85
Sartain, p. 64.
86
Al-Suy, awn al-maniq wa-al-kalm (Cairo: Maktabat al-Khnj, 1947); Wael B. Hallaq, Ibn
Taymiyya against the Greek logicians (trans. of Jahd al-qarah f tajrd al-naah) (Oxford: Oxford
87
For the meaning of these and other rhetorical terms see Hussein Abdul-Raof, Arabic Rhetoric: A
Pragmatic Analysis (New York: Routledge, 2006) pp. 278-90.
88
Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 205.
25
explanation in his autobiography. A brief summary will suffice here. A mujtahid in the
Arabic language must have mastered the works of the grammarians from S awayh (d.
180/796) to al-Suys day, and must e familiar with most of the Ara ic poetry which
have been used as proof-texts in discussions among grammarians.89 As for adth, one
achieves the coveted status of mujtahid when one reaches such a level of proficiency that
his pronouncements on the validity of individual adths are considered authoritative.90
To al-Suy, the title hfi (memorizer) of adths, already commonly used, indicates the
same status as does the title mujtahid.91
1.3 Mujaddid
Aware of the extent of his readings, and the proliferation of his writings, al-Suy
was convinced that he was the greatest scholar of his time. Hence he did not stop at the
claim of being a mujtahid, but aspired to an even higher rank. Near the close of the ninth
century, he expressed the hope that he would be the mujaddid, the renewer of the
religion, for that century.92 For, according to a adth recorded in the collection of A
Dwd, someone will arise at the turn of every century to perform this vital function.93
As Landau-Tasseron notes, the adths expression ras al-sanah could mean the head of
89
90
91
92
Sartain, p. 69.
93
For a discussion of this adth, see Ella Landau-Tasseron, The cyclical reform: a study of the
mujaddid tradition in The adth: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies ed. Mustafa Shah (New York:
Routledge, 2010) 4 vols., vol. 4, pp. 177-207. The adth occurs at the head of A Dwds chapter Kitb
al-malim (The Book of Apocalyptic Battles).
26
the century, ut the expression was commonly taken to mean the turn of the century.94
On that basis, Umar b. Abd al-Aziz (d. 101/720) was accepted as the first such
reformer, followed by the Imam al-Shfi (d. 204/820). Both these savants had survived
the turn of their respective centuries. However, disagreement remains over the identity of
the reformers pertaining to the subsequent centuries.
Likewise, al-Suys self-proclaimed candidacy is far from settled, although
some significant scholars accept the claim. Al-Am d, the commentator on A
Dwds Sunan, provides a list of the savants who have been considered to be the
reformers over the centuries. In that list al-Suy occupies the position for the ninth
century.95 However, al-Suy was aware that, according to some adths, a mujaddids
qualifications for the status will be acknowledged by his contemporaries.96 It is in
securing such recognition that al-Suy had the greatest difficulty. For, whereas among
his contemporaries he had many admirers, he also had his share of detractors who
rejected his claim.97 Sartain wrote: But he was most certainly not recognized as a
mujaddid by his contemporaries, who found his conceit intolerable, even in an age in
which self-praise was not unusual.98
94
Landau-Tasseron, p. 197, n. 1.
95
Al-Am d, Awn al-Mabd Sharh Sunan Ab Dwd (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr, n.d.) vol. 11, p.
392, in Al-Marji al-akbar li-l-turth al-Islm, 3rd edition (Beirut, Elariss, n. d.), flash disk, hereinafter alMarji flash disk.
96
Sartain, pp. 69-70.
97
Landau-Tasseron, p. 182.
98
Sartain, p. 71.
27
Al-Suy had studied the cyclical reform tradition carefully, and had gone over
the history of the candidacy for this role thoroughly. In his autobiography, he had
systematically listed the known reformers over the centuries according to divergent lists
approved by various notable scholars. Finally, he concludes the nineteenth chapter of his
autobiography, where the story of his life ends, with these words:99
Here we are in the year eight hundred and ninety-six. Neither the Mahd nor Jesus
has come. Moreover, the signs that should presage their imminent arrival have not
appeared. Perhaps this writer, who is in need of the favour of God, should hope
that God will favour him to be the reformer at the turn of the century. And that is
not difficult for God.100
As Sartain explained, al-Suy would have to remain alive for another few years
until the beginning of the following century if he were to qualify for the position he so
desired. And this he could not guarantee. Such uncertainty explains the tentative nature of
al-Suys claim. But this is not the end of the matter. Al-Suy subsequently wrote a
separate treatise, Kitb al-tanbiah bi-man yabathuhu Allh ala ras al-miah (The book
of the prophecy regarding the one whom God will commission at the turn of the
century).101 In writing that treatise, al-Suy expressed greater confidence that he would
survive the single year that remained of the ninth century.102
The purpose of al-Suys mention of the Mahd and of Jesus ecomes clearer in
his al-w. He needed to prove that the Muslim community will itself survive into
99
In the remaining two chapters he merely lists his positions on controversial issues regarding fiqh
(chapter 20) and adth (chapter 21).
100
Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 227, trans. mine. For a partial alternative translation see LandauTasseron, p. 182.
101
Landau-Tasseron, p. 199, n. 32.
102
Sartain, p. 69.
28
another century so as to be in need of another reformer. Already at the end of the eighth
century, there was an expectation in Egypt that the promised reformer at the turn of the
century would e either the Mahd or Jesus.103 As the ninth century now drew to a close,
that unfulfilled expectation was replaced with new hope that the two personages will
appear at the dawn of the tenth century, and that the close of the millennium will mark
the end of the world. A religious verdict was even in circulation to that effect, and was
brought to the attention of al-Suy who had to clarify the matter. In his al-w he
writes that he had composed a tract which he entitled al-Kashf an mujwazat hdh-lummah al-alf (The unveiling of this communitys crossing over of the millennium).104 He
now briefly explains the contents of that tract. According to al-Suy, the Mahd will
precede the Dajjl (Antichrist) y seven years, and it is this latter figure that will arise at
the turn of a century.105 Now it is known that Jesus in his second advent will remain with
us for forty years after slaying his antithesis. Eventually the sun will rise from the west.
Between this cosmic reversal and the first blowing of the trumpet one hundred and
twenty years will pass. And between the two trumpet blasts there will be forty years. This
amounts to at least two hundred years, whereas at the time of al-Suys writing only one
hundred and two years remained of the current millennium.
Hence from al-Suys vantage point the apocalypse could not occur soon. It was
impossi le for the Dajjl to arise at the turn of the present century, ecause only two
years of it remained, and thus far there had een no sign of the Mahd. Therefore the
103
104
Al-Suy, al-aw, vol. 2. p. 104.
105
29
Dajjl must make his entry at least a hundred years later at the turn of another century.106
Relying on certain adth, al-Suys contemporaries had presumed that these events
would all unfold within the first millennium. However, al-Suy explains, with reference
to other aadth, that the world is set to last seven millennia, of which Muammad was
commissioned in the latter half of the sixth.107 Hence the upper limit on the life of the
ummah is fifteen hundred years and not merely a millennium as some scholars supposed.
Yet al-Suy could not set a definite date for the apocalypse, because his sources do not
specify the period that must elapse between the rise of the Antichrist and the reversal of
the suns natural course. Nonetheless, al-Suy had no hesitation in declaring that there
was room for at least one more reformer as the ninth century neared its end. It was his
hope that he would be blessed with that distinction.
1.4 Disappointment and Seclusion

As we have seen, al-Suy did not succeed in securing his contemporaries
recognition of him as the greatest scholar of his era. His principal detractor al-Sakhw
criticized him for acquiring his knowledge from books rather than through
companionship with living scholars. Al-Sakhw saw al-Suys sole reliance on ooks
as being a reason for the presence of spelling errors and other mistakes in al-Suys
works. Aside from pestering him with many petty claims, al-Sakhw also accused him of
passing off the works of other scholars as his own after copying them from the
Mamdiyyah library and other repositories of old books. Moreover, the same critic
106
Al-Suy, al-aw, vol. 2. pp. 104-5.
107
30
culled together a list of books which, he claimed, al-Suy stole from Ibn ajar.108 AlSuy responded to charges of plagiarism by explaining that he always attributes to his
sources whatever material he copies. Indeed, as noted by Sartain, al-Suy usually
attributes copied material to their sources; and al-Suy often reminds his readers of his
personal commitment to continue doing so.109
Another disparager, I rhm . A d al-Ramn . Muammad . Isml alKarak (d. 922/1516), known as I n al-Karak, proved more dangerous to al-Suy not
for the quality of his complaints but for his influence with the Sultan Qyt y. We know
of his accusations only indirectly, by reading al-Suys responses. That al-Suy should
bother to respond to some of these criticisms reveals something about his determination
to defend his reputation against the most insignificant of charges. Al-Suy stooped to
answer the ad hominem cavil, for example, that his mother was a Circassian whose
ancestors were from Persia. Al-Suy responded by saying that genealogy is traced
through paternity, and that, in any case, most of the great people of the nation were sons
of such foreign concubines. Moreover, the union of an Arab father and a non-Arab
mother produces sons in whom are combined the best of both worlds in terms of
constitution, character and charm. Finally, al-Suy declared himself satisfied that his
father was a descendant of the Prophets companions.110
If his entanglement with his fellow scholars was limited to verbal and written
exchanges, al-Suy faced a greater danger from the rulers of his day, and, surprisingly,
108
Sartain, pp. 74-75.
109
Sartain, p. 76.
110
Sartain, pp. 78-79.
31
from his fellow fs. As mentioned above, al-Suy was shaykh of the fs at the tomb
of Barqq. Eventually, supervision of the tom fell under the auspices of the sultan
Qyt y. The sultan demanded that the shaykh should come up to the Citadel, the sultans
residence, at the beginning of each month. Al-Suy ignored that demand on the
principle that it is contrary to the custom of the salaf (the predecessors) to frequently visit
rulers. Al-Suy was eventually issued an official command to show up at the Citadel,
and he had to obey. But he was not in the mood to tolerate any display of ignorance of
Islamic practices or any challenge to his own knowledge. The sultan suggested that the
aylasn, the head-covering al-Suy was wearing, indicated that he belonged to the
Mlik school of Islamic jurisprudence. It was not sufficient for al-Suy to simply
clarify that Shfis too have been accustomed to wearing it, though not recently. This
rather became a point of contention between him and Ibn al-Karak whom al-Suy
suspected of constantly stirring up the sultan against him. Al-Suy insisted that the
aylasn is a sunnah of Muslims; but Ibn al-Karak characterized it as a practice of the
Jews. As was his custom, al-Suy did not lay the matter to rest without writing a
collection of adths indicating the virtues of the said headgear.111
Five months later, the sultan intended to pay out the usual stipends to al-Suy
and his fellow fs, for which purpose they were all summoned to the Citadel. But, the
shaykh stuck to his principles and refused to go. As might be expected, the salaries were
paid only to those who were present. What bothered al-Suy most about this incident
was not the withholding of his stipend, but the quietude of other scholars who failed to
support his principled stand. He thus resigned in disgust from his position as shaykh of
111
Sartain, pp. 88-89.
32
the fs at the tom of Barqq and wrote a tract proving his alignment with the pious
predecessors on this matter. The matter did not end there, as the sultan could not ignore
the insolence of his subject. Al-Suy was summoned to the Citadel with such urgency
that the chief q sent someone to plead with him, suggesting an intermediary who
might help gain access to the sultans etter dispositions. But al-Suy was spared the
effort, as the sultan soon became ill and died (901/1496). Al-Suy was certain that this
outcome was due to his own prayers.112
But the death of Qyt y did not mark the end of al-Suys struggles with the
temporal powers of his day. He received some reprieve when he managed to persuade the
caliph al-Mutawakkil al Allh A d al-Aziz to appoint him as q-l-quh al-akbar
(chief judge of judges). But this was not to last. The caliph was merely a titular head
ratifying each new sultans ascent to power but exercising no functional authority. The
new sultan Muammad . Qyt y was only fourteen years of age, ut al-Suys
opponents did not see the sultans young age as a reason for the caliph to ypass him in
such matters. Pressured by the qs, the caliph rescinded his offer.113
As for the fs at the Bay arsyah khnqah, al-Suy suffered at their hands as
well. The years between the death of the senior Qyt y and the rise of sultan Qnh alGhawr (906/1501) witnessed a quick turnover of leadership, and some depletion of the
state treasury. To deal with this ecomomic crisis, levies were administered against some
of the endowment funds available to support the fs. Working with a tight budget, alSuy had to make decisions on the allotment of stipends. He defended his own right,
112
Sartain, pp. 88-90.
113
Sartain, pp. 92-94.
33
being a scholar, to reserve for himself his usual allowance in accordance with the
stipulations of the endowment. On the other hand, he curtailed the allowances to those in
his charge. He justified the cutback by arguing that on the strict enforcement of the terms
of the endowment some would not qualify for even the reduced amount, being as they are
pseudo-fs. Naturally, many of the fs were dissatisfied with this outcome. But, to alSuys surprise, ill-feeling rose to such heights that the fs one day picked him up and
threw him into a fountain. That occurred in the year 903/1498.114
Despite this humiliating episode, al-Suy stubbornly retained his position as
shaykh of the fs at the Bay arsyah. But when Tmn y ecame sultan in 906/1501,
he supported the fs who called for their shaykhs dismissal. Not satisfied with merely
sacking al-Suy, however, the sultan wanted him dead, this being a culmination of ill
will he harboured since the years before his sultan-ship. Credible reports were circulating
indicating that Tmn y threatened to have al-Suy quartered. A warrant was issued
for his arrest, but al-Suy, taking advantage of a moments grace to use the athroom,
managed to slip away from the sultans emissary. Al-Suy was thenceforth effectively,
if not by decree, dismissed from his post at the khnqah. He remained in hiding, but not
for long, as Tmn ys own head was severed just three months into his rule. Qnh
al-Ghawr was much etter disposed to al-Suy, and wanted to restore his honour by
having him appointed as the shaykh of his newly built madrasah at the center of Cairo.
But by now the scholar was too bitter from his experiences to choose anything but a
114
Sartain, pp. 94-95.
34
complete retirement from all public engagement. He thus spent the remaining few years
of his life at home on the island al-Rawah on the Nile writing and rewriting his books.115
1.5 Spirituality
Al-Suys f spiritual side represents an interesting aspect of his thought. His
interest in Sufism is indicated by his supervision of fs at two centers of spirituality, by
his praise of the Shdhil f path (arqah), and by his defense of the khirqah, a f
dress which he himself wore.116
As with mainstream Muslim scholars at the time, al-Suy took his dreams
seriously. According to al-Suy, in one such dream the Prophet approved of al-Suys
writing of Turjumn al-Qurn, al-Suys earlier tradition-based tafsr.117 That alSuy dreamed of the Prophet Muammad is not surprising. What is surprising is alSuys elief that even in a wakeful state he could see the Prophet.118
Even more surprising is that, as depicted in his autobiography, al-Suy can e
seen on occasion praying to the prophet. For example, Sartain cites al-Suys account of
his contention with the sultan Qyt y as recorded y al-Shadhil.119 Al-Suy warned:
I shall turn to the Apostle of God, may God less him and grant him salvation, to judge
between us and to defend me from him.120 Al-Suy eventually had reason to carry out
115
Sartain, pp. 98-103.
116
Jonathan Brown, adth: Muammads Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (New
York: Oneworld, 2009) pp. 190-91; al-Suy, al-w li-l-fatw, vol. 2, pp 122-23; Sartain, p. 36.
117
Al-Itqn, vol. 4, p. 484.
118
119
Sartain, p. 87.
120
Sartain, p. 89.
35
that threat. He continues: Then I turned to the apostle of God concerning the sultan,
and the sultan became ill two days later. His condition worsened until he died on Sunday,
the twenty-seventh of the same month (7 August 1496).121 These citations betray alSuys elief that prayers to the prophet are effective. I could not find Sartain or anyone
else drawing attention to the peculiar nature of that belief. To me, that belief is one of the
most surprising elements of al-Suys thought, and I am puzzled y the silence of the
secondary sources in the face of it. To be sure, Sartain did mention in a summary manner,
without reference to any specific beliefs, that al-Suy was superstitious.122
It may be noted, finally, that one aspect of al-Suys character gets repeated
mention, such that a summary treatment of his life and thought may seem incomplete
without some attention to it. Sartain wrote:
It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that al-Suys failure to gain the pu lic
recognition which he so craved was due, not to any lack of academic
qualifications, but to his proud and cantankerous nature.123
Likewise, Landau-Tasseron wrote: The case of al-Suy is perhaps exceptional
being as he was peerless in his vanity. 124 Chase Ro insons summation of al-Suys
achievements reflects a similar observation about his character:
There is, finally, the great polymath-historian Jall al-Dn al-Suy, who, in
addition to holding two madrasa teaching posts, held administrative posts in two
f institutionsposts that offered steady salaries, stipends and students. The
com ination of extraordinary productivity and prolixity , readth , and
121
Sartain, p. 90.
122
Sartain, p. 114.
123
Sartain, p. 116.
124
36
shameless self-promotion , made al-Suy very controversial. In all of this he

represents Mamlk-era learning at its best and worst.125
1.6 Literary Accomplishments

Al-Suy composed six hundred works, some of which are commonplace in
Islamic studies.126 According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, he is the most prolific writer
in all of Islamic history. Roy Jackson, in his Fifty Key Figures in Islam, considers alSuy one of the most celebrated scholars from the medieval period of Islamic history.127
His range of scholarship may be seen from the variety of subjects on which he has left
written works. His works span the full spectrum of Islamic studies including tafsr,
adth, History, and Arabic grammar.
Al-Shdhil su divides his teachers literary productions under the following
subject headings: the Qurn and its exegesis; adth; the classifications of adth;
jurisprudence; the principles of jurisprudence; the principles of the religion; Sufism;
language; rhetoric; metaphors; literature; rarities; composition; poetry; history; and a
combination of other arts.128 In presenting al-Suys iography, Sartains purpose was
merely to provide a historical outline of the main events in the life of the medieval
polymath. She decided that she would make no attempt to evaluate al-Suys works.
Rather, Sartain left the proper assessment of the savants literary accomplishments to
125
Chase Robinson, Islamic Historiography (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003) pp.
169-70.
126
McAuliffe, Jane Dammen, Exegetical Sciences in Andrew Rippin, ed. The Blackwell
Companion to the Qurn. (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006) pp. 403-419, p. 404. Some researchers attribute a
larger number of works to al-Suy. For example, al- a lists 1194 titles (pp. 314-405).
127
Roy Jackson, Fifty Key Figures in Islam (New York: Routledge, 2006).
128
Sartain, p. 46.
37
specialists in various fields.129 Given that my objective is to assess al-Suys al-Durr almanthr, it will suffice for me to survey here some of his other significant literary
accomplishments.
In his autobiography, al-Suy listed his works in seven strata in the order of the
importance he accords them. In the first stratum are eighteen books which he deems
peerless, including four works on exegesis, one of which is the subject of our present
study. Of the other three, the first is al-Itqn f ulm al-Qurn (The perfection of the
sciences of the Qurn).130 The second is the now lost Turjumn al-Qurn (The
interpreter of the Qurn). And the third is al-Ikll f-stinb al-tanzl (The crown-jewels
of inferences from the revelation).131
In the second level are fifty compositions. Al-Suy does not consider it eyond
the competence of other scholars to produce works comparable to his works of this level.
In this category he includes three of his significant works on tafsr. The first is the
commentary which was begun by al-Maall and was su sequently completed y alSuy.132 The second is al-Suys monograph on the occasions on which various
Qurnic verses were revealed (asbb al-nuzl).133 And the third is al-Suys shiyah
(super-commentary) on the tafsr of al- Bayw (d. 791/1388).134
129
Sartain, p. vii.
130
Al-Suy, al-Itqn f ulm al-Qurn, ed. Sad al-Mandh (Beirut: Muassat al-Kutub alThaqfiyyah, 2004).
131
Al-Suy, al-Ikll f-stinb al-tanzil, edited y mir . Al al-Ara (Jeddah: Dar alAndalus, 2002).
132
Al-Maall, Jall al-Dn Muammad b. Amad and al-Suyi, Tafsr al-jallayn (Beirut:
Makta at Lu nn, 2000).
133
Al-Suyi, Lubb an-nuql f asbb al-nuzl, ed. Muhammad Muhammad Tamir (Cairo:
Maktabat al-Thaqfah al-Dnyyah, 2004).
38
In the third category of compositions, al-Suy lists seventy smaller but

noteworthy works ranging in size from two to ten notebooks each. A hundred smaller
compositions of a quire each occupy the fourth degree. His fifth category consists of
some eighty fatw, religious verdicts, each penned on more or less a quire. Below this in
status are works of the sixth gradation. These are forty compositions he had written either
as summaries of the works of others or as notes to lectures he had attended while he was
yet a student. He no longer considers these of great worth. Nonetheless, he assures his
readers that these works do contain benefits over and above the writings of others.135 In
this category he included his selections from the exegesis of I n A tim, and from the
now lost exegesis of al-Firy .136
Obviously, al-Suy had the time not only to write, but also to keep track of his
compositions, even his unfinished ones. Of the seventh rank are eighty-three works which
al-Suy had begun, but which he eventually lost interest in completing.137 Interesting for
our study is the first title in this subdivision: Majma al-barayn wa mala al-badrayn
(The meeting of the two seas, and the horizon of the two full moons). This work was to
be a compendium of the best of both worlds: tafsr based on tradition and tafsr based on
134
Al-Bayw, Anwar al-tanzl wa asrr al-tawl or Tafsr al-Baydw ed. Muhammad Abd AlRahman al-Murashli (Beirut: Dar Ehia al-Tourath al-Arabi, 1998). At the time of writing his
autobiography, the said shiyah was incomplete. (See al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 107). After completing
the shiyah, however, al-Suy increased his estimation of its worth (see al-Shdhil, Bahjat al-bidn, p.
122).
135
136
I n A tim, Tafsir Ibn Ab tim (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob Al-Ilmiya, 2006) 7 vols.; al-Suy,
al-Taadduth, p. 127.
137
39
opinion.138 However, al-Suy informs his readers that he had abandoned the project
after writing a few exercise books on the Qurns first chapter, and a commentary on the
108th chapter.139
Since my study is of al-Suys adth-based exegesis, it will be useful to
mention here some of his major works on adth. That he was a master of the discipline
there is no doubt. His students were convinced that their teacher had memorized two
hundred thousand adth. His Jam al-Jawmi is certainly a large stock of adth
spanning many volumes, though it remains incomplete. A summary of this work, done by
the author himself, is al-Jm al-aghr which contains a thousand adth. Al-Suy
also wrote al-Tawsh, a commentary on al-Bukhrs al-Jmi al-a.140
1.7 Unique views

In addition to the controversies mentioned above, al-Suy in his auto iography
details several other controversies in which he was embroiled. I will now mention some
of these controversies. First, before describing the acrimonious debates he had with his
contemporaries, al-Suy assures his readers of his impartiality y providing a detailed
refutation of a fatw once given by his father. He argues that, had he been partial, his
father would have been spared his criticism. After all, he loves his father. Yet such love
cannot stand in the way of truth. Hence his opposition to his contemporaries should not
be taken personally. Rather, he wants it to be understood that his main purpose has
138
See al-Taadduth bi-nimat Allh, p. 129; The Itqn, vol. 2, p. 476.
139
140
Al-Suy, al-Tawsh shar jmi al-a: shar a al-Bukhr (Riyadh: Maktabat alRushd, 1998).
40
always been to serve the cause of knowledge. He adds that God has proscribed the
concealment of knowledge, and has blessed him with the ability of performing ijtihd
which he must now apply in renewing the religion.141 Al-Khuayr, the senior al-Suy,
was asked whether the life spans of individuals are precisely predetermined, or whether
some flexibility remains in this regard. Al-Khuayr gave the common Sunn answer that
the date of ones death is irrevoca ly determined. He olstered his answer with reference
to several Qurnic verses.
But the junior al-Suy respectfully differs, he too referring to several Qurnic
verses, including Qurn 13:39. Al-Suy argues that the age of a person can increase or
decrease in response to prayers; moreover, on a special night of Ramadan, the night of
power, God makes further determinations affecting life and death. In support of this
position he provides many citations from the Qurn, the adth, and traditional
commentaries on the Qurn including those of al- a ar and I n A tim. What does
not change, according to al-Suy, is Gods eternal knowledge. But the written decree,
which is available to the angels, is subject to divine intervention.142 Al-Suys view of
determinism is therefore significantly nuanced.
Second, according to a widely held interpretation, the late afternoon (asr) prayer
is meant by the reference to the middle prayer (al-alt al-wus) in Qurn 2:238.
However, al-Suy recalls that in the year 879 he had presented in a lecture as many as
141
142
Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, pp. 20-31.
41
twenty opinions on what was meant by that reference to the middle prayer.143 In the same
lecture, al-Suy announced his interpretation that the verse refers to the early afternoon
(uhr) prayer. And he followed this announcement with clear proofs. Yet, according to alSuy, a certain ignoramus egan stirring up popular sentiment against him, claiming
that it is the late afternoon (asr) prayer to which the verse refers.144
Third, in the year 888/1484, a controversy arose between two amrs over the
meaning of the Qurnic reference (92:17) to al-atq (the person who is most pious).
Some exegetes, fascinated with tayn al-mubham (finding specific referents for general
indicators) had identified A Bakr as having received divine approval in that verse.145
One amr was thus convinced that A Bakr was the man. The other insisted that the
statement is quite general, and therefore refers to the most pious persons, not necessarily
to A Bakr. The matter was put to scholars for their opinions. The scholar al-Jawjar
conceded that the verse was initially revealed in praise of A Bakr. But al-Jawjar added
that the verses wording is in fact general, and it therefore applies just as well to other
pious persons. In support of his answer, al-Jawjar cited a known interpretive principle.
He argued that the lesson derived from a verse is to be based on the generality of its
143
A discussion of this verse is found in Aisha Geissingers doctoral dissertation, Gendering the
Classical Tradition of Qurn Exegesis: Literary Representations and Textual Authority in Medieval
Islam, (University Press of Toronto, 2008) pp. 210-270. Geissinger was concerned about the way in which
the gender of the narrators of textual variations and Qurnic elaborations played a role in the shaping of
subsequent exegetical opinions. I will be concerned with al-Suys representation of his own opinion in
the form of a strictly traditional commentary which, by definition, should be neutral with regards to the
compilers opinion.
144
145
This is the sort of exegesis Goldziher regarded as sectarian. See Ignaz Goldziher, Schools of
Koranic Commentators, Trans. Wolfgang H. Behn (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 2006). For the
application of the phenomenon to the verse in question, see pp. 193-94. Among the controversies that
followed the death of Muammad, the question of his succession was quite troubling to Muslims.
Supporters of A Bakrs caliphate cited the said verse in his favour.
42
wording, not on the specific circumstance of its revelation (al-ibratu bi-ummi-l-laf l

bi khui-l-sabab).146 But al-Suy, not satisfied with this answer, wrote a refutation to
it.147 For al-Suy, what is at stake here is more than just the meaning of the verse. He is
worried that the allowance given by al-Jawjar weakens the claim of A Bakr to the
caliphate, and thus strengthens the position of the Shs whom he refers to as rfis
(deniers).148 It added much to al-Suys frustration that al-Jawjar, o livious to a
adths designation of A Bakr as the sole referent of Qurn 92:17, refused to likewise
restrict the designation.149
Fourth, al-Ghazl (d. 505/1111) had become the subject of some renewed
controversy over his statement that no better universe is possible than what has been
created (laysa fi-l-imkn abda min m kn).150 Al-Suy complained that even his
contemporary al-Biq (d. 885/1480) joined in criticizing al-Ghazl for that statement.
To al-Biq, al-Ghazl seemed to have adopted a mistaken view ased on the principles
of the philosophers (falsifah) and of the rationalists (mutazilah). While he was in
Damascus, al-Biq wrote a treatise on this pro lem, ut his treatise met with such strong
resistance that the masses there almost killed him. He had to hide at home and not
venture out even for the Friday prayers. He sent his work to Cairo to get the supporting
146
147
Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 186-87.
148
149
150
For a discussion on the controversy this generated, see Eric L. Ormsby, Theodicy in Islamic
thought: the dispute over al-Ghazl's "best of all possible worlds" (Princeton: Princeton University Press,
1984).
43
signatures of the scholars there, and al-Jawjar ratified it. Al-Jawjar added that alGhazls statement is ased on the mutazil principle that God must create that which is
most excellent (qawl al-mutazilah bi-wujub al-ala).
Eventually, the tractate reached al-Suy for his comment. To al-Suy, it was
not plausible to suggest that al-Ghazl adopted a mutazil principle either knowingly or
unwittingly. According to al-Suy, al-Ghazl was too well schooled in Theology to
make such a mistake. Moreover, al-Ghazl had spent his life refuting innovators,
especially the mutazilah. Therefore al-Suy intended to take all of al-Ghazls words
into consideration, pondering them letter for letter. Al-Suy thus aimed at finding a way
of interpreting the controversial statement in conformity with the principles of the Ahl alSunnah. As was his usual practice in handling such controversies, al-Suy wrote a paper
on the subject. He also wrote a shorter paper for wider circulation thus popularizing his
defense of al-Ghazl.151
Fifth, Qurn 75:23 speaks of believers looking at their Lord in the life hereafter,
and one might presume that both male and female believers are intended by that verse.
However, when al-Suy was asked if it is established that women will see God in the
life hereafter, he gave a surprising answer. He replied that there are different opinions on
the question, but the preferred view is that women will not see God except on the days of
d (festival days). Of course al-Suys answer was predicated on his careful
consideration of every adth he could find on the issue. He could not find even a weak
adth mentioning that the weekly viewings which men will enjoy will also be available
to women. Before long, however, the questioner reported to al-Suy that other scholars,
151
44
having disagreed with al-Suys verdict, suggested that the matter e addressed to yet
other scholars in the country. But al-Suy spared no time in producing a pamphlet and a
shorter circular defending his view on the question.152
Such were the heated controversies which al-Suy descri es in his
autobiography. Moreover, after concluding the chronological account of his life, alSuy includes a chapter (chapter 20) in which he summarizes some of the choices
(ikhtiyrt) he has made among competing views on questions of Islamic Law. I will now
briefly recount some of these controversial choices.
First, al-Suy mentions his view that after a womans period ends what makes
sexual intercourse with her husband legal is not necessarily a ghusl (a complete bath) but
merely instinj (her washing of the private area). Al-Suy confesses that his ruling at
this point is contrary to the Shfi madhhab.153 His ruling is, however, based on his
interpretation of an authoritative reading of Qurn 2:222.
Second, al-Suy opposed al-Shfis ruling that the prayer (alt) is invalid
without the recitation of the basmalah at the eginning of the Ftiah (the Qurns first
srah).154 At the heart of the issue is the fact that, whereas the basmalah is normally
written at the head of every srah except the ninth, disagreement remains as to whether
or not it is integral to the srahs. Al-Suy concedes that, according to some accepta le
readings (aruf) of the Qurn, the basmalah is indeed an integral part of those Qurnic
152
153
154
Sartain, pp. 213-14, n. 5. The basmalah refers to the formula: In the Name of God the
Beneficent, the Merciful.
45
chapters at the head of which it has been written in the codices.155 However, he adds that
according to some other equally acceptable readings the basmalah is not an integral part
of those srahs. He adds that these various acceptable reading traditions have been
established on the basis of mutawtir testimonythe testimony of several reciters in
every era. Hence both the inclusion of the basmalah in the Qurnic srahs and the
exclusion of the basmalah have been settled on the basis of firm evidence.156 Therefore
the prayer is valid either with or without the basmalah.
Third, al-Suy pronounced controversial verdicts on several questions pertaining
to the correct observance of the Friday prayers. He rules that the Friday prayer is validly
held in only a single location in a city even if the city is large and the gathering is tight.
He notes that some respectable scholars have permitted the practice of multiplying the
prayer locations due to necessity. However, al-Suy maintains that such a ruling is not
only contrary to the Shfi school but may even be contrary to consensus (ijm). He
adds that if the prayer is offered in more places than one, then the valid prayer will be the
one performed in the old mosque.157 But more generally, aside from the question of the
plurality of prayer locations, the Friday prayer will be validly held if the gathering
consists of at least four persons including the imm. He adds that this is an old opinion of
Imm al-Shfi .158
155
Here I translate aruf as readings. However, for a more complex discussion of the su ject, see
below, Chapter 7.
156
157
158
46
Fourth, in the same section of al-Suys auto iography, a couple of his rulings
show a certain degree of flexibility on his part with regards to the timing of the prayers.
The first such ruling is that if one fears being overcome by sleep prior to the late-night
prayer (ish) then one can offer it within the time of the early night prayer (maghrib).159
The second such ruling is that the permission to combine two prayers is not limited to
those who are on a journey but is also open to those who are ill. He adds that such
combined prayers can be offered either in the earlier or in the later of the two prayer
times.160
Fifth, al-Suy writes that one who a andons the prayer (salh) should not be
killed, but only warned by way of lesser penalties such as imprisonment, beating, and the
like.161 While this is still a harsh ruling, it is a reprieve from the ruling that the crime is
capitala ruling which the an als have o tained from some adths, and which some
exegetes have inferred from their reading of two verses of the Qurn (9:5, 11). Al-Suy
avoids that common inference.
Sixth, some of al-Suys rulings show his sternness against those who would
dare to insult the Prophet and his close circle. Al-Suy rules that one who insults (sbb)
Muammad or any other prophet should be certainly killed, this being a mandatory
sentence (add). And, as is the case with other such udd, the repentance of the culprit
will not mitigate the punishment. Likewise, a slanderer (qdhif) of isha or any other of
the mothers of the believers (the wives of the prophet) is to be killed as a mandatory
159
160
161
47
punishment. On the other hand if anyone insults (sbb) A Bakr and Umar he should
be killed if he persiststhis being one of two opinionsbut on his repentance the
punishment will e waived.162 Moreover, anyone who commits highway robbery should
be killed (kullu man sa f-l-ar bi-l-fasd yuqtal).163 And one who drinks wine is to be
killed on the fourth conviction.164
Such rulings inform us about al-Suys legal dispositions and affiliations. He is
clearly of the Shfi school of Islamic jurisprudence. His rulings and interpretations are
largely constrained by the boundaries of that schoolboundaries he has dared to test
from time to time. His traditionalism is evident from his reliance on adth in
determining the meanings of Qurnic verses. In sum, as noted by Sartain, al-Suy
proves to be the most controversial figure in his time.165 And whereas we cannot capture
in this single study all the nuances of his thought, we can form a fair idea of his tafsr. At
first glance, al-Durr al-manthrs formal features give it the appearance of a neutral
collection of traditional reports. However, al-Suy was at the centre of much
controversy, and he would have had to exercise considerable restraint to not let such
controversies colour his exegesis.
162
163
164
165
Sartain, p. 72.
48
Chapter 2
The Composition of al-Durr al-manthr

2.1 The Author at Work
It is not unusual to find major exegetes from al- a ar (d. 311/923) to al-Qsim
(d. 1322/1904) prefacing their works with lengthy discussions of their hermeneutics.166
However, al-Suys introduction to his work is surprisingly rief. He has said little
about the purposes for which he composed al-Durr al-manthr, and about the working
methods he employed. In this chapter I survey the structure of al-Suys text. I also
begin my investigation of al-Suys authorial intent. Moreover, I identify some of the
most important sources which al-Suy usedboth stated and unacknowledged sources.
2.2 The Structure of al-Durr

After presenting an introduction to al-Durr, al-Suy egan his exegesis of the
Qurns first chapter y scri ing its title: Srat ftiati-l-kitb (The chapter of the
opening of the scripture).167 Below this title, al-Suy lists several pages of traditions
dealing with preliminary introductory issues pertaining to the sra as a whole. Then he
proceeds to deal specifically with the first verse of the sra under the caption Qawlih
tal: bismillh al-Ramn al-Ram (His saying, e he exalted, In the Name of God,
166
Al- a ar, A Ja far Muammad . Jarr. Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn tafsr alabar (Beirut: Iya al-Turth al- Ara , 2001); Muammad Jaml al-Dn al-Qsim, Tafsr al-Qsim
(Cairo: Dr Iy' al-Kutub al-'Ara yah, 1957-70) 17 vols.
167
Al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 5.
49
the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy). His exegesis of this opening formula occupies
several pages.
Al-Suys exegesis of that Qurnic lemma takes the form of a long list of
traditions having some bearing on its meaning. The traditions also touch upon broader
questions, such as the question of canonicity of that lemma, and whether or not that
lemma is to be recited aloud in the ritual prayers. Each adth is preceded by a list of the
books from which it is derived and the name of the earliest authority to whom the adth
is credited. If that authority is Muammad, then the Companion who narrated the adth
on his authority is also given. No comment follows the traditions. The authors voice is
thus almost completely muted. Al-Suy proceeds in this fashion throughout his
exegesis. He would mention a verse at a time, or a part of a long verse, followed by a
string of traditions which purportedly serve to explain the verse or segment.
Occasionally, al-Suy mentions, in passing, a judgement on the soundness of the
tradition. Such a judgement is often derived from the very sources that furnished the
adth. On a few rare occasions, a half-dozen times throughout the entire fifteen volumes,
al-Suy prefaces such a verdict with the confession qultu (I say).
Al-Suy has thus covered the entire Qurn sequentially, dealing with each
chapter in turn, though he passed over some Qurnic verses within individual chapters.
Al-Durr therefore has the appearance of being a collection of adths arranged according
to their relevance to Qurnic lemmata. The Qurnic segments stand in the place of the
topical headings in a typical adth collection.
After dealing with the last sra, al-Suy attached an epilogue in which he
included three elements that I have not seen in other works of Qurnic exegesis. The first
50
two elements are preceded by appropriate captions, and hence appear as distinct sections.
The first caption reads: Dhikr ma warada f srat al-khal wa srat al-afd (A mention of
what has transpired with reference to srat al-khal and srat al-afd). Al-Suy is
referring here to two Qurnic chapters, which, in addition to the canonical one hundred
and fourteen, were known to exist in the muaf (codex) of U ayy . Ka . Al-Suys
treatment of these chapters as the subject of exegesis reveals two of his unique interests.
He had a unique interest in questions about the boundaries of the Qurnic canon, and in
alternative readings which were credited to Ubayy and other notable early Qurnic
reciters. As he noted in his Itqn, al-Suy was interested in esta lishing that the
varieties of readings have given rise to an acceptable multiplicity of meanings of the
Qurnic text.168
The second caption reads: Dhikr du khatmi-l-Qurn (A mention of the
supplication to be offered at the end of the Qurn). Al-Suy then provides an exegesis
of that popular supplication. In making a commonly recited supplication the subject of
exegesis, he has attempted to add a unique element to the stream of Qurnic exegesis.
However, I have not found any exegete after him doing likewise. Usually, the last subject
matter of exegesis in tafsr works is the last verse of the canonical Qurn (Qurn 114:6).
Al-Suys book thus remains a sui generis for uniquely providing an exegesis of the
closing supplication.
168
See the Itqn, vols. 3-4, pp. 484-85.
51
The third of the three elements in al-Suys epilogue is a lengthy citation from
Ibn ajars introduction to the latters ook on the occasions of Qurnic revelation.169
Al-Suy did not place a caption over this citation to mark it off as the beginning of a
new section of his epilogue. However, I identify it as a new section due to the length of
the citation, and the change of subject matter it represents as distinct from the exegesis of
the above mentioned supplication. The citation from Ibn ajar contains a description of
some early works of Qurnic exegesis. Of most relevance to the present study is the
mention of four works which turn out to be the main sources for the composition of alDurr. I will identify these four works below where I discuss more fully their significance
for the study of al-Durr.
Al-Suy noted at the end of al-Durr that he has finished preparing its final
version (literally its clean copy) on the day of Eid al-Fir of the year eight hundred and
ninety eight.170 This we know to be thirteen years before his death.
2.3 Al-Suys Introduction to al-Durr

We return now to al-Suys introduction to al-Durr where we find some
indicators of authorial intent. The authors introduction in the printed editions of al-Durr
is very short for an exegetical work of this magnitude. After offering a doxology that is
not unusual in traditional Muslim works, al-Suy sets forth a description of al-Durr:
I had composed the book Turjumn al-Qurn, that being the exegesis that relies
on the authority of the prophet and his companions. It was completedGod be
169
Ibn ajar, al-Ujb f bayn al-asbb ed. Fawwz Amad Zamarl (Beirut: Dar i n azm,
2002).
170
This corresponds to the first day of the month of Shawwl in the lunar calendar. That the author
would be working in his book on the day of the festival is an indication of his preoccupation with scholarly
activity. Al-Durr, vol. 15, p. 825.
52
praised for thisin [a few] volumes. The book contained, together with the
traditions I included, also the chains of tradents leading from the compilations
from which I gathered the traditions [to the prophet and his companions]. But I
noticed a lack of zeal [on the part of readers] to study the book, and their desire
for a version that is shortened to the traditions without their exhaustive chains of
tradents. Hence from that work I prepared this summary version limited to the
texts of the traditions. But I do attribute the traditions to each sourcebook worthy
of note. I have named my work al-Durr al-manthr f-l-tafsr bi-l-mathr.171
Following that description of his work, al-Suy ends his introduction with
prayers for the ooks reception and for divine providence. In that introduction, the
author reveals something about the evolution of his compilation and some salient features
of the work. Al-Suy informs his readers that he had summarized this ook from a
previous exegetical tome of the same genre. Between benedictions and prayers, he writes
that he had previously composed Turjumn al-Qurn, a tafsr based on information
linked to the Messenger of God and his companions. That earlier work had spanned
several volumes (mujalladt).172 Those volumes contained not only the said narratives,
but also the chains of narrators (asnd) linking the information either to the prophet or to
his companions. But despite the obvious value of such a work, the author noticed a
certain lack of interest on the part of his contemporaries in studying his book. He found
that his contemporaries desired to read the narratives in a shortened form devoid of the
narrative chainsespecially since such chains tend to be lengthy. Responding to this
need, al-Suy then prepared the present summary version: al-Durr al-manthr. In al-
171
Al-Durr, Introduction, pp.3-4 (translation mine).
172
He does not specify how many.
53
Durr he has presented the narratives shorn of their isnds, but replete with indications of
every worthy source from which the narratives are derived.173
Al-Suys introduction to his work lacks some vital information. Little is said of
the hermeneutical underpinnings of the exegetical endeavour. The author has merely
confessed to having composed a tradition-based exegesis and then to have summarized it.
But he furnishes no explanation here of the principles which underlie the said genre of
exegesis and the characteristics which distinguish this genre of exegesis from other
genres. Nor has he explained how his al-Durr differs from other works of the same genre.
Moreover, he said nothing about the principles which guided his selection and
arrangement of the traditions which he has decided to include in his exegetical tome.
An immediate problem arising out of the introduction is the enigmatic
relationship between al-Durr and al-Suys earlier tafsr of the same genre: Turjumn al
Qurn. As Goldziher noted, the stock of adths is a bottomless pit, and its use in
Qurnic exegesis can produce a work as large as al-Suys former work, Turjumn al
Qurn, which contained more than ten thousand traditions.174 Goldziher took al-Suy
at his word that al-Durr is an abridgement of Turjumn al Qurn.175 However, al-Durr
includes a far greater stock of traditions than does Turjumn al Qurn. The summary is
surprisingly larger than its source, and hence must be characterized rather as an
expansion of the former work. The extent of this problem will presently become clear.
173
Al-Durr, vol. 1, pp. 3-4.
174
Goldziher, p. 42. That this was the number of traditions in the Turjumn is expressed by AlSuy in several of his works including Tadrb al-rw f shar taqrb al-Nawaw (Beirut: Muassat alKutub al-Thaqfyyah, 2003) p. 98.
175
Goldziher, p. 42, n. 38.
54
The most significant edition of al-Durr used in the present study is that prepared
by al-Turk and published in 1424/2003 by Markaz al-ajr in Cairo.176 This edition
marks a considerable advance in the study of al-Durr. The editor has provided notes on
the sources of individual traditions mentioned in the commentary along with judgments
on the authenticity of the said narratives using the terminology of traditional adth
sciences. Some introductory information is also provided on the personages mentioned in
the commentary.177 Although al-Turks editorial activity greatly facilitates the further
study of the voluminous al-Durr, his edition is unfortunately out of print. However, an
electronic non-searchable version is available online.178
The present study has also relied largely on al-Marji al-akbar li-l-turth alIslm, a DVD collection of classical Arabic books spanning the spectrum of religious
sciences, history, and poetry.179 Containing a massive library boasting 12,500 books in
searchable electronic form, al-Marji is especially useful for locating specific items
within individual books, and for comparing items occurring in various books. The edition
of al-Durr contained in this collection is the one published by Dar-al Fikr in Beirut in
seven volumes.180
176
Al-Suy, al-Durr al-manthr fi-l-tafsr bi-l-mathr, ed. Abdullah b. Abd al-Musin al-Turk
(Markaz al-ajr li-l-Buhth wa-l-Dirst al-Ara yyah wa-l-Islmyyah, 1424/2003) 17 vols. On the
publication history of al-Durr, see al-Turks introduction to his edition, vol. 1, pp. 59-60; aydar, pp. 24445; and al-Shur aj, pp. 248-49.
177
The exegesis spans fifteen volumes the sum of whose pages is 10,962 for an average of
approximately 731 pages per volume. To these fifteen volumes the editor has added another two containing
comprehensive appendices spread over 1,740 pages.
178
http://www.archive.org/details/eldorrelmanthor: accessed September 26, 2010.
179
Al-Marji al-akbar li-l-turth al-Islm, 2nd edition, DVD (Beirut, Elariss, no date).
180
Al-Suy, al-Durr al-manthr (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1993) 7 vols.
55
No edition of al-Durr numbers the traditions it contains. But from the above
resources it is possible to form a reasonable estimate of the number of traditions
presented in al-Durr. This is due to the fact that al-Suy uses an invaria le style in
naming the sources of his traditions. Under each Qurnic statement, al-Suy writes that
such and such named authorities compiled (akhraja) the tradition.181 While introducing
su sequent traditions under the same Qurnic statement, al-Suy uses identical
wording, but now with the addition of the conjoining particle wa (and). Hence the
number of traditions in al-Durr can be estimated as the total of the number of
occurrences of akhraja (he compiled) and the number of occurrences of wa-akhraja (and
he compiled).182 On a quick search, one discovers 2,767 occurrences of akhraja, and
34,691 instances of wa-akhraja thus indicating a total of 37,691 traditions.183
That total is not the final result, since al-Suy has repeated some traditions at
multiple locations in his exegesis. I will now make an adjustment for such repetitions. AlTurks indices to the traditions list each tradition as a single entry while noting the
number of times it occurs. There are two indices, one for the adths that attribute direct
speech to the prophet (al-adth al-qawlyya), and another for all other traditions (al-
181
In this context, al-Suy always mentions the ver akhraja before naming the compilers of a
tradition. Thus, in accordance with Arabic grammar, the verb is always singular even when the named
compilers of the tradition are several.
182
This does not involve a double-count of the verb since the conjoining particle is written
together with the verb and the two together are thus counted as a single word. Searches for akhraja do not
return results for wa-akhraja; and vice-versa.
183
This number will be brought into perspective in comparison with the number of traditions in ala ars tafsr. Herbert Berg in his The Development of Exegesis in Early Islam: The Authenticity of
Muslim Literature from the Formative Period (Richmond, Surrey: Curzon, 2000) has given the number of
traditions in Tafsr alabar as being 38,397 (p. 124) and as 38,388 (p. 209). Hence al-Suys exegesis
contains almost as many traditions as that of al- a ar.
56
adth ghayr al-qawlyya wa-l-thr). These two indices together contain a total of
approximately 28,428 traditions.184
We have seen above that, inclusive of repetitions, these 28,428 traditions occupy
a total of 37,691 occurrences. If these data are correct, then most of the traditions found
in al-Durr must occur only once. Indeed, on thumbing through al-Turks indices, one
finds that this is the case. Seldom does a tradition occur twice; and rarely does a tradition
occur three times or more. My estimate of 28,428 as the number of traditions in al-Durr
is thus reasonable. It is therefore clear that the current work contains a much larger stock
of traditions than the mere ten thousand or so which al-Suy said was contained in his
earlier workthe Turjumn. Hence it is difficult for al-Durr to pass as a prcis of the
earlier work.
Moreover, it is clear that the number of volumes of al-Durr exceeds the number
of volumes of the supposedly larger workthe Turjumn. zim Sad aydar drew
attention to this problem and proposed a solution which we will presently examine.185 AlSuy mentioned in his al-Itqn that he had compiled the Turjumn in four volumes as a
184
This total was deduced as follows. The first index begins at page number 92 in the sixteenth
volume and ends on page 492 for a difference of 401 pages inclusive. The second list begins immediately
thereafter but continues well into page 1,355 in the seventeenth volume, for a total of 862 pages. The
number of traditions per page is not uniform. Leaving aside page 92, which is irregular due to its sectional
heading, page 93 contains 21 entries; page 94 contains 25 entries; and page 95 contains 24 entries. Thus the
three pages contain an average of approximately 23 traditions each. This reasonable estimate of traditions
per page can now be extrapolated over the total number of pages in the indices listing these traditions. In
this way, al-Durr is found to contain roughly 9,223 adths (23 x 401) attri uting words to Islams prophet,
and 19,826 other traditions (23 x 862). That makes for a sum of 28,428 traditions.
185
Hzim Sad aydar, Muqaddimat tafsr al-durr al-manthr li-l-Suy bayna-l-makh wa-lmab, Majallat al-buth wa-l-dirst al-Qurnya, Year 1, Issue 1 (2006) 231-301, p. 242. aydar is
a researcher at the Centre for Qurnic Studies at the King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy
Qurn in Medina.
57
collection of more than ten thousand reports from the Prophet and his companions.186 In
another work, al-Suy mentioned that he had compiled the Turjumn in five volumes.187
In yet another work, al-Suy mentioned that al-Durr comprised twelve large
volumes.188 Two questions arise here. First, why did al-Suy refer to the Turjumn on
one occasion as comprising four volumes and on the other occasion as comprising five
volumes? Second, how has the book grown from less than half-a-dozen bindings to a
dozen large ones while al-Suy claims that he was summarizing the text?
Leaving aside the first question, aydar tackles the second. He finds a clue as he
compares al-Suys description of the Turjumn with our present knowledge of al-Durr.
Al-Suy did say, as cited, that the upwards of ten thousand traditions of the Turjumn
were distributed between the categories of marf and mawqf.189 But, in addition to
reports of these two varieties, aydar notices that al-Durr contains traditions which are
maq.190 aydar suggests that al-Suy was doing two things at once. First, al-Suy
was contracting the book by casting off the chains of authorities for the traditions it
contains. Second, al-Suy was expanding the ook by adding traditions attributed to
authorities below those of Muammad and Muammads companions. The precise
186
Al-Itqn, vol. 4, p. 484.
187
aydar citing al-Suy, Qaf al-azhr vol. 1, p. 89.
188
Al-Shadhili, Bahjat al-bidn, p. 175.
189
Marf means, literally, raised; i.e. raised to the level of the prophets authority. These would
include reports about what the prophet said or did, or in what he acquiesced. Mawqf means, literally,
stopped; i.e. stopped short of the prophet and thus remaining at the level of his companions. For a
definition of these adth terms see Al-Suy, Tadrb al-rw cited above, pp. 92-98. Secondary academic
writings in English rarely define these terms. But see A dul Hameed Siddiquis introduction to his trans. of
Mishkt al-mab, vol. 1, pp. xv xvi; and James Ro sons introduction to his trans. of the same, vol. 1,
pp. viii to xii.
190
Lit. cut; i.e. cut off at the level of the successors of the companions.
58
verification of aydars solution would require that we revisit the categorization of

reports. We estimated above that 19,826 traditions in al-Durr were attributed to
authorities other than Muammad. We now need to ascertain how many of those 19,826
traditions were attributed to Muammads companions. However, such an investigation is
beyond the scope of this study. It suffices to conclude here that, despite al-Suys
assertion, al-Durr was not a mere summary of the Turjumn.
In view of al-Suys varied descriptions of the Turjumn, and of the larger size
of its supposed summary, another question arises. Was the Turjumn released for
publication as a finished work, or was it a work-in-progress that gradually developed into
al-Durr? The complete absence of the Turjumn would suggest that it was not a finished
work. It is unlikely that a work of the nature of the Turjumn should be lost, valuable as it
would have been in a period of active scholarship so relatively close to our own time.
According to al-Shur aj, al-Durr is the only exegesis that limits itself to tafsr bi-lmathr.191 Had the Turjumn been released by its author, it would have been cherished
and copied as the sole representative of tafsr of its genre prior to the writing of al-Durr.
The chains of narrators accompanying every adth contained in the Turjumn would
have proved valuable to scholars even if boring to laypersons. Hence the Turjumn would
have survived along with al-Durr.
2.4 Al-Suys Purpose in Composing a Tradition-based Exegesis

In his introduction to al-Durr, al-Suy explained why he decided to summarize
his tradition-based exegesis, but not why he decided in the first instance to write a tafsr
191
Al-Shur aj, p. 256.
59
of the said genre. However, an indirect indication of the factors that prompted the
composition of his tradition-based exegesis is found in the Itqn. The Itqn comprises
eighty chapters. The seventy-eighth chapter is entitled: On the knowledge of the
prerequisites and the etiquettes of an exegete.192 In that chapter, al-Suy discusses the
difference between two main types of exegesis: one based on tradition; the other based on
reason.193 Arguing at length that both types are valid, he declares that he has already
compiled a tafsr based on tradition:
I have compiled a musnad book in which are the exegeses of the prophet and his
companions. It contains more than ten thousand traditions: some being marf;
others mawqf. This has been completedGod be praisedin four volumes. I
have named the book Turjumn al-Qurn. During the period of its composition, I
saw the prophet in a vision, this being a long story that includes a glad tiding.194
Al-Suy then argues that this type of tafsr is a prerequisite for embarking on
reason- ased exegesis, since one must take stock of the tradition efore exercising ones
opinion. To claim expertise in reason-based exegesis without mastery of the traditionbased type, he explains, is like claiming to have entered the inner chamber of a house
without traversing the foyer.195
Al-Suy once intended to write another tafsr: a work that would have embraced
both reason and tradition. Unfortunately, al-Suy did not complete the proposed
exegesis. In his introduction to the Itqn, al-Suy had presented the Itqn as an
introduction to the proposed tafsr in which he intended to capture the best of both
192
Al-Itqn, vols. 3-4, p. 467.
193
Al-Itqn, vols. 3-4, p. 467ff.
194
195
60
streams of exegesis: tafsr bi-l-mathr and tafsr bi-l-ray. In the final chapter of the
Itqn, he noted that he had already begun the composition of the said work: Majma albarayn wa mala al-badrayn (The conjunction of the two seas and the horizon of the
two moons).196 But al-Suy confessed in his auto iography that he eventually
abandoned this lofty project.197
These data suggest that al-Suy initially intended the Turjumn to be no more
than a adth collection that he would have used for composing Majma al-barayn.
Moreover, the Turjumn would have served to establish al-Suys mastery of traditionbased exegesis thus legitimizing his venture into opinion-based exegesis. But al-Suy
eventually realised that he could not complete the grandiose task he set for himself. He
then decided to expand the Turjumn into al-Durr and to champion al-Durr as his
ultimate exegetical work. This explains why, in the Itqn, while he still had hopes of
completing Majma al-barayn, he had referred to the Turjumn as merely a musnad
book containing the exegeses of the prophet and his companions. Subsequently, al-Suy
abandoned the idea of completing Majma al-barayn. He then expanded his traditionbased exegesis to make that his magnum opus in the field of tafsr.
Dating the literary events will help to situate al-Suys ooks in their
chronological sequence. According to Nolin, al-Suy had completed the Itqn no later
than the year 883.198 As we have seen above, al-Suy composed his auto iography in
the year 896/1490; and he composed al-Durr two years after that. In the following year,
196
197
aydar, p. 238.
198
i.e. 1478 C.E., see Nolin, p. 16.
61
899/1493, al-Suy pu lished his super-commentary on al-Bayws tafsr. But, this

super-commentary, Nawhid al-abkr wa shawrid al-afkr, has failed to eclipse alDurr. 199
From al-Shur ajs review of al-Suys super-commentary, it is clear that it even
failed to achieve dominance over some of the other super-commentaries that have been
written on al-Bayws exegesis.200 Some forty such works have been accomplished.201
Some of these have advanced to become published editions.202 At the time of writing his
autobiography, al-Suy was still in the process of composing the said supercommentary. He listed his shiyah on al-Bayws exegesis among those of his works
the likes of which other scholars can compose and have composed.203 Al-Suy even
gives us an idea of the size of the work. His super-commentary at the time extended to
the end of the Qurns sixth srah, and was contained in a medium-sized volume.204 In
short, this was not to be a major literary achievement. Eager to register his achievement
in the field of tafsr, al-Suy found it expedient to direct his energies towards his
tradition-based exegesis. He thus expanded the Turjumn to produce the gargantuan alDurr.
199
Al-Suy, Nawhid al-abkr wa shawrid al-afkr manuscript in the National al-Asad Library,
Damascus. See Al-Shur aj, p. 292.
200
Al-Shur aj, p. 292.
201
Al-Shur aj, p. 297.
202
For example, Amad b. Muammad Khafj, shiyat al-shihb al-musammh inyat al-q
wa-kifyat al-r al tafsr al-Bayw (Beirut: Dr dir, 197-) 8 vols.
203
204
62
2.5 Acknowledged Sources of al-Durr

The introduction we have studied above from the printed editions of al-Durr is
supplemented by an appendage which aydar found in two manuscripts of the book: one
located at the li rary of the grand mosque of San; and another at the Mamdiyyah
library in Medina.205 aydar censures the editors of every printed edition of the book for
omitting this valuable supplementary introduction to its contents. But he expresses
particular discontent with al-Turk since the Mamdiyyah manuscript, praised y alTurk as the most complete and most dependable, does contain the extended prologue.206
Yet, to aydars dismay, al-Turk and others do not so much as attempt a justification for
their exclusion of this valuable adjunct.207 These editors may have judged the authenticity
of the addendum negatively, hence relegating it to oblivion. In the absence of their
explicit judgment, however, there remains little reason to not include the extension here
as a guide to al-Suys thinking a out his tafsr.
Moreover, the augmentation seems compatible with what is known about the
exegetes procedure in composing some of his other works, and with what can e
discerned of his method in composing the tafsr itself. As aydar has noted, it is not
uncommon for al-Suy to provide, in the introduction to his writings, a list of scholars
whose writings will serve as his sources. Al-Suy egins the supplement by writing the
basmalah and other expressions invoking the help of God. 208 Al-Suy then lists, in
205
aydar, Muqaddimah, p. 250.
206
Al-Turks Introduction to al-Durr, p. 64.
207
208
The basmalah refers to the expression bi-smi-llh al-ramn al-ram (in the Name of God the
Beneficent, the Merciful).
63
chronological order, the names of one hundred and one scholars from whose works he
extracted the contents of his exegesis. The dates of death given in this document for each
of these scholars turn out to be accurate with only few and minor variations from what we
know today. That al-Suy had such information at hand explains an o servation made
by al-Shur aj. Al-Shur aj discerned that al-Suy mostly cites his numerous written
sources for a single tradition in roughly chronological order according to the dates of the
deaths of their authors. In this way, in his exegesis of Qurn 2:187, al-Suy credits a
tradition to the following scholars in the correct chronological order: Mlik (d. 179/795),
al-Shfi (d. 204/819), I n A Shay ah (d. 235/849), al-Bukhr (d. 256/869), Muslim
(d. 261/874), and al-Tirmidh (d. 279/892).209
Despite its length, however, al-Suys checklist of sources is obviously
incomplete. One does not read far into al-Durr to find scholars cited there who do not
appear in the roster. Al-Thala (d. 427/1035) and al-Wid (d. 486/1076) are named, in
reverse chronological order, as the sources for the fourth tradition cited in al-Durr.210 But
neither of these two exegetes is enumerated in the master list of sources given in the
introduction. Moreover, a recent study has shown that al-Suy used more than four
hundred sources in composing al-Durr. 211 Al-Shur aj has noted that the scholars cited
by al-Suy are as early as Juway ir . Sad al-Azad (d.140/707) and as late as I n
209
Al-Shur aj, p. 256.
210
211
mir usayn a r, Masdir Jall al-Suy f kitbih al-durr al-manthur f-l-tafsr bi-lmathur in the Journal of the College of Literature, University Press of the Emirates, no. 4 (1408) pp. 185334, as cited in Muhammad Yusuf al-Shur aj, al-Imm al-Suyi wa Juhduh f ulm al-Qurn
(Damascus: Dr al-Maktabi, 1421/2000) p. 271.
64
ajar (d. 752/1448).212 But the register supplied by al-Suy egins with Mlik b. Anas
(d. 179/795) and ends with I n Askir (d. 571/1175).213
To explain the dissonance between al-Suys introduction and the contents of alDurr, aydar refers to al-Suys similar strategy in two of his other tomes: the Itqn
and al-Jmi al-kabr. In each case, al-Suy lists in his introduction the works he will
draw upon; yet he proceeds to cite additional sources within his compendium. aydar
credits this discrepancy to a change in al-Suys intention over time. According to
aydars hypothesis, al-Suy once intended only to use the works listed in his
introduction, but later decided to add others while neglecting to update his
introduction.214
A simpler solution, however, is more plausible: that al-Suy did not intend his
list of sources to be comprehensive. Rather, in keeping with his swift pace of
composition, a factor that explains his voluminous literary output, he simply listed the
first one hundred and one scholars the dates of whose deaths were easily accessible. This
explains why al-Thala and his student al-Wid, both important exegetes, failed to
appear in the list. Within his exegesis, al-Suys reference to al-Thala and al-Wid
in reverse chronological order indicates that al-Suy did not have the dates of their
deaths ready at hand. Moreover, had he merely recalled at the time of his writing that alWid was a student of al-Thala , he may have referred to them in the correct
chronological sequence. For, such was his normal procedure.
212
Al-Shurbaj, p. 271.
213
aydar, Muqaddimah, pp. 247-248.
214
aydar, Muqaddimah, pp. 249.
65
One detects a sense of satisfaction in al-Suys statement at the end of the list:
The num er of men mentioned here is one hundred and one.215 Thus it is clear that,
although the list is not numbered, the author did not lose count. From the outset he may
have had no doubt that he could far exceed that number, especially if he composed the
list some time after he had already begun working on the exegesis. Once his aim was
achieved, al-Suy felt no need to prolong his introduction y listing further sources.
This latter suggestion serves to explain why the list of authorities suddenly stops with Ibn
Askir who died three centuries efore al-Durr was composed, though sources as late as
Ibn ajar were used in the composition. To be sure, listing some of the comprehensive
near-contemporary works, such as those of Ibn ajar, would have served to minimize alSuys achievement. However, al-Suy repeatedly cited Ibn ajar in al-Durr and
other compositions. Therefore, if al-Suy intended to compile a comprehensive list of
his sources, it is difficult to see why he would omit Ibn ajar. In sum, al-Suy ended his
list of sources once he was satisfied that he had already listed a sufficient number of
sources to demonstrate his familiarity with the available literature.
2.6 Emphasis on Four Sources

Further clues about al-Suys intent and a out some of his most important
sources can be deciphered from his epilogue to al-Durr. As mentioned above, al-Suy
capped his exegesis with a lengthy excerpt from the introduction to Ibn ajars ook on
the occasions of Qurnic revelation: al-Ujb f bayn al-asbb (The wonder of
215
66
wonders: on the clarification of the circumstances).216 Al-Suy does not say why he
chose to cite this selection at the end of his exegesis. And, while copying that document,
al-Suy does not pause to add a comment that would make explicit the significance of
the intrusion. After the citation, he draws no conclusions, as if the import of the excerpt is
self-evident. Though the citation is given in the words of Ibn ajar, however, there is no
reason to not take it as being just as reflective of al-Suys own position. Moreover, the
passages placement at the end of al-Suys exegesis suggests that it reflects some of alSuys final thoughts on the nature of his work.
The greater part of the citation traces some significant lines of transmission of
traditional tafsr leading from first-century authorities to second-century compilations.
However, what is of immediate interest here is not the entire history of early tafsr but the
relationship between al-Durr and the four major works of tafsr mentioned in the first
paragraph of that citation. The four exegeses are those of Abd b. umayd b. Nasr alKashsh (d. 249/863); A u Jafar Muammad . Jarr al- a ar (d. 310/923); A u Bakr
Muammad . I rhm . al-Mundhir al-Nays r (d. 318/930); and A Muammad
Abd al-Rahmn . A tim Muammad . Idrs al-Rz (d. 327/938).217 Al-Suy
grants that Abd b. umayd deserves the honour of having lived much earlier than the
others. Whereas the others were from the same generation as that of the famous six
adth compilers, Abd b. umayd was from the generation of the teachers of the six.
216
Ibn ajar, al-Ujb f bayn al-asbb ed. Fawwz Amad Zamarl (Beirut: Dar i n azm,
2002) pp. 51-63. Al-Suys extract is from pp. 57-63.
217
Mukhlif Banh al-Urf, Qiah min tafsr al-imm Abd ibn umayd (Beirut: Dr I n azm,
2004) 137 pp.; A Bakr Muammad b. I rhm b. al-Mundhir al-Nays r, Kitb tafsr al-Qurn, ed.
Sad b. Muammad al-Sad (Medina: Dr al-Mathir, 2002) 2 vols.; I n A tim al-Rz, Tafsr Ibn Ab
tim al-Rz, ed. Amad Fat A d al-Ramn ijz (Beirut: Dar Al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah, 2006) 7 vols.
67
However, in al-Suys view the est of these four exegeses is not the earliest ut
the one which combines the two streams of exegesis: reason and tradition.218 Al-Suy
awards this special recognition to al- a ar ecause, as distinct from the other three
exegetes, al- a ar did not merely present the traditional exegetical agglomeration.
Rather, al- a ar added discussions of various Qurnic readings; he analysed the
grammar; and he evaluated the proposed meanings of most Qurnic verses. Al-Suy
appreciates the efforts which al- a ar applied in the service of demonstrating his
preferences among the diverse reported interpretations of various Qurnic verses. AlSuy further praises al- a ar for eing outstanding among other exegetes, even beyond
the other mentioned trio. According to al-Suy, al- a ar has singularly mastered the
various areas of required expertise whereas other scholars may be masters of only some
areas. Thus in al-Suys view the other three exegetes, and other exegetes more
generally, tend to be outstanding in some areas but weak in others.219
Clearly, al-Suy cannot intend to present al-Durr as the ideal tafsr. That
prestigious position he has already reserved for the tafsr of al- a ar. In this way, alSuy, a salaf, generally proud before his contemporaries, remains humble before his
predecessors. It is also clear that al-Durr is not even of the type of tafsr that evaluates
and pronounces judgement on the varieties of exegetical opinions on a question. But it is
equally clear that al-Suy intends to position his exegesis as eing of great worth,
especially in relation to the works of al- a ar and the other three named exegetes. The
uniqueness of al-Durr, in its authors mind must lie in its superior contri ution to the
218
219
68
tradition-based aspect of al- a ars work. The other three works were exclusively
focused on tradition-based exegesis.
Al-Suys pride in his own contribution would have had to be based on a unique
feature of al-Durr. A unique feature of al-Durr is its exaggerated adherence to the
traditional form. While presenting the exegetical traditions, al-Suy generally does not
overtly signal to his readers what opinion the traditions are intended to support. In this
way, he lets his readers decide what significance the traditions hold for the exegetical
task at hand. By way of contrast, I will now show that while I n A tim maintains a
close adherence to this traditional ideal, he usually indicates that the traditions he presents
support a variety of views. After mentioning the Qurnic segment to e elucidated, I n
A tim typically presents a tradition or two, and then writes the caption the second
view (al-wajh al-thn). He would then present traditions under that caption. He
likewise introduces captions to mark a third or fourth view with the supporting traditions
thus appropriately categorized.220 Sometimes I n A tim gives a short description of
the various views, thus further guiding his readers on how to think about the meaning and
import of both the verse at hand and the traditions presented.221 Al-Durr is thus unique.
For, al-Suy generally maintains silence a out the variety of opinions on a question, and
he refuses to announce which meanings the traditions are intended to support.
As for the number of traditions, we have already seen that al-Durr does not
contain more traditions than does al- a ars tafsr.222 However, in the subsequent
220
See, for example, I n A tim, vol. 1, p. 18.
221
See, for example, I n A tim, vol. 1, pp. 24-25.
222
See above, p. 56, note 183.
69
chapters of the present study, we will see that the situation is different when we consider
the exegeses of specific Qurnic lemmata where al-Suy has a distinctive point to
make. He has included, at choice locations in al-Durr, more traditions than are found at
the comparable locations in the other four tafsrs. Al-Suy has not only gone eyond the
four works to source out more traditions, but he has also gathered from remote sources
some most unusual and interesting traditions. This is another reason for al-Suys pride
in his work.
According to al-Suy, in the words he has orrowed from I n ajar, seldom do
the reported exegeses of the prophet, his companions, and their successors elude these
four expert exegetes. Therefore it is fair to expect that al-Suy would attempt to
augment the exegetical traditions contained in these four works with other traditions he
deems relevant. Indeed, the four mentioned works are the sources most often
acknowledged in al-Durr. I n A tim is cited 10,940 times; al- a ar 10,590 times;
Ibn al-Mundhir 8,657 times; and Abd b. umayd 7,644 times.223 Of these four
exegetical models, only al- a ars work survives in its completeness. Hence al-Durr has
become an important source for reconstructing the other three works.
The next most often cited exegesis is that of Ibn Mardawayh (d. 410/1019). AlSuy cited that work 4,515 times. I n Mardawayhs tafsr, referred to by Ibn ajar as
al-Tafsir al-musnad, is now lost.224 Hence al-Durr has become an important source for
223
Based on my search of al-Durr in al-Marji DVD, 2nd edition.
224
As noted by aydar, p. 279.
70
reconstituting that work as well.225 Al-Durrs chief contri ution to the exegetical stream
will be found in the unique traditions it adds to that stream, especially those gathered
from I n Mardawayhs tafsr and other lost early works.
As for A d al-Razzq al-anni (d. 211/826) whose exegesis is an early
representation of tradition-based tafsr, al-Suy acknowledged using both his exegesis
and his adth collection.226 Al-Suy cited him 2,276 times. But it is not immediately
clear how many of those citations were from each of Abd al-Razzqs two works. When
al-Suy specifies the work of A d al-Razzq he is citing, it is invaria ly the adth
collection. He never identifies his citations as being from the tafsr, though many of his
citations can be quickly traced to that work. That the two texts of this author, an exegesis
and a adth corpus are drained into al-Durr is commensurate with the nature of al-Durr
as a adth-based tafsr.
In addition to tafsr works, therefore, adth collections represent another
category of works whose flow into al-Durr is to be expected, and whose use was
acknowledged by al-Suy. The adth collector most often cited is al-Bayhaq (d.
458/1066). He was cited 4,693 times. Al-Bayhaqs al-Sunan al-kubr (The greater
collection of sunnahs) was a copious source of adths containing some twenty thousand
225
Such a reconstruction has been the subject of five recent dissertations at the Islamic University
Press of Medina, each reproducing approximately 20% of the entire exegesis. The first of these theses is
Sharf Al Muammad, Marwiyyt Ibn Mardawayh fi-l-tafsr min awwali srat al-ftiah il khir srat
al-midah: jaman wa dirsatan maa dirsat Ibn Mardawayh wa manhajih f-l-tafsr (The Traditions of
Ibn Mardawayh on Exegesis From Srat al-Ftiah to the End of Srah al-Midah: A Compilation and
Study Together With a Study of Ibn Mardawayh and his Hermeneutics).
226
Abd al-Razzq b. Hammm al-ann, Tafsr al-Qurn, ed. Muaf Muslim Muammad
(Riyadh: Maktabat al-Rushd, 1989) 3 vols.; A Bakr A d al-Razzq b. Hamm b. Nfi al-ann, alMuannaf, ed. Ayman Nar al-Dn al-Azhar (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmyah, 2000) 12 vols.
71
narratives supporting every detail of Shafi law.227 Al-Suy was familiar with thirteen
of al-Bayhaqs works.228 In addition to the Sunan, al-Suy also often cited al-Bayhaqs
Shuab al-mn (Branches of the faith) and his Dalil al-nubuwwah (Proofs of the
prophethood). But such heavy reliance on a fifth-century adth collection instead of the
canonical collections from two centuries earlier shows that al-Suy was more interested
in the quantity of traditions than in their quality. His penchant for gathering traditions of
dubious authenticity is evident in his citations from Dalail al-nubuwwah. Works of this
genre were relatively unconcerned with the authenticity of their contents.229
The next most often cited adth collector in al-Durr is I n A Shay ah (d.
235/849). He was cited 3,668 times. His Muannaf, a collection of traditions topically
arranged, is interesting if for no other reason than its predating of the canonical
collections.230 But it also contains some unique traditions which al-Suy has
incorporated into al-Durr. Likewise, al-Suy frequently cites Amad b. anbal (d.
241/855). 231 Amad b. an als collection of nearly thirty-thousand traditions dwarfs the
canonical works.232 Yet the canonical works, coming a generation later, were smaller
mainly because they were content to include only the traditions that met comparatively
227
Brown, adth, p. 158.
228
Al-Suy, Muqaddimat tafsr al-durr al-manthr li-l-Suy, ed. aydar, pp. 281-82.
229
Brown, adth, p. 37.
230
A Bakr A d Allh b. Muammad b. I rhm b. A Shay ah, al-Muannaf, ed. amad b.

A d Allh al-Jumah, Muammad b. I rhm al-Ladn (Riydh: Maktabat al-Rushd Nshirn, 2004) 16
vols.
231
2,427 times.
232
Amad b. anbal, Musnad al-Imam Amad, ed. Shuayb al-Arnaut et al (Beirut: al-Rslah,
1999) 52 vols.
72
higher standards of authenticity. The pre-canonical collections of oth I n A Shay ah

and Ibn anbal, while being interesting for the era they represent, were less concerned
than were the canonical works with the authenticity of their traditions. Al-Suys
reliance on these works shows that he was willing to accept traditions of lesser
authenticity. In comparison with his thousands of citations from each of these two precanonical works, al-Suy cited the canonical al-Tirmidh 1,473 times, this eing his
largest number of citations from a single canonical adth collection. The next most cited
canonical collection is that of al-Bukhr, cited on 1,268 occasions.
2.7 Unacknowledged Sources of al-Durr

As in the introduction to al-Durr, so too in several of his works al-Suy has
stressed the importance of attributing material to the sources from which they were
derived.233 Thus al-Suy has left the impression with reviewers of his works that he
derives his materials directly from his stated sources. We have already seen above that a
staggering number of four hundred sources have been cited in al-Durr. Such information
has left al-Shur aj marvelling at the diligence of al-Suy in consulting that many
sources. Al-Shur aj adds further reasons for such amazement. First, he points out that alSuy, in his exegesis of just one verse, Qurn 2:238, has presented two hundred and
seventy-five traditions.234 Second, al-Shur aj notes that in the exegesis of Qurn 3:135
al-Suy cited a tradition from as many as fifteen sources. Some of that wonder,
however, is abated when we consider the resources available to al-Suy. Al-Suy lived
233
For a survey of his various statements about this, culled from several of his works, see aydar,
pp. 246-47.
234
Al-Shur aj, p. 255.
73
at a time when the cumulative tafsr tradition had reached its pinnacle. Massive adth
collections had been combined into super-collections. Moreover, commentaries had been
written on the individual works cross-referencing their traditions to alternative
collections. Having such comprehensive secondary works before him in both the fields of
tafsr and adth, al-Suy was saved the trou le of having to consult every one of the
original multiple texts he cited.
I will now show that the tafsr of I n Kathr was a prime location from which alSuy harnessed exegetical traditions sourced to the canonical adth books.235 Al-Suy
does refer to the canonical ooks. So too does I n Kathr. But not so the exegeses which,
as seen above, al-Suy presented as model tafsrs. While the four model exegeses were
being written in the third and fourth centuries, the adth collections were not yet widely
accepted as authoritative sources. The adth collections of al-Bukhr and Muslim, the
two now recognised as the aayn (the two authentic) collections, did not achieve
canonical status until the dawn of the fifth/eleventh century. This fact is amply
demonstrated by Jonathan Brown in his The Canonization of al-Bukhr and Muslim: The
Formation and Function of the Sunn adth Canon.236 These two exceptional
collections broke the conservative resistance to the canonization of adth works. Thus
the way was opened for other adth works to be canonized, and for the canon of six
books, the i sittah, to be recognised.237 When al-Suy wanted to look for a
canonical adth he could search through the six books or he could simply copy it from
235
I n Kathr al-Dimashq, Tafsr al-Qurn al-am (Beirut: Dr I n azm, 1998) 8 vols.
236
Jonathan Brown, The Canonization of al-Bukhr and Muslim: The Formation and Function of
the Sunn adth Canon (Leiden: Brill, 2007) pp. 367-68.
237
Brown, Canonization, p. 337.
74
I n Kathrs tafsr trusting that the adths therein are correctly attributed to the specified
works. I n Kathr was likewise an efficient guide to the post-canonical collections as
sources for exegetical adths.
That al-Suy made use of I n Kathrs exegesis is clear from occasional
references to I n Kathr in al-Durr. To be sure, no adth in al-Durr is credited to Ibn
Kathr. But I n Kathr has een cited for his expertise on the reliability of some traditions
presented in al-Durr with reference to Qurn 2:102, 223, 255; and 18:60-82. Al-Suy
does not say from which of I n Kathrs works the cited opinions are derived. But the
comparable locations in I n Kathrs exegesis do contain the expressed opinions to which
al-Suy refers. Hence there can e no dou t that, while he was composing al-Durr, alSuy had efore him a copy of I n Kathrs exegesis.
That I n Kathrs tafsr in some way influenced al-Durr is especially significant
in contrast with an assertion made y Isml Slim A d al-l in his monograph: Ibn
Kathr wa manhajuhu f-l-tafsr (I n Kathr and his exegetical methodology). Abd al-l
asserted that I n Kathr's exegesis did not influence any of the subsequent pre-modern
exegetical works.238 Abd al-l suggested that the reason for this obliviousness to Ibn
Kathr's tafsr is that the su sequent works, in contradistinction to that of I n Kathr, were
not of the tradition- ased genre. But, having said that, A d al-l anticipated a question
that would obviously arise: What of al-Durr al-manthrfor that is of the mathr
genre? Abd al-ls answer to this question was equally emphatic:
We answer again in the negative. For, this exegesis of al-Suy is such that its
composer gathered in it the opinions of the ancient exegetes. And perhaps he
238
Isml Slim A d al-l, Ibn Kathir wa manhajuhu f-l-tafsr (Cairo: Maktabat al-Malik
Faial al-Islmiyya, 1984) p. 451.
75
considered the exegesis of I n Kathr a modern exegesis from his perspective,

since I n Kathr died in 774H while it is known that al-Suy died in the year
911H.239
However, Abd al-l is incorrect. Al-Suy not only referred to I n Kathr for
his judgment on adths but also as a ready source from which to obtain exegetical
traditions. In fact, al-Suy had een familiar with, and already used, I n Kathr's tafsr
in the composition of his Itqn. In that work, composed more than a decade before alDurr, al-Suy appealed to I n Kathr on numerous occasions. Al-Suy explicitly
referred to I n Kathrs exegesis twice in the Itqn.240 Even if al-Suy wanted to find
the exegetical traditions in early written works, I n Kathr's exegesis, open efore him,
would have directed al-Suy to the written sources of such traditions. To search the
adth collections, it is helpful to know what one is looking for, and in which of the
several massive collections it is located.
Since al-Suy was working on his exegesis one Qurnic verse at a time, he
would have found it convenient to refer to another running commentary where the
relevant traditions are to be found in reference to the same verse. In a adth work, on the
other hand, such traditions are seldom found in such a convenient sequence, except in
works that have a section on tafsr. But such sections, where they exist, do not treat of all
Qurnic verses. Nor do they tend to contain the cumulative stock of adths that would
be desired by an exegete such al-Suy who aimed to produce an encyclopaedic
exegesis. Using other exegetical works as a guide to the traditions was an efficient
method that al-Suy would have een foolhardy to avoid. And I n Kathrs tafsr in
239
Abd al-l, pp. 401-402.
240
Al-Suy, al-Itqn, chapter 72, p. 15; and chapter 80, p. 191 in al-Marji DVD
76
particular tended to specify the canonical and post-canonical works from which its
adths were obtained.
As for commentaries on the adth collections, these serve as convenient sources
not only for understanding a tradition, but also for discovering the numerous variations of
a tradition and for locating other traditions on the same subject. We have seen that alSuy culled an excerpt for his epilogue from a work of I n ajar. But it is also clear
that, in the body of al-Durr, al-Suy made unacknowledged use of another significant
work of Ibn ajar: Fat al-br. 241 That work is a commentary (shar) on al-Bukhrs
adth collection. Al-Suy was deeply familiar with that adth commentary. His own
al-Tawsh, likewise a commentary on al-Bukhr's a, is a blatant reduction of the
work of Ibn ajar.242
There are three occasions when al-Suy made explicit reference to I n ajar
within the body of al-Durr. One is a reference to Ibn ajars index to adths. I will
discuss this work below. As for the other two references, al-Suy does not specify the
written source of the citations, but they are traceable to Ibn ajars adth
commentary.243 Al-Suys reference to Ibn ajar on the first of these two occasions is
only to appeal to his judgement on a adth's authenticity, but not for the adth itself. On
the second occasion, reference is to Ibn ajars view that the exegesis of a verse reported
in a given adth is based on an unusual reading of the verse.
241
Ibn ajar al-Asqaln. Fat al-br bi shar a al-Bukhr (Cairo: Dar al-adth, 1998).
242
Al-Suy, al-Tawsh shar jmi al-a: shar a al-Bukhr (Riyadh: Maktabat alRushd, 1998).
243
Al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 634; and vol. 8, p. 506 in al-Marji; cf. Fat, vol. 8, p. 236; and p. 863.
77
There is no reason why al-Suy, having consulted that commentary, would have
made such limited use of it as is reflected in the mere two citations. In Ibn ajar's
commentary al-Suy found discussions on adths tracing their varied versions to
numerous early works. Even if al-Suy wanted to find the said traditions in the original
works, knowing where to look is half the task accomplished. Although traditions having a
bearing on exegesis can be found scattered throughout al-Bukhr's a, and therefore
also in Ibn ajar's Fat, al-Bukhr includes a chapter dedicated to exegesis. In his
exposition of that chapter, Ibn ajar cites alternative versions of the adths therein.
Moreover, Ibn ajar indicates the various early collections where the alternative versions
of those adths are located.
Super-collections of adth represented another type of comprehensive source that
render redundant the consultation of individual adth works. When al-Suys goal was
to refer to multiple works in which a adth is located, he turned not to the individual
works but to the super-collections. For a useful introduction to the super-collections of
adth that were available to al-Suy, we turn now to Jonathan Browns adth:
Muammads Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World.244 There are three categories of
adth works that are most relevant to our discussion: what Brown calls digest
collections, supplemental collections, and indices.245 Digest collections combined and
consolidated the contents of the canonical collections into a more manageable form. For
example, I n Razn (d. 524/1129) com ined the traditions of al-Bukhr, Muslim, A
244
Jonathan Brown, adth Muhammads Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (New
York: Oneworld, 2009).
245
Brown, adth, pp. 57-60.
78
Dwd, al-Tirmidh, al-Nas and Mlik.246 A similar work was composed by Ibn alAthr (d. 606/1210).247 Ibn al-Jawz (d. 597/1201) in his Jmi al-masnd combined the
traditions of al-Bukhr, Muslim, al-Tirmidh, and I n anbal.
Supplemental collections (kutub al-zawid) add traditions to the approximately
twenty thousand contained in the canonical collections, thus bringing a larger supply of
adths within easy reach.248 Brown writes:
With these supplemental collections at their disposal, Muslim scholars could
easily reference adths outside the canonical collections as well as the rulings of
major late adth masters on their isnds.249
A notable supplemental collection is Majma al-zawid, composed by the
Cairene scholar Nr al-Dn al-Haytham (d. 807/1405).250 That work was used by alSuy without acknowledgement. That work lists all the adths which, though not found
in the si sittah, are nevertheless found in one of the following works: the Musnads of
Ibn an al, A u Yal al-Mawil and al-Bazzr; and the Mujams of al-Ta arn.
Another notable supplemental collection which was available to al-Suy is Itf
al-khiyarah al-maharah bi-zawid al-masnd al-asharah compiled by Ahmad al-
246
Brown, adth, p. 57. The compiler has included Mlik ut excluded I n Mjah. This is
o viously how he perceived the canon to e composed. I n Mjahs Sunan as sixth in the canon was late to
e settled. Its present position was variously occupied y Mliks Muwaa, as is here the case, and,
alternatively, by Ibn an als Musnad.
247
Ibn al-Athr, Jmi al-ul f adth al-rasl, ed. Ayman li Sha n (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub
al-Ilmyah, 1998) 15 vols.
248
Brown, adth, p. 58.
249
Brown, adth, pp. 58-59.
250
Ali . A Bakr al-Haytham, Bughyat al-rid f taqq majma al-zawid wa manba alfawid, ed. A d Allh Muammad al-Darwsh (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr. 1991-92) 10 vols.
79
Br (d. 840/1436).251 This work combines the narratives of ten separate collections of
adth. But al-Br had also produced a summary of the same work, one shorn of the
isnds: Mukhtaar itf al-sdah al-maharah bi-zawid al-masnd al-asharah.252 It is
this latter of al-Brs two a ove mentioned works of which I see traces in al-Durr.
According to al-Sakhwi, another work of al-Br was prepared for pu lication y his
son Muammad . Ahmad . A u Bakr . Isml al-Br after the fathers death.253 It is
significant that al-Suy, in his auto iography, lists the younger al-Br among his
teachers.254 Hence it is likely that al-Suy had access to some of the senior al-Brs
books.
Some verbal similarities between al-Brs introduction to his summary work,
Mukhtaar itf al-sdah, and al-Suys introduction to al-Durr suggest that al-Suy
based his introduction on that of al-Br. Al-Br explained in the introduction to his
derivative work why he decided to reduce his master work. He had at first combined,
from the ten collections he listed, all the traditions which were not already in the six
canonical works. Thus al-Br writes:
The result, y Gods grace and assistance, was a complete, copious, ooka
leader. But studying it proved too much for those who were short on zeal. The
length and breadth of the work deterred them from it. So, one of my brothers
251
For a biography of al-Br see Muammad . A d al-Ramn al-Sakhw, Al-aw al-lmi

li ahl al-qarn al-tsi, no editor (Beirut: Dr makta at al-ayt) 10 vols., vol. 1, p. 251.
252
Ahmad . A i Bakr . Isml al-Br, Mukhtaar itf al-sdah al-mahara bi-zawid almasnd al-asharah, ed. Sayyid Kasrawi asan (Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiya, 1996) 10 vols.
253
For a biography of the junior al-Br, see al-Sakhw, vol. 6, p. 296.
254
Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, pp. 59-60. Al-Suy gives the date of the sons irth as 815H. As
Sartain notes, however, neither al-Suy nor al-Sakhw has furnished the date of the said scholars
demise.
80
having a high level of zeal asked me to remove the isnds leaving the bare texts of
the traditions so that the servants of God would benefit from it more generally.255
Thus was born the summary version. Al-Brs work has survived in both forms.
Both the longer and shorter versions are now available in print. The survival of the isndladen version proves the value of such a work, if not for laity then for scholarship. The
continued presence of the longer version serves to justify our scepticism about the
existence of the Turjumn as a finished work. As was argued above, had the Turjumn
reached its publishable stage we would expect it to have similarly survived.
In sum, it is clear that, long before al-Suy, al-Br had already learnt from
experience that a book of adths replete with isnds would be of little interest to lay
readers. Al-Suy gained a similar first-hand experience with the failure of his Turjumn
to generate enough interest. But his explanation of that phenomenon in his introduction to
al-Durr is now shown to be unoriginal. We have already seen the main section of alSuys introduction to al-Durr above. The two introductions, those of al-Br and alSuy share a similar structure and main ideas. Moreover, the extent of shared
vocabulary between the two introductions is striking. Al-Br wrote: Lkin la al alhimam al-qirah taluh (but studying it was too lengthy for those who are short on
zeal).256 Similarly, al-Suy wrote: Raaytu qusr akthar al-himam an talih (I saw a
shortage of much zeal for studying the work).257 Al-Suy used more than just the
255
Al-Br, Mukhtaar, p. 39.
256
Al-Br, Mukhtaar, p. 39.
257
Al-Durr, Introduction, p. 4.
81
introduction to al-Brs work. He found it a convenient collection of traditions

topically arranged; and its section on exegesis was a ready source of exegetical adths.
Finally, among supplemental collections is a work of Ibn ajar: al-Malib alliyah bi-zawid al-masnd al-thamniyah.258 In this work Ibn ajar brought together
the traditions of eight major corpuses and placed them within easy reach. Al-Suy cites
some of those works. But Ibn ajars supplemental collection spared al-Suy the effort
of consulting those other works directly.
As for indices of adth, referred to as arf works, these are encyclopaedic
references to adths arranged alphabetically according to the first word in a memorable
segment of the adth, usually the opening words of the narrative.259 The historian Ibn
Askir composed such a work indexing the traditions of five of the six-book canon. We
have already noted above that al-Suy in his extended introduction ended his list of
sources with the mention of Ibn Askir.260 Al-Suy credits this scholar with the
authorship of al-Trkh [The history] and other works. aydar adds that the other
works include Ibn Askirs al-Mujam (The dictionary).261 aydars reference is to
Mujam al-shuykh, a three volume biographical dictionary detailing the lives of Ibn
Askirs teachers.262 Given al-Suys familiarity with these works of I n Askir, it is
258
Amad b. Al b. ajar al-Asqaln, al-Malib al-liyah bi-zawid al-masnd althamniyah, ed. A d Allh b. Abd al-Musin b. Amad al-Tuwayjir (Riyadh: Dr al-Ghayth, 19982000) 19 vols.
259
araf literally means end, and refers to a key statement in the adth, usually at its beginning,
by which the adth is easily identifiable among scholars.
260
aydar, p. 286.
261
aydar, p. 286.
262
Josef W. Meri and Jere L. Bacharach, Medieval Muslim Civilization (New York: Routledge,
2006) vol. 1, p. 351.
82
not implausible that al-Suy was also familiar with, and used, I n Askirs arf work
as well. As Brown noted, the said work was widely copied.263
Al-Mizz (d. 742/1341) composed another significant work of the same genre, one
whose influence can be traced in al-Durr: Tufat al-ashrf bi-marifat al-arf (The gem
of the elite for cognizance of the arf).264 This work comprises 19,626 traditions
gathered from the six canonical works and some other, minor works. Al-Mizzs son-inlaw, the exegete I n Kathr, added to this collection traditions he garnered from several
significant works. The result was a massive new index of adths: Jmi al-masnd waal-sunan al-hd li-aqwam sunan (A compendium of the musnad and sunan works: a
guide to the most upright of prophetic practices).265 A final work of the arf genre that
was available to al-Suy is that of I n ajar: Itf al-maharah bi-al-fawid almubtakarah min arf al-ashrah.266 This work is an index to, and a different
arrangement of, the traditions which al-Br had included in his topically arranged
collection described above. As was already indicated, al-Suy in al-Durr once credited
Ibn ajars arf work.267 On that occasion al-Suy referred only to Ibn ajars
263
Brown, adth, p. 60. Brown made no reference to al-Suys use of the work.
264
Jaml al-Dn b. al-ajjj Ysuf al-Mizz, Tufat al-ashrf bi-marifat al-arf, ed. Bashshr
Awwd Marf (Beirut: Dr al-Gharb al-Islm, 1999). Title translation that of Brown in his adth, p. 60.
265
Imd al-Dn A al-Fid Isml b. Umar b. Kathr al-Dimashq, Jmi al-masnd wa-alsunan al-hd li-aqwam sunan, ed. A d al-Malik b. A d Allh b. Duhaysh (Beirut: Lebanon: Dr Khir,
1998). 11 vols.
266
Ibn ajar al-Asqaln, Itf al-maharah bi-al-fawid al-mubtakarah min arf al-ashrah, ed.
Zuhayr b. Nir al-Nir (Medina: King Fahd Complex for Printing, 1994-99), 16 vols.
267
83
judgement that a certain adths chain is discontinuous. But al-Suy certainly made
further use of that work.
From the above information about the comprehensive adth collections that were
available in al-Suys day, it is clear that the work of locating traditions had een
greatly facilitated. Such prior works paved the way for al-Suy to em ark on his
reorganisation of scattered traditions in two major works: a colossal collection of adth,
and a huge adth-based exegesis. In his adth collection he intended to include all
extant traditions.268 The fruits of his labour, Jam al-jawmi (A consolidation of the
compendia), also known as al-Jmi al-kabr (The large compendium), comprises thirty
sections, and is now published in ten volumes.269 The adths therein are arranged
alphabetically according to their arf.270 Al-Suy then decided to select from this
encyclopedia all of the statements which were attributed to Muammad. These numbered
10,031. Al-Suy compiled these in a shorter work: al-Jmi al-aghr (The small
compendium). But al-Suy soon realised that he had omitted some traditions that
deserved inclusion in that shorter collection. Hence he penned al-Ziyda al-l-jmi alaghr (An addendum to the small collection). The larger collection, its shorter
derivative, and the additions to the latter, have been recently combined and published as a
single work spanning twenty-one volumes.271
268
Brown, adth, p. 59.
269
Al-Suy, Jam al-Jawmi: al-jmi al-kabr (Cairo: Majma al-Buuth al-Islmyah, 1970).
270
Brown, adth, p. 59.
271
A s Amad aqr and Amad A d al-Jawwd, Jmi al-adth al-jmi al-aghr wazawidihi wa-al-jmi al-kabr li-Jall al-Dn Abd al-Ramn al-Suy (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr, 1994).
84
Al-Suys adth-based exegesis, al-Durr, is essentially also a collection of

adths. In al-Durr the adths are selected and reorganised according to their relevance
to Qurnic lemmata. Prior to al-Suy, adths had been arranged in every conceivable
manner. The musnad works presented the adths according to the chain of narrators. The
muannaf works grouped the adths topically. And arf works indexed the traditions
according to their key clauses. What al-Suy did in al-Durr is that he arranged the
traditions under the Qurnic lemmata. The Qurnic lemmata now serve as captions for
groups of traditions which have more or less some connection with those lemmata.
Lacking as it does an authorial voice, al-Durr is thus largely another sort of arrangement
of traditions. In this too, al-Suy was not without precedent. The exegesis of Abd alRazzq al-anni followed a fairly similar style of presentation. And the surviving
portions of I n A tims tafsr show that he too followed a similar routine. Al-Suy
distinguished his work from those of al-anni and the son of A tim in two ways.
First, al-Suy included in al-Durr a much larger share of traditions. Second, he almost
completely excluded his own voice from the work.
Al-Shawkn (d. 1250/1834) asserted that only a very few exegetical traditions
have escaped inclusion in al-Durr.272 But many did. In composing al-Durr, it was not alSuys purpose to gather all the exegetical traditions he chanced upon. Al-Suy was
not deprived of written works from which to derive such traditions. But two factors
explain why al-Durr does not include all of the available exegetical traditions. First, alDurr was a hurried effort on the part of the author. Al-Suy wanted to make his mark in
the field of exegesis before the turn of the century at which time he hoped that his claim
272
Muhammad b. Ali b. Muhammad al-Shawkni, Fath al-qadr al-jam bayna al-fannay-lriwyah wa-l-diryah min ilm al-tafsr (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, 1421/2000) p. 36.
85
to be the next religious reformer would be accepted. Second, al-Suy must have been
careful to not include all available exegetical traditions lest al-Durr should become
unduly tedious to read. Al-Suy already experienced the lack of popular enthusiasm
with the prototype of al-Durr which contained fewer traditions replete with their isnds.
To be significant, al-Durr needed to have an impressive size without exceeding the limits
of popular enthusiasm.
In order to be more appealing than other similar works, al-Durr had to include
interesting and rare traditions. It was this latter objective, that of gathering unusual
traditions, that sent al-Suy seeking traditions not only outside of the canonical
collections but also beyond the adth corpuses. In his quest for more traditions, he was
willing to include adths which were questionable from the point of view of the
developed adth sciences. adths which could not pass the rigours of critical collectors
were included for enjoyment in popular books and in books of history. Al-Suy sought
out such traditions from these sources. As was seen above, al-Suy acknowledged using
I n Askirs history. In fact, he turned frequently to that source. Referring to such
histories, Brown wrote: Their authors were unconcerned with the authenticity of adths
in the books, and the works are thus indispensable sources for some of the rarest and
most bizarre adths in circulation.273
Likewise, al-Suy made much use of the writings of A -l-Shaykh al-Is ahn
(d. 369/979). Al-Suy cited him in al-Durr 3,305 timesa thousand more times than he
cited A d al-Razzq. That the relatively o scure and late A -l-Shaykh should be cited
more often than the famous early traditionist and exegete Abd al-Razzq requires an
273
Brown, adth, p. 55.
86
explanation. A plausi le explanation is that A -l-Shaykh furnished some of the most

wondrous narratives which make al-Durr all the more interesting to read. The book most
cited of this author in al-Durr is his Kitb al-aama (The book of sublimity).274 This is
the source from which al-Suy o tained, for example, the saying that dam used to
drink from the clouds.275 Thus in that saying dam bears a towering height far more
incredible than the sixty cubits he is said to have measured in the canonical stories.276
Books dealing with specific topics appealed to al-Suy as storehouses of related
adths gathered from multiple sources. When al-Suy needed to discuss similar topics
in his tafsr, he knew where to turn. There were, for example, the works of I n A -lDuny (d. 281/894).277 Al-Suy declared that he had seen a hundred compositions of
I n A -l-Duny.278 However, among the 668 times I n A -l-Duny is cited in al-Durr, I
could find mention of the titles of only forty-three of his works. In these works al-Suy
found a rich legacy of material on topics that would interest most fs. Each ooks title
ears the words, The Book of, followed y a clear indication of its subject matter.
Many of the titles indicate disparagement of the world, its pleasures, and base desires.
Many deal with themes related to the heart: repentance, humility, patience, expecting
good from God, contemplating the Divine, and remembrance of death. Some of these
274
A al-Shaykh al-A ahn A Muammad A d Allh b. Muammad b. Jafar b. ayyn,

Kitb al-aamah, ed. Ri Allh b. Muammad Idrs al-Mu arakfr (Riyadh: Dr al-imah, 1987-88).
275
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 148 in al-Marji.
276
The canonical height of dam was cited elsewhere y al-Suy from I n A Htim. See alDurr, in al-Marji, vol. 4, p. 432.
277
For a modern study of an individual work of this author see Leah Kinberg, Morality in the
Guise of Dreams: a Critical Edition of Ibn Ab al-Dunys Kit al-manm (Leiden: Brill, 1994) 364 pp.
278
Many of his writings have been published. For a comprehensive collection see A Bakr A d
Allh b. Muammad b. Ubayd b. Sufyn al-Qurash I n A al-Duny, Mawsat rasil Ibn Ab al-Duny
(Beirut: Muassasat al-Kutub al-Thaqfyah, 1993) 5 vols.
87
works deal with the actions of the tongue: they encourage mentioning God, supplication,
and even maintaining silence, but discourage backbiting. Some of these works are
hagiographic, recounting the lives of the pious and of those granted long life. One of
these works recounts legendary interactions between humans and jinns. Two are
descriptions of Paradise and Hell.
The two works of I n A -l-Duny most often cited by al-Suy are Makyid alShayn (Satans plots) and Man sha bada al-mawt (Those who lived after death).
These two writings are especially suited to the conveyance of supernatural stories. Now
that they have been incorporated into al-Durr, such stories serve as diversions from the
seriousness of scriptural exegesis. Such books on specific topics made al-Suys task of
gathering traditions simpler than if he were left to comb the corpuses for adths on
similar topics. These works also contributed to al-Durr some of its rare and intriguing
traditions.
2.8 Summary
Al-Durr is arranged along the lines of classical tafsrs which tend to be running
commentaries on the Qurn from start to finish. Al-Durr thus deals with one segment of
the Qurn after another covering every chapter in sequence though missing some verses
within chapters. The introduction to al-Durr does not delineate al-Suys hermeneutics.
However, we have discovered a few indications of al-Suys procedures from a study of
al-Durr and another of al-Suys works: the Itqn.
Al-Durr evolved out of an earlier work of al-Suy, Turjumn al-Qurn, which
was probably never published and is now lost. Al-Durr maintains the musnad nature of
that earlier work. Al-Durr is thus, in essence, a collection of adths arranged under
88
Qurnic verses. Whereas in a typical adth collection the traditions are arranged under
captions, in al-Durr the traditions are arranged under Qurnic verses.
It is clear that al-Suy intended al-Durr to serve as the foundation of, and
justification for, another exegesis which he initially hoped to write: Majma al-barayn.
This other exegesis would have combined the two main streams of exegesis: tafsr bi-lray and tafsr bi-l-mathr. Al-Durr, strictly of the mathr stream, provides the
traditional raw materials for such a combined commentary. What remained was for alSuy to insert his reason-based comments thus achieving the desired combination of
tradition and reason. By compiling al-Durr, al-Suy demonstrates a mastery of the
tradition which, he maintains, the exegete must attain before venturing into reason-based
exegesis.
When al-Suy a andoned his project of composing Majma al-barayn, he
directed his exegetical efforts to his tradition-based tafsr expanding it to make it his
ultimate exegesis: al-Durr. It was al-Suys elief that he was the mujaddid, the
reformer of religion that must arise at the turn of the century. His ardent wish was that his
contemporaries would recognise him as having the necessary qualifications for that role.
He thus managed to complete al-Durr in the year 898, just in time for it to be added his
list of achievements as the century drew to a close.
In the epilogue to al-Durr, al-Suy identified four exegeses from the third and
fourth centuries which serve as models of the mathr genre: those of Abd b. umayd,
al- a ar, I n A tim, and I n al-Mundhir. These turn out to be al-Suys most
frequently cited sources. In an extended introduction to al-Durr, found in some
manuscripts, al-Suy listed one hundred and one authors whose works he consulted.
89
Moreover, al-Suy used four hundred sources altogether in the compositon of al-Durr.
In addition to exegetical works, adth works also served as significant sources. Citations
of tafsr works run in parallel with citations of adth works, thus emphasizing the nature
of al-Durr as a adth-based tafsr. Typically, a tradition is culled from a tafsr work, and
traced also to adth collections.
Some reviewers of al-Durr have expressed their amazement at al-Suys
singular achievement in view of the multiple sources he cites for a given tradition.
However, it is now clear that al-Suy made use of reference works which made access
to traditions relatively simple. This is not to deny that al-Suy himself was a adth
master. But among the unacknowledged sources which al-Suy used in compiling alDurr, we have identified several amalgamated adth compilations which served as
convenient portals to many other massive collections. Al-Suy could and naturally did
turn to digest collections, supplemental collections, and indices of adth. In these later
comprehensive works, he was thus able to locate, on various topics, multiple adths
mentioned together with their earlier sources.
A most efficient source for al-Suy, however, would have een a running
commentary on the Qurn replete with references to the adth corpuses. The tafsr of
I n Kathr served well in this regard, for it not only presents tradition-based exegetical
snippets, but also links them to the adth corpuses. Al-Suy did not acknowledge I n
Kathr as a source for the traditions he has included in al-Durr. But there are clear
indications of al-Suys use of I n Kathrs exegesis in the composition of al-Durr.
Among the evidence of such use is the fact that, in al-Durr, al-Suy refers on occasion
to I n Kathr for the latters judgements on a few traditions. As we have seen, however,
90
I n Kathr has expressed those very judgements at comparable locations in his own
exegesis. Thus it is clear that al-Suy had I n Kathrs exegesis open efore him as he
was composing al-Durr.
91
Chapter 3
Legends and Isrlyt in al-Durr al-manthr

3.1 Introduction
As Jonn Wans rough indicated, it is useful to remem er that no writer merely
transmits, and that even a compilation reveals principles both of selection and of
arrangement.279 Although al-Durr al-manthr appears to be a mere collection of
traditions, the authors work of selecting and presenting traditions is related to his special
interests. The central position occupied by legendary material in many sections of alDurr is not accidental. Legends have played a role in the elaboration of the Qurn in the
earliest exegetical works available.280 As we will see below, the tafsr of al- a ar (d.
311/923) contains a large stock of legendary material.281 However, there was a later
tendency to relegate such fables to the margins of the exegetical stream. Ibn Taymyah (d.
728/1328) in his Muqaddimah dissuaded exegetes from the use of narratives which were
derived from Jewish and Christian sources. He dubbed such narratives as Israelite
279
John Wansbrough, Qurnic Studies: Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretation

(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1977) p. 120.
280
Gottfried Hagen has argued that such stories served the essential function of making scriptural
teachings accessi le to illiterate populations: These stories provided a comprehensive collection of
religious knowledge in narrative form: a cosmology, a history of the revelation, including a narrative
framework of the revelation of the Qurn itself, and numerous narrative episodes encapsulating the morals
and behaviours endorsed by Islam, all in a language that was accessible to an audience that lacked Islamic
instruction. Gottfried Hagen, From Haggadic Exegesis to Myth: Popular Stories of the Prophets in
Islam, in Ro erta Sterman Sa ath, Sacred Tropes: Tanakh, New Testament and Qurn as Literature and
Culture (Leiden: Brill, 2009) pp. 301-316, p. 314.
281
Al- a ar, A Ja far Muammad b. Jarr. Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn tafsr alabar (Beirut: Iya al-Turth al- Ara , 2001) vol. 1, pp. 524-27.
92
traditions (isrlyt).282 I n Kathr (d. 774/1372) took this tendency a step further: he
often relates such tales only to impugn them.283
Since the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr are often regarded as models of
tradition-based exegesis, I will here compare these two works with al-Durr. From this
comparison, it will become clear that al-Suy rejuvenates the lore in three ways. First,
al-Suy augments the lore by presenting additional, often more interesting, narratives
that are not found in the exegeses of al- a ar and I n Kathr. Second, after I n Kathr
had impugned specific traditions, al-Suy relates those traditions once more, without
adding any disparaging remarks. Thus al-Suy has reinstated these traditions as valid
elements in Qurnic exegesis. Third, y presenting the mythological narratives within a
string of traditions of other genres, al-Suy allows them to have a voice on par with the
other types of information.
Al-Durrs distinctiveness ecomes evident when we compare the manner in which
al-Suy and al- a ar present traditions in their respective tafsrs. Al- a ar presents
each narrative as being supportive of a particular exegetical view. He evaluates these
views, accepting some and rejecting others. Thus he also accepts some of the traditions
and rejects others. Therefore al- a ar tells his readers how to think of the traditions. On
the other hand, al-Suy rarely comments on the traditions he presents. Therefore alSuy leaves his readers to form their own impressions a out the implications of the
traditions. In sum, al-Suy has boldly brought the legendary material back into focus as
282
Amad . A d al-alm I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah f ul al-tafsr, in Musid . Sulaymn

. Nir al- ayyr, Shar Muqaddimah f ul al-tafsr li-bni Taymyah (Damam: Dar Ibn al-Jawzi, 2007-8)
pp. 255-58.
283
I n Kathr al-Dimashq, Tafsr al-Qurn al-am (Beirut: Dr I n azm, 1998) 8 vols., vol. 1,
pp. 341-46.
93
a valid part of the tradition-based exegetical stream after I n Kathr attempted to sideline
such material.
Al-Suy was aware of the growing tendency among Qurn exegetes to shun
legendary material. In his Itqn, al-Suy cites A u Hayyn (d. 745/1344) who
lambastes earlier exegetes for stockpiling in their tafsrs unnecessary and inappropriate
material. These include inaccurate reports on occasions of revelation, traditions dealing
with virtues, unattested stories, and Israelite histories.284 Al-Suy also cites I n
Taymyah as warning against the narrations of Ka and Wahb, converts to Islam famed
for their Israelite stories.285
On the other hand, al-Suy was forthright in acknowledging that his traditionbased exegesis included such material. Introducing those Companions of Muammad
who were the earliest of Qurn exegetes, al-Suy includes A dullh . Amr . al-.
Al-Suy adds that A dullh . Amr has narrated stories, predictions of tri ulations and
information about the life hereafter. Al-Suy admits that A dullh . Amr most likely
related this sort of information from the People of the Book. According to al-Suy, it is
likewise from the People of the Book that A dullh . Amr derived his exegesis of the
Qurnic expression f ulalin min al-ghamm (in the shades of the clouds).286 AlSuy then added, And our ook, to which we have [already] pointed, is a compilation
284
Al-Suy, al-Itqn f ulm al-Qurn, ed. Sad al-Mandh (Beirut: Muassat al-Kutub alThaqfiyyah, 2004), vols. 3-4, p. 490.
285
Al-Suy, al-Itqn, vols. 3-4, pp. 470-71.
286
Quran 2:210. The verse asks, Are these people waiting for God to come to them in the
shadows of the clouds, together with the angels?
94
of all such material that was related on the authority of the Companions.287 Al-Suy
was thus referring to the prototype of al-Durr, as already detailed in my previous chapter.
Therefore, al-Suy was clear a out his intention to include in his tradition-based
exegesis the very tales which other exegetes dubbed as isrlyt.
In fact, one of the salient features of al-Durr is its inclusion of a large number of
traditions depicting some of the most entertaining stories in the exegetical lore. But some
writers of the secondary literature in Arabic have misunderstood the significance of these
traditions. For, they often call for someone to remove these stories from al-Durr with the
aim of cleaning up the work.288 It is now clear, however, that al-Suy has deliberately
included the said stories in his exegesis. To make room for such tales in his work, alSuy did not copy all of the other exegetical traditions that were within easy reach. He
did not, for example, copy all the traditions of al- a ars tafsr. As I have shown in my
previous chapter, even after al-Suy has included much legendary material, the total
number of traditions in al-Durr still does not exceed, though it comes close to, that of ala ars tafsr.289 Moreover, al-Suy has gone to great lengths to acquire reports of his
choosing from a variety of sources. He then added these reports to the existing stream of
exegetical material. Discarding such narratives from al-Durr would deprive the work of
one of its distinctive characteristics.
Our comparison of al-Durr with the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr is apt,
since these other two works have been treated in much of the secondary literature as
287
288
Such, for example is the call in Muammad usayn Al-Dhaha , Al-Tafsr wa-l-mufassirn
(Cairo: Dr al-Kutub al-Ara , 1962) vol. 1, p. 254.
289
95
models of the tradition-based genre.290 Al-Suy himself, as we have seen in my

previous chapter, gives pride of place to al- a ars tafsr as the most outstanding
exegetical work. Why then would al-Suy compose another? My comparison shows that
one of his objectives was to revive the stories which I n Kathr worked so hard to
eradicate from the exegetical lore.
3.2 The Mountain Qf

A comparison of the commentary on the initial letter of Qurn 50:1 will serve to
illustrate the relative positions of the three tafsrs vis-a-vis legendary traditions. As we
will presently see, al- a ar mentions a legend without rejecting it; and only through a
circuitous route do we discover that he acquiesces in it. On the other hand, I n Kathr not
only rails against the tradition, but accuses the Israelites of having invented it. Al-Suy,
for his part, calmly mentions the legend and, to expand its scope, introduces traditions
that supplement those found in the other two tafsrs.
In A del Haleems translation, the Qurns 50th chapter begins:
Qf
By the glorious Qurn!291
290
Jane Dammen McAuliffes essay on traditional tafsrs already reflects in its title the estimate of
al- a ar and Ibn Kathr as the scholars who best represent the tradition. Jane Dammen McAuliffe,
Qurnic Hermeneutics: The Views of al- a ar and I n Kathr in Andrew Rippin, ed., Approaches to the
History of the Interpretation of the Qurn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988). Likewise Norman
Calder, in attempting to define traditional tafsrs, did not look beyond Ibn Kathr for a later example of a
work whose features may serve to inform such a definition. Norman Calder, "Tafsr from a ar to Ibn
Kathr: Pro lems in the Description of a Genre, Illustrated with Reference to the Story of Abraham" In
Approaches to the Qurn, eds. G. R. Hawting and Abdul-Kader A. Shareef (London: Routledge, 1993),
101-140).
291
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, The Quran A New Translation (Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2004). Translation of Qurn 50:1. The initial letter is offset in the translation as shown.
96
The word given in the translation as Qf is the name of the Arabic letter . The
implication of such a disjointed letter, standing alone, has eluded every exegete. This
unexplained phenomenon affects twenty-nine Qurnic surahs, some eginning with one
such disjointed letter; some with two, three, four, or five.292 However, my concern here is
not with the phenomenon of the disjointed letters (urf muqaat) in general. My
concern is specifically with the suggestion that the letter of Qurn 50:1 refers to a
mythological mountain whose name, Qf, is identical to the name of the letter .293
Al- a ar mentions three opinions on the question. First, Qf is one of the names
of God. Al- a ar presents a tradition attesting to this view.294 Second, Qf is one of the
names of the Qurn. Al- a ar also proffers a tradition in favour of this view. Third, Qf
is the name of the mountain which surrounds the earth (ism al-jabal al-mu bi-lar).295 At the present location in his exegesis, al- a ar offers no further elaboration of
this view, and supplies no tradition in its support. Rather, he directs his readers to his
exegesis of early chapters of the Qurn where he had explained the significance of the
disjointed letters. Indeed, his elaboration of Qurn 2:1 covers the subject in substantial
detail.296 Yet even there he does not deal directly with the letter Qf of Qurn 50:1, and
292
See, for example the beginning of sras 2, 3, 19, 20, 36, and 42.
293
The tenacity of pre-scientific conceptions in the tafsr works is remarkable. John North writes:
For a long time, there was a tendency for theologians . . . to e content with the old folk astronomy, ut
with the rapid influx of new learning in the first two centuries of Islam, pressure was brought to bear on
even them. John North, Cosmos: An Illustrated History of Astronomy and Cosmology (Chicago:
University Press of Chicago, 2008) p. 190. See also Anton Heinen, ed., Islamic Cosmology: A Study of alSuys al-Haya assanya f l-haya as-sunnya (Beirut: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982).
294
Al- a ar, A Ja far Muammad b. Jarr. Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn Tafsr alabar (Beirut: Iya al-Turth al- Ara , 2001) vol. 26, p. 169.
295
Ibid, p. 169.
296
Ibid, vol. 1, p. 102.
97
he makes no mention of the mythological mountain. But we gather from his exegesis of
Qurn 2:1 that some commentators viewed the Qurns disjointed letters as
abbreviations of nouns and verbs.297 In his final analysis of Qurn 2:1, al- a ar accepts
a multiplicity of interpretations of the disjointed letters, including the interpretation that
they are abbreviations of nouns and verbs.298 Having seen al- a ars treatment of the
disjointed letters at Qurn 2:1, I now return to Qurn 50:1. It is now clear that al- a ar,
to be consistent, must accept that Qf is all three: a name of God, a name of the Qurn,
and the name of the mountain surrounding the earth. Yet he did not explicitly embrace
the view that Qf is the name of such a mountain.
I n Kathr, on the other hand, mentioned the myth only to chide the Jews for
inventing it, and the unsuspecting Muslim scholars for importing it.299 He writes that,
though God knows est, this is one of the myths (khurft) of the Israelites which some
Muslims relayed from them.300 I n Kathr acknowledges the principle that it is
permissible for Muslims to relay from the Israelites such information that is not denied by
297
Ibid, vol. 1, p. 102.
298
Ibid, pp. 108-9.
299
Blaming the Jews for these traditions is a common theme in Muslim writings. Yet, as Marianna
Klar writes, the paucity of manuscripts and questions of dating make it difficult to decide in the case of
many such tales whether they were transferred from others to Muslims or from Muslims to others. We can
only say that such material was in common circulation. See Marianna Klar, Stories of the Prophets in The
Blackwell Companion to the Qurn, ed. Andrew Rippin (Oxford: Blackwell, 2009) p. 341. See also Judith
Romney Wegner, Exegetical Excursions from Judaism to Islam, pu lished electronically in, Textures and
Meaning: Thirty Years of Judaic Studies at the University Press of Massachusetts Amherst, ed. L. Ehrlich
et al, (Department of Judaic and Near Eastern Studies, University Press of Massachusetts Amherst, 2004)
284-96, pp. 293-94.
300
I n Kathr al-Dimashq, Tafsr al-Qurn al-am (Beirut: Dr I n azm, 1998) vol. 7, p.

3285. I n Kathr is referring here to the principle, mentioned in a adth, that such information as coincides
with the Islamic revelation should be affirmed; such information that is disconfirmed by Islam should be
denied; and such information that is neutral with regards to Islams approved sources may e reported
without criticism lest one should unknowingly deny a truth.
98
Muslim traditions. But, as far as I n Kathr is concerned, the tale of Mount Qf and other
such tales are of a different order. He writes that such tales are the inventions of some of
the zandiqah (freethinkers or non-believers) from among the Israelites; with such
inventions the zandiqah sought to confuse people in matters of faith.301 I n Kathr
explains that such Israelite inventions mirror Muslim inventions of prophetic adths and
tales of the ancients.302 In the light of such Muslim concoctions, I n Kathr asks his
readers what may be expected of the People of Israel. He gives several suggestions as to
why the Israelite traditions should be more suspect in the eyes of Muslims. For example,
I n Kathr suggests that the Israelites existed as a people for a longer period than did
Muslims. Hence Israelite traditions were transmitted over a longer period. Moreover Ibn
Kathr presumes that the Israelites did not develop tradition-criticism to the degree of
sophistication achieved by Muslims. Finally, I n Kathr accuses the Israelite scholars of
corrupting the very words of God.303
After offering his reasons for suspecting Israelite traditions, I n Kathr admits that
Muammad said: Transmit from the Israelites, and there is no harm.304 But I n Kathr
argues that the prophet only intended to permit the conveyance of such information as the
intellect accommodates. I n Kathr is certain that Muammad did not mean for Muslims
to narrate from the Israelites that which the intellect judges to be impossible or baseless;
301
Ibid, p. 3285.
302
Ibid, p. 3285.
303
Ibid, p. 3285. Gordon Nickel has shown that the earlier exegetes were more cautious in the
matter of such dogmatic assertions a out earlier communities deli erately corrupting Gods scriptures. See
Gordon Nickel, Narratives of Tampering in the Earliest Commentaries on the Qurn (Leiden: Brill, 2001).
304
Cited in I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 40, and again with reference to the present discussion, p. 3285.
99
and that which the preponderance of opinion determines to be false. Hence the report
about Mount Qf does not fall within the permissible limits, though, again, I n Kathr
adds, God knows est.305 That indecisive last comment reflects I n Kathrs inner
turmoil as he finds himself here momentarily advancing reason over tradition.
Nonetheless, I n Kathr laments that many exegetes, ancient and modern, have
reported in their books the stories of the People of the Book. To I n Kathr, the Muslim
exegete should have no need for such information. He complains that even al-Rz (d.
604/1207) has explained Qf by adducing a strange report (athar gharb) on the authority
of I n A
s (d. 68/687). But, according to I n Kathr, the chain of authorities (sanad)
of that tradition is not authentic (laa yai).306 After relaying from al-Rz the adth
which asserts that Qf refers to the encompassing mountain, I n Kathr impugns it with
the following arguments. First, there are disconnections in its chain of authorities.
Second, the report runs contrary to another related from I n A
s via I n A alah
(d. 143/760) to the effect that Qf is one of Gods names. Third, the questiona le report
from I n A
s is transmitted y way of Mujhid.307 But, the confirmed opinion of
Mujhid himself on the question of Qf is that it is a mere letter of the alphabet as are the
other disjointed letters occurring at the head of other srahs of the Qurn.308 Thus, for
305
Ibid, p. 3285.
306
Ibid, p. 3285.
307
He is Mujhid . Ju ayr (d. 104/722).
308
Mujhid thus tells his listeners nothing they do not already know.
100
I n Kathr, it is unlikely that Mujhid transmitted the questiona le report on I n A s

authority.309
Notwithstanding I n Kathrs criticisms of that adth, al-Suy presented it in alDurr along with three others in support of the view that Qf refers to a mountain.
According to the adth which I n Kathr impeached, and al-Suy now reproduces,
beyond this earth is a sea that encompasses it. Beyond that sea is a mountain, called Qf,
over which the lowest heaven (al-sam al-duny) flutters (mutarafrifah). Beyond that
mountain is another earth seven times the size of the first one. Even that earth is
surrounded by a sea. Beyond that sea is another mountain, called Qf, over which the
second heaven flutters. The narrative continues in this way to include seven earths, seven
mountains, and seven heavens.310
I n Kathr had given reasons to doubt the ascription of the above narrative to Ibn
A
s. However, al-Suy includes another narrative, also attributed to I n A s,
which affirms the existence of mount Qf. This other narrative provides the etiological
explanation of as to how earthquakes affect particular localities. Mount Qf has roots
leading to the rock on which the earth rests. When God wishes to cause an earthquake
under a certain village, he orders the mountain which then quakes the root connected to
that village. This explains why the quake affects one village and spares others.311
Likewise, I n Kathr had dou ted that Mujhid attri uted the myth to his teacher
on the asis that Mujhid himself held a different view on the question. But al-Suy
309
Ibid, p. 3285.
310
Ibn Kathir, vol. 7, p. 3285; al-Durr, vol. 13, pp. 612-13.
311
101
includes a narrative that now has Mujhid himself saying that Qf is a mountain that
circumscribes the earth.312 Hence al-Suy defended the imputation of the said view to
both I n A
s and his student, each an outstanding exegete.313 Al-Suy adds yet
another narrative on the authority of A dullh . Buraydah who said that Qf is a

mountain of emerald surrounding the world; on it are the two flanks of the sky.314 In this
way, al-Suy has increased the list of early authorities who spoke of Mount Qf.
Al-Suy has not only saved the legend from I n Kathrs attempt to sideline it.
Al-Suy has now made it central to his own exegesis of the verse. He has furnished six
traditions in the present exposition. Four of those defend the view that Qf is a mountain.
Of the other two, one each supports each of the two other views which we already know
from al- a ar: that Qf is a name of God; and that it is a name of the Qurn. Thus alSuy, has done more than al- a ar, to advance the belief in Mount Qf. Al- a ar had
mentioned no tradition in support of the view that Qf designates a mountain. However,
he mentioned a tradition each in support of the other two views. Moreover, al- a ar was
not forthright in embracing the said view. At first glance it appeared that he was noncommittal towards it. When we traced his wider discussion on disjointed letters we
discovered that he must, for consistency, accept that the letter Qf would be an initial for
a noun. In that case, Qf would be the name of a mountain encompassing the earth.
312
313
On the transmission of tafsir through Mujhid, see Fred Leemhuis, Origins and Early
Development of the tafsr Tradition, in Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the Qurn, ed.
Andrew Rippin (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988) p. 19.
314
A dullh . Buraydah is listed among the fourth-generation adth transmitters in Scott Lucas,
Constructive critics, adth literature, and the articulation of Sunn Islam the legacy of the generation of
Ibn Sad, Ibn Man, and Ibn anbal (Leiden: Brill, 2004) pp. 64-65, n. 2.
102
3.3 The Ascension of Idrs

The prophet Idrs, mentioned in Muslim sources, is variously identified in the
very sources as either Enoch or Elijah of the Tanakh.315 The Qurns mention of Idrs is
very brief:
Mention too, in the Qurn, the story of Idrs. He was a man of truth, a prophet.
We raised him to a high positon.316
The three tafsrs treat several issues arising from these two verses, but I will focus
here on their attitudes towards legendary material. We will see again that al- a ar is
willing to entertain a tale, I n Kathr dismisses it, and al-Suy reintroduces it while
adding a supply of more interesting traditions. Al- a ar mentions that I n A s had
asked Ka a out the second of these two verses, the one that reads, We raised him to a
high position (Qurn 19:57). Ka informed I n A s, in the presence of the
traditions narrator, as follows. God had informed Idrs that when the good deeds of
humans are raised to God each day Idrs deeds are found to be equal to the sum of
everyone elses. This information only inspired Idrs to increase his supply of such deeds.
Therefore, when one of the angels, a close friend of his, accosted him, Idrs asked him to
request the angel of death to grant him respite so that he could continue doing good
deeds. Idrs friend then carried him between his wings, rising up to meet the angel of
death. The latter, on his way down, met them in the fourth heaven. The friend makes the
315
That Idrs is identified as Enoch see Uri Ru in, The Qurnic Idea of Prophets and
Prophethood, in Uri Ru in, Muammad: the Prophet and Arabia (Surrey, UK: Ashgate, 2001) II, p. 19.
That he is also identified with Elijah see Brannon Wheeler, Prophets in the Quran: An Introduction to the
Quran and Muslim Exegesis (New York: Continuum, 2002) p. 243. On the Biblilcal background of
Qurnic stories see Ga riel Said Reynolds, The Qurn and Its Biblical Subtext (New York: Routledge,
2010) and several articles in Gabriel Said Reynolds, The Qurn and Its Historical Context (New York:
Routledge, 2010).
316
Qurn 19:56-57, trans. M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, p. 193.
103
request, and the angel of death asks, Where is Idrs? The friend answers, He is the one
on my ack. What a surprise, exclaimed the angel of death. He then explained that he
had been commissioned to seize Idrs soul in the fourth heaven, and he wondered how he
might accomplish such a task seeing that Idrs was on earth. He then took Idrs soul on
the spot. This explains the verse.317
Al- a ar embraces the view that God took Idrs alive to the fourth heaven. Ala ar also mentioned an alternative view: that Idrs was taken to the sixth heaven.318 The
above tradition is just one of several al- a ar has adduced to prove that it was the fourth
heaven to which Idrs was taken. The tradition incidentally supports the view that Idrs
ascended alive, even if only to meet his death. But al- a ar says nothing either by way
of approbation or disapprobation of the details of the story. I n Kathr, on the other hand,
disapproves of some unspecified aspects of the tale. He writes that in relation to the verse
in question al- a ar has furnished a wondrous, strange narrative.319 After citing the
narrative, I n Kathr added, This is one of the Israelite tales of Ka al-A r. Some of
its contents are objectionable. God knows best.320
I n Kathr then mentioned from I n A tim (d. 327/938) two other narratives
which run along the same lines as seen from the story above.321 The first of these
317
Al- a ar, vol, 16, p. 112-13.
318
Ibid, p. 112.
319
I n Kathr, vol. 5, p. 2230.
320
Ibid, p. 2231.
321
Unfortunately, none of the narratives to be discussed here in connection with Qurn 19:57
appears in what remains of I n A tim, Tafsr Ibn Ab tim (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob Al-Ilmiya, 2006) 7
vols. The surviving reconstructed work contains only three short traditions to explain 19:56 and 57 (see
Tafsr, vol. 6, p. 187). According to the first tradition, Idrs was before Noah. God sent him to command his
people to say, There is no god ut God, and then to do as they pleased, ut they refused. So God
104
traditions is similarly based on Ka s answer to I n A
s, and offers interesting
variations to some of the details in the above narrative. Here Idrs asks his friend not for
respite, but merely to enquire as to what remains of his lifespan. When the question was
put to the angel of death, the latter confessed that he could not tell until he first looks into
the record. But having looked, he said, You are asking me a out a man of whose
lifetime nothing remains ut the twinkling of an eye. Idrs friend then looked under his
wing only to discover that Idrs had already been snatched away.
As reproduced by I n Kathr, the second of I n A tims reports does not
challenge the details of al- a ars tradition. I n A tims second report merely
esta lishes Idrs exceptional piety: I n A s narrates that Idrs was also a tailor who
said Glory e to God, with every thrust of his needle.322 Nothing is said of Ka in
connection with this report. I n Kathr has written nothing in favour or against the two
additional narratives from I n A tim. However, the asic thread of I n A tims
traditions is the same as that of al- a ars tradition; and the tenor of all these traditions is
equally legendary. Hence it is clear that I n Kathr intends his blanket Israelite label to
cover all of these traditions.
Al-Suy, however, expresses no reservation with regards to the above two
reports from I n A tim. He reproduces them both.323 He did not copy the report as
found in al- a ar. In any case, the contents of al- a ars report are amply represented
destroyed them. According to the second, God raised Idrs to the sixth heaven, and he died there. According
to the third, which has a sound (asan) sanad reaching ack to I n Masd, Idrs is Ilys (Elijah). The
editor neglected to number this last tradition.
322
As cited in I n Kathr, p. 2231.
323
Al-Durr, vol, 10, pp. 83-85.
105
in the two variations given by I n A tim. Nonetheless, al-Suy has included

additional legendary material in his exegesis of the pair of verses. First, deserving of only
brief mention here, is another report derived from I n A tim, which he in turn
reported on the authority of al-Sudd.324 This report gives essentially the same
information as the report seen above from al- a ar. However, in the present report it was
in the sixth heaven where Idrs and his angelic friend met the angel of death as the latter
was descending from the presence of God. When asked where he was headed, the angel
of death declared that his purpose was to snatch the soul of Idrs in the sixth heaven. That
is when Idrs friend saw the earthling near his feet still quivering after his death that very
instant. Idrs was then placed by his friend in the sixth heaven.325 This report has the
obvious emphasis on the sixth heaven, thus supporting the other opinion in favour of
which al- a ar offered no tradition. It also has the benefit of introducing another
authority, al-Sudd, to support the veracity of the story.
Another report offered by al-Suy, again from I n A tim, is even more
interesting than the preceding ones. This narrative makes malak al-mawt (the angel of
death) himself the friend of Idrs. One day, Idrs asked his friend to give him a taste of
death. The angel was flabbergasted. Everyone in heaven and earth flees from death, and
yet his dear friend wants to experience it?326 But Idrs insisted. The angel acknowledged
that he has no say in the matter.327 So he went up to God and received his permission.
324
He is Isml . A d al-Rahmn al-Sudd (d. 127/745).
325
Al-Durr, vol, 10, p. 95.
326
That people are fleeing from death is an allusion to the Qurn 62:8.
327
The allusion here to Qurnic 3:128 shows the Muslim character of the legend, and points away
from its characterization as an Israelite tale.
106
After causing Idrs death, the angel of death was unable to restore Idrs soul to him. But
the angel of death beseeched God who returned the soul, and Idrs thus remained alive for
as long as God willed. Idrs further insisted that the angel shows him Paradise. The angel
o tained Gods permission for this too, for, as the angel admitted, God knows more than
I do about Idrs.328 The angel of death therefore carried Idrs into Paradise where Idrs
remained for as long as God wished. But when the angel signalled the end of the visit,
Idrs refused to leave, on two grounds. First, he should not return to die for a second
time.329 Second, God has said: From it they will not e expelled, and Idrs was not
about to leave on his own accord.330 The angel called on God to adjudicate between
them. God declared not only that Idrs is right, ut also that Idrs is more knowledgea le
than the angel. For these reasons, God declares that Idrs should stay in Paradise and the
angel should depart. This explains the verse (Qurn 19:57).331
The Islamic character of the story is evident throughout, for it explains some of
the puzzles confronting Qurnic exegetes. The story explains how Idrs made his way
into Paradise before the usual time and why he remains alive therein. Thus al-Suys
present narrative goes further than the others seen above. For, in the other narratives,
328
The allusion here is to Qurn 2:30 ff. God taught dam all the names, then demanded the
angels to announce the names (2:31); but they confessed that they knew no more than God had taught them
(2:32). At Gods prompt, however, dam recounted the names, and that set the stage for God to confound
the angels with his declaration that he, God, knows all things in the heavens and the earth, including the
thoughts of the angels (2:33). The angels confession in the present narrative is an effect, felt many times
over in Muslim stories, of that primordial incident.
329
Idrs first argument is put in a similar form to his second argument, where a mere citation of
the words of God suffices to make the point. His citation is close to ut not quite the Qurnic statement,
After the one death they will taste death no more . . . (Qurn 54:56).
330
Qurn 15:47. Translation mine.
331
Al-Durr, vol, 10, pp. 94-95.
107
Idrs death marks the end of his epic. Moreover, the present narrative indirectly deals
with anxieties arising from another verse, Qurn 2:30. In Qurn 2:30, the angels ask
God why he would create a vicegerent on earth who will cause corruption therein and
shed blood. God informs the angels that he, God, knows what they do not. In the verses
that followed Qurn 2:30, God demonstrated to the angels that even dam, having been
taught by God, knew more than they do (Quran 2:31-33). Now it is clear from Idrs epic
that one of dams descendants also knows more than does the angel of death. Idrs was
a le to confound the angel y citing verses from the Qurn long efore the Qurn was
revealed.
The last tradition to be cited here from al-Suys explication of Qurn 19:57
spans seven pages in his work, not only because it is the most elaborate account of Idrs
ascension, but also because it includes the story of two fallen angels.332 I will treat the
latter legend separately under my next caption. I shall continue here with the story of
Idrs. According to this narrative, Idrs divides his week: for three days he teaches people;
and for the remaining four days he travels off on his own to engage in worship. The angel
of death loved Idrs for the sake of God. Therefore, the angel assumed human form and
eseeched Idrs on one of his journeys to take him on as a disciple.333 Idrs, not knowing
the true identity of his would- e disciple, attempted to dissuade him, saying, You will
332
Al-Durr, vol, 10, pp. 86-93.
333
This is the reverse of the Qurnic story in which Moses becomes the disciple of a mysterious
teacher (Qurn 18:65-66). Now prophet teaches angel, and the allusions to the Moses story should not be
missed.
108
not have the a ility to accompany me.334 But the angel assured Idrs that God will grant
him the ability.335 Hence they journeyed together.
In the latter part of the day, Idrs and his disciple passed y a shepherd. The angel
suggested that, seeing that they do not know where they will end up that evening, they
would do well to gra a stray kid from the shepherds flock. This way, they will have
something to eat at the time of breaking their fast.336 However, Idrs was appalled y the
suggestion that he should carry off what is not his. Moreover, he was confident that God
always provides for him by evening. Then and there, Idrs forbade his companion from
ever repeating such a suggestion.337 That night, Idrs received his ration as usual, and he
invited his friend to share the food. But the angel stayed aloof after offering the excuse
that he had no appetite. Hence Idrs ate alone. Then they stood up and prayed together.
Idrs eventually grew tired and his vigour subsided, but his companion did not let up.
Amazed at the fervour of his friend, Idrs began to think that he has finally met his match:
one who is more devout than he is.
The following day, the angel of death made an unethical suggestion similar to the
one he made the day before: he now proposed that they pluck a bunch of grapes in
anticipation of their evening meal. Idrs again reproved him. That evening, they followed
334
Al-Durr, vol, 10, p. 87. This situation parallels al-Khirs censure of Moses: Did I not tell you
that you will not e a le to e patient with me? Moses su mits, If I ask you a out anything after this,
then do not let me accompany you (Qurn 18:75-76).
335
Moses assures his mysterious teacher that he will be patient and obedient if that should be the
will of God (Qurn 18:68-69).
336
The storyline thus presumes that Idrs and his companion were fasting during the day.
337
Likewise, Moses is warned to not pester his guide with questions, but to wait for his guide to
explain events (18:70).
109
a routine similar to that of the previous night. But now Idrs openly questioned the
corporeal appearance of his companion; and his companion confessed that he was in fact
the angel of death.338 However, Idrs was now puzzled for another reason. Over the last
three days and nights of their companionship he had not observed the angel of death
taking the soul of anyone.339 The angel explained that the entire world in relation to him
is like a dining table before a man who may easily reach for anything he wishes
thereupon. Hence, over the last few days, the angel of death had not slackened in his
responsibility to collect souls.
As in the previous version of the story, Idrs seized the opportunity to ask for a
taste of death.340 The angel of death deferred to God who granted the required
permission. Idrs fell to the ground dead. God restored him. The angel wiped the face of
his beloved friend, saddened that such should be the outcome of their companionship.
But Idrs was grateful for the experience. Now he wanted more. Could the angel of death
grant him a glance at the fire of Hell? The angel resisted, since he hoped that this prophet
would never need to worry about encountering Hell. Yet Idrs hoped that such a
moments encounter with the fire will help increase his fear of it. So he went with the
angel of death to a door of Gehenna. When he saw the furious flames he fell unconscious.
The angel was again remorseful over the turn of events, but Idrs, on awakening, was
grateful for the experience.
338
339
Someting is missing from the story, for, on our count this conversation occurs on the second
night since they met.
340
110
Now Idrs had one last request. Could he e shown Paradise for a moment, in
which case his enthusiasm for it would increase? The angels counsel could not dissuade
Idrs from this wish either, and off they went to Paradise. When the door of Paradise was
opened for Idrs, he was delighted at its cool and fragrant breeze. Now he wanted to enter
and taste the fruits and waterthis too for the purpose of increasing his zeal for Paradise.
But, after he was granted the requested entrance into Paradise, he clung to a tree and
refused to leave. Nevertheless, he offered to debate with any or all of the angels over his
right to remain in Paradise. God thus granted him a hearing.
Compared with the previous narrative, the present one shows Idrs to be more
astute in citing Qurnic verses and relating them to his triple experience of death, Hell
and Heaven. He presented three arguments. First, God has said, Every soul will taste
death (Qurn 3:185), and Idrs has tasted the one which God prescribed for him.341
Second, regarding, Hell, God said, But every single one of you will approach it, a decree
from your Lord which must e fulfilled (Qurn 19:71) and Idrs had approached it. Will
he be subsequently returned to it seeing that God had prescribed for his creatures to
approach it only once? His third argument is the same as his second from the previous
narrative: God has declared that the inhabitants of Paradise will not be expelled.
No answer comes from the angel of death or from any other angel. God,
moderating this debate, declares to the angel of death in Idrs favour, He has de ated
you and defeated you with a strong proof. Moreover, God announces that all of these
events were in his foreknowledge prior to his creation of Idrs. He knew that Idrs death
341
Obviously, it does not follow from the said verse that death should be experienced only once.
But Idrs nevertheless gets by with the argument.
111
would be only for a moment, that he would have his brief encounter with Hell, and that
he would enter heaven at the very hour, as transpired. Hence the present narrative
answers more of the exegetical and theological questions that plagued Muslim scholars.
In this version of the story, the angel not only admits to Idrs superiority, ut ecomes
his disciple. Not only does the angel submit in the face of Idrs knowledgea le
exposition of scripture, but God has his moment of glory over the angels who once
questioned his decision to create humans.
In the report examined earlier, Idrs had not experienced Hell. Hence a question
remained. What of Qurn 19:71 insisting that everyone must inevitably come to it? This
exegetical problem is solved in the present version of the story. Moreover, the tough
philosophical problem of predetermination is addressed in the present legend. Idrs
negotiated his way into Paradise using a nibbling method of requesting one little favour
following another. And his scriptural exegesis justified his permanence in Paradise. Yet,
according to the report, these events in the life and death of Idrs do not represent the
slightest deviation from Gods predetermination of all affairs.
Having come to the summit of the saga of Idrs, however, we have seen how the
three exegeses recount the reports. Al- a ar reported the story of Idrs encounter with
an angel who rose with Idrs to the fourth heaven only to unwittingly facilitate the seizure
of his soul at that location. Al- a ar did not object to that report. I n Kathr reproduced
the report, but only to censure it as an Israelite tale foisted on the Muslims through the
channel of Ka al-A r. I n Kathr added details from two other reports, but his
generalization about isrlyt would apply also to those anecdotes. Al-Suy, on the
other hand, reproduces the reports without criticizing them. Moreover, he adds several
112
wondrous accounts including a most developed legend which answers exegetical and
theological problems confronting Muslim scholarship. This comparison makes it clear
that al-Suy has brought the legend back into a central position in the discussion of the
meaning of Qurn 19:56-7. The tale was only marginal in al- a ar. It was sidelined in
I n Kathr. It is now the main feature in al-Durr. In al-Durr, several lengthy reports are
brought into the service of retelling the tale; whereas only some extremely short
narratives deal with other issues arising from the verses.
3.4 Fallen Angels

We return now to the last part of the above narrative, that portion dealing with the
fable of the fallen angels. Qurn 2:102 is the locus classicus in exegeses for the story of
the seduction of the angels Hrt and Mrt.342 The part of that verse that is most relevant
to the issue at hand is as follows:
And [they] followed what the evil ones had fabricated about the Kingdom of
Solomon instead. Not that Solomon himself was a disbeliever; it was the evil ones
who were disbelievers. They taught people witchcraft and what was revealed in
Ba ylon to the two angels Hrt and Mrt. Yet these two never taught anyone
without first warning him, We are sent only to temptdo not disbelieve. From
these two they learnt what can cause discord etween man and wife . . . .343
The Muslim commentators considered many issues arising from this part of the
verse, but we shall concentrate here on some of the main issues related to the mention of
Hrt and Mrt. Who were Hrt and Mrt? Were they really angels, as the a ove
translation reads, and as the original Arabic indicates? If so, did the angels teach
342
On the foreign origin of these two names see Arthur Jeffery, The Foreign Vocabulary of the
Qurn (Leiden: Brill, 2007) pp. 282-83.
343
Quran 2:102, trans. Abdel Haleem, p. 12.
113
reprehensible magic? And what is the story behind their sojourn on earth? Moreover,
what is to be said of the legend that the two angels attempted to seduce a woman who
then tricked them into committing abominable sins before she was finally transformed (or
transformed back) into the planet Venus?
As we explore these questions in the tafsrs of al- a ar, I n Kathr, and alSuy, we will see emerging again the pattern with which we are already familiar from
other examples above. It will be found that al- a ar welcomes legendary narratives, Ibn
Kathr does his best to lambaste them, and al-Suy brings them back into sharp focus
with more flair. We will also discover that al-Suy has done more to further the present
legend than he has done for the ones above. He has recounted the story also at Qurn
2:30 and again, as we have intimated, in the Idrs saga. In this way al-Suy, alone of the
three exegetes, refused to limit the legend to its locus classicus. Al-Suy has thus
enhanced the prominence of the story by introducing it at various locations in his
exegesis.
As al- a ar explains, some exegetes before him found it problematic that angels
would teach magic.344 Some such exegetes held that Hrt and Mrt were humans.345 In
support of that position, some exegetes depended on the reading malikayn (two kings)
whereas the received reading, which al- a ar supports, is malakayn (two angels).346 As
al- a ar points out, some other exegetes depended on a reordering of the words of the
verse. Thus they avoided the verses plain statement that Hrt and Mrt taught divinely
344
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 520.
345
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 528.
346
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 528. For more on variant readings of the Qurn, see Chapter 7 elow in
the present study.
114
inspired magic.347 However, according to al- a ar, it is possible for angels, acting on
divine instructions, to tempt people by teaching them magic. He argues that, while the
practice of magic is prohibited, learning the art is not forbidden. Al- a ar adds that the
angels delivered strict warnings against the potential misuse of the knowledge they were
impartingthis being a temptation from God. Moreover, the angels were teaching a
lesser type of magic, that which causes husbands and wives to dislike each other. With
these considerations in mind, al- a ar has no difficulty accepting the straight reading of
the verse.
Having accepted that Hrt and Mrt were angels, and that they taught a type of
magic, al- a ar presents nine accounts of the legend that will confirm his view.348 The
outline of the fable found among many of these traditions is as follows. The events took
place either during the era of Idrs or during the reign of Solomon (Sulaymn). God
betted the angels that if they were to be burdened with basic human desires they would
commit sins similar to those of dams descendants. Two angels, Hrt and Mrt, took
up the challenge and were thus sent to earth.
But they were soon attracted to a woman of exceptional beautyeither a woman
of Persia, or an incarnation of Venus (al-zuharah). They attempted to seduce her, but she
began to lay out conditions for any carnal encounter with them. Perhaps they would kill a
person? Or might they be willing to worship an idol? Or, would they drink some wine?
Usually, the reports have them first imbibing the wine. In a drunken state, they had sex;
347
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 520. On taqdm wa takhr, the interpretive strategy of advancing and
retracting the Qurans wording, see Ga riel Said Reynolds, The Qurn and Its Biblical Subtext (New
York: Routledge, 2010), pp. 214-16.
348
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 524-27.
115
then they killed a man who saw them in the act. When they sobered up, the woman
informed them that they had done everything she demanded of them.
According to some reports, the woman laid a condition that the angels should first
teach her the greatest name of God, or whatever it is that they utter to enable their
ascension into heaven and their descent from it. Upon learning the secret, she used it to
ascend to the sky. But God caused her to forget the return formula. God then transformed
her such that she remains as Venus. As for the angels, they attempted to ascend with her,
ut found heavens gates closed to them. In mid-air they also discovered that their wings
were suddenly ineffective. Hence their fall to earth was literal. They were then made to
choose either to receive their punishment in this world or to wait for their outcome in the
life hereafter. Knowing the punishment of this life to be limited, that is what they chose.
Some reports have them fettered and hung in Babylon where they must remain until
Judgement Day. It is there, in captivity, that they began to teach sorcery. Al- a ar did
not express any consternation over the contents of the traditions which he presented in his
exegesis on the story of the fallen angels, and which I have summarized above.
Turning now to I n Kathr, we find a contrasting situation. I n Kathr mentioned
all the reports from al- a ar and added some from other exegetes. But, in relating these
traditions, I n Kathr intends to root out every trace of the legend. In the first place, he
sides with those who deny that Hrt and Mrt were angels. Having retraced al- a ars
fair presentation of the arguments of those who claimed that Hrt and Mrt were mere
men, I n Kathr then expresses his dismay that al- a ar
proceeded to refute that view . . . and to claim that Hrt and Mrt were angels
whom God caused to descend to the earth and that God permitted them to teach
magic as a test and trial for his servants . . . and to claim that Hrt and Mrt
116
were, in their teaching, merely o eying God and acting according to Gods
commands.349
I n Kathr would have none of this. To him, God would not permit the angels to
teach magic after he had sent his messengers to declare that it is forbidden to teach
magic.350 Thus I n Kathr concludes that al- a ars arguments are very strange.351
Hence Ibn Kathr had to disparage the adths which al- a ar had advanced, and, for
good measure, denounce other reports of the legend from other sources including the
tafsr of I n A tim.352 I n Kathr usually begins with a scrutiny of the chain of
narrators (sanad). But if he fails to find some fault with the chain of narrators he would
then remark that the contents of the adth are strange or unacceptable.
For example, I n Kathr mentions a adth from Amad in which A dullh .
Umar curses Venus for having seduced the angels during the days of her incarnation. Ibn
Kathr then remarks, This is a gharb (strange) adth with this wording.353 Then he
mentions two other narratives with alternative wordings and concludes, And these two
are also very strange.354 Then he adds that although A dullh . Umar attri utes his
belief to the prophet Muammad, it is more likely that A dullh . Umar o tained the
information from Ka al-A r who in turn incorrectly credited such a elief to
349
350
I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 340. I n Kathr thus supposes the prohibition of teaching magic to predate
Muslim traditions.
351
352
I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 341-46.
353
354
117
Muammad.355 I n Kathr then supports his assertion with several traditions revealing
Ka as I n Umars source.356 This leads him to conclude: Hence the adth revolves
and returns to the transmission of Ka al-A r who in turn narrated it from the ooks of
the Israelites.357
Ibn Kathr then turns his attention to a adth attri uted to Al. After some
discussion, I n Kathr concludes that the isnd is good, and the transmitters are reliable,
but the adth is gharb jiddan (very strange).358 He writes that another report on the
same authority is not reliable with its given wording.359 And yet another is not authentic,
but rather munkar jiddan (very objectionable).360 Curiously, he narrates a adth on the
authority of oth I n Masd and I n A
s without raising an o jection.361 According
to that adth, as in others in my summary of the story above, the angels came to earth,
and Venus came down to them in the form of a beautiful Persian woman named
Baidhakht.362 Then they fell into error (fa-waqa bi-l-khaah). When they were given
355
I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 341-42.
356
357
I n Kathrs caps his conclusion with deference to Gods knowledge. But here we shall avoid
repeating the stock phrase, God knows est.
358
Ibn Kathr, vol. 1, p. 342.
359
360
361
I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 342-43.
362
I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 343. For the vocalization of the name see J. Cooper, The Commentary on
the Qurn by Ab Jafar Muammad ibn Jarr alabar: being an abridged translation of Jmi al- ayn
an tawl y al-Qurn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987) p. 485. According to some of the other
traditions, the name Baidhakht is Na atean, and the woman is, alternatively, named Anhdh in Persian.
118
the choice between being punished here or in the hereafter, they chose the former.363 This
adth, which I n Kathr was either unable or unwilling to undermine, does not specify
the error into which the angels fell.
Another adth, which I n Kathr obtained from I n A tim, is related on the
authority of Mujhid and, in turn, from A dullh . Umar.364 It includes all the basic
features of the legend as outlined above, although with some interesting variations. For
example, in this adth, the woman lays the condition that they mate in the sky so as to
avoid her husband. I n Kathr rates the isnd as good all the way to A dullh . Umar.
But, as seen above, I n Kathr had already presumed that another narrative on the subject,
likewise traced to I n Umar, was due ultimately to Ka . I n Kathr similarly presumes
that I n Umar derived the present narrative also from Ka . As we will see elow, alSuy cites I n Kathr as saying that this is an authentic chain up to I n Umar; and alSuy skips Ibn Kathrs supposition that the narrative originated with Ka . Meanwhile,
I n Kathr reveals his anxiety about the contents of the present narrative. It says, as does
the one a ove on Als authority, that Venus descended in the form of a eautiful
woman. And I n Kathr considers that suggestion extremely strange.365
The adths on the subject, however, are too many for I n Kathr to deny all the
elements of the fable. Hence he finds some relief in the fact that the next adth he relates
does not say that the woman was Venus before the seduction, or that she went skyward
363
364
365
119
afterwards.366 In this tradition, the woman, in comparison to other women, was as

beautiful as is Venus in comparison to other planets. This version, says I n Kathr, is
more likely. He also gives the chain of narrators an excellent rating. He reports that alkim (d. 405/1014) graded the adth authentic (a) according to the criteria of alBukhr (d. 256/869) and Muslim (d. 261/874) though the latter two did not include it in
their collections.367
The chain of the next adth in I n Kathr, attributed to I n A s, receives no
criticism.368 Its contents are somewhat different from what we have seen above. In this
tradition three angels are selected for the wager. One eventually opts out, leaving the
famed two. The woman they fall for is an earthling named Manhiyah. They drink her
wine, worship her idol, and slay her neigh ours son. She learns the secret of ascension
and becomes Venus. Hrt and Mrt then choose the earthly punishment, but they are
nonetheless left suspended between heaven and earth without further explanation. This
narrative, too, says I n Kathr, contains strange and objectionable material. Yet, he
confesses, God knows est what is correct.369
By now, I n Kathrs zeal for scrutinizing the isnds of the adths on Hrt and
Mrt has lessened. He says nothing specifically about the authenticity of the remaining
four narratives related to the present discussion.370 Nor does he continue to express
366
367
368
369
370
See adths in I n Kathr, vol. 1, pp. 345-46.
120
caution at the strangeness of the texts. Rather, he makes a summary statement following
the thirteen traditions that form that section of his exegesis. In his summary he first
admits that a large num er of the Companions successors have related the story of Hrt
and Mrt. He then names some of the most significant Successors in this regard. In the
end, however, I n Kathr castigates the story, with its details, as being a product of
Israelite sources. He maintains that there is no authentic adth from the prophet
Muammad on the subject. He concludes the discussion by affirming his faith in the
literal wording of the Qurn and in whatever it is that God intended by the story which
God related in the Qurn only in brief. Finally, I n Kathr assures himself and his
readers that, after all, God knows best the reality of the situation.371
Hence I n Kathr finds himself in a strange quandary. His instincts reject the
strange details of the legend, but those details are contained in reports some of which are
credited to Companions of Muammad. Tried as he did, I n Kathr could not condemn
the chains of all of the traditions he had before him. He had to resort to the blanket
supposition that their strange contents derived from questionable sources. There are of
course two ways of impeaching a tradition: either by dismissing its content or by
disparaging its chain of narrators. But, as Brown explained, if the chain of narrators was
known to be sound, the later tradition-critics generally refused to censure its contents.372
The adth movement stressed that truth was decided not by the intellect, but by
transmitted revelation. The earliest Muslims were presumed to have understood the faith
371
372
For details on the scholars from ishah to Ibn al-Qayyim who were known for applying
rational standards in criticizing traditions see Jonathan Brown, How We Know Early adth Critics Did
Matn Criticism and Why it is So Hard to Find, in The adth: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies ed.
Mustafa Shah, vol. 3, pp. 179-212.
121
best. If a bit of information was reliably transmitted from the earliest Muslims, such
information served to distinguish between what is physically possible and what is
fantasy. The intellect was not considered a sound epistemological foundation. Al- a ars
commitment to that principle made it impossible for him to rule out the tale on rational
grounds.373 Hence I n Kathr is on weak ground maintaining the line of tradition and yet
objecting to the contents of traditions the isnds of which he is unable to impeach.
In al-Durr, on the other hand, al-Suy reproduces the above traditions without
making any attempt to impugn them. We know that al-Suy was copying traditions
from al- a ar, since he often acknowledges al- a ar as his source. We also know that
al-Suy had his eyes on the tafsr of I n Kathr.374 As already indicated above, al-Suy
here cites the judgement which I n Kathr declared on a adth in the comparable section
of the latters tafsr.375 Therefore, it is no surprise that al-Suy has absorbed from ala ar and I n Kathr all the traditions they have advanced in favour of the legend of
Hrt and Mrt. All of al- a ars nine traditions on this su ject were a sor ed y Ibn
Kathr who added another four from other sources. Al-Suys comparable section
contains twenty-two traditions recounting the tale.376 Hence he has not only ignored Ibn
Kathrs negative remarks on the traditions, ut has increased the stock of traditions.
373
For the development of this principle, and al- a aris commitment to it see Tarif Khalidi,
Arabic Historical Thought in the Classical Period (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994) p. 76.
374
In my previous chapter, I have offered evidence proving al-Suys dependence on I n Kathr

in general, and with reference to some specific sections of al-Durr. In the present section of al-Durr, alSuy dependence on I n Kathr is again evident.
375
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 515.
376
Al-Suy, vol. 1, pp. 507-34.
122
The first of I n Kathrs traditions does not appear in al-Suys treatment of

Qurn 2:102 which mentions Hrt and Mrt. Al-Suy noticed that the adth in
question, as distinct from the others, can serve as commentary on Qurn 2:30 which
deals with the creation of dam. Hence al-Suy has shifted the adth to that location.
We shall return below to a discussion of al-Suys use of the fa le of the fallen angels
in connection with Qurn 2:30 and other verses.
In the present section, the adths which al-Suy has added to the discussion are
mostly variations on the main storyline with which we are already quite familiar. The
added narratives serve mainly to increase the readers confidence in the tale after Ibn
Kathr has attempted to reduce that confidence. I n Kathr denied that the story of Venus
transformation reaches back to the authority of the prophet Muammad. In response, alSuy has sourced a adth which is traced back to Muammad. Al-Suy reproduced
the said adth from three sources including the exegete Ibn Mardawayh (d. 401/1010)
and the adth specialist al-Daylam (d. 558/1163).377 That adth has Muammad saying
that thirteen things, including Venus, have been transformed.378
Some of the narratives considered above end by saying that after Hrt and Mrt
were fettered in Babylon they began to teach magic. These narratives do not elaborate on
the magic which the angels taught. However, al- a ar did introduce a long narrative in
this regard. A comparison of the treatment given to that narrative across the three
377
Shahrudr . Shrawayh al-Daylam compiled a famous adth collection: Musnad al-Firdaws.

See Jonathan Brown, adth Muhammads Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (New York:
Oneworld, 2009) p. 41. See also al-Daylam, Kitb Firdaws al-akhbr bi-mathr al-khib al-mukharraj
al kitb al-Shihb, ed. Fawwz Amad al-Zamirl and Muammad al-Mutaim illh al-Baghdd
(Beirut: Dr al-Kit al-Ara , 1987).
378
Al-Suy, vol. 1, pp. 531-32.
123
exegetical works will again show how al-Suy sought to reintroduce fables into
exegesis.
I begin by summarizing al- a ars version.379 Unaware that Muammad had
recently died, a young woman from the people of Dmat al-Jandal came to seek his
counsel. Only ishah could now counsel and comfort her. When the woman stopped
crying, she related her story. Her husband had left her. To win him back, she began to
comply with the sage advice of an old woman who, at nightfall, brought two black dogs.
The two women rode the dogs to Babylon where they found two men hung by their feet.
The young woman wanted to learn magic, but the men warned her as in Qurn 2:102:
We were only sent as a temptationso do not disbelieve. The young woman confesses
now to ishah that she refused that warning. The men therefore told her to go and
urinate on a certain pile of ashes. Being terrified, she pretended to carry out the
instruction. But when they asked her about the vision they expected her to receive
thereupon, she had to admit that she saw nothing. Thus her ruse became evident. They
seized the opportunity to insist again that she must go home and give up her interest in
sorcery. But she persisted. After the same drama was repeated three times, she finally
urinated on the pile of ashes. This time she saw what the men expected her to see: a
masked horseman rising up into the sky and, eventually, out of her range of vision. That,
explained the men, was her faith leaving her.
Then the men sent the young woman home. She thought she had learnt nothing,
but the old woman assured her that whatever she subsequently wished for will occur.
Take this wheat, said the old woman, and sow it. She did sow it. Then she said,
379
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 529-30.
124
Sprout! and the seed sprouted. She then commanded the sprout to burgeon forth, and
then to ripen and harden and be milled and baked. She thus saw that her commands were
being carried out precisely at every stage. Nevertheless, the whole experience has left her
horror-struck. In sum, she repented and now pledges to ishah that she will never again
resort to witchcraft.380
Al- a ar did not deny the reality of the story. I n Kathr did not know what to
make of the story. On the one hand, he wrote, A strange narrative with a wondrous tale
has occurred, and it is our wish to warn against it.381 He then recounted the narrative
attributing it to al- a ar. On the other hand, he added that the isnd of that narrative is
good up to ishah from whom Hishm . Urwah related the tale.382 I n Kathr was
thus ambivalent about the veracity of the story. Al-Suy, however, was not ambivalent
about the story but simply recounted it.383 Then he added another narrative that could
only serve to shore up the present one.384 In the narrative just considered, as found in the
three tafsrs, the teachers of magic are not named. But the report added by al-Suy does
name them as Hrt and Mrt.385
What al-Suy added is a lengthy narrative which I will summarize here. The
reporter of that narrative had gone to see A d al-Mlik . Marwn, and found in the
380
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 529-30.
381
382
383
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 525.
384
Al-Suy, vol. 1, pp. 526-29.
385
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 526.
125
latters assem ly a man who declared that he had met Hrt and Mrt.386 The unnamed
man in the assembly could not hold back his tears once he began to relate the story of his
encounter with the fallen angels. He informed the assembly that in his childhood he did
not meet his father. His mother used to provide for him and give him money which he
spent wastefully. Yet more money was always available. He was naturally curious about
this continuous supply of money, but his mother assured him that it was better not to
enquire about that. On his insistence, however, his mother took him to a house full of
wealth, all of it his. Again, his mother cautioned him against asking about the source. She
cautioned him even for a third time. But she eventually relented and informed him that
his father was a sorcerer, the wealth being the fruits of his magic.
Time passed, the wealth diminished, and the boy/man decided to follow in his
fathers footsteps.387 Hoping to learn magic, he went to see a close confidant of his father
in another district. But the friend of his father cautioned him against this goal. After a
repetitious interchange of insistence followed y admonition, the fathers friend
capitulated and agreed on an appointment. On the appointed day, the warnings and
persistence again alternated until the fathers friend said, Fine. Ill get you into a place,
but you are not to mention God therein.388 He eventually came to that place, entered it,
and descended approximately three hundred steps.389 At the bottom he saw the winged
386
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 526. Abd al-Mlik . Marwn was caliph from 685-705 C.E. See G. R.
Hawting, The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate AD 661-750, 2nd edition (New York:
Routledge, 2000) p. 58.
387
The storytellers age is unclear at this point in the story, ut when he visits his fathers friend
the latter refers to him as a man (rajul). Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 527.
388
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 527.
389
Al-Suy, vol. 1, 528.
126
Hrt and Mrt hanging in chains. He exclaimed, There is no god ut God.390 Then
they flapped their wings violently, and screamed aloud for an hour. When they subsided,
the visitor again mentioned the Muslim formula of faith. They acted as before. The visitor
proclaimed it a third time, and they were similarly agitated. When calm returned, the
visitor did not repeat the provocation.391 Looking at him, they asked, Are you human?
He affirmed, and asked them about their response to the faith-formula. They explained
that they had not heard that name (i.e. the name of God) since they went out from under
the throne (of God). On their further questioning, the visitor revealed that he is a follower
of Muammad. The angels were thus surprised to learn that Muammads era had
arrived.392
The positioning of the storyteller in the court of the caliph A d al-Mlik was not
accidental, for the political aspect of the story will now become apparent. The angels ask
a series of questions, receive the answers, and then give puzzling responses to the
answers. They ask the visitor if people are united around a single leader.393 Surprisingly,
the angels are not happy to hear that this is so. They ask further if people are getting
along with each other, and are pleased to learn that people are not enjoying good mutual
relations. They ask if buildings have reached the lake Tiberius and are saddened to
390
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 528.
391
The motif of the thrice repeated scenarios in these stories is severely strained at this point. The
visitor would have spent the last three hours observing the agitation of the angels, prolonged by his own
thoughtless utterance, without a word about the purpose of his visit.
392
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 528.
393
Al-Suy, vol. 1, pp. 528-29.
127
discover that developments have not yet reached that stage.394 On the visitors request,
the angels explained their puzzling responses. As long as people are united around one
man, Judgement Day will not arrive. The angels expected that Judgement Day is near
when they heard that people are at loggerheads. On the other hand, that fateful day will
be forever in the future unless buildings reach Tiberius. The visitor asked for advice, and
the angels replied, If you are a le to do without sleep then do so, for the matter is
serious.395
Thus the story concludes without a climax. Nonetheless, the story serves to rally
Muslims behind a single caliph, and to caution them against disunity.396 By including this
narrative in his exegesis, al-Suy shows that he was determined to make his work more
entertaining than those of his fellow tradition-based exegetes. Moreover, it is clear that he
made the extra-canonical narratives more central to the task of exegesis.
3.5 The Explanatory Power of the Fable of the Fallen Angels

Al-Suy expanded the explanatory power of the story of the fallen angels
beyond its locus classicus to explain two other verses: Qurn 2:30 and 19:57. The first of
these two verses, Qurn 2:30, deals with the angels question a out the wisdom of
dams creation. Most of the adths on the legend of Hrt and Mrt considered above
either presume or acknowledge a historical setting after the human population had
394
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 529.
395
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 529.
396
I will return to the political aspect of al-Suys exegesis in Chapter 6 of the present study.
128
increased somewhat.397 Some narratives explicitly situate the story in the era of either
Idrs or Solomon. According to some narratives, the angels scoffed at the manner in
which human judges falter. Hrt and Mrt were then sent among humans to prove
themselves as fair judges. It was in such a circumstance that the woman in question came
seeking a judgement against her husband only to find herself being propositioned by
Hrt and Mrt.398
Al-Suy noticed, however, that one of those adths can situate the legend
immediately after dams descent to earth, for it egins y stating: When dam was
caused to go down upon the earth . . . .399 Moreover, that adth does not involve any
terrestrial interaction between angels and humans except for Venus incarnate. Hence alSuy included that adth in his exegesis of Qurn 2:30 dealing with the story of
dam. That is the same adth which I n Kathr included at the top of his list of adths
on Hrt and Mrt in his commentary of Qurn 2:102.400 Thus having already
mentioned the adth at that earlier location, when al-Suy comes to address the verse
mentioning Hrt and Mrt, he did not repeat the adth there. Instead, he states that he
has already mentioned the adth of I n Umar in relation to the story of dam, and that
he will now present the remaining narratives on the issue at hand.401 This is a rare
397
On legends related to dams creation see M. J. Kister, dam: A Study of Some Legends in
Tafsr and adth Literature, in Joel Kraemer, ed., Israel Oriental Studies XIII (1993) pp. 113-174; and its
shorter version, Legends in Tafsr and adth Literature: The Creation of dam and related Stories in
Andrew Rippin, ed., Approaches to the History of the Interpretation of the Qurn (Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1988) pp. 82-116.
398
399
Al-Suy, vol. 1, pp. 239-40.
400
Ibn Kathr, vol. 1, p. 341.
401
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 507.
129
occasion when al-Suy has cross-referenced adths in his work. Al-Suy has done his
best to buttress this narrative as well after I n Kathr had deemed it to be of Israelite
origins. I n Kathr had given a single written source for this tradition. Al-Suy added
four other sources, naming both the books and their authors in each case.402
To be sure, I n Kathr did mention Hrt and Mrt in his exegesis of the dam
story.403 But there he does not give what he himself calls the qiah (story) of Hrt and
Mrt. There I n Kathr explains the origin of the angels questioning of Gods wisdom.
He refers to a adth given by I n A tim in which it is mentioned that al-sijill (the
scribe) is an angel among whose helpers were Hrt and Mrt.404 According to that
adth, there were three moments each day when al-sijill was permitted to look into the
heavenly record of Gods foreknowledge (ummu-l-kitb). But once he took an unlicensed
look. Thus he discovered, in advance, the creation of dam and what that entails. Then
he confided these details to Hrt and Mrt. Hence, when God announced: I am a out
to create a vicegerent on earth, Hrt and Mrt replied, in a display of pride in the face
of the other angels, Are you going to create one who will cause mischief and shed lood
therein?
I n Kathr castigates the report as a strange one (athar gharb). He adds that, even
if the chain of authorities is relia le, the contents must have een transmitted from the
People of the Book, for it contains objectionable material which it is necessary to
402
Al-Suy, vol. 1, p. 239.
403
404
On the foreign origin of al-sijill see Arthur Jeffery, The Foreign Vocbulary of the Qurn
(Leiden: Brill, 2007) pp. 163-64.
130
reject.405 He adds that the report is incoherent and, for that reason, his negative verdict
on it is vindicated. The incoherence of the narrative is seen where it mentions that the two
angels replied to God. The preface to their speech ought to have the dual form in Arabic:
ql (the two of them said). Instead, the tradition incorporates a portion of Qurn 2:30
according to which many angels speak. The tradition thus inappropriately imported the
plural form ql (they said), implying more than two speakers.406
While dealing with Qurn 2:30 on the story of dam, al-Suy did not introduce
the narrative which says that al-sijill took an unauthorized look into the master record and
then informed Hrt and Mrt of what he saw. At that location, I n Kathrs o jection
about the grammatical difficulty with the narrative was forceful, given the context of
Qurn 2:30. However, al-Suy quietly saved the narrative for later, to reproduce it at
Qurn 21:104, which is the locus classicus for the exegesis of al-sijill.407 There al-Suy
supports the narrative y mentioning an additional source for it: I n Askir (d.
571/1176).408 I n Kathr does not mention that narrative at Qurn 21:104.409 Neither
does al- a ar.410 Hence al-Suy is unique in mentioning the narrative at Qurn
21:104, and in keeping the memory of Hrt and Mrt alive at this additional location in
his work.
405
406
407
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 396.
408
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 396.
409
See I n Kathr, vol. 5, pp. 2349-52.
410
See al- a ar, vol. 17, pp. 117-20.
131
3.6 Connecting the Ascension of Idrs with the Fall of the Angels
Qurn 19:57, which deals with the ascension of Idrs, is the other main location
in al-Durr where al-Suy introduced the legend of Hrt and Mrt.411 There al-Suy
presents the tradition which links the legend of Idrs to that of the fallen angels.412 We
have already studied the first part of this tradition abovethe portion dealing specifically
with Idrs. I will now address the portion dealing with Hrt and Mrt. It is important to
note from the start, however, that among the three exegetes being compared here, alSuys alone has sought out and included this extended saga which links the two stories.
We have seen that the first part of that evolved epic answers exegetical and
theological questions related to Idrs and his early entry into Paradise. We will now see
that the second part answers questions related to Hrt and Mrt which were not
addressed by the other versions of their story examined above. In the previously
examined tales, the wager is a result of the angels mismeasuring of man. They cringe at
the crimes of dams children, and God assures them that if they were given human
desires they too would fall into human errors. In the present account, however, the story
of Hrt and Mrt has a very different beginning that colours the entire anecdote. In this
version they admire the piety of one of dams sons, and they are challenged to take on a
human role and equal Idrs in devotion.
411
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 91-93.
412
There is an indication that the two legends may have already been linked in the Slavonic
account of Enoch. See Arthur Jeffery, The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurn (Leiden: Brill, 2007) p. 283.
132
The story begins with Idrs being permanently lodged in Paradise.413 The angels
remonstrate with God. They had been created thousands of years before Idrs, and have
worshipped him without failing even for the blink of an eyelid. How is it that Idrs enters
Paradise before them? God explains that it is no surprise that the angels act as they do.
That is what they have been created for and equipped to accomplish. Idrs, on the other
hand, had been burdened with human desires in a world where sinful outlets for such
desires were numerous. Yet Idrs avoided every sin ut preferred Gods desire over his
own, Gods pleasure over his own, and what God loves over what he himself loves.414
God explains that if the angels would become humans and do the deeds of Idrs they
would be promoted to a status similar to that of Idrs. However, the angels are forewarned
that if they fail they would be admitted among the wrongdoers (limn). The angels in
general chose to retain their favour with God and to avoid the possibility of being
punished.415 Only three of the angels were willing to undergo the ordeal: Hrt, Mrt,
and one unnamed angel of good standing.416
The previously examined versions of the story presented a problem for Islamic
angelology. In those versions the angels were implicated as a group. They had all thought
it preposterous that they would ever commit the sorts of sins they knew of humans. God
asked them to select two of their best, and the implication was that Hrt and Mrt, duly
selected by them, would represent the lot. But in the present version they decline the
413
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 91.
414
Here the f side of al-Suys exegesis is evident.
415
So reads the narrative in the plural; otherwise, the very next sentence here shows that not all the
angels made that choice.
416
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 92.
133
offerall but the three. Therefore, only the three are culpable for accepting the challenge
and then failing to fulfil it. The fall of even one angel is problematic, as seen above in Ibn
Kathrs denial that any angel ever taught magic. Yet this version of the story has been
improved in favour of Muslim orthodoxy by maintaining the innocence of the angels in
general while restricting guilt to the three exceptions.
More remarkable, however, is the mention of punishment at this early stage in the
saga. In all the other versions the mention of punishment is made only after the fact of the
crime. Yet in those versions no one complains that the punishment which Hrt and
Mrt received was not an explicit part of the bargain. In the present, polished version,
however, Gods fairness is more evident. Hence, with the introduction of this version of
the story, al-Suy has answered some of the puzzles and difficulties found in the other
versions.
Moreover, in this version of the story, God thoroughly orients the three angels
towards their task. He specifically warns them in advance that he will not forgive them if
they should worship an idol, or shed blood, or drink wine, or have illegitimate sex. What
is new here is not the list of sins, but the denial of forgiveness. That this too is made a
part of the agreement from the start justifies the prolonged pitiable punishment of Hrt
and Mrt.
Even Venus gets a slight makeover in the present portrayal. In this version as
well, to be sure, the incarnate angels first make the request for illicit sex and Venus
shrewdly tricks them. In the present adaptation, however, God is said to be the one who
134
tests the angels by means of Venus.417 Moreover, as the story unfolds, the enticement (alfitnah) itself is personalized as the subject who seduces the angels.418
The angels too, appear slightly better. Not only is God testing them, as already
seen, but, only in this version of the story, they are said to be subject to divine
predestination. Hence they are attracted to Venus due to what God intended (li-m
arda Allh), and due to what was predetermined for them in the knowledge of God (wa
li-m sabaqa alayhim f ilmih).419 Moreover, their error was due to the fact that God
had abandoned them (maa khidhln Allh yhum).420 We have seen in a previously
considered version that the third angel soon opted out of the exercise. But in this version
when the angel felt tempted (fa-lamm aassa bi-l-fitnah) God protected him (aamahu)
and he was thus saved.421 On the other hand, Hrt and Mrt continued in their error due
to what had been predestined for them (wa aqma Hrt wa Mrt li-m kutiba
alayhim).422 Hence the blame shifts to the finger of fate, and the angels do not appear as
bad as they did in the other versions of the story.
There are other aspects of this rendition that deserve attention. But our point here
is made. Al-Suy went past the other two tafsrs and selected this rendition from the
tafsr of I n A tim. Al-Suy stated that this report has a good chain (sanad asan)
417
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 92.
418
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 93.
419
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 92.
420
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 92.
421
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 92.
422
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 92.
135
on the authority of I n Masd.423 As we have seen, with this and other such stories, alSuy sought to restore the legendary narratives to a central position in exegesis after Ibn
Kathr had attempted to disassociate them from the enterprise.
3.7 Al-Suys Influence on Subsequent Exegeses

What remains now is for us to see how al-Suys efforts to enhance the status of
legendary materials in exegesis has affected two subsequent exegeses, that of al-ls
and al-Shawkn. As Muammad usayn al-Dhaha has demonstrated, al-ls was
determined to disparage all such fanciful materials that he mentions in his exegesis.424
However, as we will now see, al-Suys exegesis of Qurn 2:102 on the mention of the
two angels has influenced al-ls. Al-ls egan his commentary here y presenting a
fair outline of the story of Hrt and Mrt.425 Then he mentioned several scholars who
disparaged the story, including one who stated that belief in the legend constitutes
disbelief (kufr), especially since the Qurn attests to the infallibility (imah) of the
angels. Then al-ls wrote:
Imam al-Suy opposed those who denied the story y showing that Imm
Amad, Ibn i n, al-Bayhaq, and others have related it on the prophets
authority and also on the authority of Al, I n A s, I n Umar, and I n
Masd with many authentic chains. One who looks into this will almost certainly
decide in favour of the authenticity of the story seeing the numerous narratives
and the strength of their chains.426
423
Al-Suy, vol. 10, p. 86.
424
Muammad Husayn al-Dhaha , al-Isrliyt f-l-tafsr wa-l-adth (Cairo: al-Jumhryah lilifah, 2008) vol. 3, p. 82ff; Al-ls, Rh al-man tafsr al-Qurn al-am wa-l-sab al-mathn
(Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, no date).
425
Al-ls, vol. 1, p. 537.
426
Al-ls, vol. 1, p. 537-38.
136
Al-ls added, however, that one of the verifiers (muaqqiqn) goes as far as to
say that if some falsehood is related from the Jews it does not matter that the narrative
chain is authentic.427 According to al-ls, what that verifier was concerned a out was
the objectionable content of the narratives; and what al-Suy proved was the
authenticity of the chains of authorities behind the narratives.428
But al-ls has a way of accepting al-Suys proof and yet not su scri e to the
objectionable content of the narratives. His solution to this dilemma is to presume the
authenticity of the reports and to interpret the story along the lines of tafsr bi-l-ishrah
(exegesis by way of allusion). He suggests that the verse should be explained by way of
indications and signs (bi-l-rumz wa-l-ishrah). This is a method of exegesis that is
largely rejected by the mainstream of Qurnic exegesis. But al-ls resorts to that
method here, offering a variety of allegorical explanations for the story of the fallen
angels. For example, he writes that the two angels may be pointers to two types of
intellect both of which belong to the world of holiness. In this sort of exegesis, the
woman named al-zuharah would in fact be the speaking soul (al-nafs al-niqah). The
angels propositioning Venus would signify their teaching her, and so forth. Such is al-
427
Al-ls, vol. 1, p. 538. The principle of hadth criticism enunciated above is here at work: if
the text of a hadth is deemed on rational grounds to be false, the best of chains cannot sustain it. Of course
that applies whether the narrative originates from Muslims or others. The converse of the principle is that
the proof of the soundness of the chain does not constitute a proof of the reasonableness of the text. AlSuy had proved the authenticity of the chain, but that strictly means that the persons in the chain are
known to be connected in a continuous chronological sequence, and that they are severally trusted as hadth
transmitters. These features of a chain of narrators, however, do not rule out the possibility of human error.
The application of the rational principle of evaluating the text of a tradition would involve crediting an
unreasonable text to such error. Those who oppose the application of this principle, however, are afraid lest
its use throws into doubt the reliability of the whole system of transmission once it is admitted that
traditions with trusted chains contain errors. Jonathan Brown, How We Know Early adth Critics Did
Matn Criticism and Why it is So Hard to Find in The adth: Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies ed.
Mustafa Shah, vol. 3, pp. 179-212.
428
Al-ls, vol. 1, p. 538.
137
lss attempt to escape through the horns of the dilemma. Being forced to choose
between denial of the chain of narrators and denial of the content of the narrative, he
accepts them both, but gives the content of the narrative an allegorical interpretation. He
writes, Whoever holds to the authenticity of the narratives of this story, and takes it in its
literal sense has gone to extremes and committed error.429 In sum, al-ls was
convinced by al-Suys demonstration of the authenticity of the traditions. Yet he could
not believe the story contained therein.
Al-Dhaha is appalled at al-lss approach.430 To al-Dhaha , al-ls was
swayed by al-Suys analysis of the traditions. He suggests that al-ls should have
been guided by his own intellectual objections to the fable, and should have followed
those scholars whom al-ls himself cited as having denounced the legend.431 My point
here is not to decide the truth of the story, or the authenticity of its transmission, but
merely to show that al-lss exegesis has een influenced y the work of al-Suy.
Hence the latters attempt to give the exegetical legends new life has not een in vain.
As for al-Shawkn (d. 1250/1834), he has openly acknowledged that he will
include traditions from al-Suy.432 In his discussion on Hrt and Mrt he mentions
that there are many traditions that support the story, and that al-Suy has given an
exhaustive account of them in al-Durr.433 Then he adds the summary conclusion which
429
Al-ls, vol. 1, p. 538.
430
Al-Dhaha , al-Isrliyt, vol. 3, p. 94.
431
Al-Dhaha , al-Isrliyt, vol. 3, p. 94.
432
Muammad b. Ali b. Muammad Al-Shawkn, Fath al-Qadr Al-Jam bayna al-fanny-lriwya wa-l-dirya min ilm al-tafsr (Beirut: Dar Ibn Hazm, 2000) combined single vol., p. 36.
433
Al-Shawkn, p. 124.
138
was given by I n Kathr, as we had seen above, castigating these traditions as

isrlyt.434
Had he ended the discussion there, al-Shawkn would have left the impression
that he was satisfied with I n Kathrs conclusion. However, as we will now see, alShawkn accepts the validity of the story. He moves on to cite the view of al-Quru (d.
671/1272) to which he then responds. Al-Quru argued that the traditions depicting the
fall of the angels are all false since they are contrary to basic principles of the faith,
especially the principle that angels are infallible.435 Once al-Quru had decided against
the tale, he needed to get around the plain Qurnic statement that the angels taught
magic. To accomplish this, al-Quru resorted to the principle of taqdm wa takhr
(advancing and retracting) the words within the verse.436
Al-Shawkn responds y saying that al-Quru s rejection of the story is based
on pure presupposition. Al-Shawkn adds that the mighty ook has mentioned the story,
even if in a summary form; therefore there is no use in applying convoluted readings to
avoid that fact.437 According to al-Shawkn, the general principle that angels are
infallible does not rule out the exception. To prove that such an exception is possible, alShawkn mentions the example of I ls (Dia olis). I ls used to have a great status. Yet
434
Al-Shawkn, p. 124.
435
Al-Shawkn, p. 124.
436
Al-Shawkn, p. 124.
437
On the Qurns reference to stories already in circulation see Alan Dundes, Fables of the
Ancients? Folklore in the Qurn (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003).
139
I ls ecame the worst of creatures and the most notorious disbeliever. Thus al-Shawkn
argues that Hrt and Mrt can be exceptions to the general principle.438
Hence it is clear that al-Shawkn accepts neither I n Kathrs nor al-Quru s
summary dismissal of the legend. Al-Shawkns acceptance of the story has, no dou t,
been aided by the exhaustive presentation of the traditions which he reproduced from alDurr. Hence al-Suy was successful in drawing renewed attention to the legend after
I n Kathr had attempted to discard it from the exegetical stream.
3.8 Summary
The tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr have often been presented as models of the
tradition-based genre. In what way is al-Suys al-Durr different from these? Through a
careful synoptic reading of the three tafsrs, we have seen that al-Suy has given
renewed emphasis to legendary material that had been a part of early tradition-based
exegesis. Al- a ar included a large share of such material. But I n Taymyah insisted on
limiting the use of legends in exegesis. Influenced y I n Taymyah, I n Kathr
recounted the traditions only to scrutinize them and to reject the tales which he unfairly
dubs as isrlyt. In contrast with I n Kathr, al-Suy sought through al-Durr to bring
the legends back into focus, even superseding al- a ar in this regard. Al-Suy has
largely reproduced the traditions from these other two tafsrs, and added more of the lore
from other sources. In this way al-Suy has enriched the exegetical stream with
neglected, new, and more interesting content. Those who suggest, therefore, that al-Durr
should be shorn of such fables have missed the point: its inclusion of those tales not only
438
Al-Shawkn, p. 124.
140
makes its reading entertaining, but also represents one of its salient features and authorial
o jectives. Despite the influence of I n Taymyahs radical hermeneutics, al-Suys
efforts were not in vain. We have seen, with reference to Qurn 2:102 on the story of
Hrt and Mrt, that two prominent subsequent tafsrs, those of al-ls and alShawkn, were each in their own way influenced by al-Suys work. Al-Suy had
listed the numerous narratives from disparate sources and early authorities who believed
in the story of the seduction of these two angels. He thus made it difficult for subsequent
exegetes to dispel the myth on the basis of the developed adth sciences.
141
Chapter 4
Reclaiming Wisdom Traditions

4.1 Introduction
In the present chapter, we will see that al-Suy attri utes a lengthy list of
wisdom sayings to each of Jesus, Solomon, and the extra-biblical Luqmn.439 This is a
surprising development in Qurnic exegesis. Prior to al-Suy, such wisdom sayings
had been generally ignored by the mainstream tafsr tradition. As I will demonstrate, the
three lists of sayings which al-Suy has accumulated in al-Durr al-manthr are largely
absent from the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr. However, al-Suy attempted to give
wisdom a voice once again. He consulted many early Muslim sources and collected from
them the prover s and witticisms of Luqmn, Solomon (Sulaymn), and Jesus (s).
Prior to al-Suy, Muslim scholars had relegated to non-religious writings such
pre-Qurnic snippets of wisdom that were not repeated either in the Qurn or in
Muammads speeches. The inclusion of wisdom traditions in al-Durr thus marks alSuys old attempt to reclaim such material for tradition-based tafsr.
As Dmitri Gutas explained,
[W]isdom literature, with its emphasis on the eloquent formulation of the
authority of the ancients as a guide to proper personal and social conduct, was
439
On Luqmn, see A. H. M. Zahniser, "Luqmn," in Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an, ed. Jane

Dammen McAuliffe (Leiden: Brill, 2003) vol. 3, pp. 242-243 in Gale Virtual Reference Library, accessed
Oct. 1, 2011.
142
relegated to the domain of adab, both in its wider sense of mores and the
restricted one of literature.440
As I will show below, the Qurn repeatedly speaks of wisdom (al-ikmah) as a
guide to proper behaviour. As Gutas explained, both Arab and non-Arab authorities have
been, for the most part, consistent in defining al-ikmah as wisdom.441 Gutas argued for
a new but tentative suggestion that the term rather means wisdom sayings or maxims.442
In the present study, it will not e necessary to judge the validity of Gutas suggestion.
Rather, as far as possible in the ensuing discussion, I will retain the word al-ikmah in the
Arabic to avoid prejudging its meaning.
As we explore the tafsr works below, we will see that the exegetes had to choose
from various possible meanings of al-ikmah. Al- a ar and I n Kathr generally chose
to explain al-ikmah as the sunnah, the practice of Muammad. But al-Suy reversed
that trend. While al-Suy agrees that the practice of Muammad is an essential basis of
proper Muslim conduct, he nevertheless sees wisdom as an additional guide. Hence, at
appropriate occurrences of the word al-ikmah in the Qurn, al-Suy seized the
opportunity to present the wisdom sayings of Luqmn, Solomon, and Jesus.
Tradition-based tafsr positions Muammad as the Qurns primary exegete. This
understanding of Muammads role in elucidating the Qurn is ased on the elief that
the Qurn and its explanation were oth revealed to him. That elief was articulated in
440
Dmitri Gutas, Classical Arabic Wisdom Literature Nature and Scope, in Journal of the
American Oriental Society, vol. 101, no. 1, (Jan-Mar, 1981) pp. 49-86.
441
Gutas, p. 50. See also Bernd Radtke, "Wisdom," in Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an, vol. 5, pp.
483-484; A. M. Goichon, "ikma," in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, ed. P. Bearman et al
(Leiden: Brill, 2011) Brill Online, accessed October 3, 2011.
442
Gutas, p. 50.
143
its initial stage by al- a ar in the introduction to his exegesis.443 I n Taymyah, in his
Muqaddimah, gave that belief a more complete exposition and renewed emphasis. Ibn
Taymyah argued that Muammad received two revelations: the recited Qurn; and the
unrecited sunnah which is now preserved in adth texts.444
The conviction that the sunnah was revealed along with the Qurn owes much to
the pioneering argument of al-Shafi.445 In his al-Rislah he wanted to present as many
Qurnic proof texts as possi le to support the notion that Muslims are o ligated to
follow Muammads sunnah.446 He noticed several verses which indicate that God
revealed to Muammad the Scripture and al-ikmah. Al-Shafi could think of no extraQurnic revelation to Muammad other than the sunnah. Hence he equated the Qurns
reference to al-ikmah with the sunnah.447
As I will demonstrate, al- a ar, I n Kathr, and al-Suy had no difficulty in
adopting al-Shafis equation of al-ikmah with the sunnah in those verses which refer
to Muammad.448 But the exegetes were unable to maintain the same meaning in those
verses in which al-ikmah was said to have een vouchsafed to Luqmn, David,
443
A Ja far Muammad b. Jarr al- a ar, Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn Tafsr alabar (Beirut: Iya al-Turth al- Ara , 2001) vol. 26, pp. 38-39 and 45-46.
444
I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah f uul al-tafsr in Musid b. Solomon . Nir al- ayyr, Sharh
Muqaddimah f uul al-tafsr li-bn Taymyah (Damam: Dr I n al-Jawz, 2007-8) p. 253.
445
N. J. Coulson, A History of Islamic Law (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1964) p. 56;
Wael B. Hallaq, A History of Islamic Legal Theories An introduction to Sunn ul al-fiqh (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1997) p. 18; Joseph Schacht, The Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence
446
Al-Shafi, al-Risla f ul al-fiqh, trans. Majid Khadduri (Oxford: Islamic Texts Society,
447
Al-Shafi, p. 111.
448
See, for example, the three commentaries in their exegeses of Qurn 2:129.
1987).
144
Solomon, and Jesus.449 Al- a ar traded on ambiguity, attempting as far as possible to let
wisdom mean prophethood, or the sunnah of Muammad, or the sunnah of the previous
prophets. I n Kathr largely followed this strategy, but his resistance to wisdom was
eventually worn down as he was confronted with Qurnic passages wherein sunnah does
not fit the context. The pressure against him mounted until he came to discuss the
wisdom of Luqmn, at which point he gained relief y presenting a short list of five of
the sages sayings. But, as if to atone for a lapse, I n Kathr immediately added five
pages of sayings of Muammad and his early followers dealing with subjects similar to
those of Luqmns sayings. The result is that Luqmns sayings are eclipsed y those of
Muammad and early Muslims.
On the other hand, al-Suy attri uted to Luqmn a list of aphorisms several
times longer than that given by I n Kathr. Al-Suy has not only included the five
sayings from I n Kathr, but also added another fifty-two. Moreover, al-Suys
allowance for al-ikmah to mean wisdom is seen in his extensive exegesis of Qurn
2:269 which reads: God gives wisdom to whoever He will. Whoever is given wisdom
has truly been given much good, but only those with insight bear this in mind.450 In that
verse, Gods gift of wisdom is not restricted to prophetic recipients. Rather, the verses
wording is general enough for wisdom to be a bounty bestowed on persons beyond the
prophets and sages mentioned in the Qurn. In his commentary on Qurn 2:269, alSuy revealed his interest in wisdom sayings y mentioning a maxim of Luqmn. I
449
For example, Qurn 3:48, 21:79 and 31:12.
450
Qurn 2:269, trans. A del Haleem, p. 31.
145
could find no tafsr prior to al-Durr mentioning a maxim of Luqmn in connection with
this verse.
As we will see, al-Suys emphasis on wisdom as the meaning of al-ikmah has
influenced some subsequent exegetical works. For example, al-ls, in his exegesis of
Qurn 2:269, copied the maxim of Luqmn which he found mentioned in al-Suys
exegesis of the same verse.451 Likewise, in his exegesis of Qurn 31:12, al-ls copied
thirteen of Luqmns sayings which al-Suy had presented at the compara le location in
al-Durr. Su sequently, the exegete I n shr copied into his exegesis the thirteen of
Luqmns sayings which he found in al-lss exegesis. He then added several other
sayings of Luqmn drawn from other sources.452 Hence I n shr was influenced y alls who in turn was influenced y al-Suy. In this way, al-Suy has succeeded in
ringing the wisdom sayings of Luqmn from the periphery of religious literature into the
mainstream tafsr tradition.
4.2 The Struggle to Redefine ikmah

The Qurn mentions the word al-ikmah on twenty occasions. The exegetes
tended to explain the term at its first mention, and then to refer their readers back to the
explanation already given. The exegetes may also summarize their previous explanation
or amend it at new locations in their tafsrs. The first occurrence of the word al-ikmah is
451
Al-ls, Rh al-Man f tafsr al-Qurn al-am wa-l-sab al-mathn (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr,

2003) vol. 3, p. 51; al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 295. The saying of Luqmn is as follows: My son, you
must sit in the company of the ulam and listen to the words (kalm) of the wise (ukam), for certainly
God revives the dead heart with the light of al-ikmah as he revives the dead earth with a downpour of
rain.
452
See I n shr, Tafsr al-tarr wa-l-tanwr (Tunis: Dar Sann, 1997) vol. 21, p. 169 in alMarji flash disk.
146
at Qurn 2:129, which reads: Our Lord, make a messenger of their own rise up from
among them, to recite Your revelations to them, teach them the Scripture and wisdom,
and purify them.453 That verse gives the words of prayer which Abraham and Ishmael
uttered after they laid the foundations of the kabah (the Meccan sanctuary). They thus
beseeched God to raise a prophet from among the people in the environs of the kabah.
Seeing Muammad as the answer to that prayer, the exegetes generally
understand his functions to include the teaching of both the Scripture and al-ikmah. In
his exegesis of Qurn 2:129, al- a ar presents a variety of suggestions given by
previous exegetes as the possible meanings of al-ikmah. Then al- a ar offers his
conclusion which he declares to be al-awb min al-qawl (the correct thing to say). His
conclusion is that al-ikmah means the knowledge of the commands of God which
could not be known except by way of the exposition given via the Messenger.454 Tracing
the etymology of the word, al- a ar explains that ikmah is derived from ukm, which
means the judgement between truth and falsehood. He adds that the akm is the person
who clarifies the ikmah, meaning that he clarifies the correctness of speech and
action.455 Al- a ar then restates the verse, with its expressions expanded, to mean that
Muammad will not only teach the revealed scripture ut will also delineate Gods
judgements and commands which God will teach him.456 Therefore, according to al-
453
Qurn 2:129, trans. Abdel Haleem, p. 15.
454
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 645.
455
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 645. Al- a ar explains further that ikmah is to ukm as jilsah (a specific
sort of sitting) is to juls (sitting), and as qidah (a specific sort of sitting) is to qud (sitting). See Gutas, p.
53.
456
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 645.
147
a ar, the complete guidance for Muslims is contained in the revelation given to
Muammad. Moreover, according to al- a ar, the divine revelations which Muammad
received included oth the Qurn and extra-Qurnic explanations of Gods commands
and injunctions.
I n Kathrs exegesis is more explicit: Al-ikmah means the sunnah.457 He
mentions several early authorities who held this view. Then he adds that it is also said
that al-ikmah means al-fahm f-l-dn (the understanding of the religion).458 By keeping
the holder of that opinion anonymous, I n Kathr subtly indicates that he regards the
opinion as being of secondary importance. Nonetheless, I n Kathr tries to accommodate
both opinions: al-ikmah means the sunnah; and al-ikmah means the understanding of
the religion. I n Kathr assures his readers that the two opinions are not mutually
contradictory.459 However, before leaving the matter to rest, I n Kathr adds a third
statement: [Muammad] will teach [people] the Scripture and al-ikmah means the
following:
He will teach them the good that they ought to do, and the evil that they should
guard against. He will also inform them that God will be pleased with them if they
obey him. In this way they will increase their obedience, and they will avoid such
disobedience as would displease God.460
457
458
459
460
148
Hence I n Kathr has left no religious teaching for Muslims to learn aside from
those for which Muammad served as a conduit. At this point, al-Suy concurs that alikmah means the sunnah.461
Al- a ar and I n Kathr continue along similar lines in their exegesis of alikmah in reference to Qurn 2:151. The verse reads, We have sent among you a
Messenger of your own to recite Our revelations to you and purify you and teach you the
Scripture, wisdom, and [other] things you did not know.462 Al- a ar writes that, by alikmah God means the sunan and al-fiqh f-l-dn (the understanding of the religion).463
As can be seen from that citation, al- a ar employs the term sunnah in the plural form:
sunan. He therefore thinks of the sunnah not simply as a general understanding of
Muammads way of life, ut as a conglomerate of the many minute acts of Muammad.
It is the same plural term by which a whole genre of adth compilations is designated:
the sunan works.464
In his exegesis of Qurn 2:151, I n Kathr makes a statement which leaves little
hope that he would be interested in the wisdom sayings of pre-Islamic times. He contrasts
the blessed situation of the Muslims under Muammads guidance with the situation prior
to that, the time of ignorance, when baseless sayings served as guide.465 At the
comparable location in al-Durr, al-Suy does not register a difference with his
461
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol.1, p. 718.
462
Qurn 2:151, trans. A del Haleem, p. 17, brackets original.
463
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 46.
464
See Jonathan Brown, adth Muhammads Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (New
York: Oneworld, 2009) p. 31.
465
149
predecessors, for he passes over the relevant part of Qurn 2:151without appending any
comment or tradition.466
Al- a ar and I n Kathr similarly summarize or repeat their explanations of alikmah in reference to Qurn 2:231 wherein the lessings of God are again said to
include the revealed Scripture and al-ikmah. But here both al- a ar and I n Kathr
summarize the meaning of al-ikmah as the sunnah. They do not mention here that alikmah can mean the understanding of the religion.467 Again, al-Suy is silent, saving
his ink for the wisdom sayings he will soon present.468
However, at Qurn 2:251 the three tafsrs are finally forced to acknowledge that
al-ikmah has to mean much more than the sunnah of Muammad. The relevant part of
the verse reads, David killed Goliath, and God gave him sovereignty and wisdom and
taught him what He pleased.469 David (Dwd) is now the recipient of the divine gift of
al-ikmah. The exegetes concur that the ikmah which David received is al-nubwwah
(the prophethood).470
But even that definition receives considera le modification at Qurn 2:269. As
mentioned above, this is a key verse serving as the basis for al-Suys redefinition of alikmah. Again, the verse reads, God gives wisdom to whoever He will. Whoever is
given wisdom has truly been given much good, but only those with insight bear this in
466
See al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 2, p. 37.
467
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 579; I n Kathr, vol. 2, p. 581.
468
For al-Suys silence on al-ikmah at Qurn 2:31, see, al-Durr, vol. 2, p. 704.
469
470
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 754; I n Kathr, vol. 2, p. 615; al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 153.
150
mind.471 The wording of this verse demands that al-ikmah not be restricted to prophets.
Hence al- a ar rephrases the verse: [God] grants the correctness of speech and action
to whomever of his servants he wishes.472 Al- a ars statement thus equates al-ikmah
with correctness of speech and action. But the present verse forces al- a ar to analyze
once more the various possible meanings of al-ikmah. The traditions he supplies support
the various meanings of al-ikmah as the Qurn and its understanding, knowledge of
the religion, understanding, fear of God, and prophethood.473 Al- a ar also
includes a tradition according to which the meaning of al-ikmah is al-aql (intelligence).
But he su sumed this tradition under the meaning of knowledge of the religion.474 As is
his usual procedure, in his final analysis al- a ar attempts to accommodate as many
meanings as he could justify on grammatical grounds. Hence he writes that all of the
a ove exegeses are accepta le. Significantly, he now concedes that prophethood is only
a part of the meaning of al-ikmah.475
I n Kathr included in his exegesis of Qurn 2:269 only eight of al- a ars
fifteen traditions. Nonetheless, I n Kathrs discussion of the verse is equally
comprehensive. Moreover, he replaces one of al- a ars traditions with two of his own
that better mirror a common proverb and biblical statement. Al- a ars tradition reads,
471
472
Al- a ar, vol. 3, p. 107.
473
Al- a ar, vol. 3, pp. 107-109.
474
Al- a ar, vol. 3, p. 109.
475
Al- a ar, vol. 3, p. 109.
151
Ras kull shay khashyat Allah (the eginning of everything is the fear of God).476 By
way of comparison, one of I n Kathrs two traditions reads, Ras al-ikmah makhfat
Allah (the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom).477 Moreover, I n Kathr adds two
traditions with important implications. The first tradition states, Al-ikmah is alsunnah. Hence I n Kathr has not relinquished that view of al-ikmah. The second
tradition added here by I n Kathr supports esoteric knowledge. According to that
tradition, Mlik says, It has occurred to my mind (qalb) that al-ikmah is the
understanding of the religion of God, and it is a matter that God inserts into the hearts.478
However, I n Kathr concludes that discussion by expressing his agreement with
the view of the majority of scholars. According to I n Kathr, the view of the majority of
scholars is that al-ikmah is not exclusive to prophets but is found among people more
generally. However, the highest form of al-ikmah is that of the prophets and, even more
so, that of the messengers. Nonetheless, the followers of the prophets will receive a share
of al-ikmah by virtue of following the prophets.479 Thus, according to I n Kathr, alikmah is closely connected to the revelation given to prophets and messengers; and it is
by following these personages that other people acquire a share of al-ikmah. Obviously,
476
Al- a ar, vol. 3, p. 109
477
I n Kathr, vol. 2, p. 643. Cf. Prover s 9:10, The eginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and
knowledge of the Holy One is understanding, and Psalm 111:10, The eginning of wisdom is the fear of
the Lord; all who practice it gain sound understanding. The Tanakh: A New Translation of the Holy
Scriptures According to the Traditional Hebrew Text (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1995) pp.
1299 and 1244.
478
479
152
I n Kathr is here only a short step away from asserting that, for the followers of
Muammad, al-ikmah is the sunnah.
To explain the reference to al-ikmah in Qurn 2:269, al-Suy presented fifty
eight traditions in comparison with al- a ars fifteen and I n Kathrs twelve. The sheer
number of al-Suys traditions immediately reveals his keen interest in the Qurns
praise of al-ikmah. Al-Suys traditions support a wide variety of meanings of alikmah. But it is significant that none of these numerous traditions mentions the sunnah
as a possible meaning of al-ikmah. Moreover, al-Suy clearly em races esoteric
knowledge. In this regard, al-Suy presents a adth in which Muammad says, If God
intends betterment for his servant, God causes him to understand the religion and
alhamahu rushdah (guides him by inspiration).480
Some of al-Suys traditions are novel. Such is the saying which al-Suy
attributes to Muammad, Gentleness (al-rifq) is the eginning of wisdom.481 Some of
al-Suys traditions uttress important points. For example, as was seen above, both ala ar and I n Kathr relate a tradition saying that al-ikmah equals al-aql
(intelligence). But they each relate that tradition on the authority of a certain Ibn Zayd.
However, al-Suy states a tradition that similarly promotes intelligence as the meaning
of al-ikmah. But al-Suys tradition is acked y the authority of Muammad himself.
Thus, according to al-Suys adth, the prophet says that a persons religion is not set
right until his aql is set right.482
480
481
482
153
Several of al-Suys traditions speak of the importance of gaining knowledge

without restricting such knowledge to knowledge of the religion.483 One such adth
praises the acquisition of knowledge for its own sakeeven knowledge that will not be
put into action. According to that adth, learning a chapter of such knowledge is better
than offering a thousand cycles of prayer.484
Al-Suys adths speak of knowledge in such a general manner that al-ls
was apprehensive that those adths would be misunderstood. Therefore, when al-ls
copied some of these adths into his exegesis, he added his own statement serving to
limit knowledge to that which Muammad taught. To al-ls, the knowledge spoken of
in these adths is that lawful (shar) knowledge which was brought by the wise one of
the prophets and the prophet of the wise onesthe honoura le seal of the prophets.485
Some of al-Suys traditions praise al-ikmah to a degree not seen in the tafsrs
of al- a ar and I n Kathr. Here Muammad says, A word of wisdom is the lost
property of the believer; therefore the believer should reclaim wisdom wherever he finds
it.486 Moreover, Muammad says, If anyone is devoted to God for forty days, the
springs of wisdom will urst forth from his heart unto his tongue.487
It is even more significant that al-Suy presents a wisdom saying of Luqmn to
illustrate the wisdom which is praised in the present verse, Qurn 2:269. The saying
483
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 297-99.
484
485
Al-ls, vol. 3, p. 51.
486
487
154
reads: My son, you must sit in the company of the ulam and listen to the words
(kalm) of the wise (ukam), for certainly God revives the dead heart with the light of
al-ikmah as he revives the dead earth with a downpour of rain.488 I could find no tafsr
prior to al-Durr containing this or any other saying of Luqmn in reference to Qurn
2:269. Here al-Suy introduced the saying into the exegetical stream only to have it
copied later by al-ls in the latters exegesis.489 Al-ls at this point does not indicate
his dependence on al-Suy, ut elsewhere in his exegesis he does acknowledge his use
of al-Durr. For example, in his commentary on Qurn 5:67, al-ls prefaced a adth
y saying, And al-Jall al-Suy compiled it in his al-Durr al-manthr.490
In sum, we have seen that the exegetes had to address the fact that Qurn 2:269
speaks about al-ikmah being granted to people generally. Al- a ar had to drop his
previous insistence that al-ikmah means the sunnah. He had to likewise modify his
previous definition that ikmah means prophethood. He now concedes that prophethood
is a subdivision of al-ikmah. I n Kathr, for his part, mentions a tradition in which alikmah equals the sunnah. Then, in his summary, he insists that people other than
prophets obtain a share of al-ikmah by following the prophets. For his part, al-Suy
drops all mention of sunnah in reference to Qurn 2:269. Though he repeats the
traditions equating al-ikmah with prophethood, these traditions are subsumed within a
larger body of traditions some of which treat al-ikmah as wisdom. One of these
traditions goes as far as to report a wisdom saying of Luqmn. It is thus clear that after
488
489
See al-ls, vol. 3, p. 51.
490
Al-ls, vol. 6, p. 991 in al-Marji flash disk.
155
I n Kathr attempted to deemphasize wisdom al-Suy aimed to reemphasize wisdom as

an essential aspect of the meaning of al-ikmah.
Al-Suys departure from his predecessors is seen more clearly in the exegesis
of the annunciation to Mary that God will teach Jesus al-ikmah.491 At this juncture ala ar writes of al-ikmah: It is the sunnah which [God] will reveal to [Jesus], but not
in a ook.492 I n Kathr skirts the issue: As for al-ikmah, the discussion of its tafsr
has preceded in Srat al-Baqarah.493 That is all he says here about al-ikmah. Hence he
sends his readers chasing after his varying exegesis of the word al-ikmah at the five
locations where it is mentioned in the Qurns second chapter.494 It is clear that the
present context dissuades I n Kathr from offering his often short explanation that alikmah equals sunnah. On the other hand, rather than being faced with a difficulty, alSuy sees new opportunity at the present verse. Rather than offer a strict definition of
al-ikmah here, al-Suy proffers one hundred and four traditions containing wisdom
sayings of Jesus. He even highlights the importance of these traditions by placing them
under a sectional heading: A mention of snippets of the wisdom (ikam) of Jesus on
whom be peace.495 There are only three places in al-Durr where al-Suy reaks the
491
Qurn 3:48.
492
Al- a ar, vol. 3, p. 321.
493
494
Qurn 2:129, 151, 231, 251 and 269.
495
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 48. That caption was previously used by al- a ris (d. 548/1153
or later) in his exegesis Majma al-Bayn to introduce the wisdom sayings of Luqmn at Qurn 31:12. See
http://www.altafsr.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=4&tTafsrNo=3&tSoraNo=31&tAyahNo=12&tDisplay=yes
&Page=4&Size=1&LanguageId=1 accessed Oct. 11, 2011. I could find no other tafsr employing this
unique phrase except those of al- a ris and al-Suy. Al-Suy wrote at Qurn 3:48, Dhikr nubadh min
ikam s, whereas al- a ris wrote at Qurn 31:12, Dhikr nubadh min ikam Luqmn. It is therefore
obvious that al-Suy made use of al- a riss exegesis. Al-Suy apparently saw the caption at the one
156
commentary of a srah with a sectional heading. Al-Suys special interest in the other
two sections is clear.496 Likewise here, the unusual caption is an indication of al-Suys
special interest in the wisdom sayings of Jesus. We shall look at Jesus wisdom sayings in
my next chapter where I discuss additional implications of al-Suys unique interest in
Jesus. Here it suffices to see that al-Suy has dared to steer the meaning of al-ikmah
towards wisdom sayings.
4.3 The Wisdom of Solomon

I now turn to al-Suys portrayal of the wisdom of Solomon. As the Oxford
Companion to the Bible states, Solomon has come down in the tradition as the wise man
par excellence.497 Several works related to wisdom within the Hebrew Scriptures are
attributed to Solomon.498 But little of this literature found its way into the tafsr works.
As Saleh has shown, al-Biq generally took the trouble to copy relevant sections of the
Bible into his exegesis. Thus he included many of the Psalms and many citations from
location and decided to use it at the other location with the name of Jesus appropriately substituted for that
of Luqmn. Al- abris did not, however, mention the wisdom sayings of Jesus. As for the wisdom sayings
of Luqmn, it does not appear that al-Suy derived them from al- a ris. Al- a riss tafsr contains
traditions not copied by al-Suy. The fact that al-Suy has consulted a Shi tafsr is interesting. I will
return to a discussion of the sectarian and political aspects of al-Durr in Chapter 6 of the present study.
496
The first instance is at Qurn 2:79 where he deals with the question of earning from the sale of
Scripture (see al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 444). Since his works contain a good deal of scriptural material, and he is
known to have profited from the sale of his books, the question obviously troubled him. The other instance
is at the end of his exegesis of Qurn 4:12 where inheritance laws are discussed (see al-Durr, vol. 4, p.
261). It was a sore point with him that his admission of his middling knowledge of the topic, and his
ineptitude with arithmetic, had become an excuse for his detractors to question his intelligence in general.
With that caption, and the accompanying traditions, he demonstrates his keen interest in the subject of
inheritance.
497
Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm., Solomon, in The Oxford Companion to the Bible, ed. Bruce
Metzger et al (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1993) p. 707. See also Abramsky, Samuel, et al,
"Solomon." Encyclopaedia Judaica, ed. Michael Berenbaum and Fred Skolnik, 2nd edition, vol. 18,
(Detroit: Macmillan, 2007) 755-763 in Gale Virtual Reference Library, accessed Oct. 1, 2011.
498
The works attributed to Solomon include Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes.
157
Jeremiah.499 But he afforded his readers nothing of the biblical wisdom of Solomon.500
As for the genre of stories of the prophets, the qia al-anbiy literature, some of
Solomons interpretations of the speeches of animals are given in al-Thala s Aris almajlis.501 The Qurn alludes to Solomons divinely estowed understanding of a
judicial problem presented to his father David, and this has given rise to a detailed story
illustrating his wisdom on that occasion.502 As we turn now to that event, we will see how
al-Suy has surpassed his predecessors in crediting wisdom to Solomon. The relevant
Qurnic passage reads:
And remember David and Solomon, when they gave judgement regarding the
field into which sheep strayed by night and grazed. We witnessed their judgement
and made Solomon understand the case [better], though We gave sound
judgement and knowledge to both of them.503
The tafsrs of al- a ar, I n Kathr, and al-Suy include various reports detailing
the case and specifying the judgements issued by each of David and Solomon. A
summary of the story will suffice here. Some sheep grazed in a vineyard. Therefore, the
499
I rahim . Umar al-Biq, Nam al-durar f tansub al-yt wa-l-suwar (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub
al-Ilmyah, 2006). On al-Biqs appreciation of Jeremiah see Walid Saleh, A Fifteenth-Century Muslim
Hebraist: al-Biq and His Defence of Using the Bi le to Interpret the Qurn, in Speculum 83 (2008)
629-54, p. 636, n. 34; on al-Biqs justification of i lical citations in his Qurn commentaty see Walid
Saleh, In Defense of the Bible: A Critical Edition and an Introduction to al-Biqs Bible Treatise (Leiden:
Brill, 2008); on the fact that al-Biq did not draw parallels etween the i lical Prover s and the wisdom
of Luqmn see Walid Saleh, Su lime in its Style, Exquisite in its Tenderness: The He rew Bi le
Quotations in al-Biqs Qurn Commentary, in Adaptations and Innovations: Studies on the Interaction
between Jewish and Islamic Thought and Literature from the Early Middle Ages to the Late Twentieth
Century, Dedicated to Professor Joel L. Kraemer, ed. Y. Tzvi Langermann and Josef Stern (Paris; Dudley,
MA: Peeters, 2007) pp. 331-47, p. 347.
500
See his exegesis of Qurn 21:79 and Qurn 27:15ff.
501
See, for example, al-Thala , Aris al-majlis f qia al-anbiy: or Lives of the Prophets,
trans. William M. Brinner (Leiden: Brill, 2002) pp. 493-95.
502
On this motif see Haim Shawarzbaum, Biblical and Extra-Biblical Legends in Islamic FolkLiterature (Walldorf, Hessen: H. Vorndran, 1982) p. 63.
503
Qurn 21:78-79; trans. Abdel Haleem; brackets his.
158
owner of the vineyard lodged a complaint with David who then ruled in his favour. As
compensation for the loss, David awarded the vintner possession of the offending sheep.
But when Solomon got wind of that transaction, he suggested a different judgement. In
Solomons judgement, the shepherd should hus and the vineyard until it is restored to its
prior condition; meanwhile, and only for that limited duration, the vintner should benefit
from possessing the sheep. Solomons suggestion appealed to David as the just solution.
Such, according to the exegetes, is the meaning of the a ove Qurnic statement that God
caused Solomon to understand the case.504 I n Kathr adds two narratives illustrating the
sagacity of Solomon in revising his fathers judgements.505 In one such narrative,
Solomon was still a mere boy when he suggested the correct judgement. Al-Suy
included all of those traditions in his own tafsr, adding even more narratives to illustrate
the oys astuteness.506
The last part of the above verses, Qurn 21:78-79, indicates that God granted
sound judgement and knowledge to David and Solomon. I n Kathr did not address this
part of the verse specifically, but allowed his above discussion to serve as a commentary
on the entire Qurnic passage. Al- abar was cognizant of the need to address
specifically the Qurnic words: God had given to each ukm and ilm.507 In the
English translation of the verse given above, ukm is rendered as sound judgement, and
ilm as knowledge. According to al- a ar, however, ukm means nubwwah
504
Al- a ar, vol. 17, pp. 62-66.
505
I n Kathr, vol. 5, pp. 2328-29.
506
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 10, pp. 318-26.
507
Qurn 21:79.
159
(prophethood).508 Adopting that meaning for ukm here, al- a ar makes the verse mean
that David and Solomon are not the only prophets who were granted the said knowledge
and sound judgement. Rather, al- a ar explains that the same blessings were also
bestowed on each of the prophets who were mentioned since the start of the srah. With
that explanation in mind, al- a ar was thus spared the need to think of any special
wisdom that was granted to either David or Solomon.
Al- a ar ended his discussion of Qurn 21:78-79 by presenting a tradition
which asserts that David was not blamed even though his verdict was not the most sound.
This principle was further elaborated by I n Kathr. According to I n Kathr, a judge,
having exerted his utmost, may reach an incorrect verdict and yet receive due credit for
excellent effort.
In sum, according to these tafsr works, both David and Solomon were given
knowledge and sound judgement. The tafsrs of al- a ar, I n Kathr and al-Suy each
present the story showing how Solomon gave a better verdict than his father. In reference
to the present verse, none of these tafsrs show how David deserved praise for his ukm
although, as Gutas has shown, there was also a collection of Davids wisdom sayings
available to early Muslims.509 Nonetheless, in reference to Qurn 21:78-79, only alSuy provides a list of Solomons sayings that serve to illustrate the sound judgement
and knowledge that was given to Solomon. Al-Suy understood ukm to include
ikmah, and thus furnished nine traditions containing sage advice from Solomon.
508
Al- a ar, vol. 17, p. 63.
509
Gutas, p. 19.
160
As presented by al-Suy, Solomons aphorisms are interesting. Many of the

sayings egin with the vocative, O my son! as is typical of Ara ic aphorisms (amthl).
Some of Solomons sayings enjoin the fear of God, for example, You are enjoined to
fear God, for that covers everything.510 Such fear is to be maintained both in public and
in privacy.511 But one should also fear the anger of an oppressive king, for his anger is
like that of the angel of death.512 Some of these sayings counsel honesty and good
conduct. For example, It is amazing how the trader considers himself redeemed. He
makes oaths during the day and yet sleeps well at night.513 In the same vein: Just as the
tent-peg penetrates between two stones, and a snake slithers between two rocks, sin
enters etween uyer and seller.514 Moreover, Beware of slander, for it is like the edge
of a sword.515 Some sayings contain practical advice: It is a hard life to have to move
from house to house.516 Practical also is a caution against extreme jealousy: Do not e
overly jealous with regards to your wife lest she be accused of evil because of you
whereas she is innocent.517 On the other hand, one saying does not favour women:
Walk ehind a lion, ut do not walk ehind a woman.518 Another would hardly appeal
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
161
to children: If you wish to enrage your enemies, do not spare your son the rod.519 One
pronouncement is especially suitable for f circles: Do not decide on any action until
you first consult a murshid (guide). In this way, you will have no anxiety over your
decisions.520 Other aphorisms encourage austerity: We have experienced life with all its
ease and hardships, and found that a are minimum of the world suffices.521 Some
snippets are especially terse: Most delicious is the Spirit of God among his servants;
most refreshing is God forgiving his servants, while his servants forgive each other; most
at home is the soul while it is in the body; wildest is the body when it is stripped of the
soul; least found among people is certitude; and most prevalent among them is dou t.522
Such are the wisdom sayings of Solomon which al-Suy took the trou le to accumulate
from various sources. By including these maxims in his exegesis, al-Suy has
demonstrated his keen interest not only in Solomon, but also in wisdom as a guide to
proper conduct.
4.4 Luqmn
Qurn 31:12 states that God granted Luqmn al-ikmah. The seven verses
following that, Qurn 31:13-19, depict Luqmn imparting his words of wisdom to his
son. Luqmn has ecome an interesting Islamic figure due to the Qurnic reference to
519
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 10, p. 327. Cf. Prover s 13:24, He who spares the rod hates his son,
ut he who loves him disciplines him early; Prover s 23:13-14, Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you eat him with a rod he will not die. Beat him with a rod and you will save him from the grave; and
Prover s 29:15, Rod and reproof produce wisdom, ut a lad out of control is a disgrace to his mother.
The Tanakh, pp. 1306, 1322 and 1333.
520
521
522
162
him. Because he is mentioned only in the thirty-first srah of the Qurn, that srah came
to be called Srat Luqmn. As a consequence of the inclusion of Luqmns name in the
title of that srah, Luqmn remains prominent in Muslim memory. However, the
secondary literature shows that little historical knowledge is available a out Luqmn.523
Therefore, an attempt to identify him here would prove redundant and unnecessary. It is
enough for our purposes here that the Qurns mention of him situates him as a sage in
the pre-Islamic past. In contrast with Solomon, who in the Qurn is clearly a prophet,
Luqmns Qurnic status is am iguous.524 Of the early Qurnic commentators, only
Ikrimah held that Luqmn was a prophet; others insist that he was not.525 Hence, by
including the extra-Qurnic wisdom sayings of this pre-Islamic savant, al-Suy was
clearly expanding the boundaries of what is acceptable in tradition-based exegesis.
Al- a ar mentions both views: the view of Ikrimah affirming that Luqmn was
a prophet; and the view of others denying it. Thus al- a ar supplies the traditions
supporting both positions. Curiously, however, al- a ar did not state his own position on
the question. As for al-ikmah which Luqmn was estowed, al- a ar defines it as the
understanding of the religion, intelligence, and correctness in speech.526 Some of the
traditions he mentions support the three elements of that definition. In his exegesis of the
verses dealing with Luqmns advice to his son, al- a ar limits himself to an
523
On the numerous suggestions as to the identity of Luqmn see B. Heller, Lumn, in EI2; A.
H. M. Zahniser, Luqmn, in EQ; and F. C. Conybeare, et al, The Story of Aiar (Cambridge: Cambridge
524
From Qurn 4:163 it is clear that Solomon is a prophet.
525
526
Al- a ar, vol. 21, p. 78.
163
explanation of the Qurnic statements. Thus al- a ar shows little interest in Luqmns
wisdom sayings apart from those given in the Qurn. Al- a ar does present a few
narratives attempting to identify Luqmn. But he offers only two traditions that indicate
something a out the wisdom of Luqmn aside from the Qurnic statements containing
his advice. The first tradition shows Luqmn, a slave, interacting with his master. On the
latters request for the est part of a slaughtered sheep, Luqmn rought him the tongue
and the heart. On another occasion, the masters request was for the worst parts. To his
surprise, even now Luqmn rought him the tongue and the heart. But Luqmn explained
that when these two parts are good they are the best; but when they are bad they are the
worst.527 In the second tradition, Luqmn is shown lecturing people when he is asked
what transformed him from shepherd to sage. He answered, Truth in speech, and silence
regarding that which does not concern me.528 We will see that al-Suy was not content
with these stories but ventured to present fifty-seven additional narratives containing
wisdom sayings of Luqmn.
Appealing to the authority of the majority of the salaf (predecessors), I n Kathr
decided that Luqmn was not a prophet. Accordingly, I n Kathr impugned the adth of
Ikrimah as having and unreliable isnd.529 I n Kathr defines al-ikmah as
understanding, knowledge, and tabr (expression).530 Thus I n Kathr shows no
resolve here to maintain his earlier stance that reason means sunnah. After offering his
527
Al- a ar, vol. 21, p. 79.
528
Al- a ar, vol. 21, p. 80.
529
530
I n Kathr, vol. 6, p. 2744. Tabr could also refer to the art of interpreting dreams, a gift for
which the Qurnic prophet Joseph was also notable (see Qurn 12:43).
164
exegesis of the verses related to Luqmn, I n Kathr presented five traditions containing
wisdom sayings of Luqmn. This is a surprising development in his exegesis. Prior to Ibn
Kathr, al- a ris had included several sayings of Luqmn in his tafsr.531 But now Ibn
Kathr, a Sunn exegete who maintains conformity with the radical hermeneutics of Ibn
Taymyah, similarly presents sayings of Luqmn. The stage has thus een set for alSuy to not only repeat the sayings of Luqmn which I n Kathr proffered but also to
recount a great number of other sayings of Luqmn.532
As for the five sayings of Luqmn which I n Kathr included, the first states that
if anything is entrusted to God he takes care of it.533 The second cautions, Do not mask
your face, for that is feared at night; and it is humiliating during the day. According to
the third, al-ikmah causes the poor to sit in the company of kings. The fourth advises,
When you approach a gathering, greet it with peace and then sit on the periphery
not speaking until first observing how the conversation flows. If God is being
mentioned a undantly, then participate. Otherwise, seek another gathering.534
The fifth is more a legend than a wisdom saying. Luqmn placed a ag of mustard
seeds beside him and began advising his son while discarding a mustard seed as he
delivers each piece of advice. When the ag ecame empty, Luqmn said to his son, I
531
532
Neither I n Kathr nor al-Suy copied their wisdom traditions from al- a ris. The latters
exegesis contains some unique sayings of Luqmn, some of which were su sequently copied, with
acknowledgement, into the tafsr of I n shr (see I n shr, vol. 21, p. 172).
533
534
165
have given you such advice that is enough to cleave a mountain. At that moment,
Luqmns son was split apart.535 The story is rich with Qurnic allusions.536
I n Kathr was aware that there are many more such wisdom sayings (al-ikam
wa-l-mawi) of Luqmn, ut he wanted to offer the a ove only as examples of the lore.
I n Kathr was on safe traditional ground, for he relied on the Sunn traditionist Amad b.
anbal for those five reports. Yet, as if to compensate for what must have appeared to
him as a lapse from his resolute traditionalism, I n Kathr then offered fifty-eight
traditions containing advice from Muammad and early Muslims. I n Kathr laid out
these traditions under four headings: humility, integrity, pride, and boastfulness.537 By
including these additional traditions, Ibn Kathr has turned his readers attention away
from Luqmn as a source of wisdom. I n Kathr has now redirected attention to
Muammad and his early followers as the fountains of wisdom. I n Kathr has thus
assured his readers of his intention to tow the line of traditionalism.
Al-Suy was more daring in this regard. Compared with I n Kathrs list of five
sayings, al-Suy offered fifty-seven such sayings of Luqmn.538 Moreover, al-Suy
did not follow this up with the wisdom sayings of anyone else. Hence in al-Durr the
535
536
In Qurn 2:74 hearts are compared with rocks which may e split y water; and, according to
Qurn 59:21, if the Qurn were revealed to a mountain the latter would have een hum led and split apart
due to the awe of God.
537
I n Kathr, vol. 6, pp. 2749-54.
538
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, pp. 629-46. The block of traditions in al-Durr to which I refer here
contains two additional traditions which I have decided to exclude from the analysis since they are not so
much wisdom sayings as they are accounts of how Luqmn ecame wise. But the section is not clearly
demarcated. Therefore al-Suy was at li erty to incorporate the two additional traditions as the third and
fourth among the total of fifty-nine traditions. From the fifth tradition onwards, however, al-Suy was
clearly intent on making this a list of wisdom sayings of Luqmn to the exclusion of all else.
166
focus remains on the ikmah of Luqmn. Al-Suys message is clear when seen in
comparison with I n Kathrs exegesis which he had efore him: why mention the
ikmah of others when the Qurn calls attention to the ikmah of Luqmn? The
closeness of the numbers of comparable traditions in the two tafsrs here is not
coincidental. Whereas I n Kathr relates fifty-eight traditions on the wisdom of others, alSuy recounts fifty-seven traditions on the wisdom of Luqmn alone. Whereas Ibn
Kathr adduces twenty traditions to otherwise explain Qurn 31:12, that eing the
Qurns first mention of Luqmn, al-Suy advances twenty compara le traditions as
well.539 Clearly, al-Suy intended that his exegesis should not fall elow the expectation
left by the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr in terms of the number of traditions it
contains. More importantly, al-Suy wanted his exegesis to surpass these other tafsrs in
ver alizing and highlighting the wisdom of Luqmn.
Al-Suys innovativeness is also marked y his choice of sources. Unlike Ibn
Kathr, al-Suy did not restrict himself to Ibn an al as his source for Luqmns
sayings. The fifty-seven sayings of Luqmn, which al-Suy presents at this single
location in al-Durr, were gathered from a wide variety of sources. For example, among
the sources which al-Suy cites for the first saying is Kitb amthl al-adth almarwyah an al-nab y A al-asan b. Abd al-Ramn b. Khalld al-Rmhurmuz.540
The nature of this source is interesting, for it is a book of amthl (proverbs). Likewise,
539
I n Kathr, vol. 6, pp. 2742-44; and al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, pp. 624-29.
540
For the tradition cited, see al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, p. 629. The tradition in question is
located in A al-asan b. Abd al-Ramn b. Khalld al-Rmhurmuz, Kitb amthl al-adth almarwyah an al-nab, ed. Amad A d al-Fatt Tammm (Beirut: Muassasat al-Kutub al-Thaqfyah,
1988) p. 88. Al-Rmhurmuz is identified in al-Dhaha , Siyar alm al-nubal (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr, 1997)
in al-Marji flash disk, vol. 12, p. 232. In al-Dhaha s discussion it is clear that the precise date of alRmhurmuzs death is unknown, though it cannot e far from 360/970.
167
among the sources for his seventh tradition, al-Suy mentions Kitb jamharat al-amthl
y A Hill al-Askar, this eing a collection and an analysis of prover s.541 AlSuys use of such sources shows his willingness to go outside of the tafsr tradition to
find snippets of wisdom. He then introduced these into the tafsr stream.
As for the contents of Luqmns wisdom sayings, a synopsis will suffice.
However, we should note from the start that the sayings presented by al-Suy are of a
different nature from that of the sayings found in a popular collection of Luqmns
fables. I refer here to the Paris manuscript of Amthl Luqmn al-akm which was edited
and translated into French by Derenbourg, and was discussed in the Encyclopedia of
Islam.542 The legends in Amthl Luqmn have more in common with the tales of Kallah
wa Dimnah than they do with the aphorisms found in al-Durr.543 In such legends, in both
the Paris manuscript and in Kallah wa Dimnah, animals are personified to demonstrate
maxims. For example, the first story from the Paris manuscript is a parable involving two
oxen and a lion. As long as the oxen formed a cohesive defence, the lion could not risk
attacking them, for fear of their horns. But the lion confided in one of the oxen, thus
managing to separate them. Then he ravished both of them. The moral of the story, also
541
For the wisdom saying in question, see al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, pp. 631-32, and A Hill
al-Askar, Kitb jamharat al-amthl (Cairo: al-Muassast al-Arabiyyah al-adthah, 1964) 2 vols., vol. 1,
p. 569. Al-Askar has een identified in al-afad, al-Wf bi-l-wafayt in al-Marji flash disk. The date of
his death cannot be ascertained. Al-afad notes, however, that the colophon in al-Askars Kitb al-awil
indicates that the author had dictated the latter book in 395/1004.
542
See B. Heller, Lumn, in EI2; J. Derenbourg, Amthl Luqmn al-akm Fables de Loqman
le Sage (Berlin: A. Asher, 1850). The Arabic text of this work was translated into Ottoman Turkish and
published together with Deren ourgs French translation by Yay Efendini, Emsl l-Lomn (Istanbul:
Ma aasinda Bailmidir, 1875).
543
See Munther A. Younes, Tales From Kalla wa-Dimna: an Arabic reader (New Haven: Yale
168
mentioned in the manuscript, is as follows: If the people of two towns agree, no enemy
could overcome them; but if they differ, they would all be destroyed.544
The traditions selected by al-Suy, on the other hand, contain only the maxims
attri uted to Luqmn. Among these traditions, seldom do we encounter a legend leading
to a maxim; and, even in the few legends we do encounter, no animal is ever
anthropomorphised. In one tradition, for example, Luqmn, intending to illustrate his
point that God can bring forth a mustard seed buried in a rock, threw a seed into the
Yarmk river. Before long, a fly picked it up and alighted on Luqmns palm thus
returning the seed.545 In another legend, Luqmn tried in vain to convince his son to e
content regardless of the circumstances. While they were on a journey, however, their
food and drink were soon depleted, and the son, eventually famished and exhausted, fell
on a broken bone thus suffering a serious injury. Adding to his sons consternation,
Luqmn insisted that these dire straits were etter than their possi le alternatives. He was
soon vindicated, for Gabriel, arriving on the scene, replenished their food and drink and
restored the health of the son. Moreover, he informed them that he was mandated to
destroy the town to which they were headed, but he had prayed that God will spare
Luqmn and his son the agony. It was in answer to Ga riels prayer that they were
delayed by their sufferings. After receiving this lesson in theodicy and divine providence,
Luqmn and his son were miraculously transported ack to their hometown.546 It is clear,
544
Derenbourg, p. 42.
545
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, p. 635. This tradition alludes to Qurn 31:16 wherein Luqmn
cautions his son, Even if a mustard seed were hidden in a rock . . . God would ring it forth.
546
169
then, that these traditions are of a different order than are the tales of the Paris
manuscript.
Some of Luqmns sayings in al-Durr demonstrate the liberty with which biblical
wisdom was credited to Luqmn, and with which the same wisdom sayings were
attri uted variously to Luqmn, Jesus or Muammad. For example, al-Suy cites a
composite tradition from Amad on the authority of Hisham . Urwah who reports that
his father said the following:
It is written in al-ikmah, meaning al-ikmah of Luqmn: Let your word e
good, and your face simple. Then you would be more beloved to people than one
who gives them gifts. It is written in al-ikmah or in the Torah: Kindness is the
eginning of wisdom. It is written in the Torah: As you are merciful to others,
you will e shown mercy. It is written in al-ikmah: As you sow, so shall you
reap. It is written in al-ikmah: Love your friend and your fathers friend.547
What is asically Jesus eatitude on mercy (Matthew 5:7) is here credited to
Luqmn. The advice that you will reap what you sow, here attributed to al-ikmah, is a
popular motif found in many biblical passages.548 We have seen above that al-Suy had
credited to Muammad the following maxim: Kindness is the eginning of wisdom.549
Now the same maxim is credited to Luqmn. Moreover, as can e seen from the above
tradition, the reporter is uncertain as to whether the Torah or al-ikmah is the basis of that
maxim. These maxims are, of course, tools to think with, and their true origins mattered
but little. Hence, when al-Suy asserts that the first of his fifty-seven traditions rests on
547
548
In the Tanakh among the Neviim see Hosea 8:7; among the Kethuvim see Psalm 126:5 and
Job 4:8; and in the New Testament see Galatians 6:7 and James 3:18.
549
Al-Suy, vol. 3, p. 290.
170
a weak isnd, he is offering an obvious gambit. By denigrating one tradition, he raises the
value of the others.
Some of these sayings praise silence, for example, If speech is made of silver;
silence is golden.550 Moreover, Silence elongs to wisdom, ut few practice it.551 And,
As long as you are silent you are safe.552 In the same vein, one is encouraged to mind
ones own usiness.553 Of course there are times when one cannot be silent. Hence, as
often occurs with prover s, there is also the counter saying, One who speaks and is
aware of God is etter than one who is silent and is aware of God.554 Luqmn praises
wisdom: The hand of God is on the mouths of the wise; none of them speaks except
what God has made ready for him.555 He advises his son to listen to the speech of the
wise.556 At the same time, one has to beware of extreme anger, for that causes the mind
of the wise to go blank.557 Hence one should test a fellow by first making him angry and
then take him for a friend only if he retains good judgement while he is angry.558 Real
situations will bring out true character: the forbearing person will be known when anger
is expected; the brave person will be known at the time of war; and your real brother will
550
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, p. 638. This remains a popular proverb: In kna al-kalmu min
fiah; fa-l-suktu min dhahab.
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
171
be known when you need him.559 Luqmn counsels moderation in disposition: Do not e
sweet lest you e swallowed; nor e itter lest you e spat out.560 Likewise he teaches
moderation in diet: one is not to eat eyond ones fill, for it is etter to throw the excess
to the dogs that to consume more than is appropriate.561 At the same time, health is
wealth.562 Poverty is most bitter.563 One should avoid falling into debt, for being indebted
is humiliating in the daytime and distressing at night.564 Luqmn knows the nature of
people: It is easier to lift heavy urdens than to ear up with a ad neigh our.565
Moreover, If a man comes to you showing that his eyes have een plucked, do not
render judgement until his adversary arrives. For, on the latters arrival you may discover
that his eyes were also plucked.566 Many of the sayings teach familiar pietistic themes
such as the fear of God and repentance.567 However, one should not pu licise ones fear
of God lest one is honoured by others on this account while, in fact, his heart is evil.568
The a ove summary of Luqmns sayings in al-Durr will suffice to show the nature of
the sayings and the advice they contain.
559
560
561
562
563
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, pp. 632 and 642.
564
565
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, pp. 632 and 636.
566
567
For example, see Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, pp. 633, 636 and 646.
568
172
In sum, al-Suys purposive inclusion of such a large num er of these adages

serves to highlight their importance. Whereas al- a ar included none of them, and Ibn
Kathr included only five, al-Suy inflated the num er of sayings to fifty-seven.
Moreover, by presenting a large number of other dicta, I n Kathr drew attention away
from the few sayings of Luqmn which he did include. On the other hand, al-Suy not
only increased exponentially the num er of Luqmns sayings, ut retained the readers
focus exclusively on the sages sayings. Clearly, al-Suy has now restored the wisdom
sayings to a position of importance in exegesis after it had been sidelined to non-religious
literature.
In my previous chapter, we saw that both the tafsrs of al-Shawkn and al-ls
had been influenced by al-Suys inclusion of legends. Here, however, we will see that
al-Shawkn did not lift up the anner of Luqmns sayings. His reasons for not including
the sayings are interesting, however, as they represent a reaction to al-Suys
presentation of these sayings. Al-Shawkns reaction unwittingly highlights the gravity
of what al-Suy had done, and hence its importance for the historiography of the tafsr
tradition. Nonetheless, as we will see, al-ls copied thirteen of these sayings from alSuy, though without acknowledgement. Su sequently, I n shr copied the said
sayings from al-ls and cited some additional sayings of Luqmn from other works.
Hence al-Suy has succeeded in leaving a legacy of these sayings in the work of alls and, indirectly, in that of I n shr. Incidentally, these developments show that
tradition-based exegesis is all but predictable.
173
4.5 Al-Shawkns Reaction

The significance of al-Suys old adjustment of tradition-based hermeneutics
will be seen from al-Shawkns strong reaction. The latter, aware of what al-Suy had
done, reported only one saying of Luqmn, this given on the authority of Muammad: If
anything is entrusted to God he takes care of it.569 Then al-Shawkn wrote:
A group of the people of adth has mentioned narrations from a group of the
Companions and Successors that include words of advice of Luqmn and his
wisdom sayings (ikam). But nothing of this is authentically related on the
prophets authority, and nothing of this is esta lished y an authentic chain of
narrators reaching ack to Luqmn in order for us to accept the sayings as his.
God has related some of Luqmns advice to his son at this place in the Qurn,
and that is sufficient. What is beyond that is not authentic. Hence they are of no
interest except to those who are preoccupied with gathering such data and having
time to waste. Moreover, Luqmn was not a prophet. Otherwise, what is related
on his authority would have comprised a sharah prior to ours.570
Al-Shawkn has thus summarized the issues: Luqmn was not a prophet. Hence
there is no need to know what he said eyond what the Qurn relates. Sure enough, a
single saying of Luqmn is authentically related on the authority of Muammad. AlShawkn explains further that Muslims should reclaim such a saying as their own
property once lost.571 But, to al-Shawkn, that is the only authentic saying of Luqmn
apart from what is related in the Qurn. Therefore, as far as al-Shawkn is concerned,
any attempt to collect Luqmns sayings is an exercise in futility. Al-Shawkns
sentiments show, indirectly, the significance of al-Suys old move. Al-Suy has now
569
Al-Shawkn, p. 1376.
570
Al-Shawkn, p. 1376.
571
Al-Shawkn, p. 1376.
174
compiled a tafsr which, in terms of form, is strictly tradition-based, and yet it contains
materials that suggest a reason-based hermeneutic.
4.6 Al-Suys Influence on al-ls

In his commentary on Qurn 31:12, al-ls copied from al-Suy thirteen of
Luqmns sayings.572 Al-ls prefaced the collection of sayings with the statement that
these are among the wisdom sayings of Luqmn.573 After adducing the sayings, al-ls
indicated that there are other sayings of Luqmn which are too many to recount.574 As we
have seen above, al-lss use of al-Durr is certain. But here he does not credit his
source for Luqmns maxims. At first glance, the order in which he exhi ited the sayings
does not reveal his dependence on al-Durr. On closer inspection, however, it becomes
evident that al-ls made three passes over al-Suys list of Luqmns sayings thus
choosing a few sayings with each scan. For the convenience of comparing the list of
sayings in the two tafsrs, I have numbered the sayings in al-Durr from one to fiftyseven.575 Given this numbering, the traditions appear in al-lss tafsr in the following
order: 36, 39, 49, 55, 56, 16, 17, 30, 34, 51, 31, 40 and 47. It is now manifest that, on the
first scan, al-ls chose traditions 36, 39, 49, 55 and 56. Finding himself at the end of
the collection, but desiring more traditions, he scanned the sayings again and selected
572
Al-ls, vol. 11, p. 98-99.
573
Al-ls, vol. 11, p. 98.
574
Al-ls, vol. 11, p. 98.
575
In al-Durr I have omitted from the sequence the third and fourth traditions; otherwise there are
a total of fifty-nine traditions in the section. I omitted the third tradition because it is not so much a wisdom
saying as it is an account of how Luqmn became wise. I omitted the fourth tradition because it is a replica
of the third. In any event, the present comparison is not affected by this numerical adjustment, since my
conclusion rests on the sequence of the traditions cited by al-ls. My conclusion does not depend on the
specific number I have assigned to each tradition.
175
traditions 16, 17, 30, 34 and 51. Still not satisfied, al-ls went ack over the maxims
for a third sweep now picking up traditions 31, 40 and 47.
4.7 Indirect Influence on Ibn shr

I n shr in his exegesis has on occasion noted his use of al-Suys works in
general. On one occasion he also acknowledged his perusal specifically of al-Durr.576
However, it is strange that he did not consult al-Durr for the exegesis of the verses
regarding Luqmn. He wrote that while he was composing his exegesis, he came across
thirty-eight wisdom sayings of Luqmn apart from those which are mentioned in the
Qurn.577 When he sets out to recount these thirty-eight sayings, I n shr adds that the
first twenty-eight of these were already mentioned by al-ls.578 Of course, as we have
seen above, there are only thirteen such traditions in al-lss tafsr. However, Ibn
shr may have counted not the num er of traditions he was copying, ut the num er of
separable sayings he could identify within those traditions. Even so, it seems to me that
I n shr copied from al-lss tafsr not twenty-eight, but nineteen sayings, and that
he copied another nineteen from other sources. That would bring the total number of
sayings to thirty-eight, the very num er of sayings which I n shr indicated that he
was presenting. My point here, however, is not about the specific number of traditions in
these works. I am concerned specifically with al-Suys influence on the later exegetes.
Since the traditions which I n shr copied from al-ls were in turn copied from al-
576
See his exegesis of Qurn 67: 9 where he writes of a certain tradition, I have not come across
it in what I have seen of tafsr books. Al-Suy did not mention it in the tradition-based tafsr (al-tafsr bil-mathr) either in Srat al- r or in Surat al-Mulk (I n shr, vol. 29, p. 27).
577
I n shr, vol. 21, p. 151.
578
I n shr, vol. 21, p. 169.
176
Suy, it is clear that al-Suys work was not in vain. Through his efforts to gather such
a large num er of the sayings of Luqmn, al-Suy has made an impression on al-ls,
and the latter has in turn influenced I n shr.
4.8 Summary
The Qurn repeatedly praised al-ikmah, which normally means wisdom, as a
guide to proper conduct. But, al-Shafi argued that al-ikmah in the Qurn refers to the
sunnah of Muammad which was revealed to him y God along with the Qurnic
revelation. The exegetes al- a ar and I n Kathr followed al-Shafis argument. They
both did their best to render the various occurrences of the word al-ikmah as the sunnah.
Al-Suy followed suitas long as the word al-ikmah was used in reference to
Muammad and his teaching office. Such, for example, was the case in al-Suys
exegesis of Qurn 2:129.
But when al-ikmah referred to a blessing of God that could be conferred on
individuals other than prophets, the suggestion that al-ikmah refers to the sunnah
ecomes rather strained. Such is the situation with the exegesis of Qurn 2:269. It is here
that al-Suy egins to reak new ground in Sunn tradition-based exegesis. In his
exegesis of that verse al-Suy added a wisdom saying of Luqmn to indicate the
meaning of al-ikmah as wisdom. Al-Suys lasting influence on the exegesis of Qurn
2:269 is evident from the fact that the later exegete al-ls copied that saying of
Luqmn from al-Durr.
Al-Durrs distinction vis-a-vis the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr is even
more pronounced in the discussions that followed from Qurn 3:48, 21:78, and 31:12. In
response to these verses, al-Suy supplied a list of wisdom sayings attributed to each of
177
Jesus, Solomon and Luqmn. As was seen a ove, wisdom sayings had een sidelined
from religious literature and relegated to belles-lettres. Hence it is significant that alSuy has now included these sayings in the tafsr tradition. He does not deserve sole
credit for doing so. Two earlier exegetes, al- a ris and I n Kathr, had recounted some
of the wisdom sayings of Luqmn, though not of Jesus and Solomon. But each of these
two exegetes recounted only a few such sayings in comparison with al-Suys sizea le
collection. The Sunn tafsr, that of I n Kathr, which it was al-Suys intention to
outstrip, contained only five such sayings. Moreover, I n Kathr immediately neutralizes
the effect of these sayings of Luqmn y appending ten times that num er of the sayings
of Muammad and his early followers. Here too, in I n Kathrs tafsr, it is the sunnah
that eclipses every other teaching. But al-Durr is outstanding not only for containing the
maxims of Jesus, Solomon and Luqmn in such large num ers, ut also for affording
them positions of prominence.
Al-Shawkn mentioned only one tradition depicting Luqmns wisdom. Aware
that al-Suy has worked at collecting many more of the wisdom sayings of Luqmn, alShawkn demeaned such work as a waste of time. Moreover, he characterized the
wisdom sayings as being of dubious authenticity and, in any case, of no relevance to
Muslims. To al-Shawkn, Muslims do not need to know anything more a out Luqmn
than what is mentioned in the Qurn and in the verified speeches of Muammad.
Incidentally, al-Shawkns statement on the worthlessness of Luqmns extra-Qurnic
sayings shows the boldness of al-Suy in venturing to accumulate the very sayings. In
any case, al-Suys work has influenced that of al-ls in this regard. Al-ls in his
tafsr copied thirteen of Luqmns adages from al-Suy. Su sequently, I n shr in his
178
tafsr copied these adages from al-ls. In this way, al-Suys lasting influence on the
tafsr tradition is established, and the wisdom sayings gain a strong foothold in a new
literary tradition.
179
Chapter 5
Jesus Wisdom and f Exegesis
God will teach Jesus the Scripture and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel.
Qurn 3:48
5.1 Introduction
We have seen al-Suys interest in stories in his depiction of Idrs. And we have
seen al-Suys interest in wisdom sayings in his depiction of Luqmn. We will now see
these two interests coming together in al-Suys presentation of Jesus. Al-Suy rings
together legends about Jesus portraying him as a wandering teacher of wisdom. We will
see that whereas al-Durr is in the form of a tradition-based tafsr, it incorporates f
exegesis credited to Jesus. Al-Suy depicts Jesus, in his childhood, as an esoteric
commentator. In some of these stories, the child Jesus is seen at school commenting on
the letters of the alphabet and of the basmalah, the Qurns opening formula. This
coalescence of legend, wisdom, and f exegesis is found in al-Suys tafsr of Qurn
3:48. That verse reads: He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, the Torah and the
Gospel.579 The meaning of Qurn 3:48 becomes clearer if we replace the pronouns with
nouns, justified y the context, as follows: God will teach Jesus the Scripture and
wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel.
579
Qurn 3:48, trans. M. A del Haleem, p. 38.
180
Qurn 3:48 is part of a longer passage in which the angels alert Mary to her
imminent conception of Jesus. Two verses earlier, in Qurn 3:46, the angels informed
Mary that Jesus will speak to people even from his cradle. The exegetes generally take
that as a reference to the time of Jesus nursing.580 Having established the context, I turn
now to a closer study of Qurn 3:48. In that verse, the angels apprise Mary that God will
teach Jesus al-kitb (the Scripture) and al-ikmah (wisdom), the Torah and the
Gospel.581 The entire discussion of the present chapter revolves around Qurn 3:48.
Hence it will be helpful if readers keep in mind that aspect of Qurn 3:48 which is most
relevant to the present studythe assertion that God taught Jesus the Scripture and
wisdom. I will occasionally remind readers that Qurn 3:48 is on the wisdom of Jesus.
In his commentary on Qurn 3:48, al-Suys presentation of Jesus is entirely
distinctive. Al-Suys task was to explain the assertion, in Qurn 3:48, that God taught
Jesus al-kitb (the Scripture) and al-ikmah (wisdom). The most common meaning of alkitb is the ook; and A del Haleem justifia ly renders al-kitb in Qurn 3:48 as the
Scripture. However, al- a ar, I n Kathr, and al-Suy all took al-kitb in Qurn 3:48
to mean al-kitbah (the art of writing).582 To explain the assertion that God taught Jesus
the art of writing, al-Suy presents an interesting story of Jesus attending school. As we
will see, the story proves that Jesus had already been divinely schooled. Moreover, to
explain the assertion that God taught Jesus wisdom, al-Suy recounted one hundred and
580
Qurn 19:30-33 also depicts Jesus speaking during his childhood.
581
Qurn 3:48.
582
Al- a ar, vol. 3, p. 321; I n Kathr, vol. 2, p. 709; al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, pp. 550.
181
four wisdom sayings of Jesus. Al-Suy collected these wisdom sayings of Jesus from a
wide variety of early Muslim sources.
In reference to Qurn 3:48, among the major classical exegetes only al-Suy
included the story of Jesus at school. The story begins with Mary entrusting Jesus to a
school-teacher so that he could learn the art of writing. As we will see, the story ends
when the pupil confounds his bewildered pedagogue with allegorical exegesis. AlSuys merging of f exegesis with tradition-based tafsr is a surprising development.
As Annabel Keeler asserted, mystical exegesis from about the 3rd/9th century had
separated itself from mainstream exoteric commentary.583 Similarly, Saleh has shown that
although al-Thala managed to merge mystical and mainstream exegesis, the tafsr
tradition remained hostile to f exegesis.584
Al-Suy derived his story of Jesus childhood years exclusively from Muslim
tradition.585 The story shows Jesus explicating the letters of the alphabet in a manner
similar to that which was later adopted by f Qurnic exegetes. As will be discussed
below, these exegetes often take individual letters of the Qurn as initials for select
theological vocabulary. By including the unusual story of Jesus espousing this type
exegesis, al-Suy shatters the stereotypical presentation of Jesus found in Qurnic
583
Annabel Keeler, f Hermeneutics the Quran Commentary of Rashd al-Dn Maybud

584
Saleh, Formation, p. 152, 154.
585
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, pp. 550-53; cf. Luke 2:41-52; The story intersects with Lukes
Gospel (2:41-52); and reveals interesting parallels with the Infancy Gospel of Thomas 6:14-21 and 14:1-4,
in Ronald F. Hock, The Infancy Gospels of James and Thomas (Santa Rosa: Polebridge, 1995) pp. 116-17
and 132-33. For a study of the parallels between the Gospel of Luke and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas on
the one hand, and the Qurn on the other, see Vernon K. Ro ins, Lukan and Johannine Tradition in the
Quran: A story of (and Program for) Auslegungsgeschichte and Wirkungsgeschichte, in Moving Beyond
New Testament Theology? Essays in Conversation with Heikki Raisanen, ed. Todd Penner and Caroline
Vander Stichele (Helsinki: Finnish Exegetical Society, 2005) 336-68.
182
exegeses. Moreover, al-Suy simultaneously su verts the mainstream exegetical

traditions suspicion of f exegesis. As for the stereotypical image of Jesus, Neal
Robinson has studied a representative sample of f and other genres of exegesis from
the Sunn and Sh streams. From that study, Ro inson concluded as follows: The
classical commentaries represent Jesus in a manner which is fairly constant, and it makes
little difference whether their authors are Sunns or Shs.586
As for the misgivings of the mainstream exegetical tradition about f tafsr,
Keeler stated that, after al-Ghazl, fism no longer needed to e preoccupied with
defending its right to existence.587 Yet f tafsr in general was relegated to the sidelines
of the mainstream exegetical tradition. Al-Sulams tafsr in particular had been strongly
denounced by al-Wid.588 Thus, by introducing the story showing Jesus as an esoteric
exegete, al-Suy not only challenges the stereotypical view of Jesus, ut also supports
f tafsr.
Having mastered the tools of tradition-based exegesis, al-Suy used these tools
to launch a theoretical as well as a practical defence of f exegesis.589 In terms of
theory, in his Itqn al-Suy defends esoteric commentary in general provided that two
conditions are satisfied. First, such esoteric commentary should not replace but merely
supplement tradition-based tafsr. Second, such exegesis should not involve the
586
Neal Robinson, Christ in Islam and Christianity (Albany: SUNY, 1991) p. 191.
587
Keeler, p. 6.
588
On al-Wids antagonism to the exegesis of al-Sulam see Saleh, Formation, pp. 152-53.
589
On the proponents and opponents of f exegesis see Kristin Zahra Sands, f Commentaries
on the Qurn in Classical Islam (London: Routledge, 2006) pp. 47-63.
183
recom ination of a verses letters to form new words.590 In terms of practice, in al-Durr
al-Suy uses the formal features of tradition-based exegesis to showcase esoteric
exegesis. Although the f exegetes are attuned to allegorical tafsr, they fail to highlight
Jesus role as the pioneer of such exegesis. Thus, in his presentation of Jesus as a child
explicating the alphabet, al-Suy has surpassed even the f exegetes.
Likewise in his illustration of Jesus wisdom as an adult, al-Suy supersedes
both f and tradition-based exegetes. He calmly presented one hundred and four
sayings of Jesus under the caption: A mention of snippets of wisdom from Jesus on
whom e peace.591 In this way, in his exegesis of Qurn 3:48, al-Suy shows oth his
love of legend and his penchant for wisdom sayings. At the same time, al-Suy also
makes evident his deep interest in the person of Jesus as a wandering ascetic. None of the
other tafsrs mentioned in the present study includes the wisdom sayings of Jesus with
reference to Qurn 3:48. Moreover, it is doubtful that these tafsrs mention such a large
stock of Jesus sayings at other locations.592
As for the story of Jesus espousing esoteric exegesis at school, this was mentioned
in brief in some f tafsrs at locations other than Qurn 3:48. I have examined
numerous tradition-based exegeses prior to al-Durr. Of these, I have found that only the
590
Al-Suy, al-Itqn, vols. 3-4, pp. 485-88. On p. 486 al-Suy gives an example of the
objectionable re-combination of letters which an unidentified would-be exegete is said to have attempted.
First, the exegete disregarded spaces between words. Second, he inserted new spaces as he pleased. Thus
he obtained a new string of words from the original string of letters.
591
Qurn 3:48; al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 48.
592
Jesus is mentioned by name twenty-five times in the Qurn. It would be beyond the scope of
this study to investigate in detail the numerous exegeses at each of those locations.
184
exegesis of Ibn al-Mundhir (d. 318/930) mentioned the story in connection with Qurn
3:48.593
I n A tim does not speak of Jesus at school. However, in his commentary on
the eginning of the Qurns first and second srahs (Qurn 1:1 and 2:1) I n A tim
shows Jesus explicating the alphabet.594 As for Ibn Mardawayh, both al-Suy and Ibn
Kathr in their respective exegeses of Qurn 1:1 cite his now lost work as having
contained the story, presumably at Qurn 1:1.595 However, the two tradition-based tafsrs
which came to be known as the prime examples of the genre, those of al- a ar and Ibn
Kathr, omitted the story at Qurn 3:48. Where al- a ar and I n Kathr did mention the
story, at the eginning of the Qurns first srah (Quran 1:1), they did so only to dismiss
the story.
On the other hand, al-Suy demonstrated his interest in the story in several
ways. Al-Suy shored up the authenticity of the narratives containing the story, and
increased the number of narratives and their sources. As for the story itself, al-Suy
presented expanded versions of it, and made reference to it at multiple locations in his
work. Yet at the single location, Qurn 3:48, the combination of Jesus boyhood legend
and wisdom sayings render al-Suys exegesis unique among all the other Qurn
exegeses which I have encountered.
593
Ibn al-Mundhir, Kitb Tafsr al-Qurn, ed. Sad . Muammad al-Sad (Medina: Dr alMathir, 2002) vol. 1, pp. 204-5. What survives is only a part of the original work spanning the
commentary on Qurn 2:227 to Qurn 4:92.
594
I n A tim, vol. 1, pp. 16 and 25.
595
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 38; I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 144.
185
As Walid Saleh has shown, al-Biq included many of Jesus Gospel sayings in
his exegesis of the Qurns second srah, particularly Qurn 2:87 and 2:253. It is
therefore necessary to take stock both of al-Biqs innovation and the limitations of his
work with respect to the present investigation.596 Al-Biq used Matthews Sermon on
the Mount as the main thread, interweaving verses from the other three Gospels with such
literary skill that Saleh characterized the result as an Islamic Diatessaron.597 As we will
see, the work of al-Biq provided some impetus for al-Suy to seek out the wisdom
sayings of Jesus. But at Qurn 3:48 al-Biq included neither the story a out Jesus
verbal sparring with his schoolteacher, nor the wisdom sayings of the adult Jesus.598
At Qurn 3:63, the Qurn concludes its present narrative about Jesus, and is
about to turn to another topic. It is here that al-Biq chose to include Bible selections
about Jesus. Al-Biq says that he will include ikam (wisdom sayings) of Jesus in
addition to narratives a out Jesus irth and his miracles.599 But al-Biqs Bi lical
selections do not contain many utterances of Jesus. Al-Biq begins with the birth
narratives, first summarizing Matthews version.600 Relying on Lukes Gospel, al-Biq
596
Walid Saleh, In Defense of the Bible: A Critical Edition and an Introduction to al-Biqs
Bible Treatise (Leiden: Brill, 2008) pp. 23-24; al-Biq, Nam al-durar f tansub al-yt wa-l-suwar
(Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmyah, 2006).
597
Saleh, Defense of the Bible, p. 23.
598
See al-Biq, Nam al-durar f tansub al-yt wa-l-suwar (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmyah,
2006) vol. 2, p. 90.
599
Al-Biq, vol. 2, p. 102.
600
Al-Biqs summary of Matthews Gospel reveals a variance the investigation of whose

origins would take us eyond the scope of the present study. Matthews Gospel says that Mary had
conceived before she and Joseph came together. But according to al-Biq (vol. 2, p. 102) she conceived
before they separated (yaftariq). Elsewhere, in his exegesis, however, al-Biq is certain of the virginal
conception, such as in reference to Qurn 19:18.
186
continues with Jesus presentation at the temple and returns to Matthew for the visit of
the Magi and the story of the slaughter of the innocents. Only when al-Biq recounts
Lukes account of Jesus in the temple at twelve years old do we learn of the lads
astounding wisdom.601 But here Jesus merely says to Mary and Joseph, Do you not
know that it is appropriate for me to e usy with that which elongs to my father?602
Thus al-Biq has omitted the non-canonical stories a out Jesus schooldays. This is an
understandable omission given that al-Biqs aim is to summarize the Gospel traditions.
Al-Biq then recounts the baptism and the wilderness experience of Jesus
moving through the Synoptic Gospels in their canonical order.603 He proceeds with
Lukes narrative until Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah in the synagogue at
Nazareth.604 Then al-Biq caps the Gospel harmony he has thus created with a
summation of Jesus speech in John 5:31-47. In that speech, Jesus reproves his coreligionists. He says that they rejected him despite Moses prophecies a out him, John
the Baptizers testimony about him, and the signs he himself had performed in their
midst.605 Even here, however, Jesus speech is not the type of material we have identified
as wisdom sayingsthe sort of which al-Suy has reported of Solomon and Luqmn.
The distinction will ecome more evident elow as we explore examples of Jesus
wisdom sayings in al-Durr.
601
Al-Biq, vol. 2, pp. 104-5.
602
Al-Biq, vol. 2, p. 105.
603
Al-Biq, vol. 2, p. 104.
604
Luke 4:17; al-Biq, vol. 2, p. 105.
605
Al-Biq, vol. 2, p. 106.
187
Al-Biqs appropriation of the Gospel material nevertheless influenced alSuys work. Elsewhere, al-Suy had acknowledged his use of al-Biqs exegesis.606
Here too, some influence is evident. Al-Biq said that he will be presenting the ikam of
Jesus, but he did not. Al-Suy noticed the lacuna and decided to fill it not with the
Gospel extracts which al-Biq included here or elsewhere, but with Muslim traditions.
As we have seen in the previous chapter of the present study, al-Suy placed the sayings
of Jesus under the following caption in al-Durr: A mention of snippets of the wisdom
(ikam) of Jesus on whom e peace.607 As was already seen, al-Suy derived the
wording of that caption from the caption which al- a riss placed a ove the wisdom
sayings of Luqmn.608 Al-Biq had similarly placed a caption above the Gospel
excerpts which he included in his exegesis of Qurn 2:253. Al-Biqs caption reads: A
mention of some of Jesus clear teachings (bayyint), his wisdom sayings (ikam) and his
signs (yt).609 The precise words of al-Suys caption are more congruent with those of
al- a ris than of al-Biq. But it is al-Biq who inspired al-Suy to include a large
number of wisdom sayings of Jesus in a separately captioned section of his exegesis.
In short, notwithstanding al-Biqs old innovations, al-Suys exegesis of
Qurn 3:48 (on Jesus wisdom) is distinctive due to two features. The first feature is alSuys inclusion of the story a out Jesus ver al joust with his schoolteacher. The
606
See al-Suy, al-Itqn f ulm al-Qurn, ed. Sad al-Mand (Beirut: Muassat al-Kutub alThaqfyah, n. d.) 4 vols., vol. 3, p. 288.
607
608
See above, Chapter 4. For a study of al- a riss tafsir see Bruce Fudge, Qurnic
Hermeneutics: al- abris and the craft of commentary (New York: Routledge, 2011).
609
Al-Biq, vol. 1, p. 487.
188
second feature is al-Suys inclusion of Jesus wisdom sayings. I introduce some of

these sayings below. Moreover, I will address the implications of the inclusion of such
sayings in al-Durr as an exegetical work. I turn now to al-Suys special presentation of
Jesus in terms of the story about his childhood.
5.2 The Christ Child and Allegorical Exegesis

With reference to Qurn 3:48 (on Jesus wisdom), the f tafsrs do not contain
the legend depicting the Christ Child as an esoteric exegete.610 That the f exegetes
have omitted the story will be clear from the following survey. Al-Tustar (d. 283/896)
offers no comment.611 Al-Sulam (d. 412/1021) likewise offers no comment either in his
aqiq al-tafsr or in his additions to that work.612 Al-Thala first gives a note on an
alternative reading of Qurn 3:48 before discussing its meaning.613 The word
yuallimuh (he will teach him) implying that God will teach Jesus, can also be read
nuallimuh (we will teach him).614 Citing the arguments in favour of each, al-Thala
shows that both readings have the same effect. The first reading presumes a continuation
of the speech of the angels from the preceding verse. In that case, God is referred to in the
610
For an introduction to the principal f tafsirs, see Sands, pp. 67-78.
611
See
http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=3&tTafsirNo=29&tSoraNo=3&tAyahNo=48&tDisplay=yes
&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1 accessed November 12, 2011.
612
Al-Sulam, aqiq al-tafsr (Dr al-Kutub al-Ilmyah, 2001) vol. 1, p. 100; The Minor
Qurn Commentary of Ab Abd al-Ramn Muammad b. al-usayn as-Sulam (d. 412/1021), ed.
Gerhard Bowering (Beirut: Dar El-Machreq, 1997) p. 26.
613
I include al-Thala here ecause, following Sands, I include al-Nays r (see elow); and, at
least with reference to the allegorical interpretation of the alphabet, al-Thala is more f than alNays r. On the mystical side of al-Thala s exegesis see Saleh, Formation, pp. 151-61.
614
Al-Thala , al-Kashf wa-l-bayn f tafsr al-Qurn (Beirut: Dr al-kutub al-ilmyah, 2004)

vol. 2, p. 61.
189
third person. The second reading refers back to Qurn 3:44 where God speaks in the first
person.615 In sum, on one reading God said that he will teach Jesus; and on the other
reading the angels said that God will teach Jesus. To al-Thala , the difference between
the two readings is insignificant.
As for the mention, in Qurn 3:48, that God will teach Jesus al-kitb (the
Scripture) and al-ikmah (wisdom), al-Thala adds that God will teach Jesus the art of
writing, and knowledge.616 Al-Qushayr (d. 465/1072) skips over Qurn 3:48.617
Rz ahn al-Baql (d. 606/1209) is similarly silent.618
Najm al-Dn al-Ku r (d. 618/1221) offers a com ined commentary on Qurn
3:48 and the subsequent verse, Qurn 3:49, which outlines some of Jesus miracles. He
writes that God taught Jesus without an intermediary, as he had taught dam.619 Najm alDn adds:
God equips human spirits with knowledge and wisdom and the ability to read and
write so that they may e his vicegerents on earth. As Gods vicegerent, the
human spirit is the receptor of Gods attributes, even power over creation, life,
healing, and the disclosure of divine secrets. But the lights of these attributes
become veiled from the heart of that soul which is born of the desires of
parents.620
Najm al-Dn then alludes to the elief that God extracted all human beings from
the loins of the primordial dam. According to this belief, God saw to it that all human
615
Al-Thala , al-Kashf, vol. 2, p. 61.
616
Al-Thala , al-Kashf, vol. 2, p. 61.
617
Al-Qushayr, Laif al-ishrt (Cairo: Dr al-Kti al-Ara , 1968) vol. 1, p. 256.
618
Rz ahn al-Baql, Aris al-Bayn (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub, 2008) vol. 1, pp. 150-51.
619
Najm al-Dn al-Ku r, al-Tawlt al-Najmyah (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub, 2009) vol. 2, p. 38; he
alludes to Qurn 2:31.
620
Najm al-Dn al-Ku r, vol. 2, p. 38.
190
beings committed themselves to a monotheistic faith. Then God sent them back to their
seminal state to await their eventual birth.621 Najm al-Dn continues:
But God loved Jesus too much to put him back with the rest. That seed was
eventually cast into Mary, with the result that Jesus was born without being
tainted by the darkness of desires that comes from the meeting of two parents.
Hence he was called the Spirit of God (rhullh), for he was the receptor of the
lights of the attributes from the beginning of his existence and during his
childhood. He thus spoke in the cradle and in his maturity; and he read and wrote
the Torah and the Gospel without being taught. Moreover, he created the likeness
of a irds ody from clay and healed the lind and the leper and gave life to the
dead y Gods leave.622
In that passage, Najm al-Dn recognises Jesus special spiritual status in a manner
that only the f exegetes could have done.623 Al-Suy could hardly e expected to
match such mystical exegesis. Whatever he wanted to say he was determined to say only
by means of traditions, and, as already indicated, fism remained on the periphery of the
mainstream exegetical tradition. However, whereas Najm al-Dn acknowledged Jesus
unmediated receipt of divine knowledge and wisdom, he mentioned neither the story of
Jesus schooldays nor the wisdom sayings of the adult Jesus.
Al-Qumm al-Nays r (d. 728/1327) egins his exegesis of the verse, as is his
manner, by first elucidating its exoteric aspects. Thus he explains the two readings as al-
621
For more on this elief, see the commentaries on Qurn 7:172.
622
Najm al-Dn al-Ku r, vol. 2, p. 39.
623
Ibn al-Ara gives a different explanation for Jesus powers. Jesus was orn of the water of his
mother and the breath of Gabriel which is, as are human exhalations, necessarily moist. It is the angelic
breath in Jesus that makes his miracles possible. See Ibn al-Ara , The Bezels of Wisdom, trans. R.W.J.
Austin (London: SPCK, 1980) pp. 175-76.
191
Thala has done, and as we have seen above.624 More to the object of our quest, alNays r explains that, according to Qurn 3:48, God will teach Jesus four subjects:
The first of these is al-kitb, by which al-kha (handwriting) is intended. The
second is al-ikmah (wisdom). This is so that Jesus will know the truth as it is,
and that he will know what is good for the purpose of acting accordingly. The
third is the Torah, since the search for the secrets of the divine scripture is not
possible except after one is familiar with the five sciences. The fourth is the
Gospel. In the latter are the sciences which God has revealed specifically to Jesus,
and with which God has honoured him. This is the farthest extent and the highest
degree of knowledge, of understanding, and of the grasp of realities and the
cognizance of intricacies.625
Al-Qshn (d. 730/1329) shows that God taught Jesus oth the letter and the
spirit of the Scriptures. In his commentary on Qurn 3:48, al-Qshn writes:
By way of divine instruction, God will teach Jesus the writing of the intellectual
sciences, the wisdom of the Law, and the gnosis of the divine scriptures, of the
Torah and the Gospel, that being the gnosis of the outward and inner aspects.626
Here too, Jesus is given an impressive resume. Yet none of the f exegeses,
surveyed a ove, give an account either of Jesus ver al sparring with his purported
teacher or of Jesus wisdom sayings.
Having surveyed the major early and medieval f exegeses, we turn now to alSuys account of Jesus at school. Al-Suy presents three traditions. To simplify
reference to these traditions in this and other tafsrs, I will label them as al-Suys first
to third traditions respectively. Al-Suy names I n al-Mundhir as his source for the first
tradition leading ack to the early exegete Sad . Ju ayr (d. 95/714).627 Al-Suy adds
624
Nim al-Dn al-asan b. Muammad b. usayn al-Qumm al-Nays r, Gharaib al-qurn

wa raghib al-furqn (Beirut: Dr al-kutub al-ilmyah,1996) vol. 2, pp. 158 and 164.
625
Al-Nays r, vol. 2, p. 164.
626
Al-Qshn, Tafsir Ibn Arab (Beirut: Dar Sader, 2002) vol. 1, p. 90.
627
Ibn al-Mundhir, Kitb Tafsr al-Qurn, vol. 1, pp. 204-5.
192
that his first tradition rests on an authentic (sa) isnd. I will now summarize the story
of Jesus as it is given in that tradition. When Jesus grew up (tararaa) Mary brought him
to an elementary school (kuttb) and entrusted him to the teacher. The schoolteacher told
him to say, Bismillh (in the name of God), and Jesus complied. Then the teacher
dictated, Al-Ramn (the Merciful).628 Surprisingly, the oy responded, Al-Ramn
al-Ram (the Merciful, the Compassionate).629 The teacher then prompted Jesus to say,
Ab Jd.630 But the lad, instead of following the prompt, asked his would-be instructor
if he knew the meaning of the first letter, alif, in what he just dictated. When the teacher
confessed his ignorance, Jesus explained that it stands for l Allh (Gods lessings).631
Eliciting a confession of ignorance from the tutor on the meaning of each letter one after
another, Jesus informs him that b indicates bah Allh (the magnificence of God); jm
refers to jall Allh (the splendour of God); and lm refers, again, to l Allh.632 The
teacher exclaimed, How am I to teach one who is more learned than I am? However,
628
As translated in Richard Bell, The Qurn Translated with a critical re-arrangement of the
Surahs (Edin urgh: T&T Clark, 1960) p. 1. A del Haleem translates, Lord of Mercy (see p. 3 where he
justifies this translation in note a).
629
Jesus is thus shown to be familiar with the basmalah, i.e., the formula bi-sm Allh al-ramn
al-ram (In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate) the recitation of which precedes each
Qurnic srah except the ninth. That invocation, especially in its shorter form, comprising the first two
words, is commonly uttered prior to good deeds large or small.
630
The two words used as a mnemonic, and here a pedagogic, device. These two words are
constituted mainly from the initial letters of the names of the letters of the alphabet which were once
arranged in the sequence alif, b, jm, dl, etc., corresponding to the western Semitic system. See Georges
Ifrah, The Universal History of Numbers: From Prehistory to the Invention of the Computer, trans. David
Bellos et al (New York: John Wiley, 2000) pp. 242, 244.
631
The phrase is found in Qurn 7:69 and 74. With rabb (Lord) substituted for Allh, the phrase
occurs in Qurn 53:55 and 55:13, and is repeated thirty other times in the same srah.
632
This version of the story seems confused at this point, for the next letter in the usual sequence
is h as is evident from the other versions of the narrative to follow. But both al-Suy and I n alMundhir give the present version as shown.
193
Mary pleaded with him to at least let the boy sit with the other children. Placed among
the children, Jesus seized the opportunity to inform them as to what their mothers had in
store for them at home. The report thus alludes to Qurn 3:49.633
Al-Suys second tradition is related on the authority of A Sad al-Khur,
and I n Masd, two famous companions of Muammad. The tradition contains the
added note that two companions of Muammad attributed the narrative to Muammad
himself (marfan). Al-Suy names his sources as the traditionist I n Ad (d. 365/9667) and the historian I n Askir.634 I will now summarize this tradition while omitting
some aspects of it that are already reflected in al-Suys first tradition, as seen a ove.
The unsuspecting teacher instructs Jesus to write In Gods name. But the pupil asked
for an elucidation of that invocation. Thus the instructor had to admit his incapacity.
Jesus then explained, as in the previous report, that b is the magnificence of God. It is
significant, however, that in the present report Jesus is commenting on the letters as
components of the basmalah, not simply as sym ols of the alpha et. He continues, Sn
is the resplendence of God (san Allh); mm is his kingdom (mamlakah). Having
expounded each letter of the first word, Jesus then begins to assign meanings to the other
three words of the basmalah as whole words: Allh is the God of the gods; al-Ramn is
the Merciful One of the hereafter and of this world; and al-Ram is the Compassionate
One of the hereafter. Only after providing this exegesis of the basmalah did Jesus
proceed to an elaboration of the letters of the alphabet in a manner similar to that of the
633
634
See I n Ad, al-Kmil f-l-uaf (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub, 1997) in al-Marji flash disk, vol. 1,
pp. 493-94; I n Askir, Trikh Dimashq in al-Marji, vol. 50, pp. 241ff.
194
previous narrative. Alhough he is anachronistically elucidating Arabic letters, he stops

short at twenty-two letters thus betraying a prior notion, now lost in the narrative, that the
context demands the Hebrew alphabet.635
Contrary to his custom, only at the end of that entertaining narrative does alSuy inform his readers that there is a problem with its authenticity. He now reproduces
I n Ads remark that this adth is false (bil) in terms of its isnd (chain of
transmitters). As if to compensate for this confession, al-Suy declares that his next
tradition is transmitted through another path, this one leading ack to I n A
s, the
preeminent exegete after Muammad.

Al-Suy names the sources of his third tradition as Isq . Bishr (d. 206/821)
and I n Askir.636 Al-Suys third tradition consists of two distinct parts. The first half
of the tradition depicts Jesus as an esoteric exegete; the second half depicts Muammad
also as an esoteric exegete. According to the first half of that tradition, after having
spoken in the cradle, Jesus refrained from speaking again until he grew up considerably.
Then God caused him to speak with wisdom and clarity (bi-l-ikmah wa-l-bayn). Prior
to this, however, while Jesus was still being nursed by his mother, the Jews had continued
to spread false rumours about him and his mother.637 Eventually, Jesus was weaned;
hence he began to eat and drink. When he reached the age of seven, his mother consigned
him to a tutor.
635
636
For an introduction to Ishq . Bishr and his work see Camilla Adang, Muslim Writers on
Judaism and the Hebrew Bible: From Ibn Rabban to Ibn Hazm (Leiden: Brill, 1996) p. 13.
637
The report mentions Qurn 4:157 and alludes to Qurn 19:28. Both verses indicate something
a out Marys contemporaries questioning her chastity.
195
In this anecdote, after the coach confesses ignorance, the pupil asks, How can
you teach me what you do not know? The teacher then requests a reversal of rolesnow
he wants Jesus to teach him. To make the reversal of roles complete, the child occupied
the teachers position. The man had to now sit with the children and hum ly ask Jesus for
an explanation of the letters. The hum led teacher was then amazed to hear Jesus
exposition of the alphabet, since Jesus was the first person to elucidate the alphabet in
that manner.638
In the second half of al-Suy third tradition, Muammad is now the esoteric
exegete. According to this part of the tradition, Uthmn . Affn (d. 35/655) asked the
Messenger of God for an exegesis of Ab Jd.639 Muammad responded, Know the
tafsr of Ab Jd, for it contains all of the wonders. Woe to the scholar who is ignorant of
its tafsr. Muammad then proceeded to annotate the alphabet in the manner in which
Jesus had done. However, the meanings which Muammad assigns to the letters are often
different from those assigned by Jesus.640 Surprisingly, Muammad is also content with
the exposition of only the twenty-two Semitic letters.641
Al-Suy does not append any note questioning the authenticity of his third
tradition. Thus al-Suy has introduced three traditions, ut only expressed dou t a out
638
639
Uthman would later become the third caliph.
640
The assigned meanings prove to be quite fluid from one tradition to another and from one f
tafsir to another. The only limitation is that whatever word is pegged on a letter must indicate some
meaningful theology. Otherwise, a letter can indicate almost any dictionary entry that begins with it.
Moreover, the letter in question does not need to begin the assigned word, but could be found within it. On
this basis lm could indicate either Allh or Gabrielto mention only two meanings assigned to this letter
in the literature.
641
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, pp. 553.
196
the authenticity of the second. In sum, al-Suy leaves with his readers two uncontested
traditions espousing the said allegorical exegesis of the alphabet: his first and third
traditions. Al-Suy first tradition credits the esoteric exegesis to Jesus. And, al-Suys
third tradition credits the esoteric exegesis to both Jesus and Muammad.
In this way, al-Suy has accommodated a specifically f type of exegesis in
al-Durr. This is despite the fact that al-Durr bears the formal features of tradition-based
tafsrs. In al-Suys first tradition, which al-Suy declared authentic, Jesus knew the
words of the basmalah. Yet in that narrative Jesus offered no tafsr of the basmalah.
However, it is to be noted that the second adth, which al-Suy has declared to e
false, is the only one showing Jesus explicating the basmalah. Yet all is not lost. As we
will presently see, al-Suys third adth will nevertheless be used by him and others in
the explication of the basmalah at the head of the Qurns first chapter.
A comparison of the exegeses of the basmalah at Qurn 1:1 will show that
whereas the tradition-based tafsrs excluded this type of exegesis, the f works
embraced it. Al- a ar presented, though in a summary form, the story of Jesus
explicating the basmalah.642 Al- a ar then voices his fears that this adth is the result
of an error on the part of the muaddith (the adth compiler). According to al- a ar, it
is possible that what Jesus intended to explicate are simply the letters as components of
the alphabet, but not the letters as components of the basmalah. Al- a ar adds that the
allegorical meaning thus attached to the basmalah is impossible. According to al- a ar,
such an exegesis of the basmalah would make no sense either to Arabs in general or to
642
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 63.
197
Arab linguists in particular.643 It is to be noted that the story of Jesus which al- a ar
offered here in a summarized form is the same story found in the second of al-Suys
three traditions seen above. That is the very tradition which al-Suy declared to be
inauthentic.
In his commentary on Qurn 1:1, I n Kathr likewise mentioned the said
narrative and voiced his misgivings about it. He writes: This is gharb jiddan (very
strange).644 He adds that it is possibly authentic (a) as the words of someone of lesser
authority than Muammad. In that case, I n Kathr cautions, it should not even be
considered marf (i.e. the sort of information which can be presumed to have been
derived from Muammad even if not specifically attributed to him).645 Rather, it should
be considered as being of Israelite origins. He concludes by deferring knowledge of the
matter to God, as he normally does when he does not have a decisive proof of a adths
presumed Israelite origins.646 But then, he quietly adds that Juwaybir, another narrator,
has narrated a similar story on the authority of al-ak.647 I n Kathr made no further
comment to specifically impugn this latter sanad.648 It is to be noted that this is the third
643
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 63.
644
645
I n Kathr is caught in a dilemma. Normally, the tradition school prohi its personal opinion on
matters that could only be known by divine revelation. If a companion of Muammad speaks of such
matters, the school presumes that the information was obtained from Muammad although not ostensibly
credited to him. Yet I n Kathr finds the allegorical exegesis too a horrent to credit to Muammad. His
way out of the dilemma is to now presume that an Israelite tradition has been foisted upon an unsuspecting
companion of the prophet.
646
647
On the chain from Juwaybir to al-ak see al-Suy al-Itqn, vol. 4, p. 498.
648
198
of al-Suys three traditions seen a ove. There I pointed out that the absence of any
derogatory remark on the authenticity of the tradition indicates al-Suys tacit approval
of the tradition.649 As seen above, al- a ar was tolerant of the allegorical interpretation
of the letters of the alphabet, though not when the same letters constitute the basmalah.
I n Kathr makes no such allowance here for the allegorical interpretation of letters
even when the letters are not being considered as constituents of the basmalah. I n Kathr
therefore dealt with the two chains of narrators together as though the adths they
support are similar. Yet only one of these adths spoke of the exegesis of the basmalah.
I n Kathr obviously realised that the meaning assigned to each letter of the alphabet in
such exegesis is intended to hold even when those letters combine to form the basmalah.
At this point in his exegesis of Qurn 1:1, al-Suy followed I n Kathr closely.
He thus reproduces, in the same order, the impeached tradition and its alternate chain of
transmission. He agreed that the first chain is very weak. But he said nothing a out the
authenticity of the second chain.650 I n Kathr had left his readers with two adths: the
authenticity of one is dubious; and the authenticity of the other is undeclared. Al-Suy
did not leave the matter there. When he came to explicate Qurn 3:48 (on Jesus
wisdom), he made these two traditions his second and third respectively. By this time al-
649
In his Itqn, and also in a postscript to al-Durr, al-Suy descri es the chain from Juwaybir to
al-ak as eing extremely weak (see n. 66 a ove and al-Durr, vol. 15, p. 821). See also Ibn ajar, AlUjb f bayn al-asbb ed. Fawwz Amad Zamarl (Beirut: Dar i n azm, 2002) pp. 59-60. But we will
see below that al-Suy has found another route to al-ak. What is most important here is the
impression al-Suy leaves with readers of al-Durr. Most readers are unlikely to consult his postscript.
For, there is no earlier indication of its existence, and such postscripts are not common in the exegetical
works. Moreover, within that postscript, the section addressing the authenticity of traditions is not clearly
set off from the surrounding material. Only the most determined reader will find al-Suys comments
there. Fewer readers are likely to consult his similar comments in the Itqn.
650
199
Suy had in his arsenal yet another tradition, which he placed first and declared
authentic. He placed the adth of dubious authenticity second, and declared it decisively
false.
Al-Suys now places the adth of undeclared authenticity as his third tradition.
His treatment of that tradition is interesting. By the time he came to write his commentary
on 3:48, al-Suy had found another reporter transmitting from al-ak, on whose
authority that tradition was related. More importantly, al-Suy managed to discover that
al-ak is a mere transmitter of the adth. Al-Suy found a report in which the story
of Jesus is relayed through al-ak ut on the authority of I n A s.651 Al-Suy
has thus shored up the adth by attributing it to an authority two generations earlier than
the authority to whom I n Kathr had attri uted the same adth. Al-Suy still says
nothing final about the authenticity of his third tradition, but such is the way he leaves the
vast majority of adths in his work. Al-Suys interest in this particular adth is so
strong, however, that in his exegesis of Qurn 23:50 he reproduces the first half of that
same adth. As was seen above, the first half of that adth shows Jesus elucidating the
letters of the alphabet.652 In sum, al-Suy, equipped with his first and third adths,
confidently highlights the special role of Jesus as the first person to have offered a tafsr
of the letters of the alphabet by way of allusion (ishrah).
We turn now to the f tafsrs and their treatment of the basmalah at Qurn 1:1.
Except for al-Nays r, all of the f exegetes mentioned above assign interpretations
651
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, pp. 552.
652
200
to the letters of the basmalah.653 Yet only a few of these exegetes credit the said
interpretations to Jesus. In his exegesis of the basmalah, al-Tustar wrote that the letter
b indicates the magnificence of God and the letter sn indicates the resplendence of
God. Thus al-Tustar exhi its an exegesis similar to that which we have seen attributed to
Jesus and Muammad above.654 Yet al-Tustar fails to attri ute that exegesis to either
Jesus or Muammad. Al-Sulam cites a adth showing that Muammad, though not
Jesus, explicated the first word of the basmalah by way of allusion. But al-Sulam
prefaced that attribution to Muammad with the conditional phrase, if this is correct (in
aa hdh). Thus al-Sulam expressed doubt about the authenticity of that tradition.655
Al-Qushayr attri utes the exegesis of the basmalah to neither Jesus nor Muammad.656
Rz ahn al-Baql, reproducing the adth mentioned by al-Sulam a ove, attri utes the
653
Whereas al-Nays r has not mentioned this specific type of exegesis with reference to the
basmalah, elsewhere in his exegesis he welcomes exegesis by way of allusion. For example, he writes,
The alh al-ishrah (those who interpret y way of allusion) say, The b is a lowly letter in terms of its
grapheme; yet when it is attached to the word Allh it is raised and exalted. Hence it is not difficult to see
that the heart which is attached to the presence of Allh is raised in terms of its position and importance.
See al-Nays r, vol. 1, p. 63. Al-Nays r, includes another story showing that Jesus, in his adult years,
passes by the grave of a person whose punishment, merited by sins, is waived due to the fact that the
sinners son had learnt the basmalah at school and is now still reciting it (al-Nays r, vol. 1, p. 81). But
this latter story is neither a out Jesus school days nor a out esoteric exegesis.
654
See
http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=3&tTafsirNo=29&tSoraNo=1&tAyahNo=1&tDisp
lay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1 accessed November 15, 2011. For other letters al-Tustar applies
meanings varied from those applied in the reports about Jesus. But we have already seen such variation
among the reports about Jesus. The point here is not about the specific meanings applied, but the type of
exegesis offered.
655
Al-Sulam, aqiq al-tafsr, vol. 1, p. 25. Likewise in al-Sulams minor commentary (see p.
656
Al-Qushayr, Laif al-ishrt, vol. 1, p. 256.
4).
201
exegesis to Muammad. However, Rz ahn did not express any dou t regarding the
adths authenticity.657
Only three of the above f exegeses attribute the allegorical exegesis of the
letters of the basmalah to Jesus. Al-Qshn credits such exegesis to Jesus in the most
general manner possi le without mention of Jesus words.658 This broad reference was
convenient for the exegete. Otherwise, the exegesis which al-Qshn calls on Jesus to
support here is unconnected to the meanings which Jesus saw in the lettersif we are to
judge by the traditions we have seen above. Al-Qshn writes that the b of the
basmalah indicates the First Intellect, Gods first creation, whom God addressed with this
letter.659 According to al-Qshn, God said to the First Intellect, With you (bika) I give,
with you I take, with you I reward, and with you I punish.660
Both al-Thala and Najm al-Dn al-Ku r mention al-Suys second adth in
a summary form. But neither al-Thala nor Najm al-Dn makes any reference to the
adths lack of authenticity.661 Although al-Quru often copies into his exegesis
traditions from al-Thala s tafsr, al-Quru did not reproduce the adth in question.662
In his exegesis of the basmalah, al-Quru reproduced a adth crediting the exegesis to
657
Rz ahn al-Baql, Aris al-Bayn, vol. 1, p. 15.
658
Al-Qshn vol. 1, p. 7.
659
On the First Intellect, see Majid Fakhry, A History of Islamic Philosophy, 2nd edition (New
York: Columbia University Press, 1983) p. 325.
660
Al-Qshn vol. 1, p. 7.
661
Al-Thala , al-Kashf wa-l-bayn, vol. 1, p. 23; Najm al-Dn al-Ku r, al-Tawlt alNajmyah, vol. 1, p. 63.
662
On Al-Thala s influence on al-Quru see Saleh, Formation, p. 154.
202
Muammad but not to Jesus.663 That is the same adth which would later become the
second half of al-Suys third tradition, as was seen a ove.
It is thus clear that only three of the fs tafsrs credit Jesus with the favoured
mystical exegesis of the letters of the basmalah. Moreover, those f exegetes who
credit Jesus with this sort of exegesis do so on the basis of al-Suys second adth
which has been discredited by the tradition-critics. The tradition-based tafsrs, as we have
seen, mention al-Suys second adth only to discredit it.664 I n Kathr could not
discredit al-Suys third adth, so he mentioned it quietly. Except for the work of Ibn
al-Mundhir, none of the tafsrs considered above, f or otherwise, mention al-Suys
first adth which he declared authentic. In sum, the f exegetes failed to capitalize on
al-Suys first and third traditions.
The f exegetes likewise offer esoteric exegeses in their discussion of the
disjointed letters (urf muqaat) at Qurn 2:1. Yet, again, they fail to credit Jesus as
the first interpreter of the alphabet.665 As for tradition-based interpreters, most of them
are averse to allusive exegeses of the letters of the basmalah. Yet most of them show
tolerance for such exegeses of the disjointed letters. In three such tafsrs, those of ala ar, I n A tim, and I n Kathr, we find a adth associating Jesus with the
663
Al-Quru , Tafsr al-Qurub (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub, 2000) vol. 1, p. 75.
664
It should be noted that, in reference to Qurn 19:31, al-Rz mentioned a adth bearing much
similarity to al-Suys third, though now related through al-asan. This too is attributed to Muammad.
See al-Rz, al-Tafsr al-kabr (Dr Iy al-Turth, 2001) vol. 7, p. 535. The adth is found in al-Wqid,
Fut al-Shm, in al-Marji flash disk. Muammad Abd al-Raf mentioned a shorter form of the same
adth labelling it as mursal since al-asan al-Bar, instead of naming his immediate informer, attri uted
the statement directly to Muammad. See Muammad A d al-Raf, Fay al-Qadr (Beirut: Dr al-Kutub,
1994) in al-Marji flash disk, vol. 4, p. 660.
665
Al-Nays r accepts that the disjointed letters at Qurn 1:1 represent words, and offers the
most comprehensive discussion of the various meanings, crediting one such specifically to an unnamed
f. See al-Nays r, vol. 1, pp. 131-32.
203
exposition of the alphabet.666 According to that adth, the letter alif is the key to the
name Allh; the letter lm is the key to the name al-Laf (the Su lime); and the letter
mm is the key to the name al-Majd (the Glorious One).
Al-Suys version of the same adth retains the esoteric exegesis but omits
mention of Jesus.667 Hence, on the surface, al-Suy seems to have omitted something
significant with respect to our investigation. Hence my observation of al-Suys
superlative emphasis on Jesus in the foregoing discussion appears to be slightly mitigated
here. However, a closer look at the adth in question is warranted. In the edition of ala ars tafsr which I have consulted, the editors have bracketed what they consider to
be the words of Jesus which are cited in that adth.668 The exegesis of the disjointed
letters falls outside of the brackets. In that edition, Jesus merely says, How astonishing it
is that they utter the names of God, and live on his provisions, and yet dis elieve in him.
If the editors are correct, then this statement of Jesus, which al-Suy has omitted, has no
bearing on the exegesis of the disjointed letters.
It is clear that al-Suy construed the said adth in the same way in which the
modern editors of al- a ars tafsr would later construe it. Al-Suy considered the
esoteric exegesis mentioned in that adth as being that of the narrator, al-Ra . Anas,
and not of Jesus. Of course, once the narrator has inserted Jesus a ove short saying into
666
A Ja far Muammad b. Jarr al- a ar, Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn Tafsr alabar, ed. Mamd Shkir al-irstan and Al shr (Beirut: Iya al-Turth al- Ara , 2001) vol. 1, pp.
102-103; I n A tim, Tafsir Ibn Ab tim (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob Al-Ilmiya, 2006) 7 vols., vol. 1, pp.
24-25; I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 176.
667
668
A Ja far Muammad b. Jarr al- a ar, Jmi al-bayn an tawl y al-Qurn Tafsr alabar, ed. Mamd Shkir al-irstan and Al shr (Beirut: Iya al-Turth al- Ara , 2001) vol. 1, pp.
102-103.
204
that adth, the result is that Jesus saying appears to support the narrators exegesis.
Jesus saying would then seem to mean that people are actually uttering the names of
God when they recite letters of the alphabet such as those found at Qurn 2:1.
By justifia ly removing Jesus saying from that tradition, al-Suy has thus
separated it once more from the saying of the narrator. Al-Suy thus avoided giving an
unwarranted meaning to Jesus saying. Al-Suys warrant for construing the esoteric
exegesis in that tradition to be that of al-Ra comes from another tradition which alSuy derived from the early exegete A d . umayd. Al-Suy mentioned this
tradition as well in his exegesis of Qurn 2:1.669 In this latter tradition, we find the same
esoteric exegesis of the disjointed letters which al-Ra credited to Jesus in the other
tradition above. However, in the present tradition al-Ra does not mention Jesus.
Rather, the esoteric exegesis which al-Ra mentions here is clearly his own. It is now
clear that al-Suy did not omit anything significant from the other tradition seen a ove.
Rather, by removing the mention of Jesus from that tradition, al-Suy has clarified the
tradition.
Several general conclusions are clear from the evidence amassed above. First, alSuy alone of all the foregoing tafsrs includes at Qurn 3:48 the story of Jesus at
school explicating the alphabet. The dominant nature of al-Suys three lengthy
narratives at that location serves to emphasize the significance of Jesus and his exegesis.
By way of contrast, other exegeses contain only isolated references to Jesus. Second, Ibn
al-Mundhirs first adth, which showed Jesus explicating the alphabet, was neglected for
centuries. Al-Suy reintroduced that adth into the exegetical stream and declared it
669
205
authentic. My purpose here is not to judge al-Suys valuation of the adth. My point is
that by means of this adth al-Suy obviously wanted to convince his readers of the
authenticity of the story. Third, al-Suy uilt on the strength of his third tradition. The
two prime examples of tradition-based exegeses, those of al- a ar and I n Kathr,
impugned al-Suys second adth. But I n Kathr, unable to impugn al-Suys third
adth, mentioned it without appending a comment. Meanwhile, al-Suy shored up that
third adth by finding another path of transmission. He traced the chain of authorities all
the way ack to I n A
s. Fourth, al-Suy repeated the first part of his third adth in
his exegesis of Qurn 23:50 thus highlighting Jesus again as the pioneer of the
allegorical exegesis of the alphabet.670 Fifth, whereas f exegetes thrive on such
allusive exegesis, many fail to attribute the exegesis to Jesus. Rather, some rely on the
second part of al-Suys third adth to credit the exegesis to Muammad. On the other
hand, those who do give credit to Jesus base the attribution on al-Suys second adth
which the tradition-critics easily dispense with. Al-Suy, however, himself a master of
tradition, sourced out traditions whose authenticity the critics will have difficulty
discounting. Thus he established Jesus as the pioneer esoteric exegete of the letters of the
alphabet. In sum, although al-Durr bears the appearance of a tradition-based tafsr, it
nevertheless incorporates f tafsr where such tafsr can be supported by traditions.
It remains for us to see if al-Suy managed to influence later exegetes with
regards to the story of Jesus and his esoteric exegesis. As usual, al-Shawkn is clearly
dependent on al-Suy. Yet in his exegesis of Qurn 3:48 he avoided copying the
670
A perusal of many tafsrs at Qurn 23:50 reveals that al-Suy is outstanding for his inclusion
of the said adth here as well.
206
traditions about Jesus at school.671 In his exegesis of Qurn 1:1, al-Shawkn first
impugned al-Suys second adth, then he mentioned the adth, then he berated it
some more.672 That adth is, of course, the same one which al-Suy himself had
already declared inauthentic. As for al-Suy third adth, we had seen above that Ibn
Kathr mentioned it quietly. Al-Shawkn did not mention it at all. Likewise, he fails to
mention al-Suys first adth. Al-Shawkn is clearly averse to exegesis by way of
allusion to the alphabet. His aversion to this sort of exegesis can be seen again from his
tafsr of Qurn 2:1. This explains al-Shawkns reticence in relating the two traditions
which al-Suy deemed relia le: his first and third traditions.673 Al-Shawkn omitted the
traditions that have some merit and focused on the one he could berate.
On the other hand, al-ls took al-Suys first and third traditions, interweaved
them into a single narrative, and included the combined narrative in his exegesis of
Qurn 3:48. He writes that the adths behind the combined narrative support each other
and that the account is authentic (qad a).674 Although al-ls made no reference to
al-Suy as his source for these traditions, it is nevertheless clear that al-Suy is his
source. Hence al-Suy has succeeded in convincing at least one major exegete to
approvingly cite the story of Jesus at school. Nonetheless, al-ls did not complete the
story to the point of having Jesus elucidate the alphabet. Rather, al-ls summarized the
story by merely adding that Jesus voiced in advance whatever his would-be teacher had
671
Al-Shawkn, p. 286.
672
Al-Shawkn, p. 42.
673
Al-Shawkn, p. 54.
674
Al-ls, vol. 2, p. 202.
207
in mind to teach him. Hence al-ls shows that Jesus was wise as a child. But al-ls
does not show that Jesus espoused esoteric exegesis.
Al-lss stated conclusion from the story indicates the are minimum he
intended to prove with his interweaved summary of the two traditions: This supports the
belief that Jesus knowledge was pure, and that it was divinely bestowed.675 Having
used a part of the story to prove that Jesus was the unschooled teacher of the
schoolteacher, al-ls had no interest in the rest of the story. Neither did al-ls
acknowledge the existence of the story in his exegesis of Qurn 1:1 and 2:1. In sum, alSuys influence on al-ls was limited. For, although al-ls announced his
confidence in the soundness of the two traditions, he avoided reproducing that part of the
story which shows Jesus explicating the alphabet.
5.3 The Wisdom of the Ascetic Jesus

fs have seen Jesus as a model ascetic.676 Hence, as a f, al-Suy is
genuinely interested in the figure of Christ. In one of the snippets which al-Suy
reproduces, al-asan (d. 110/728) declares that Jesus will be the leader of the ascetics
(ras al-zhidn) on the day of judgement, and that those who flee for the sake of their
religion will be gathered with Jesus on that fateful day.677 As noted by Tarif Khalidi, the
675
Al-ls, vol. 2, p. 202.
676
Neal Robinson writes that the proto-fs of the Umayyad and early Abbasid periods, more
ascetics than mystics, saw Jesus as a model wayfaring ascetic. Neal Ro inson, Christ, p. 53.
677
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 565. I n Askir, Trkh Dimashq (Beirut: Dr Iy al-Turth alAra , 2003) 80 vols., vol. 50, p. 51, in al-Marji flash disk. The significance of the early authority cited
for this recognition of Jesus is that al-asan himself was a paradigm of asceticism. See Suleiman Ali
Mourad, Early Islam between Myth and History: Al-asan al-Bar (d. 110H/728CE) and the formation of
his legacy in classical Islamic scholarship (Leiden: Brill, 2006) p. 61. Those who flee for the sake of their
religion (al-farrrn bi-dnihim) would be those who flee from oppression or choose simply to avoid
208
great f master I n Ara (d. 638/1240) regarded Jesus as the Seal of the Saints
(khtam al-awliy).678 Of course I n Ara considered himself the seal of the
Muammadan sainthood.679 But, as Andreas dSouza explained, I n Ara had declared
in his Kitb al-futht al-makkyah that there is also a universal sainthood; and Jesus is
the seal of the universal sainthood (khtam al-walyah al-mulaqah).680
Al-asans estimation of the status of Jesus is explained y the accompanying
anecdote in the same tradition. Al-asan reports that Satan once passed by Jesus while
the latter, using a stone as a pillow, was enjoying his sleep. Satan sneered at him, Did
you not say that you want nothing of the comforts of this world? What of this stone
which is a part of the world? Jesus got up, tossed the stone towards him, and said, This
is yours along with the world.681 Many of the other sayings show Jesus to be deliberately
homeless, and, moreover, that he remained single and childless.682 Several of these
traditions speak against love for the world. For example, Jesus says, The root of every
society for the sake of maintaining their faith. The reading in I n Askir is, Those who flee with their sins
(al-farrrn bi-dhunbihim).
678
Tarif Khalidi, The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature (Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press, 2001), pp. 41-42.
679
See Michel Chodkiewicz, Seal of the Saints: Prophethood and Sainthood in the Doctrine of Ibn
Arab, trans. Liadain Sherrard (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1993).
680
Andreas dSouza, Jesus in I n Ara s Fu al-ikam, in Islamochristiana 8 (1982), 185200, citing Kitb al-futht al-makkyah (no pub. no date) 4 vols., vol. 2, p. 64. See also Gerald T. Elmore,
Islamic Sainthood in the Fullness of Time: Ibn al-Arabs Book of the Fabulous Gryphon (Leiden: Brill,
1998), p. 144.
681
682
209
sin is the love of the world; and many a desire results in prolonged sorrow for the
covetous.683
It would be beyond our scope here to adumbrate the remaining sayings. The bulk
of them support ascetic themes: quietude, patience, charity, poverty, faith, remembrance
of death, and the intensity of worship. These themes are of intense interest to fs in
general and to al-Suy in particular. Jesus pronouncements on these themes and his
complete abandonment of the worlds comforts naturally position him, for fs, as the
ascetic par excellence. Such a high level of interest in Jesus and his sayings distinguishes
al-Durr not only from other tafsrs of the tradition-based genre, but also from every other
exegesis of the Qurn. I could find no other exegesis to include the sayings of Jesus in
response to Qurn 3:48; and it is unlikely that another tafsr contains a conglomerate of
such a large num er of Jesus sayings at any other singular location.
European scholars were long aware that such logia of Jesus existed in Islamic
traditions. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, such scholars set out to gather the
sayings of Jesus from diverse Muslim sources. However, had they consulted al-Durr,
they would have found therein not only a large stock of Jesus sayings ut also some
unique ones. The academic interest in collecting Jesus maxims from Muslim sources
serves to highlight the insight of al-Suy and his accomplishment in procuring these
sayings centuries earlier. In his Christ in Islam, James Robson recounts the early history
of attempts by Western scholars to gather the sayings of Jesus from Muslim works.684
David Margoliouth collected and published seventy-one such sayings from al-Ghazls
683
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 554. For variations of this tradition see pp. 555 and 558.
684
James Robson, Christ in Islam (London: John Murray, 1920).
210
Iya ulm al-dn and six sayings from other sources.685 Michael Asin y Palacios
subsequently gathered two hundred and thirty-three sayings which he translated into
Latin and published along with all but few of the original Arabic texts.686 Robson
translated the traditions found in Asins work, omitting those traditions for which Asin
did not provide the Arabic text. Robson then combined these traditions with those of
Margoliouths collection and published the result.687
More recently, Tarif Khalidi published three hundred and three sayings and
stories of Jesus in his The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature.688
Khalidi observed that Asin had gathered his collection from as many as fifty-six classical
Arabic sources.689 Khalidi made use of additional early but recently published works
which were not available to Asin. These include works of piety from as early as the
second/eighth century.690 Even though Khalidi listed I n Askirs huge History of the
City of Damascus in his bibliography, David Cook noticed that there are sayings of Jesus
685
Robson, p. 9. These sayings were published in the Expository Times (1893-4).
686
Robson, p. 9; Michael Asin y Palacios, Logia et Agrapha Domini Jesu apud Moslemicos
Scriptores, asceticos praesertim, usitata in Patrologia Orientalis vols. xiii and xix.
687
Robson, Christ in Islam, op. cit. pp. 10 and 16. The total num er of sayings in Ro sons
collection is not readily apparent. The largest num er he has assigned to a saying reproduced from Asins
collection is 225 (see Ro son, p. 61). It appears from a perusal of Ro sons references to the two works
that all the entries of Margoliouths work were also found in Asins. Moreover, Ro son has noted that he
omitted three sayings owing to considerations of space (Robson, p. 16). The work of al-Ghazl referred
to is Iya ulm al-dn (Beirut: Dr al-Fikr, 1995).
688
Tarif Khalidi, The Muslim Jesus: Sayings and Stories in Islamic Literature (Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press, 2001).
689
Khalidi, p. 4.
690
Khalidi, p. 5.
211
in that source which eluded Khalidi.691 Cook decided to gather only those sayings of
Jesus which appear to be reproductions of New Testament material. He published these in
his New Testament Citations in the adth Literature and the Question of Early Gospel
Translations into Ara ic.692 That article contains fifty-nine short sayings and another
passage exceeding three pages in length. This lengthy passage itself comprises a number
of short sayings.693 Cook obtained that lengthy passage, and many of the other sayings,
from I n Askirs History of the City of Damascus.694
The thoroughness with which al-Suy approached his task is seen from the fact
that he used not only I n Askirs History but also the early sources mentioned by
Khalidi. That al-Suy has compiled less than the num er of sayings that Khalidi
garnered is due not to al-Suys paucity of sources, ut to three other factors. First,
whereas Khalidi intended to arrive at a comprehensive collection, al-Suy obviously
intended to collect only wisdom sayingsas his caption presages. Second, having
compiled more than a hundred such sayings, this being an impressive compendium for a
Qurn commentary, al-Suy decided to return to the usiness of exegesis of the
Qurns remaining verses. Third, Khalidi included lengthy episodes some of which
691
David Cook, New Testament Citations in the adth Literature and the Question of Early
Gospel Translations into Ara ic, in The Encounter of Eastern Christianity with Early Islam, ed.
Emmanouela Grypeou et al (Leiden, Brill, 2006) 185-223, pp. 191-92; I n Askir, Trkh madnat
Dimashq (Beirut: Muassisat al-Rislah, 1994). It is clear that Khalidi gathered many of his entries from
another work of I n Askir, also listed in Khalidis i liography: I n Askir, Srat al-Sayyid al-Mas libn Askir al-Dimashq, ed. Sulaymn Al Murd (Amman: Dr al-Shurq, 1996). For the depiction of
Jesus in this work, see the article y the author just named, Suleiman A. Mourad, Jesus According to I n
Askir, in Ibn Askir and Early Islamic History, ed. James E. Lindsay (Princeton: Darwin Press, 2001)
24-43.
692
See previous note.
693
Cook, pp. 206-23.
694
I n Askir, Trkh madnat Dimashq (Beirut: Muassisat al-Rislah, 1994).
212
contain extended descriptions of the acts of Jesus. On the other hand, al-Suy omitted
those traditions which included extensive narrative content since he intended to describe
the acts of Jesus in relation to other Qurnic verses. For example, Khalidi presented a
narrative in which Mary mentions that, while she was pregnant, she used to converse with
her unborn baby if no one else was present.695 Al-Suy did not present this story in his
exegesis of Qurn 3:48, but he did so in his exegesis of Qurn 19:16. In that story, Mary
declares:
When I was alone Jesus would address me and converse with me while he was in
my womb. And when I was in the company of others I would hear him say in my
womb, Glory e to God, and, God is the greatest.696
To be sure, some of al-Suys anecdotes at Qurn 3:48 involve some actions on
the part of Jesus. But the acts of Jesus are kept to brief descriptions which often serve to
situate Jesus vis-a-vis his listeners thus rendering his sayings comprehensible. In al-Durr,
one of the longest descriptions of Jesus activity will be seen in the following narrative:
The disciples (awryn) had missed Jesus, so they went out looking for him,
and found him walking on the water. One of them said, Prophet of God, shall we
walk towards you? Jesus replied, Yes! So the disciple placed one leg on the
water and proceeded to place the other, but he began to sink. Give me your hand,
O you of little faith, said Jesus, If the child of dam had conviction the weight
of a grain or seed, she or he would have walked on water.697
In that episode, Jesus speech is relatively minimal, whereas in most other
episodes his speech is predominant.
695
Khalidi, episode 262, p. 195.
696
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 10, p. 45. Literally, sabbaa . . . wa kabbara (he declared Gods glory
and greatness).
697
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 556; Khalidi, episode 35, p. 72. Translation mine.
213
Al-Durr contains significant traditions, and variations of traditions, which Khalidi

missed. This fact serves to heighten the value of al-Suys singular achievement, since
Khalidis work represents the culmination of the research of a num er of Western
scholars. As for variations of traditions which Khalidi missed, we have seen al-asans
tradition above in which Jesus is given a specific title as Leader of the Ascetics. Khalidi
did not reproduce that part of the statement which mentions the honorary title.698 Another
important variation is found in the following tradition which, in al-Suys version,
reads:
A woman passed y Jesus and said, Blessed e the reasts that nursed you and
the wom that ore you. Jesus replied, Blessed e those who read the Book of
God and then act according to its contents.699
Khalidi was aware of this form of the saying even without consulting al-Durr. In
the introduction to his work, he noted the location of the saying in Amad b. an als
Kitb al-Zuhd (The book of renunciation).700 For the saying in his own work, however,
Khalidi pointed to episode 59. But, in the comparable portion of Khalidis episode 59,
Jesus replies: Blessed is he whom God has taught his Book and who dies without
698
Two of Khalidis traditions com ine to parallel the rest of al-asans tradition. Khalidis
tradition 55 says that those who flee with their faith will be gathered with Jesus on the Day of Judgement,
and his tradition119 recounts the story of Jesus using a stone for a pillow (see Khalidi, pp. 83 and119).
699
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 557. The saying is located in Amad b. anbal, Kitb al-Zuhd,
ed. Muammad Jall Sharaf (Beirut: Dr al-Nahah al-Ara yah, 1981) p. 164. For a variation in which
Jesus mentions the qurn instead of kitb Allh, see also Cook, p. 199; for the discussion to which the said
variation gives rise, see p. 199 nn. 34 and 35. Cook was aware of a version mentioning kitb Allh, but
chose to keep the more difficult reading in his list of sayings (p. 216, episode 48) for he considered the term
qurn to have initially meant simply Scripture before it came to refer specifically to the Muslim Scripture.
On the meaning of the word Qurn see Arthur Jeffery, The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurn (Leiden:
Brill, 2007) pp. 233-34.
700
See Khalidi, Muslim Jesus, p. 33, 230 n. 44.
214
ecoming haughty.701 Khalidis version of Jesus reply is therefore very different from
the canonical saying which, in its essence, al-Suy expressed.702 As for traditions which
al-Suy collected, yet Khalidi su sequently missed, the following example will suffice:
While Jesus was sitting with his ab (companions) a woman passed by them.
One of them looked at her. Another said to the one who looked at the woman,
You have fornicated. But Jesus asked the accuser, If you are fasting and you
pass by a grill thus smelling the meat, do you suppose that you will have thereby
roken your fast? The man replied, No.703
The provenance of this material in Muslim literature remains an open question.
Robson suggests that many came by way of Nestorian monks who secluded themselves
in Arabian deserts.704 Similarly, Khalidi has shown that some of the sayings came by way
of the desert fathers.705 In his analysis of the New Testament traces found in such
sayings, Cook o serves that much of the material closely parallels Matthews Gospel,
especially its account of Jesus Sermon on the Mount. Cook writes that, although the
entire Bible was not translated into Arabic until the A
sid period, there may have been
translations of some portions of the Bible available to Muslims before that time.706
Moreover, seeing the length of the citation he has culled from I n Askir, and the
701
Khalidi, Muslim Jesus, p. 85.
702
Cf. Luke 11:27-28.
703
704
Robson, p. 13.
705
See, for example, Khalidis episode 80, p. 96. A compara le saying is in al-Suy, al-Durr,
vol. 3, p. 576. For the sayings of the desert fathers, see Benedicta Ward, The Sayings of the Desert Fathers:
The Alphabetical Collection (Oxford: Mowbray, 1981).
706
Cook, pp. 185-86, 204. On the dating of the Arabic translation of the Bible he cites Sidney
Griffith, The Gospel in Ara ic: an Inquiry into its Appearance in the First A asid Century, in Oriens
Christianus 69 (1985) 126-67. Similarly, S.M. Zwemer had reached the conclusion that many of these
sayings are translations of some version of Matthews Sermon on the Mount. However, he argued for the
availability of such translations only from the time of al-Ghazl. See S.M. Zwemer, Jesus Christ in the
Ihya of al-Ghazali, in The Muslim World, vol. 7, Issue 2 (April 1917) 144-158, p. 151.
215
proximity of its contents to New Testament passages, Cook concludes that the material
did not depend entirely on an oral source.707 To aid further analysis of this question, Cook
urges students to be alert to the presence of other New Testament citations in classical
Muslim texts.708
Space allows here for only a brief look at some of the New Testament parallels in
al-Durr. Jesus cautions his disciples against casting pearls to pigs.709 Jesus entreats his
disciples, You are the salt of the earth; ut if salt ecomes insipid, with what could it e
salted? He similarly warns them, O salt of the earth! Do not ecome spoiled, for
whatever is spoiled is to be treated with salt. But if salt is spoiled then there is nothing to
cure it.710 Jesus issues a triple directive about charity, fasting, and prayer:
When you give charity with your right hand, hide it from your left. When you
fast, oil your hair, and anoint your lips with oil so that an onlooker will not think
that you are fasting. And when you pray, draw the blind over your door.711
Jesus cautions against trying to serve two masters, God and the world:
A servant cannot manage to deal with two lords. If he pleases one he will
displease the other, and vice-versa. Likewise one cannot manage to be a servant
of the world while working for the hereafter . . . .712
Hence Jesus instructs, Place your treasures in heaven; for the heart of a man is
with his treasure.713 Moreover, It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
707
Cook, p. 201.
708
Cook, p. 206.
709
710
711
712
713
216
needle than for a rich person to enter Paradise.714 Jesus said, Goodness is not that you
be good to those who are good to you. That is mere reciprocation. Real goodness is that
which is done to those who are ad to you.715 Jesus practiced the same precept:
Jesus passed by some people who insulted him. But he spoke well to them. Then
he passed by some people who insulted him even more. In turn, he increased the
kindness of his response. One of the disciples remonstrated, It is as if you are
encouraging them to abuse you. But Jesus replied, Every man gives what he
has.716
The following snippet demonstrates the practicality of the exhortation to turn the
other cheek. While on a journey, Jesus and one of his disciples found their path blocked
at the pass of Afq when a man there laid the childish condition that he must first slap
them before letting them pass.717 Jesus accepted the terms, was slapped, and was given
passage. But the disciple demurred. Jesus solved the stalemate by submitting his other
cheek to e slapped in lieu of his disciples cheek.718
Whatever the provenance of this material, it is evident that many of the sayings
have been reshaped by Muslim considerations and sectarian polemics. For example, Jesus
714
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 558. Qurn 7:40 uses the same metaphor to emphasize a different
teaching: that a proud rejecter of the signs of God cannot enter Paradise. That Muslims preserved that
saying in its Gospel form reflects an impressive degree of care for the tradition. For a study of the classical
exegeses on the meaning of the metaphor see Andrew Rippin, Qurn 7.40: Until the Camel Passes
Through the Eye of the Needle, in Andrew Rippin, The Qurn and its Interpretive Tradition (Aldershot:
Variorum, 2001) 108-113.
715
716
717
Afq is identified y al-Turk as a village in Syria overlooking the Jordan. See al-Suy, alDurr, vol. 3, p. 568, n. 2.
718
217
says, Not as I intend, ut as you intend, and not as I will, ut as you will.719 Al-Suy
obviously expects his readers to be familiar with the unstated context in which Jesus
addresses God.720
What is most significant for the present study is the originality and enduring
uniqueness of al-Durr due to its inclusion of these sayings attributed to Jesus. At Ibn
Taymyahs urging in his Muqaddimah, it became easy to envision what a purely
tradition-based tafsr would look like: a mere collection of traditions.721 What comes as a
surprise in al-Suys rendition of such a tafsr is not its radical adherence to that formal
feature, but its contents. Here al-Suy has used the tradition-exclusive form to
encompass traditions of a genre which had been previously absent from mainstream
tafsrs. As Khalidi explains, the rise of the adth collections meant a focus on
Muammad as the sole prophetic authority for the ela oration of Islams religious
teachings.722 In those collections Jesus role was relegated to merely an eschatological
one, a somewhat distant figure of no immediate or pragmatic moral relevance to Muslim
piety.723 Tradition-based tafsrs by definition rely on adth, and, especially by the time
of I n Kathr, on the major adth collections. Hence there was little chance that the
maxims of Jesus would be collected in a tafsr work. Khalidi mentions the genres of
719
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 569. For the appeal of this saying to Muslims, see David Pinault,
Images of Christ in Ara ic Literature in Die Welt des Islams, New Series, Bd. 27. Nr. 1/3 (1987), 103-25,
p. 104.
720
The utterance uses two words charged with Muslim theology regarding the problem of human
will and divine predestination: irdah (intention) in the first formula; and mashah (will) in the second.
721
Muqaddimah f uul al-tafsr li-bn Taymyah (Damam: Dr I n al-Jawz, 2007-8) pp. 251-54.
722
Khalidi, Muslim Jesus, pp. 25-26.
723
218
literature in which he found the sayings of Jesus scattered: works of ethics and popular
devotion, works of Adab (belles-lettres), works of fism or Muslim mysticism,
anthologies of wisdom, and histories of prophets and saints.724 Exegesis is notably
absent from that list of genres.
Even Ibn al-Mundhir, from whose work al-Suy o tained the first of his three
traditions on Jesus school experience, was of little help to al-Suy as a source for
Jesus wisdom sayings. I n al-Mundhir provided three traditions to explain the word
wisdom in his exegesis of Quran 3:48. The first tradition is ambivalent: wisdom is
either the sunnah or what was expressed y Jesus tongue.725 Ibn al-Mundhirs other
two traditions are decisive. They assert that al-ikmah is the sunnah.726 It is thus to alSuys exclusive credit that he has illustrated al-ikmah by incorporating the large stock
of Jesus wisdom sayings into his exegesis. No exegete before or after him has done so.
As E. Geoffroy writes in the Encyclopedia of Islam, the life mission which al-Suy
adoped consisted in transmitting to coming generations the Islamic cultural patrimony
efore it might disappear as a result of the carelessness of his contemporaries.727
There is, however, another dimension to al-Suys innovation. Having in view
al-Suys defense of I n al-Fri and Ibn al-Ara , Geoffroy made the general
observation that al-Suy spearheaded a clear-sighted apology for fism and its
724
725
Ibn al-Mundhir, vol. 1, p. 206.
726
Ibn al-Mundhir, vol. 1, p. 206.
727
EI2, vol. 9, p. 915.
219
masters.728 It is now clear that, in presenting the sayings of Jesus, al-Suy was using
the stock-in-trade of the traditionists to further his apology for fism. Most of the
sayings he has garnered are from the book on asceticism by Amad b. anbal who was
regarded in Baghdad as the leader of the traditionists.729
Al-Suy has thus used the work of the father of Sunnism to make the point, and
al-Durr thus serves as a reminder of the ascetic feature of early traditionalism.
Christopher Melchert has shown that, although Ibn anbal and early tradionists were
distinguished from early fs, they nevertheless embraced certain aspects of
asceticism.730 For example, they adopted a seriousness characterized by a refusal to
laugh.731 Yet the traditionists, especially Ibn anbal, were suspicious of fism, and
hostile to extreme forms of asceticism.732 But the traditions to which al-Suy has drawn
new attention show that Jesus embraced an extreme renunciation of the world and its
comforts. What is even more remarkable is that, in this matter, al-Suy surpassed the
f exegetes, since they failed to incorporate the traditions on the wisdom of the ascetic
Jesus.
728
EI2, vol. 9, p. 916.
729
Ibn anbal, Kitb al-Zuhd, op. cit. On the respect afforded Ibn anbal see Christopher
Melchert, The Piety of the adth Folk, International Journal of Middle East Studies 34 (2002), 425-39,
p. 427.
730
Melchert, p. 427.
731
Melchert, pp. 427-28.
732
Melchert, p. 431.
220
5.4 Summary
In Quran 3:42-48 the angels announce to Mary that she will conceive, and that
God will teach her son both scripture and wisdom. Most exegetes, including al-Suy,
take the Arabic word for scripture here as a verbal noun indicating that God will teach
Jesus the art of writing. However, al-Suy is unique in presenting the story of Jesus as a
child at school dumbfounding his purported teacher with his superior knowledge.
Surprisingly, the knowledge which Jesus demonstrates here is the knowledge of the
allusive exegesis of the letters of the alphabet.
Esoteric exegesis has become commonplace in f tafsrs. Yet the f exegetes
do not present the story of Jesus in response to Quran 3:48. The few f exegetes who
refer to Jesus explication of the alpha et do so in response to Quran 1:1. Moreover, in
their representation of Jesus in this regard, the f exegetes rely on traditions which the
traditionists have deemed unreliable. Al-Suy, on the other hand, appealed to Jesus as
an exponent of esoteric exegesis both at Quran 1:1 and Quran 3:48, and again at Quran
23:50. Al-Suy agreed with the traditionists criticism of the popular tradition on which
the fs have relied. But he sandwiched the impugned tradition etween two others on
which he based his tribute to Jesus. Al-Suy thus presented three traditions: he declared
the first tradition authentic; and the second tradition false. He said nothing about the
authenticity of his third tradition, but that of course is commensurate with his usual
practice of presenting traditions without comment. The impression left with his readers,
therefore, is that the third tradition is reliable, especially when seen in contrast with the
impeached second tradition.
221
Al-Suy o tained the first tradition from the now mostly lost exegesis of Ibn alMundhir. This is the only tradition-based tafsr prior to al-Durr which, in response to
Quran 3:48, presents the story of Jesus at school. Other tradition-based exegetes rejected
the story, but they justified their rejection on the basis of the tradition which, as al-Suy
agrees, is fabricated. Thus al- a ar in his exegesis of Quran 1:1 criticized what would
become al-Suys second tradition at Quran 3:48. I n Kathr added his voice to the
chorus of deniers, but was silent about another adth only the narrative chain of which
he offered in his tafsr of Quran 1:1. It is this tradition, which I n Kathr was unable to
impugn, that al-Suy would include as his third tradition at Quran 3:48 and reintroduce
at Quran 23:50. The fact that al- a ar and I n Kathr have become the paradigmatic
tradition-based tafsrs meant that their joint denial of the story carried considerable
weight. Al-Suy has thus oldly reclaimed the story that was lost to tradition-based
tafsr since the work of Ibn al-Mundhir fell into oblivion.
Al-Suy has had little success in influencing su sequent exegetes to include the
story of Jesus as a schoolboy. Al-Shawkn, who normally transcribes into his tafsr the
traditions of al-Suy, refused to reproduce the said reports about Jesus at Quran 3:48. In
his exegesis of Quran 1:1 he reemphasized the traditional denunciation of the story. He
too rejects the story by simply dismissing the tradition which al-Suy has already
discredited. Al-Shawkn was o livious to al-Suys other two traditions.
Al-ls, on the other hand, agreed that al-Suys first and third traditions were
sound. Yet he selected from those traditions only that part of the story, its mere preface,
which was sufficient to establish that Jesus was taught by God rather than man. Al-ls
has thus omitted the content of that teaching which the same traditions show to be
222
esoteric exegesis. Hence al-Suy has had limited success in influencing the subsequent
tafsr stream in this regard.
The reticence of the mainstream exegetes in following al-Suys lead, however,
should not detract from our appreciation of the boldly unique commentary he has offered
at Quran 3:48. Prior to al-Suy, those exegetes who affirmed the story of Jesus at school
relied on a disputed tradition. And those who denied the story found sufficient
justification in discrediting the same tradition. Al-Suy found a way out of this impasse.
Based on traditions he tirelessly sourced, he presented Jesus as the pioneer of the allusive
exegesis of the alphabet.
The story of Jesus at school was enough to mark al-Suys exegesis of Quran
3:48 as a unique moment in the history of tafsr. But al-Suy did not stop there. He
proceeded to illustrate the wisdom which God taught Jesus by providing one hundred and
four wisdom sayings of Jesus. These sayings represent Jesus as a wandering ascetic
sagean image uniquely respected in f circles. Yet the f tafsrs and the traditionbased tafsrs alike have omitted the sayings of Jesus in the exegesis of Quran 3:48.
Moreover, it is unlikely that any tafsr before or after al-Durr contains such a long list of
Jesus sayings anywhere. In this regard, al-Suy received no help even from I n alMundhir, for the latter explained the wisdom mentioned in Quran 3:48 as the sunnah.
Hence in his exegesis of Quran 3:48 al-Suy has com ined his interest in stories
with his interest in the wisdom sayings of Jesus as a f exegete and a wandering
ascetic. With the presentation of all this material about Jesus in the commentary on that
single verse, the presence of Jesus looms large in al-Durr. By way of contrast, references
to Jesus in other tafsrs are scattered and isolated. Since the nineteenth century, European
223
scholars have een com ing Muslim traditional works for snippets of Jesus wisdom.
Had they turned to al-Suys work as a source of Jesus sayings they would have found
therein a ready stock, for al-Suys interest in collecting these sayings preceded theirs.
Al-Suy had restricted himself to saying in his tafsr only what he could say by
means of traditions. However, given his unparalleled mastery of the tradition, he was able
to cite so many traditions and hence to say so much. Working within the limits of his selfimposed restriction, al-Suy used traditions to support esoteric exegesis after it was
shunned by the mainstream exegetical tradition.
224
Chapter 6
Political and Sectarian Exegesis

6.1 Introduction
In the present chapter I show the remarkable degree to which al-Suys exegesis
supports tendentious Muslim views on the early caliphate and the ensuing sectarian
disputes etween Shs and Sunns. In at least three ways, al-Durr stands in contrast with
the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr. First, al-Suy includes unique traditions in
favour of Al. Second, y means of traditions, as usual, al-Suy criticizes many of the
early Muslim leaders who were embroiled in civil dissensions. Finally, al-Suy takes a
particular interest in denigrating the Umayyad caliphate.
A brief historical reminder will be useful here. In the wake of Muammads
death, the early Muslims scrambled to appoint a successor.733 Sunn sources generally
express satisfaction with the course of early events.734 According to such sources, A
Bakr, whose candidacy was soon promoted, eventually received enough pledges of fealty
from those who mattered at the time; thus he became the first caliph.735 Al, the cousin
and son-in-law of Muammad, was the fourth caliph. Sh sources insist that A Bakr
733
See Wilferd Madelung, The Succession to Muammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997) p. 28.
734
Ibn Isq, The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Isqs Srat Rasl Allh, trans. A.
Guillaume, (UK: Oxford, 1955) p. 684.
735
Al- a ar, The History of alabar, vol. IX: The Last Years of the Prophet, trans. Ismail K.
Poonawala (Albany: State University Press of New York, 1990) p. 195.
225
and the next two caliphs usurped the right of Al who was not only to be the first caliph,
but is also the first in a line of imms all being from among his progeny.736
That controversy has had significant consequences for the formation and
development of Qurnic commentaries. As Goldziher has demonstrated, oth Sunns and
Shs supported their views with partisan exegeses of selected Qurnic passages.737
Moreover, as John Burton has documented, such partisan politics provided fertile ground
for the multiplication of adths credited to early authorities in defence of competing
views.738 The most contentious of such adths would be immediately recognisable as
belonging to a particular camp and hence readily dismissed by the other. But Brown has
shown that Sunns tended to accept those Sh adths which they could interpret as
falling within Sunn parameters. Thus Sunns welcome, for example, adths promoting
love for Al and his family and, more generally, the prophets family.739 Hence Sh
adths found their way into Sunn exegetical works, even those which staunchly
maintain a Sunn stance, as Saleh has shown in the case of al-Thala s tafsr.740
736
Zayds, in contradistinction to other Shs, merely elieve that Al was most deserving of
eing the first caliph; they do not hold that A Bakr usurped Als right. Jrd Zayds, on the other hand,
do assert Als right to e the first caliph. On the Zayds, and the Jrd ranch of Zayds, see Heinz Halm,
The Zaydiyya, in Shiism Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies, ed. Paul Luft and Colin Turner (London:
Routledge, 2008) vol. 1, 106-110, p. 106; and Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shii Islam The History
and Doctrines of Twelver Shiism (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985) p. 49-51.
737
Ignaz Goldziher, Schools of Koranic Commentators, Trans. Wolfgang H. Behn (Wiesbaden:

Harrassowitz Verlag, 2006) p. 167-68.
738
John Burton, An Introduction to the adth (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1994) p.
38.
739
Jonathan Brown, adth: Muammads Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (New
York: Oneworld, 2009) pp. 137-39.
740
Saleh, Formation, p. 186.
226
There is an additional reason for al-Suy, eing a f, to be interested in

exegesis that favours Al. As Brown has indicated, fs think of Al as Muammads
spiritual heir even if not his immediate temporal successor.741 Moreover, the f practice
of the investiture of the cloak (khirqah) is often defended on the assumption that Al had
similarly bestowed his cloak on al-asan al-Bar. When adth masters, including alSuys contemporary al-Sakhw, denied the immediate link etween Al and al-asan,
however, it was al-Suy who again proved that connection.742
6.2 Al as the Patron of Muslims

Al-Suys proclivity for Sh exegesis will e seen in his approach to Qurn
5:67, which reads as follows:
Messenger, proclaim everything that has been sent down to you from your Lord
if you do not, then you will not have communicated His messageand God will
protect you from people.743
In his exegesis of that verse, al-Suys first concern is to esta lish the cause of
Muammads anxiety. Addressing that concern, al-Suy presents six traditions. The
first two traditions indicate that when Muammad was anxious about delivering his
message, fearful of the response of his people, God assured him of divine protection. AlSuys third adth shows that Muammad is being warned lest he conceals even a
single verse that is revealed to him.
The fourth adth gets to the heart of the Sunn-Sh dispute: the incident at the
Ghadr (a pool or marsh) of Khumm which is situated en route from Mecca to Medina.
741
Brown, p. 189.
742
Brown, pp. 190-91; al-Suy, al-w li-l-fatw, vol. 2, pp 122-23.
743
Qurn 5:67, trans. Abdel Haleem, p. 74.
227
Shs and Sunns agree that, on his return from the pilgrimage in the year 10/623,
Muammad stopped at Ghadr Khumm where he declared Al the wal (patron) of
Muslims.744 But Shs and Sunns disagree on how to interpret the incident. Shs say
that the incident indicates Als right to succeed the prophet; Sunns say that the incident
merely proves that Muslims should love and respect Al. As Vaglieri observed, many
Sunn sources pass in silence over Muammads stop at Ghadr Khumm, or, if they
mention it, say nothing of his discourse. According to Vaglieri, the reason for this
silence is that Sunn sources hesitate to provide material for the polemic of the Shs
who used these words to support their thesis of Als right to the caliphate.745
We will presently see that, in their exegesis of Qurn 5:67, the tradition-based
exegetes al- a ar and I n Kathr have each failed to mention the story of Ghadr
Khumm. Al-Suy reaks that Sunn silence with his fourth adth asserting that Qurn
5:67 was revealed concerning Al . A Tli on the day of Ghadr Khumm.746 AlSuys fifth tradition is more astonishing. That tradition is gleaned from I n
Mardawayh, and rests on the authority of I n Masd who asserts:
During Muammads lifetime we used to read, Messenger, proclaim everything
that has been sent down to you from your Lordthat Al is the patron (mawl)
of the believersif you do not, then you will not have communicated His
messageand God will protect you from people.747
744
L. Veccia Vaglieri, Ghadr Khumm, in EI2, vol. 2, p. 993.
745
EI2, vol. 2, p. 993.
746
747
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 5, p. 383. On the attri ution of this reading to I n Masd see Arthur
Jeffery, Materials for the History of the Text of the Qurn The Old Codices (Leiden: Brill, 1937) p. 40.
My translation reflects the vocalization in al-Durr; hence that translates from anna. Jefferys text presents
the variant reading as beginning with inna, a particle which merely introduces a nominal sentence. That
particle usually has no effect on the English translation.
228
In that reported reading the words, that Al is the patron of the elievers, is
boldly inserted in the verse thus specifying what precisely Muammad was being
inspired to proclaim.748 Al-Suys sixth tradition shows that after the death of
Muammad, I n A
s affirmed that the prophet pu licized what he was commissioned
to preach; and I n A
s denied that the prophet left his family any secret document.749
The sixth tradition was obviously circulated as a rejoinder to a Sh elief that

Muammads family possessed a secret testament in Als favour. But that sixth tradition
is shown to be futile when placed in juxtaposition with the two traditions which al-Suy
presented just before it. According to al-Suys fourth and fifth traditions, Muammad
made a public declaration in favour of Al; and Muslims were reciting the equivalent of
that declaration as a part of the Qurn. Nothing could be more publicized. Hence there
remained no need for a secret document attesting to Als position; and no need to deny
the existence of such a document. Al-Suy has thus simultaneously uttressed the Sh
position and declawed a counter-Sh tradition.
Turning now to al- a ars tafsr of Qurn 5:67, we find no mention therein of
the incident at Ghadr Khumm.750 Nothing in al- a ars exegesis here draws explicit
attention to the Sh-Sunn controversy. Right from the start, al- a ar has identified the
748
This characteristically Sh reading has een catalogued in Meir M. Bar-Asher, Variant

Readings and Additions of the Imm-Shah to the Qurn, in Shiism, ed. Paul Luft et al, vol. 2, 86-113,
p. 98.
749
On the Sh elief that Muammad left Al some undeclared oral or written testament see Etan
Kohl erg, Taqiyya in Sh Theology and Religion, in Shiism, ed. Paul Luft et al, vol. 2, 235-266, pp.
243-44. Below we will encounter a tradition according to which Al keeps in the hilt of his sword a piece
of writing which he received from the prophet. However, that tradition says nothing about the caliphate and
nothing about Al.
750
See al- a ar, Tafsr, vol. 6, pp. 364-67.
229
problem which Muammad faced. Muammad was afraid of the reaction of the Jews and
Christians and all other polytheists.751 Hence God instructs Muammad to declare the
revelation even though in so doing he risks provoking his opponents. Al- a ar points out
that the verses before and after Qurn 5:67 do in fact lambaste the People of the Book.752
According to al- a ar, then, Qurn 5:67 assures Muammad that God will protect him
against his enemies while he broadcasts the unwelcome revelation.753 By introducing his
exegesis of the verse with such a summation of the verses meaning, al- a ar has set the
tone for an understanding of the traditions which he is about to present.
Al- a ar does not indicate that Qurn 5:67 was revealed concerning Al, but
gives two alternative reasons for the revelation of the verse. First, it was revealed because
a Bedouin attempted to kill Muammad.754 The verse thus gives the reason for the failure
of that assassination attempt: God is protecting Muammad. Second, the verse was
revealed because Muammad was afraid of the Quraysh; hence the verse assures him that
he is secure against them.755 Al- a ar supplies a tradition each in favour of the two
views. Al- a ar then presents four traditions related on the authority of ishah. She
attests, based on her inference from Qurn 5:67, that anyone who accuses Muammad of
concealing any part of the revelation has uttered an enormous lie.756 It is contrary to al-
751
Al- a ar, vol. 6, p. 364.
752
See Qurn 5:59-68.
753
Al- a ar, vol. 6, p. 365.
754
Al- a ar, vol. 6, p. 366.
755
Al- a ar, vol. 6, p. 366.
756
Al- a ar, vol. 6, pp. 366-67.
230
a ars usual procedure that he has offered no analysis of ishahs traditions. Those
traditions are nonetheless clearly directed against the Sh claim to covert teachings. In
sum, al- a ars treatment of Qurn 5:67 is completely devoid of any mention of Al,
and leaves no room for the verse to be interpreted in his favour.
I n Kathr expands on al- a ars tafsr by providing additional supporting
narratives. ishahs adth which says that the prophet did not fail to publicise every
verse of the Qurn now receives support from a similar tradition attributed to Al
himself, and yet another attributed to Ibn A
s. Ibn A
s adth is the same as al-
Suys sixth tradition seen a ove. According to Als adth, Al swears by God that
he possesses no revealed material other than the Qurn except for that degree of
comprehension of the Qurn which God bestows on a man, and what is contained f
hdhih al-afah (in this scroll).757 Asked what is in the scroll, Al responds, The
intellect (al-aql), freeing the captives, and that a Muslim is not to be killed in retaliation
for a non-Muslim.758 That scroll says nothing about the caliphate, and nothing
specifically in favour of Al. Moreover, I n Kathr furnishes two traditions which show
that during the ajj Muammad prompted his followers to bear witness that he did
proclaim the complete message. The multitudes of Muslims present thus publically bore
witness to Muammads faithfulness in conveying the message. In this way, I n Kathr
has expended his most determined efforts to underpin the Sunn position.
757
On the claim made in the pre-Buwayhid period that the canonical Qurn is incomplete while
other Qurnic material remain in the possession of the Sh imms, see the introduction in Etan Kohlberg
and Mohammad Al Amir-Moezzi, Revelation and Falsification: Kit al-qirt of Amad b. Muammad
al-Sayyr (Leiden: Brill, 2009) p. 24.
758
231
Like al- a ar before him, I n Kathr in his exegesis of Qurn 5:67 fails to
mention that the verse was revealed at Ghadr Khumm regarding Al. Similarly, Ibn
Kathr fails to mention the variant Qurn reading proclaiming Als status as patron of
the Muslims. Hence, by granting Al such a favourable showing in the tafsr of Qurn
5:67, al-Suy stands in sharp contrast with the tradition-based exegetes al- a ar and
I n Kathr.
We shall presently see how the exegetes who normally use al-Durr as a basis for
their own works respond to al-Suys exegesis of Qurn 5:67. Al-Shawkn egan his
exegesis of the verse by absorbing traditions from I n Kathr.759 He continues in this way
elucidating the verse one segment after another until he gets to the last segment. But,
given his Zayd ackground, it should not come as a surprise if he welcomes the
traditions which we have seen in al-Durr.760 Sure enough, after al-Shawkn had once
concluded his commentary on Qurn 5:67, he began to copy the traditions of al-Suy.
Thus in effect he began his commentary on the verse all over again. It is obvious that
after al-Shawkn had reproduced I n Kathrs commentary on the verse he remained
dissatisfied with the outcome. Al-Suys traditions provided the remedy for alShawkns dissatisfaction. Al-Shawkns shift towards Sunn traditionalism would not
759
Al-Shawkn, p. 479.
760
Al-Shawkns exegesis is often characterized as that of a Zayd. See Muammad Husayn alDhaha , al-Tafsr wa-l-mufassirn (Cairo: Matabi Dar al-Kutub al-Arabi, 1962) vol. 2, p. 285; Claude
Gilliot, Exegesis of the Qurn: Classical and Medieval, in Encyclopaedia of the Qurn, ed. Jane
McAuliffe (Leiden: Brill, 2002) vol. 2, 99-124. Al-Shawkn was orn to Zayd-Hdaw parents. He was
raised and educated in the Zayd village Hijrat Shawkn located south-east of Sanaa. He lived and died in
the same environment, not venturing out of Yemen, oddly not even for the pilgrimage, since, as he
explains, he lacked parental permission. See his autobiography in al-Shawkn, al-Badr al-li bi-masin
man bad al-qarn al-sbi (Damascus: Dr i n Kathr, 2006) pp. 768-78.
232
be compromised by the adoption of the said traditions, especially after they were already
adopted by al-Suy whose Sunn status is indu ita le.761
Al-Shawkn copied from al-Durr all of the six traditions we have seen above. He
began with al-Suys second tradition then returned to the first; then he copied the rest
in the same sequence as found in al-Durr. Hence al-Shawkn has given an airing to alSuys two pro-Al traditions: one on the occasion of revelation at Ghadr Khumm; and
another on the variant Qurn reading mentioning Al. Al-ls also included the two
pro-Al traditions while explicitly attributing them to al-Suy.762 Al-ls added that
the Shs have turned the Ghadr Khumm incident into their central argument which is
based not only on the adth in question but especially on their objectionable additions to
that adth. He then sets out to refute the Sh claim that Muammad designated Al as
his khalfah at Ghadr Khumm. Hence whereas oth al-Suy and al-Shawkn presented
the controversial traditions without adding any negative comments, al-ls absorbed the
traditions into a lengthy anti-Sh polemical discourse. While I remain disinterested in allss polemics, I will focus on the contrast etween his tafsr and that of al-Suy.
After presenting al-Suys two traditions in question, al-ls presented some
additional traditions from other sources, refuting those which he can refute. For example,
761
In his writings al-Shawkn declared himself an a solute mujtahid. There was already a line of
Zayds who had ecome more and more trusting of, and reliant on, the Sunn adth sources. Following this
line of traditionists, al-Shawkn thus freed himself of taqld (imitation). In the view of moderate Zayds, it
is acceptable, even in the presence of the ideal candidate, for a less than ideal candidate to hold the
caliphate. On that basis, they accept the legitimacy of the first three caliphs. Al-Shawkn adopted such a
moderate view, ut had to express it with caution. For, there were Hdaws, intolerant of the first three
caliphs, ever ready to criticize al-Shawkn on this account. His tafsr was completed in 1229/1814. By this
time, there was already a history of Hdaw responses to al-Shawkns Sunn leanings. See Bernard
Haykel, Revival and Reform in Islam: The Legacy of Muammad al-Shawkn (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2003) pp. 18-19, 143, 165.
762
Al-ls, Rh al-man tafsr al-Qurn al-am wa-l-sab al-mathn (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr,
n.d.) vol. 4, p. 282.
233
al-ls writes of one of these additional traditions that it is quite objectionable (munkar
jiddan).763 Another he castigates as being weak, and adds that one of its narrators is a
Sh who is to e rejected.764
Yet al-ls has not been able to reject al-Suys two traditions in question: the
one a out Ghadr Khumm and the other on the variant reading. Hence he resorts to
interpreting these traditions with an aim to counter Sh interpretations of the same. Alls maintains that the believers are awliy (friends and supporters) of each other, as
indicated by Qurn 9:71.765 Of the Ghadr Khumm adth he writes that it indicates
nothing more than the virtue of Al, and that he is the wal (friend) of the believers in the
sense in which believers are awliy of each other.766 He adds that Sunns do not reject
that appraisal of Al and, indeed, rejecting it is anathema. According to al-ls, Ibn
Masds reading of Qurn 5:67 likewise implies only that Al is a friend of the
believers.767
To conclude, we have seen a variety of approaches to the exegesis of Qurn 5:67.
Al-Suy has given an exegesis in favour of Al as the wal or mawl of Muslims. AlSuys fourth tradition regarding Ghadr Khumm, and his fifth regarding I n Masds
variant reading found no mention either in al- a ar or I n Kathr. Moreover, I n Kathr
made special efforts to gather traditions that serve to deny that Al and the rest of the
763
Al-ls, vol. 4, p. 284.
764
Al-ls, vol. 4, p. 284.
765
Al-ls, vol. 4, p. 287.
766
Al-ls, vol. 4, p. 287.
767
Al-ls, vol. 4, p. 287. In his copy of the variant reading, al-ls su stitutes wal for alSuys mawl.
234
prophets family received esoteric knowledge from Muammad. In this way, I n Kathr
kept the exegesis of the verse decidedly Sunn. Al-Suy, on the other hand, made a old
attempt to bring his fourth and fifth traditions to the foreground of Sunn exegesis.
Al-Suys efforts were not in vain, for al-Shawkn, having already finished his
sequential commentary on the various parts of the verse found it necessary to finally add
the traditions from al-Suy thus further pu licising the traditions in question. Yet, y
combining the approaches of both I n Kathr and al-Suy, al-Shawkn failed to give alSuys traditions the undivided attention they command in al-Durr. Al-ls, for his
part, has evident respect for Al, for he never refers to Al without adding the
enediction, May God maintain the no ility of his face.768 Yet al-ls has made every
effort to impugn the adths which speak of the incident at Ghadr Khumm. Una le to
impeach al-Suys fourth adth, al-ls resorted to interpreting it in an effort to
harness the adth and keep it within Sunns constraints. Al-ls used the same strategy
in dealing with the variant reading attri uted to I n Masd.769 Our purpose here is not to
assess the merits of al-lss arguments, ut merely to appreciate al-Suys unique
achievement in bringing these traditions to the foreground of Sunn exegesis.770
768
The benediction is so specific to Al in al-lss tafsr that often al-ls feels no need to
mention him by name. Al-ls often refers to Al as the imm followed by karram Allh wajhah. See,
for example, al-ls, vol. 4, p. 285.
769
Lest it appears that al-ls unduly disfavours Al, however, it is necessary to add that he
approves of the f interpretation of Al as the first spiritual caliph (see al-ls, vol. 4, p. 273).
770
Space does not permit here a similar comparison of the above tafsrs with respect to the
exegesis of Qurn 5:55; otherwise, it would be demonstrated that there too al-Suy has shown an
extraordinary interest, vis-a-vis the other exegetes, in presenting traditions in favour of Al as al-wal.
235
6.3 Al as the Guide of Muslims

When Moojan Momen in his An Introduction to Shii Islam wanted to point to an
example of a Sunn scholar supporting a Sh interpretation of Qurn 13:7, he picked on
al-Suy.771 It remains for us to see here how al-Suys commentary on the verse
compares with that of other Sunn exegetes, especially al- a ar and I n Kathr. Qurn
13:7 reads: The deniers say, If only a sign will e caused to descend upon him from his
Lord. You are only a warner; and [there is] for every people a guide.772
I have racketed the words there is in the last clause of that translation since,
literally, the verse could be understood in two ways: first, that the warner is also a guide
for every people; and, second, that the warner and the guide are two distinct entities. We
will presently see that each of these two meanings of the verse becomes the basis of
exegesis in the major tafsrs. The heart of the controversy in relation to this verse is that
whereas some Sunns are willing to identify Al as the guide mentioned in the verse,
Shs use that identification as evidence for Als claim to the caliphate.
There is no dispute among the exegetes that the warner (al-nadhr) addressed in
the verse is Muammad. However, the exegetes expend their energies in attempting to
identify a guide (hd) for every people, or the guide (al-hd) for all peoples.773 Al- a ar
lists six views.774 First, the guide is the Messenger of God. Second, the guide is God
himself who guides every people. Third, the guide is a prophet (nab). Fourth, the guide
771
Moojan Momen, An Introduction to Shii Islam The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shiism
(New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985) p. 17.
772
Translation mine.
773
The verse literally says that for every people there will be a guide (hd). The noun is indefinite.
774
Al- a ar, vol. 13, pp. 128-31.
236
is a leader (qid or imm). Fifth, the guide is Al . A li . Sixth, the guide is a

caller (d). In support of these six opinions, alabar has presented a total of twentyfive traditions. The third opinion, that the guide is a prophet, is supported by the largest
number of traditions: nine. On the other hand, al- a ar advances only one tradition in
support of the view that Al is the guide:
I n A s relates that when [Qurn 13:7] was revealed the prophet placed his
hand on his own chest and said, I am the warner, and there is a guide for every
people. He pointed with his hand towards Als shoulder and said, You are the
guide, Al. Through you the guided ones will e guided after me.775
This is an intriguing tradition. Though it stops short of affording Al the title
caliph, it indicates that Muslims will e guided y Al after Muammads demise. In
his summary, however, al- a ar completely ignores that adth and the view it implies:
that Al is the guide of every people. Al- a ar now reduces his list of possible guides to
four. At first glance, he thus appears to have also discarded here the view that the guide is
the Messenger of God, and therefore Muammad. However, al- a ar retains the view
that the guide is one of Gods prophets.776 Since Muammad is a prophet, al- a ar
implies that Muammad is also a guide, at least for his ummah. Al- a ar reminds his
readers that he had already explained the meaning of the guidance (al-hidya). The
guide (al-hd), he now adds, is the imm who leads the people and who is to be
followed. Since this is the meaning of guidance, al- a ar argues, the guide could be any
or all of the following. First, God is the guide who guides his creation; his creation
775
Al- a ar, vol. 13, pp. 130.
776
In the traditional Muslim view, every messenger of God is necessarily also a prophet of God,
but not vice-versa. See Uri Ru in, The Qurnic Idea of Prophets and Prophethood, in Uri Ru in,
Muammad: the Prophet and Arabia (Surrey, UK: Ashgate, 2001) II, pp. 1-2.
237
follows his guidance and likewise follows his commands and his prohibitions. Second,
the prophet of God is a guide; the prophets community follows his example. Third, the
guide could be one of the imms (imm min al-aimmah) whose example is followed and
whose companions follow his method and his path. Fourth, the guide could be one of the
callers (d min al-dut) towards either good or evil.
Since the caller is in the same list with God himself and Gods prophet, we might
expect al- a ar to mean that the caller in question calls towards good and away from
evil. But in his systematic manner he wants to first outline the linguistic implications of
the text. Having laid out his premise, he continues to reach for a logical conclusion. Since
the guide could be all of the above, al- a ar argues, there is no better way to speak of
the guide than in the general manner in which God himself said it. Muammad is the
warner to whom the warning was sent, and every people has a guide who guides them;
they follow him and imitate his example. For al- a ar, then, the guide does not have to
have a specific identity. In fact, given the literal meaning of the verse, the guide could
even be one who guides towards evil. Al- a ar concludes by saying that the guide could
be any or all of these: God, a prophet of God, an imm; or a caller either to good or evil.
Nowhere does Al appear y name in the summary list of possi le guides. By the
same token, al- a ar did not mention Muammad specifically as a candidate for the post
of guide in the final analysis. Nor did al- a ar exclude Muammad. Muammads
inclusion is implicit, under the category of prophets, in al- a ars conclusion. Therefore
al- a ar loses nothing by not mentioning Muammad in the conclusion, especially since
there is no dispute among Muslims that Muammad is a guide for his ummah. Similarly,
there is nothing in al- a ars summary to deny that Al is an imm or, at least, a caller
238
towards good and hence also a guide for Muslims. Yet the stark reality is that after he had
introduced Al in the body of his discussion, al- a ar dropped him in the final analysis.
Now al- a ar says nothing specifically about whether or not Al is a guide for Muslims
after Muammads demise. In sum, al- a ar has not indicated what is to be done with
the tradition he mentioned. Something is lost by the non-mention of Al in al- a ars
final analysis. For, if Al was singled out as the guide for Muammads ummah then
Shs could use that fact as evidence in their argument for Als caliphate.
I n Kathr presents the complete range of opinions which we have encountered in
al- a ars tafsr. Hence I n Kathr knows of the adth about Al; but after citing it he
remarks that the adth is extremely objectionable.777 Even so, he adds another report on
the authority of Al himself who said that the guide is a man of Ban Hshim. Since oth
Al and Muammad are among the Ban Hshim Als saying is am ivalent. Moreover,
given Als saying, the guide could e any man of an entire clan. But that adth also
contains the appended comment from a certain Junayd: He is Al . A li .778 Ibn
Kathr cites that tradition from I n A tim. Meanwhile, I n A tim had added to
that adth a note saying that something similar (nawa dhlik) was reported through
one line of transmission from I n A s and another lesser authority.779 It is not clear
what something similar refers to, whether to the statement of Al or Junayd or both. Ibn
Kathr copies the note from I n A tim as it is, thus maintaining the am iguity. In
sum, I n Kathr has rejected the adth in which the prophet singled out Al as the guide,
777
778
I n Kathrs source, I n A tim, names the said person as I n al-Junayd. See I n A

tim, Tafsr Ibn Ab tim (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob Al-Ilmiya, 2006) vol. 6, p. 13.
779
I n A tim, Tafsr, vol. 6, p. 13; I n Kathr, vol. 4, p. 1878.
239
and has replaced it with a saying of Al that the guide is Hshim. In I n Kathrs
exegesis it was the unidentifia le Junayd who singled out Al as the man of all the men
of the prophets clan. The overall effect is that I n Kathr made the claim of Al appear
weaker than it did in al- a ars tafsr.
Al-Suy in al-Durr does not shy away from the Sh claim. Al-Durr contains
traditions supporting five of the six opinions we had learnt from al- a ar. As usual, alDurr lacks al- a ars analysis, or any analysis.780 Absent here is the view that the guide
is a leader. What is noteworthy is that al-Suy neither circumvents the adth a out Al
in the manner of al- a ar nor casts dou t upon it in the manner of I n Kathr. We have
seen that out of the twenty-five traditions which al- a ar presented he afforded only one
in favour of Al as guide. In sharp contrast, five of al-Suys fourteen traditions here
support the said view. Thus it turns out that, whereas al-Suy allowed for five views, the
one he supported with the largest number of traditions is the view that Al is the guide.
Al-Suy has not only increased the num er of traditions. He has also increased
the number of authorities behind two of the traditions he mentions. The first of alSuys five traditions is the same tradition I have cited a ove from al- a ar wherein
Muammad points to Als shoulder. As an o vious rejoinder to Ibn Kathrs denial of
the authenticity of that tradition, al-Suy now names five additional sources for it. In alSuys second tradition Muammad simply says, I am the warner and Al is the
guide. In al-Suys third tradition, a Companion reports that he heard the prophet
identifying himself as the warner in the manner already seen in the first tradition. But
now, instead of pointing towards Als shoulder, the prophet placed his hand on the chest
780
240
of Al, saying, There is a guide for every people. Al-Suys fourth tradition is
reported from Ibn A
s who relates that the prophet said, I am the warner; and the
guide is Al . A li . This is essentially the same statement Muammad made in

al-Suys second tradition a ove.
Al-Suy lists several known traditionists as sources for his fifth tradition: Ibn
A tim; al-Ta arn; Ibn Mardawayh; I n Askir; A dullh . Amad b. anbal;
and al-kim. Al-Suy notes that al-kim considered the tradition sa (authentic).
In this tradition, Al . A li says, The Messenger of God is the warner; and I am
the guide. But, according to another wording of that statement, as reported in the same
tradition, Al said: The guide is a man from Ban Hshim, meaning Al himself.781
The last part of that tradition is the one favourably presented by I n Kathr. But it is
interesting to observe what al-Suy has done with it. Al-Suy did not leave the matter
to rest with Als vague reference to a Hshim which someone else has to specify as
Al himself. Rather, he has combed additional sources to find and present a variation of
the tradition in which Al himself made the positive identification.
In short, al-Suy has outstripped al- a ar and I n Kathr in emphasising the
view that Al is the guide of Muslims. Al- a ar mentioned one adth in favour of that
view but subsequently ignored the view and its supporting adth. I n Kathr disparaged
that adth, but added another which speaks of the guide being, am iguously, a Hshim.
Al-Suy, on the other hand, took the trou le to shore up the tradition which al- a ar
disregarded and I n Kathr discounted. As for the vague tradition, al-Suy found a
variation of it that makes the identification of Al specific. Finally, al-Suy
781
241
supplemented these two traditions with three others resulting in a total of five traditions
in support of Al as the guide. Thus al-Suy, a Sunn exegete, exhi its a remarka le
level of interest in Al. It is now clear why Momen pointed to al-Suy as an example of
a Sunn exegete who supports a Sh interpretation of Qurn 13:7.
Despite his Zayd ackground, al-Shawkn did not present a single tradition
identifying Al as the guide mentioned in Qurn 13:7. Al-Shawkn writes that the
guide is a caller and, more specifically, a prophet. To al-Shawkn, the last part of that
verse means that every people had a prophet. The only tradition al-Shawkn presents
here is one that identifies Muammad as the guide. Then he adds a possible alternative
view that God himself is the guide, since the prophets can only warn people but cannot
ultimately cause them to be guided.782 In short, al-Shawkn says nothing here in favour
of Al.
As for al-ls, in his exegesis of Qurn 13:7, he allows for the full range of
Sunn exegetical opinions we have encountered a oveexcept for the opinion that Al is
the guide. He writes that the Shs say that Al is the guide on the basis of certain
traditions. Al-ls now presents two such traditions. It turns out that these are alSuys first and last adths, the ones for which al-Suy had pointed to multiple
sources. It is clear that al-ls has copied the adths, together with the mention of their
multiple sources, from al-Suy. Al-ls indicates his specific contention with the
Shs: they infer from these traditions that Al was to be the immediate successor to
Muammad.783 Al-ls then offers a short as well as a long response to that claim. His
782
Al-Shawkn, p. 879.
783
Al-ls, vol. 8, pp. 154-55.
242
short response includes two arguments: first, Sunns do not grant that the said traditions
are authentic; and second, there is nothing in the verse itself to indicate a specific guide.
As we have seen above, al-Suy noted that his last tradition was judged y al-kim to
be authentic. Al-ls also reproduced that note on the authenticity of the tradition. But
he clarifies that, according to adth specialists, al-kims judgement is not worth
considering.784
In his longer response, al-ls grants, for the sake of argument, that the traditions
which point to Al as the guide are authentic. Al-ls then sets out to show that those
traditions do not mean anything more than what Sunns already elieve. According to alls, one can be a guide without being a caliph. Therefore, those traditions indicate only
that Al was a guide; not that Al was to be Muammads immediate successor. Alls then adds a facetious argument. He argues that, according to Sunn tradition, Al
approved of, and willingly pledged allegiance to, the first three caliphs. Since Shs insist
that Al was the guide, they should follow his example in accepting the validity of those
caliphs. Finally, al-ls points out that the traditions do not present Al as the only
guide; hence the traditions allow for the first three caliphs to be guides besides, or before,
Al.785
In sum, al-Suys old traditions in favour of Al as the guide mentioned in
Qurn 13:7 have been accepted by neither al-Shawkn nor al-ls. Al-Shawkn was
silent on those traditions. Al-ls denied their authenticity, their applicability to the
784
Al-ls, vol. 8, p. 155.
785
Al-ls, vol. 8, p. 155.
243
verse, and their sufficiency as evidence for the immediacy of Als caliphate. Yet in alDurr, a Sunn source, these traditions remain old and uncontested. Shs could now
point to these traditions in al-Durr as evidence for their sectarian exegesis of the verse.
6.4 The Seven Civil Wars

Thus I have shown al-Suys penchant for traditions favouring Al, and his bold
representation of Al as both al-wal and al-hd. I turn now to demonstrate al-Suys
distaste for the Umayyad caliphs and for the civil wars that engrossed the early Muslims.
Al-Suy, alone of all the major classical exegetes, includes a adth warning against the
seven fitnahs (civil wars).786
A short historical excursus will render the adths reference to seven fitnahs
more readily understandable. The third caliph Uthman was assassinated in the year
35/656.787 Al subsequently left Medina for Kufa where his supporters declared him
caliph. In the year 36/656, Muammads wife ishah, daughter of A Bakr, marched
against Al in what came to be called the Battle of the Camel.788 ishah was joined by
her sisters hus and al-Zubayr, and alah. But ishahs party was defeated. alah
and al-Zubayr died in the battle. However, Als victory did not restore quietude in the
region. A ove the northern frontier, Muwiyah, the son of A Sufyn . arb b.
786
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 12, pp. 238-39. The word fitnah has meanings ranging from temptation
to civil strife. Various meanings fit different contexts. In some contexts the precise meaning of fitnah
remains unclear. I will therefore retain the Arabic word.
787
On this early history see Patricia Crone, Gods Rule Government and Islam (New York:
Columbia University Press, 2004) pp. 19-24.
788
It was called the Battle of the Camel either because the fiercest battles were fought around the
camel which ishah rode, or ecause, su sequent to her defeat, she was sent riding her camel safely ack
to Medina.
244
Umayyah, had een governor since the era of Umar, the second caliph. Muwiyah now
ventured a claim to the caliphate, and, in the year 37/657, his forces met Als in the
Battle of iffn. After heavy losses on oth sides, and an attempt at ar itration, the attle
was laid to rest. But the caliphate was cleft: Al reigned in Iraq; Muwiyah reigned in
Syria. After Als death, his son al-asan was proclaimed caliph at Kufa. Within a few
months of his reign, however, he retired from active politics following the stipulations of
a peaceful settlement he reached with Muwiyah. When Muwiyah died, in the year
60/680, he was succeeded by his son Yazd under whose auspices Muammads younger
grandson al-usayn was slaughtered at Kar al. Hence has egun the Umayyad line of
caliphs who would reign until they are overthrown by the A
sids in the year 133/750.
Meanwhile A dullh, the son of al-Zubayr, having spurned Yazds rule, had to flee
Medina for his safety. He took refuge in the sanctuary of Mecca where, eventually, he
proclaimed himself caliph after Yazds premature demise in the year 64/683.
With that historical picture before us, we turn now to the details of al-Suys
adth on the seven fitnahs. I could find this adth in no other tafsr whether Sunn,
Sh, or f. Al-Suy cites the adth from al-kim, adding that the latter had
declared it authentic (a). The adth is related on the authority of I n Masd who
quotes Muammad as warning of a fitnah coming from Medina; another at Mecca; one
each approaching from Yemen, Damascus, the East, and the West (al-Maghrib); and yet
another from the navel (ban) of Syria.789 Muammad offers no details about these fitnahs
789
The fitnah at Mecca is precisely said to e at Mecca whereas the others come from the
direction (min qibal) of the locations indicated. The reason for Meccas fitnah to be described as being
local will become clear below.
245
except to specify that the one from the navel of Syria will e the Sufyn fitnah.790
Therefore it is clear that a descendant of A Sufyn will e the perpetrator of that
fitnah.791 I n Masd adds that the first of these fitnahs will be witnessed by some of his
listeners; and that there will be Muslims still in existence to witness the last fitnah. One
of the tradents, the otherwise unknown al-Wald . Ayysh, adds more specific
information:
The fitnah of Medina was on the part of (min qibal) alah and al-Zubayr; that of
Mecca was the fitnah of Ibn al-Zubayr; the fitnah of Damascus was on the part of
the Banu Umayyah (the Umayyads); and the fitnah of the East is on the part of
these people.792
The narrator, al-Walid . Ayysh, did not specify the people referred to as the
perpetrators of the fitnah from the East.793 It is most likely a reference to the A
sids
who moved the caliphate eastward from Damascus to Baghdad. Kufa is notably absent
790
The epithet al-Sufyn is a relative adjective derived from the name A Sufyn, and hence
refers to one of his descendants. As we will see below, the epithet refers particularly to an eschatological
warrior whose army, marching against a man in Mecca, will be swallowed up in an earthquake. In some
traditions, the unnamed man at Mecca appears to be A dullh b. Zubayr; in other traditions, the man is the
futuristic Mahd.
791
The particular descendant of A Sufyn who fits the prophecy remains unsettled. Over time,
the prophecy has evolved, and the traditions expressing the prophecy have been modified. At least two
persons have een given the epithet al-Sufyn: A Muammad al-Sufyn who rose against the
A sids in 133/751; and A al-Amayar who did likewise in 195/811. See Wilferd Madelung, alSufyn, in EI2, vol. XII, p. 754. A modification of the prophecy even speaks of there eing two Sufyns.
See Madelung, The Sufyn etween Tradition and History, in Studia Islamica, No. 63 (1986), pp. 5-48,
p. 24.
792
793
It is not easy to situate al-Walid . Ayysh historically and hence to determine which fitnah he
witnessed. But the early A sid era is clear from the following lines of enquiry. Al-Suy cites the
tradition from al-kim al-Nays rs al-Mustadrak al al-aayn, vol. 4, p. 515. In that source, alWalid . Ayysh is identified as the rother of A Bakr . Ayysh. According to al-Safad, al-Wf bi-lwafayt, in al-Marji, A Bakr . Ayysh died in the same year as the caliph Hrn al-Rashd (d.
193/808). The isnd provided by al-kim places al-Wald . Ayysh two generations after Alqamah (d.
62/681) and two generations efore Nuaym . ammd (d. 227/842). Meanwhile, the son of Ayysh
whom Madelung identified as eing in the chain of narrators of traditions dealing with the Sufyn is
Isml . Ayysh (d. 181-2/797/8). See Wilferd Madelung, The Sufyn, p. 17.
246
from the list of fitnah-producing locations. Al is spared blame, but the other major
agents of the early dissensions are all culpable. Al-Suys inclusion of this adth not
only betrays his affinity with Al, but also his intense interest in early Muslim
internecine feuds. Given the genealogical nature of Qurn exegesis, it is to be expected
that such a piece of information, once introduced into the tafsr stream, would flow into
subsequent works.794 Yet no exegete other than al-Suy was willing to parade a adth
that so boldly names names. Even those exegetes who normally copy al-Durr avoided
copying this adth. Hence al-Durr remains remarkably unique for its biting political
commentary.
Qurn 34:51 is the verse to which al-Suy appends the adth on the seven
fitnahs.795 At this location in his exegesis al-Suy also includes a large num er of other
traditions containing predictions of, and commentary on, the early political dissensions
among Muslims. Some of these traditions are echoed in other tafsrs, but with limitations
which we are about to observe. Judging from formal features, it appears at first glance
that al- a ar included three adths on the Sufyn. On closer inspection of the contents
of those adths, however, it is evident that al- a ar has, in effect, presented only one
adth and two notes on the authenticity of that adth. In the adth, Muammad speaks
of a fitnah that will exist between the people of the East and al-Maghrib. While the two
sides are embroiled in their strife, the Sufyn will descend upon Damascus.796 Then he
will send off two armies: one to the East, and the other to Medina. The first will go as far
794
On the genealogical nature of Qurn exegesis, see Saleh, Formation, pp. 11, 14-15.
795
We will consider the contents of this verse below.
796
I follow Madelung in referring to al-Sufyn as the Sufyn. See a ove, note 791.
247
as Babylon, killing more than three thousand persons, and ripping open more than a
hundred women. Significantly, they will also slaughter three hundred A
sid leaders.
Then they will descend on Kufa destroying everything around it. Then they will go up to
Syria, but the army carrying the flag of guidance from Kufa will catch up to them and
decimate them. Meanwhile, the Sufyns other army will plunder Medina and then head
down to Mecca. But while they are on open ground, God will send Gabriel with the
mandate to crush them. Gabriel will thus stamp them with a single step, and God will
cause the earth to swallow them. According to that adth, the above prophecies explain
the verse in question: If you could only see when they will e terrified, for there will e
no escape (Qurn 34:51). None will be spared but two men whose purpose is to inform
others of that dreadful event.797
According to the first part of the isnd which al- a ar provides for the above
adth, Sufyn (al-Thawr) . Sad informed Rawwd . al-Jarr who informed his son
Im who informed al- a ar.798 However, mockery is made of that isnd in the first
note which al- a ar appended to that adth. According to that note, a certain
Muammad b. Khalaf al-Asqaln asks Rawwd: Did you hear it from al-Thawr?
Rawwd said, No. Muammad pressed on, So, you read it to him? Rawwd again
answered in the negative. Muammad persists, So, it was read to him in your presence?
Rawwd denied even that. Asked to clarify how the adth gains circulation in his name,
Rawwd explains: Some people came to me saying that they have a wonderful adth
which they would like to read for me to hear. I agreed. Then they went about circulating
797
Al- a ar, vol. 22, pp. 127-28.
798
Al- a ar, vol. 22, pp. 127.
248
the adth on my authority.799 Nonetheless, from al- a ars second note, it is evident
that Muammad b. Khalaf continued to search for a dependable isnd for that adth. He
informs al- a ar that he heard the adth through another oral and one written chain
leading back to al-Thawr.800 Hence the adth was ridiculed by the first note but
esteemed by the second note. Nonetheless, al- a ar in his final analysis completely
ignores the adth and the related prediction a out the Sufyn.801
However, disregarding the adth is not the same as disparaging it. I n Kathr
would later express his shock that al- a ar failed to decisively dismiss the adth which
predicts that an army will sink in the earth during the A
sid era.802 He writes that al-
a ars adth is completely false (maw bi-l-kullyah). Expressing his disappointment

with al- a ars silence on the spuriousness of the tradition, I n Kathr writes: This is
really strange behaviour on his part (wa hdh ajb ghrb minhu).803 In sum, Ibn
Kathr did not subscribe to the politicizing of Qurn 34:51. For al-Suy, however, the
gauntlet had been dropped: Al-Suy could not let I n Kathrs challenge to the adth
pass. He had to now display the full arsenal of adths on the subject.
Evidently, al-Suy has gone out of his way to overawe his readers with a large
stock of traditions on the Sufyn. After offering a number of adths dealing with other
interpretations of Qurn 34:51, al-Suy defended the political interpretation of that
799
Al- a ar, vol. 22, pp. 128.
800
Al- a ar, vol. 22, pp. 128.
801
Al- a ar, vol. 22, pp. 129.
802
803
249
verse with another eighteen adths. Of these eighteen adths, the last one is the same as
al- a ars adth on the Sufyn. Al-Suys seventeenth adth is the one dealing with
the seven fitnahs as seen above. In the course of presenting these adths al-Suy cites
the adth collections of Ahmad, I n A Shay ah, al-Bukhr, and Muslim. Al-Suy
cites the exegetes A d . umayd, I n A tim, I n al-Mundhir, and Ibn Mardawayh.
Al-Suy appeals to early authorities among the companions of the prophet: Hudhayfah
b. al-Yamn, A Hurayrah, and Ibn A
s. Morever, al-Suy appeals to some of
Muammads wives: Umm Salmah, afyah, afah, and ishah. By mentioning such
a conglomeration of authorities supporting the group of traditions, al-Suys purpose is
o viously to respond to I n Kathr who deprecated the authenticity of al- a ars
tradition.
The authenticity of the individual traditions within the group is another matter.
Madelung has argued that adths on the Sufyn evolved through several stages which
are no longer simple to demarcate, but can only be described in broad outlines. Some
adths initially showed that Ibn al-Zubayr was receiving pledges of allegiance in Mecca,
while Yazd was mustering an army against him. Under these circumstances, adths
were put into circulation by Ibn al-Zubayr and his supporters presaging the ill fate of
Yazds army. Such adths were put into circulation with a twofold aim: to boost the
morale of Ibn al-Zu ayrs supporters; and to discourage anyone from joining Yazds
army. But when no such army perished in the desert, those adths received gradual
modifications serving to place the predicted conflict further and further into the future.804
804
Wilferd Madelung, A d Allh . al-Zu ayr and the Mahd, in Journal of Near Eastern
Studies, vol. 40 no. 4 (1981), pp. 291-305, p. 293.
250
Al-Suys adths contain a range of statements conforming to the broad

outlines given by Madelung. In what follows I will number the adths from one to
eighteen and refer to them within parentheses. A dullh . al-Zubayr and his supporters
in Mecca put into circulation adths about the quake to discourage others from joining
Yazds army. In this vein, some of al-Suys adths depict a man seeking sanctuary in
the sacred city (8 and 11). To add to their abomination, the army is not marching only
against the man, but against Mecca (18); the army is aiming at the very house of God (9,
10, and 14). It is the Sufyn who sends an army against that man (1, 16, 17, and 18). The
Sufyns maternal uncles are of the Ban Kal (12). To Madelung, this is a further
identifier of Yazd.805 The army will come from Syria (12), from the depths of Damascus
(16). Not all members of the army have the same intention. Indeed, some are forced to
join. They will all suffer in this world, but on Judgement Day each man will be
resurrected according to what he had intended (8, 9, 10, and 11). Hence those who joined
Yazds army, for whatever reason, are forewarned of eing punished, at least in the
imminent earthquake.
However, no such earthquake occurred. The army first marched to Medina, then
south towards Mecca, but abandoned their mission upon receiving news of Yazds
untimely death.806 In the light of this historical outcome, the prophecy had to be modified
so as to push the prophesied events into the future. adths now in circulation depict the
man in Mecca as the futuristic Mahd. Yet al-Suys adths hesitate to explicitly
805
Madelung, The Sufyn, p. 10. Yazds mother Maysn was a sister of the Kal leader I n
Badal. See G.R. Hawting, Yazd . Muwiya, in EI2, vol. 11, p. 309.
806
According to some reports, Yazd was less than forty years old at the time of his death in
64/683. See Hawting, Yazd . Muwiya, p. 309.
251
identify that figure as the Mahd. According to two of al-Suys adths, allegiance will
be pledged to the unidentified man between the kabahs corner stone and the station of
Abraham (12 and15). The hordes of Iraq and the abdl (spiritual savants) of Syria will
flock to him (12).807 And the inhabitants of heaven and earth will be pleased with him
(15). However, in al-Suys sixteenth adth, Muammad specifically says of the man
at Mecca, He will e a man of my house (rajulun min ahli bayt).808 That is definitely
not a description of A dullh, the son of al-Zubayr. We will see below that al-ls
takes this tradition as a reference to the Mahd to appear at the end of the ages.
Whereas al-Suys sixteenth adth turns attention away from Ibn al-Zubayr, the
seventeenth adth, on the seven fitnahs, specifically identifies Ibn al-Zubayr as the fitnah
at Mecca. Moreover, that adth, implicates many of the major political figures in the
early part of the ummah including alah, al-Zu ayr, and the Ban Umayyah. With that
adth, al-Suy, has oldly situated the said conflicts among the early Muslims, and has
thus betrayed his passion for the political interpretation of Qurn 34:51.
In sum, other tafsrs that do mention the Sufyn tend to mention no more than a
few traditions on the subject. Al- a ar, we will recall, presented one adth in favour of
the belief, then appended two notes: one lampooning the authenticity of the adth; the
other reaffirming the adth. I n Kathr found al- a ars adth too abhorrent to
reproduce, but referred to it only to register his perplexity over al- a ars tolerance for
807
The abdl refer, in fism, to such spiritual savants for whose sake God preserves the world.
The title abdl derives from the verb abdala (he replaced). The abdl are so called because it is believed
that when such a savant dies God replaces him with another. In his exegesis of Qurn 2:251, al-Suy
proves, on the basis of several adths, the existence of a large number of such savants in Syria. See alSuy, al-Durr, vol. 3, pp. 156-160.
808
252
it. In sharp contrast with these exegeses, al-Durr includes as many as eighteen traditions
on the su ject of the Sufyn thus etraying al-Suys predisposition for political
interpretation. It is al-Suys inclusion of his adth on the seven fitnahs, however, that
renders al-Durr singularly unique among other exegetical works.
Al-Suys willingness to connect Qurn 34:51 with early Muslim politics is
even more surprising when the verse is looked at closely, for it is devoid of political
connotations. Whereas al- a ars adth had already forged a connection between the
Sufyn and Qurn 34:51, that connection is extremely tenuous. The tenuousness of that
connection will become evident when the verse is read together with the three verses that
follow it. Qurn 34:51-54 reads:
If you could only see their terror when they are seized from a nearby place; for
there will be no escape. They will say, Now we elieve in it. But how can they
reach it from a distant place after a barrier has been placed between them and
what they desirejust as was done with their kind before? They denied it in the
past, and proffered conjectures from a far-off place. They were deep in doubt and
suspicion.809
Those are the final words of the Qurns 34th srah. With that context in view,
al- a ars eventual disregard for the political interpretation of Qurn 34:51 is
understandable. In his concluding remarks on the exegesis of that verse, al- a ar writes
that the verse is addressed to Muammad, and it serves as a warning to the disbelieving
polytheists from among Muammads people. That interpretation, al- a ar maintains, is
based on the context of the verse and the literal wording of its text. As for context, the
809
Qurn 34:51-55, my trans. modified from that of A del Haleem. The addressee you in the
verse is singular, hence the exegetes presume that Muammad is being addressed. The first part of that
address, If you could only see their terror when they are seized from a near y place, is the protasis of a
conditional sentence whose apodosis is not mentioned. As we will see below, al- a ar completes the
sentence y supplying the following apodosis: you will find them in terror when they witness the
punishment of God and they find no way to save themselves or to escape from God.
253
verses before Qurn 34:51 contain similar themes: the polytheists are warned of dire
consequences following upon their rejection of the prophets pleadings. The present verse
continues with the same theme. Al- a ar adds that the said interpretation is more likely
than any suggestion that the verse refers to information about something that is not
mentioned in its broader Qurnic context. In sum, al- a ar glosses the verse as follows:
Muammad, if you were to look at these polytheists from among your people you will
find them in terror when they witness the punishment of God and they find no way to
save themselves or to escape from God.810 As for the verses mention of a near y place
wherefrom the deniers will be seized, al- a ar writes: Wherever they are, they are close
to God, not far from him.811
In view of al- a ars summation of the exegesis of Qurn 34:51, the political
dimension attached to that verse in the adth is clearly forced. Yet al-Suy is not the
first exegete to interpret the verse in the light of that adth. Muqtil . Sulaymn and alThala had already done so.812 Even so, al-Suys emphasis on political exegesis
stands out in clear contrast to the approach of the other tradition-based exegetes: ala ar and I n Kathr. It remains for us now to observe how al-Suys exegesis of
Qurn 34:51 influenced subsequent tafsrs.
810
Al- a ar, vol. 22, p. 129.
811
Al- a ar, vol. 22, p. 129.
812
Al-Thala presents two traditions. The first merely mentions that the verse refers to an
earthquake in the desert. Al-Thala s second tradition is the same as al- a ars tradition on the Sufyn.
In fact, the first part of the isnd which al-Thala supplied for the adth goes backwards from him to ala ar, and the rest of that isnd is as already given by al- a ar. Al-Thala does nothing to disparage the
said adth, and thus acquiesces in the politicizing of Qurn 34:51. See al-Thala , vol. 5, p. 164; and
Muqtil . Sulaymn, Tafsr Muqtil b. Sulaymn, vol. 3, p. 70.
254
Al-Shawkns exegesis of Qurn 34:51 is a combination of the related exegeses

given by al- a ar and al-Suy, except that the Sufyn army is now nameless.813 AlShawkn a sor ed three interpretations of the verse from al- a ar: the verse either
predicts the defeat of the polytheists in the Battle of Badr, or their regret on the Day of
Resurrection, or the sinking of the army. Al-Shawkn a sor ed another two
interpretations from al-Durr. First, the verse warns the polytheists of the terror they will
experience at the time of death. Second, the verse warns them of the horror they will
experience while in their graves as they hear the shout precipitating the resurrection. AlShawkn has split that last interpretation into two separate interpretations: the horror in
the graves; and the horror at the onset of the resurrection. Hence al-Shawkn provides a
total of six interpretations some of which are so closely related to others that their
delineation appears pedantic.
However, while mentioning the sinking of the army, al-Shawkn is careful to
avoid any mention of the Sufyn. Hence the provenance of the army cannot e known
from al-Shawkns exegesis. In this way al-Shawkn straddles the order etween his
Zayd heritage and his Salaf leanings. Zayds would readily criticize the Umayyads,
considering them enemies of Al and his family. On the other hand, Salafs would
maintain silence in the face of the bloody conflicts that engulfed the utopian Muslim
community. To support the notion of the sinking of the army, the adth which alShawkn cites is al-Suys fourth, the one that goes ack to the authority of Sad .
Jubayr.814 That adth does not mention the Sufyn. Hence it is clear that from among al-
813
Al-Shawkn, pp. 1444-45.
814
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 12, p. 234; al-Shawkn, pp. 1445.
255
Suys eighteen traditions regarding that army, al-Shawkn has carefully selected a
tradition that circumvents political commentary. Within the context of al-Shawkns
exegesis, the adth can now only mean that an army of the Meccan polytheists who were
the first addressees of Muammad must have been swallowed up somewhere in a desert.
Thus al-Shawkn has cleverly avoided commenting on the political ramifications of the
early part of the Muslim ummah.
The boldness of al-Suys political commentary ecomes all the more evident as
we compare the attitudes of the various exegetes towards the prophecy about the sunken
army. Al- a ar was apathetic towards the premonition a out the sinking of the Sufyn
army. Later on, I n Kathr was appalled by the premonition. Subsequently, al-Suy
defended it. Finally, al-Shawkn accepts the prophecy provided that it stops short of
mentioning the Sufyn provenance of the army. The fact that al-Suy was willing to
name the army, whereas al-Shawkn was not so willing, is related to the positioning of
the two exegetes vis-a-vis the traditionalists. Al-Shawkn needed to demonstrate his
traditionalism to those Sunns who remained suspicious of his Zayd ancestry. On the
other hand, al-Suys traditionalism had een proven y his numerous works.
Moreover, if challenged, he was ever ready to launch a personal defence calling upon his
mastery of traditions. But even al-Suy had to adopt a strategy: he let the traditions
speak instead of his own voice. It was dangerous to be perceived as being subversive to
the idealization of the early Muslim leaders.
As for al-ls, in his exegesis of Qurn 34:51 he is clearly dependent on alSuy. He summarizes the five interpretations which al-Suy appended to the verse,
256
copying here and there a adth each in support of the various interpretations.815 When he
came to choose a adth on the Sufyn army, however, he seized upon al-Suys
sixteenth. That is the one which most clearly cannot refer to A dullh b. Zubayr since it
specifies that the otherwise unidentified man at Mecca is from Muammads family. On
the basis of that adth, al-ls states explicitly that the man at Mecca is the Mahd who
will appear at the end of time (yaharu al-mahd f khir al-zamn).816
Thus we see the interesting outcome that from the stock of al-Suys eighteen
traditions on the prophesied warrior, al-Shawkn and al-ls each selected a different
adtheach a adth that allows them to avoid commenting on the political upheavals
that afflicted the early Muslims. Al-Shawkn avoided mention of the Sufyn; al-ls
mentioned the Sufyn, ut placed him at the end of the ages when he will appear as one
of the Mahds opponents.817 The adth corpus is large enough for writers of various
persuasions to find therein the proof texts they need. It turns out that al-Suys selection
of eighteen traditions here is likewise large enough to allow for al-Shawkn and al-ls
to downsize it in two different directions. Finally, apart from al-Suy, no major Qurn
commentator dared to mention the adth on the seven fitnahs. Al-Durrs inclusion of that
adth, and the seventeen additional adths, reveals al-Suys unparalleled interest in
criticizing early Muslim political dissenters.
815
Al-ls, vol. 12, pp. 230-31.
816
Al-ls, vol. 12, p. 231.
817
The other notorious opponent of the Mahd will e the Antichrist.
257
6.5 Summary
Sunns generally accept the caliphs in their historical order starting with A
Bakr; ut Shs regret that an ideal order of caliphs that would have egun with Al and
remained among his descendants did not materialize. Sunns and Shs each needed to
prove to the other the correctness of their own doctrine, and so appealed to Qurnic
passages together with tendentious exegeses of the same. Hence exegetical traditions
supporting sectarian claims soon arose. It is not entirely surprising that some pro-Sh
traditions found their way into Sunn works. Sunns acquiesce in the duty to love Al and
his family, and, more generally, the prophets family. Consequently, they tended to
accept those traditions which extolled the virtues of Al provided that such traditions
stopped short of nominating him as Muammads immediate successor. Being a f, alSuy had an additional reason for favouring such traditions. Most paths of transmission
of f spiritual authority, when traced backwards, culminate in Al.818 Going beyond
what these factors would prepare us to expect, however, al-Suys exegesis etrays an
exceptional degree of interest in promoting the position of Al. In his exegesis of Qurn
5:67, al-Suy, though neither al- a ar nor Ibn Kathr, included two traditions notable
for their value in Sh polemics. The first tradition indicates that at the pool of Khumm
Muammad pronounced Al as the patron of Muslims. According to the second tradition,
Muslims in Muammads era used to recite Qurn 5:67 inclusive of a clause
acknowledging Al as the patron of Muslims. The exposure al-Suy granted these
818
The nota le exception is the Naqsha and arqah which derives its authority through A
Bakr, the first caliph. See Itzchak Weismann, The Naqshabandiyya: Orthodoxy and Activism in a
Worldwide f Tradition (London: Routledge, 2007) p. 11. As indicated in my first chapter, al-Suy was
of the Shdhil arqah.
258
traditions increased after they were copied by both al-Shawkn and al-ls. Al-ls,
unable to impeach the traditions, resorted to showing how they could be interpreted
within Sunn parameters.
Likewise in his exegesis of Qurn 13:7 al-Suy included five traditions
showing that Al is the guide of Muslims. His work is in sharp contrast with that of ala ar who mentioned one such adth but subsequently denied it a voice in his
summation of the verses meaning. I n Kathr mentioned al- a ars adth only to
disparage it and to replace it with a related tradition which fails to denote Al as the said
guide. Al-Suys exegesis of Qurn 13:7 is obviously intended as a riposte to the
treatment of the tradition by al- a ar and I n Kathr. Al-Suys traditions are more
numerous, backed by multiple authorities, and clearly indicative of Als role as the
guide of Muslims. But al-Suys innovation here was too old for oth al-Shawkn and
al-ls. Al-Shawkn on this occasion refused to copy al-Suys traditions. Al-ls,
never to miss an opportunity for anti-Sh polemics, composed a response to al-Suys
traditions. Al-Durr thus remains unique in its promotion of Al at this verse location as
well. A further analysis of the exegeses of other verses, for example Qurn 5:55, will
show that, again and again, al-Suy surpasses other tradition-based exegetes in
favouring Al.
Given the clashes between Al and his family on the one hand and the Umayyad
caliphs on the other, praise for Al is compatible with disparagement of the Umayyads.
Hence it is not surprising that, while endorsing Al, al-Suy would discredit the
Umayyads. Al-Suy has another reason to censure the Umayyads, for he favours the
259
sids as the ideal caliphs.819 Yet al-Suy discredits the Umayyads to an astonishing
degree. Space does not permit here the study of every location at which al-Suy
denigrates the Umayyads.820 In his commentary on Qurn 34:51, al- a ar presented a
adth a out the sinking of a Sufyn army. This is a reference to an army commissioned
by an Umayyad leader. However, I n Kathr impugned that adth. Subsequently, alSuy took up the challenge to defend not only the authenticity of that adth but also the
validity of the elief in the sunken Sufyn army. Skilled in accumulating traditions, alSuy gathered as many as eighteen traditions to olster the elief in the said armys
receipt of divine disapproval.
One of al-Suys traditions registers contempt not only for the Umayyads, but
also for alah and al-Zubayr who had joined ishah in her revolt against Al. That
adth speaks of seven fitnahs. It names as one such fitnah even the son of al-Zubayr. It
was his claim to caliphate that the sunken Umayyad army had intended to crush. The
adth uses the dismissive label fitnah to characterize many of the centres of early
political activity and their representatives. However, Al and his center at Kufa are
notably spared the censure of that tradition. At the comparable location in their tafsrs, alShawkn and al-ls each presented a tradition carefully selected to avoid politicizing
the verse.
In his final analysis of Qurn 34:51, al- a ar disregards the elief in the Sufyn
army and the related adth. Al- a ars commentary shows that the target of Gods
819
See Geoffroy, Al-Suy, in EI2, vol. 9, p. 914.
820
Otherwise, we would demonstrate the same phenomenon occurring in al-Suys exegesis of

Qurn 97:3 and 17:60. On the anti-Umayyad exegesis of the latter verse in tradition-based tafsrs see
Goldziher, p. 169.
260
wrath would have been Muammads first addressees: the dis elieving Meccan
polytheists. In the light of that analysis, Qurn 34:51 is completely unrelated to early
Muslim internecine conflicts. Not to be discouraged by al- a ars analysis, however,
and offering none of his own, al-Suy used traditions to express his disdain for the early
civil dissensions. No other exegete was willing to parade the adth on the seven fitnahs
which so boldly names the protagonists of warring Muslim camps. It is thus evident that
al-Durr is distinctive for its praise of Al, its criticism of early civil dissenters, and its
vituperation of the Umayyads. The politicizing of Qurnic verses, already observable in
early exegeses, has reached its apogee in al-Durr.
261
Chapter 7
Variant Readings of the Qurn

7.1 Introduction
In the present chapter I identify another of al-Suys purposes in composing alDurr al-Manthr: to gather traditions depicting extra-canonical readings of the Qurn.
Al-Suy has included traditions on readings which were not mentioned in the traditionbased exegeses of al- a ar and I n Kathr efore him. As we shall see, there is a
historical explanation for al-Suys interest in variant readings to e greater than that of
either al- a ar or I n Kathr. Over the centuries prior to al-Suy, Muslim scholars
struggled to make sense of multiple readings of the Qurn. Al- a ar (d. 310/923)
regarded variant readings as an inconvenience, if not an embarrassment. I n Kathr (d.
774/1373) accepted the canonicity of seven readings. Ibn al-Jazar (d. 833/1429),
however, argued for the canonicity of as many as ten readings.821 More important, Ibn alJazar argued that the ten readings are included in what God revealed to Muammad.
Hence Ibn al-Jazar afforded each of the ten readings equal authority. Al-Suy accepted
Ibn al-Jazars argument. Hence al-Suy could comforta ly mention such readings in his
exegesis. With the work of Ibn al-Jazar efore him, al-Suy had an advantage that was
not available to either al- a ar or I n Kathr. I will elaborate on this history below to
pave the way for an understanding of the data on variant readings which I will then
821
Ibn al-Jazar, al-Nashr f-l-qirt al-ashr (Beirut: Dar al Kotob al-Ilmiyah, 2002) pp. 48-50.
262
present from the various tafsrs. We shall see that al-Suy developed a theory that
allows him to welcome into his exegesis even readings beyond the ten.
7.1.1 The Exegetes Attitudes towards Variant Readings
I will now account for the historical developments explaining the varied attitudes
of al- a ar, I n Kathr, and al-Suy towards the Qurns multiple readings (qirt).
As Claude Gilliot explained, at the time of Muammads demise Muslims possessed no
standard authoritative text of the Qurn.822 Their knowledge of the Qurn was ased on
memory assisted by complete or partial personal copies of the text. In the introduction to
his exegesis, I n Kathr gives a fairly standard Muslim account of the Qurns collection
and proliferation.823 Modern scholarship denies many aspects of that traditional
account.824 But it is nevertheless presented here for the purpose of understanding the
varying attitudes of Muslim exegetes towards variant readings. According to Muslim
accounts, the Qurn was revealed to Muammad in short segments over the twenty-three
years of his prophetic career. Whenever the piecemeal revelations were received, they
were recorded on a variety of primitive writing materials, and memorized by
Muammads followers. Until Muammads death (d. 11/632), a definitive copy of the
Qurn could not e written since the Qurn was still in the process of eing revealed,
and a passage once revealed could be later repealed. A Bakr (d. 13/633), however,
822
Claude Gilliot, The Creation of a Fixed Text, in The Cambridge Companion to the Qurn,
ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006) 41-58, p. 44.
823
824
On the history of the Qurns formation, see Harald Motzki, Alternative Accounts of the
Qurns Formation, in The Cambridge Companion to the Qurn, ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006) 59-75.
263
during his brief caliphate, commissioned one of the Muammads scri es, to compile the
Qurn. Zayd . Th it thus collected the Qurn from disparate written pieces, and from
the memories of men. Zayd then wrote the Qurn onto sheets (uuf). The sheets were
lodged with A Bakr, and, on his demise, transferred to the caliph Umar. Upon
Umars death, however, the sheets were not transferred to Uthmn, the next caliph, as
might be expected. Rather, the sheets were deposited with Umars daughter afah,
Muammads widow.
According to Muslim accounts, Uthmn borrowed the written sheets from
afah, had Zayd transcribe them into several codices, and sent one each to various
centres of Muslim learning.825 The sheets were returned to afah, and were destroyed
only after her death (d. 45/665). Meanwhile, Uthmn ordered the burning of copies of
the Qurn at variance with his newly authorized codices. Despite some initial resistance,
most noteworthy from I n Masd, Uthmns text was eventually received among
Muslims as the sole written canon of the Qurn.826
Given this history, how would Muslim exegetes regard reports that Ibn Masd,
U ayy . Ka , and other companions of Muammad read the Qurn in nonconformance with Uthmns codices? Two doctrines at the disposal of the exegetes
helped to make sense of this data: the doctrine of abrogation;827 and the doctrine that the
825
W. Montgomery Watt, Bells Introduction to the Qurn (Edinburgh, Edinburgh University

Press, 1970) p. 42.
826
Fred Leemhuis, From Palm Leaves to the Internet, in The Cambridge Companion to the
Qurn, ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006) 145-62, p. 148.
827
See John Burton, A rogation, in The Encyclopaedia of the Qurn (Leiden: Brill, 2001) vol.
1, pp. 11-19; John Burton, The Sources of Islamic Law: Islamic Theories of Abrogation (Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press, 1990) pp. 43-48.
264
Qurn was revealed in seven modes (aruf) all equally valid.828 Below I will outline
some of the more significant explanations of the seven modes offered by Muslim
exegetes. As for the doctrine of abrogation, the exegetes held that a verse of the Qurn
once revealed may be repealed in one of three ways.
In the first type of abrogation, the mere application of the text is abolished. The
result is that the verse continues to e recited as a part of the Qurn; ut it carries no
legal force. For example, Qurn 2:240 asserts a widows right to maintenance and
accommodation for a year following her hus ands death. However, this ruling is widely
held to e replaced y the inheritance laws of Qurn 4:12.829 In the second type of
abrogation both the text and its application are withdrawn. The text in question thus
occupies no position in the current Qurn, and has no influence on Muslim practice.
However, reports about such texts persist in Muslim traditions. Some early Muslims were
able to claim that large numbers of verses were abrogated in this way. For example,
Qurn 33 now contains 73 verses; Qurn 2 has 286 verses; ut a report claims that
Qurn 33 once had as many verses as does Qurn 2.830 In the third type of abrogation,
the text is revoked, yet it continues to have legal weight. The result is that an injunction is
ased on a verse that used to e, ut is not anymore, a part of the Qurn. The penalty of
828
Goldziher, Schools, pp. 27-28. The word aruf is the plural of arf which could indicate a letter
of the alpha et, or a mode or an edge. I will use the translation mode, for that translation will e most
inclusive of the Muslim discussions of the concept.
829
Burton, Sources of Islamic Law, p. 58.
830
Burton, Sources of Islamic Law, p. 50.
265
death by stoning for adultery is an example of an injunction that is based on a withdrawn

Qurnic verse.831
Below we will encounter adths stating that certain readings have been
abrogated. In general, however, an exegete could presume that a reading which is
reported on good authority but is in conflict with Uthmns codices has een a rogated.
That presumption is based on the belief that Muammad used to rehearse the Qurn each
Ramadan in the presence of the angel Gabriel. The exegetes assume that, in the final year,
Muammads rehearsal of the Qurn constituted the final version of the Qurn.832 Zayd
was presumed to be present during that last review. Hence, when A Bakr
commissioned him to collect the scattered pieces of the revelation, Zayd knew what to
collect and what to leave out. As for those verses which Muammad did not recite during
the final annual review, Zayd excluded them from the first Qurnic collection and,
subsequently, from Uthmns codices. It is clear that the doctrine of a rogation is
complicated.
The other doctrine, according to which the Qurn was revealed in seven aruf, is
allusive. In the introduction to his tafsr, al- a ar essayed an explanation for the aruf.
Al- a ar explained that the seven modes referred to seven Arabic dialects.833 Hence a
Qurnic statement may e expressed this way in one dialect, and that way in another, all
sanctioned and controlled by divine guidance duly dispensed by Muammad. With such
flexibility, God accommodated the single revelation to the seven dialects for the sole
831
See John Burton, Law and Exegesis: The Punishment for Adultery in Islam, in Approaches
to the Qurn, ed. G.R. Hawting and Abdul-Kader A. Shareef (London: Routledge, 1993) 269-84, p. 282.
832
I n Kathr, vol. 1, pp. 78-79.
833
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 35.
266
purpose of facilitating the revelations reception and recitation among the various Ara
tribes.
Al- a ar explained further that, eventually, opposition to the Qurn dwindled as
the various tri es flocked to Islam, and the Qurn ecame familiar to everyone. The
early facility now proved not only superfluous but confusing. Some Muslims, not
knowing that they were thus denying the very Book of God, began to anathematize the
genuine readings of other Muslims. It was with the aim of curbing such confusion among
Muslims that Uthmn now dispensed with the early facility. According to al- a ar,
then, the Uthmnic text was written in the dialect of the Quraysh, Muammads tri e.834
Hence, if a reading has excellent credentials but departs from the Uthmnic codex, ala ar would label and delimit it as one of the six aruf which were abrogated by
Uthmns act of codifying the Qurn.835
Al- a ars explanation does not make sense of all the facts on hand. For
example, some of the canonical readings, including that of the Kfan im (d. 127/745),
pronounce the hamzah, the glottal stop, a feature foreign to the Quraysh dialect.836 Ala ar is aware that the text of Uthmn can support a variety of surviving readings. But
since he deems six of the seven aruf to be cancelled, he finds inconvenient even those
variant readings which are acked y reputa le authorities and conform to the Uthmnic
codex. Hence we will see that whenever al- a ar analyses a given variety of readings he
attempts to identify the single genuine reading among them.
834
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 34.
835
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 35.
836
Al-Quru , Tafsr al-Qurub, ed. Slim Musaf al-Badr (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah,
2000) p. 33.
267
While Muslim scholars were still struggling to understand the relationship

between the seven aruf and the several surviving reading traditions, al- a ars younger
contemporary I n Mujhid (d. 324/936) composed a monograph on seven readings.837
I n Mujhid traced each of the seven readings ack to a prominent reader from the
second Islamic centurya reader who was associated with one of the cities to which
Uthmn reportedly sent a copy of his codex. But Muslim scholars fault Ibn Mujhid for
choosing precisely seven readings, since that number is the same as the number of modes
in which the Qurn was revealed.838 The work thus gives the impression to common folk
that the seven readings are the same as the seven aruf.839 With such a false impression,
the masses are again in the same danger from which, according to al- a ar, Uthmn had
rescued them. Misled to consider Ibn Mujhids seven readings as comprising the entirety
of the Qurnic revelation, the common folk stand to condemn other genuine readings
backed by impressive chains of authorities.
Nonetheless, with Ibn Mujhids work the seven readings achieved a new level of
prominence. It soon became common for these seven readings to be regarded as being
multiply attested (mutawtir) and hence of unquestionable authenticity. Of the seven, that
of the Kfan im (d. 127/745) as transmitted by the af (d. 180/796) now enjoys
international circulation after it was adopted by the Ottoman Empire. That reading
became the basis of the Cairo edition which was published in 1342/1924. In academic
writings generally, and in the present work, references to the Qurn are to the Cairo
837
I n Mujhid, Kitb al-sabah f al-qirt, ed. Shawq ayf (Cairo: Dr al-Marif, 1972).
838
Al-Suy, Itqn, vol. 1, pp. 215-16.
839
Al-Suy, Itqn, vol. 1, p. 215.
268
edition.840 Another of the seven readings is available in printthat of the Medinan Nfi
(d. 169/785), as transmitted by Warsh (d. 197/812). But it enjoys popularity mainly in
North-West Africa.841
Whereas the masses are content with knowing which readings are authoritative,
however, the scholars continued to search for a satisfying explanation of the aruf. In the
introduction to his exegesis, al-Quru mentioned that other Muslim savants had given as
many as thirty-five different views on the concept of aruf.842 Al-Quru then presented
five of those views.843 First, the idea conveyed y a Qurnic verse may be expressed
variously using as many as seven synonyms. Second, the same statement may be
expressed variously in accordance with seven specific Arabic dialects. Third, as in the
previous view, the seven modes are seven dialects, but only the dialects of the Muar
tri es, not the dialects of other Ara tri es. In either case the Quraysh, the prophets tri e
is included. Fourth, there are seven types of variations among the various readings
including variations in letters, variations in words, additions and deletions. Fifth, the
seven modes refer to seven genres of Qurnic statements, including prescriptions,
exhortations, stories, arguments, and parables. Al-Quru then adds that this fifth
explanation is weak, since the genres of statements it mentions are essential to the Qurn
840
For a history of the pu lication of the Qurn see Deroche, Written Transmission, pp. 18384; Leemhuis, From Palm Leaves, p. 151-52.
841
For a study of the variations etween these two printed editions see Adrian Brockett, The
Value of the af and Warsh Transmissions for the Textual History of the Qurn, in Andrew Rippin,
Approaches to the History of the Interpretations of the Qurn (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988) pp.
32-45.
842
Al-Quru , Tafsr al-Qurub, ed. Slim Musaf al-Badr (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob al-Ilmiyah,
2000) vol. 1, p. 31-32.
843
Al-Quru , vol. 1, p. 32-35.
269
and cannot be specific to the aruf. I n Kathr replicated al-Quru s discussion.844 In

the light of these conflicting views, it is obvious that Muslim scholars attempted to arrive
at a definition of aruf in hindsight, mainly by observing the wide variety of variations
reported in the readings of early authorities.
After the proliferation of the Uthmnic codices, the additions and deletions of
words as noted in the fourth explanation of aruf above could no longer be sustained. As
for the other types of variations mentioned above, those which conformed to any of
Uthmns codices continued to survive in the oral reading traditions. That Uthmns
codices could accommodate such variations was due to one minor reason and two major
reasons. As for the minor reason, the copies commissioned by Uthmn were not
completely identical.845 Some peculiarities noted in the readings associated with certain
centres of Islamic learning were credited to slight variations in copies of the codex
associated with the same centres. Hence Muslim scholars insist that one of the criteria for
a canonical reading is its conformity with one of the codices of Uthmn.846 The
variations are so slight, however, that it will often prove convenient in the present work
to refer to the text of Uthmn as though it were a single codex.
We shall now consider the two main factors allowing variant readings to find a
basis in the Uthmnic codices. First, the codices were written in a scripta defectiva.847
Eighteen graphemes were made to represent the twenty-eight letters of the Arabic
844
845
For examples of variations between the codices see Ibn al-Jazar, al-Nashr, p. 16.
846
Ibn al-Jazar, al-Nashr, p. 15.
847
Francois Deroche, Written Transmision, in The Blackwell Companion to the Qurn, ed.
Andrew Rippin (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006) 172-86, p. 175.
270
alphabet.848 Diacritical marks were already available for the purpose of distinguishing the
various letters which could be represented by an identical grapheme.849 But such marks
are a sent from the earliest known copies of the Qurn. Second, the codices did not
include indicators of short vowels and of some long vowels.850 In the absence of
diacritical marks and vowel indicators, a given word could easily be mistaken for
another. Active, passive, and imperative forms of verbs can be easily confused. However
the developing reading traditions did not accept all such theoretical variations. Some
variations were rejected, sometimes on pain of punishment, and survive as notes in tafsr,
adth, or other sources of Islamic traditions.851 It is therefore necessary to keep in mind
the distinction between the canonical text of Uthmn, canonical readings of that text, and
non-canonical readings of the same text.
Ibn Mujhids seven readings, varied as they are from each other, all conform to
the Uthmnic codices. I n Mujhids work therefore served as a convenient canon
against which to measure the numerous readings which the codices could sustain. The
convenience afforded by Ibn Mujhids work can e seen in the tafsr of I n Kathr who
would sometimes repudiate a reading on the basis that it does not belong among the
seven. Yet I n Kathr, following al-Quru on the matter, was clear that the seven
848
Sheila Blair, Islamic Caligraphy (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006) p. 8.
849
Manfred Kropp, The Results of Contemporary Research on the Qurn (Beirut: Orient-Institut,
2007) p. 4, n. 2; Deroche, Written Transmission, p. 173.
850
The evolution of the scripta plena probably reached its pinnacle during the reign of the
Umayyad caliph A d al-Mlik (r. 65-86/685-705) while al-ajjj . Ysuf was governor of Iraq (7595/694-714). See Gilliot, Creation, p. 48; Watt, Bells Introduction, p. 48; Deroche, Written, p. 175;
and Leemhuis, From Palm Leaves, p. 148.
851
Goldziher, Schools, pp. 30-31. For a comprehensive source of variant readings see A d alLaf al-Khaib, Mujam al-qirt (Cairo: Dr Sad al-Dn, 2002). See also Arthur Jeffery, Materials for
the History of the Text of the Qurn The Old Codices (Leiden: Brill, 1937).
271
readings (qirt) are not the same as the seven aruf.852 If a complete explanation of the
aruf could not be found, it was a desideratum that an explanation be given to at least
harmonize the aruf with the surviving qirt.
Such a harmony was be achieved by Ibn al-Jazar who gave an explanation
contrary to that of al- a ar. He argued that Uthmn, rather than drastically cancelling
six modes of the revelation, attempted to accommodate of them as much as he could
through the use of two devices. The first device is the very scripta defectiva discussed
above. According to Ibn al-Jazar, instead of giving rise to variants, the text was written
to accommodate them.853 As for the the second device, Uthmn deliberately produced
codices that were varied one from another. According to Ibn al-Jazar, Uthmn thus
intended that some readings which could not be accommodated on one consonantal
ductus would find refuge in another. Hence, according to Ibn al-Jazar, Uthmn
attempted to retain of the seven aruf such variations as could be accommodated by the
newly issued codices. Al-Suy accepted Ibn al-Jazars argument.854
Moreover, according to Ibn al-Jazar, there are three criteria for the canonicity of
a Qurnic reading. First, the reading must e in agreement with Ara ic grammar.
Second, the reading must conform to one of the Uthmnic codices. Third, the reading
must be supported by an authentic chain of authoritative readers.855 Based on these
criteria, not strictly applied, Ibn al-Jazar argued in favour of three readings (qirt) to
852
Al-Quru , vol. 1, p. 35; I n Kathr, vol. 1, pp. 74-75.
853
Ibn al-Jazar, al-Nashr, vol. 1, p. 31.
854
855
272
be added to Ibn Mujhids seven.856 According to him, these ten readings altogether are
multiply attested (mutawtir) so as to preclude doubt about their authenticity.
Ibn al-Jazar accepted in principle that readings meeting his criteria for canonicity,
even beyond the ten, would similarly qualify. Al-Suy likewise accepts that there could
be other famous readings that fit Ibn al-Jazars criteria.857 Other readings were known to
him, but he did not classify them.858 Following the work of Ibn al-Jazar, al-Suy was
now better positioned to make use of variant readings than were al- a ar and I n Kathr.
Not only has the number of canonical readings increased, but, more importantly, the ten
readings are all considered as remnants of the seven aruf. On that view, the ten readings
are all divinely revealed. Hence for al-Suy, in sharp contrast with al- a ar, these
variants are not impositions to be explained away. Rather, al-Suy welcomes them as
facets of the multifaceted Qurn.
As did the exegetes before him, al-Suy can simply la el as a rogated any
reading which, though reported on sound authority, does not conform to the Uthmnic
codices. But, as we shall presently see, al-Suy has worked out a theoretical foundation
for welcoming even such readings into his tafsr.
856
857
858
Eventually, other scholars will classify another four to be added to the ten. But these latter four
would fail to achieve canonical status. For a convenient list of the fourteen readers see Watt, Bells
Introduction, pp. 49-50. For variations among the fourteen see al-Bann Shih al-Dn Amad b.
Muammad Itf fual al-bashar f al-qirt al-arbaati ashr (Beirut: Dar al-Kotob, 2001).
273
7.1.2 The Importance of Variant Readings for Exegesis

Al-Suys interest in variant readings is a necessary outcome of his
hermeneutics. In al-Durr he merely mentions the traditions without explaining what he
intends by their inclusion. But, from his book al-Itqn, we can understand al-Suys
special interest in variant readings.
In the Itqn, al-Suy classifies reported readings into six ranks.859 The first rank
is mutawtir, comprising those readings which were relayed through multiple lines of
transmission and are therefore indubitable. The second is mashhr. These are readings
which are not as well established as are the readings of the mutawtir rank, though they
meet Ibn al-Jazars three criteria. The third rank is d, comprising those readings
having a few sound isnds, but deviating either from the Uthmnic codices or the rules
of Ara ic. These should not e recited as a part of the Qurn. Fourth are the deviant
(shdhdh) readings. Their isnds are not authentic. Fifth are the fabricated (maw)
readings. In the sixth rank are the interpolations (mudraj) similar to what is found in the
transmission of adths. These interpolations were inserted into the Qurn y way of
tafsr.860
Al-Suy then gives examples showing Muammads companions adding such
interpretive glosses to the Qurn.861 We will return to such readings below. For the
moment, it is important to appreciate the theoretical advance al-Suy has made y
elucidating this sixth category of readings. Having admitted that some readings include
859
860
861
274
the interpretative glosses of Muammads companions, al-Suy maintains that such

readings deserve mention over and above later attempts at tafsr.862 With such theoretical
foundations in place, al-Suy is now ready to include in his exegesis far more reports of
variant readings than either al- a ar or I n Kathr was willing to include.
Al-Suy takes his conclusions a step further to argue that variant readings are
not peripheral to tafsr but central. In the Itqn, al-Suy delineated the principles of
tradition-based exegesis in addition to other genres of exegesis. He then introduced the
proto-version of al-Durr, which he named Turjumn al-Quran, as a work conforming to
the principles of tradition-based exegesis.863 After introducing that tradition-based tafsr,
al-Suy immediately added the following caption: Caution. Under that head, al-Suy
set out to elucidate the intimate connection that exists between variant readings and
various interpretations of the Qurn. Al-Suy explains that the mention of variant
readings is an important aspect of any tradition-based exegesis. It is thus in the heart of
his discussion on hermeneutics that al-Suy writes:
It is necessary to know the tafsrs which are transmitted on the authority of the
Companions [of Muammad] in accordance with specific readings [of the
Qurn]. The reason is that varied exegeses have een reported on the
Companions authority; yet these exegeses are not opposed to each other, for each
is based on a different reading of the Qurn.864
Al-Suy then presented three examples from the Qurn to show how varia le
exegeses were due to variant readings.865 As we will see from the second example, al-
862
863
On the relationship between Turjumn al-Quran and al-Durr, see my Chapter 2 above.
864
865
Al-Suy, Itqn, vol. 4, p. 484-85.
275
a ar in his tafsr was forced by the weight of traditions to acknowledge the connection
between a varied interpretation and a variant reading. But in the other two examples the
point was obscured in al- a ars tafsr. Through his unique emphasis on variant
readings, al-Suy was thus updating the tafsr tradition beyond the work of al- a ar.
7.2 Variant Readings as a Source of Various Exegeses

I will now examine the three examples whereby al-Suy shows that variant
readings produce variable exegeses. Modern scholarship suggests that the causation was
in the other directionthat various exegetical attempts were supported by the invention
of variant readings.866 Our purpose here, however, is not to determine the origins of the
variant readings but to understand al-Suys approach to variants in contradistinction
with other exegetes.
Al-Suys first example refers to Qurn 15:15. According to Qurn 15:7,
Muammads detractors demand miracles as proof of the scriptures divine origin. In
response, Qurn 15:15 asserts: Even if We opened a gateway into Heaven for them and
they rose through it, higher and higher, they would still say, Our vision is locked.
Rather, we are ewitched.867 According to al-Suy, the ver sukkirat, which I have
translated here as
locked, can also e read as sukirat without the doubling of the
second consonant kf. With the single kf, the verb sukirat means enchanted. As alSuy indicates, this discussion is also found in al- a ars tafsr. Al- a ar had
866
John Burton, An Introduction to the adth (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1994) p.
58; Bruce Fudge, Qurnic Hermeneutics al- abris and the craft of commentary (New York: Routledge,
2011) pp. 5-6.
867
Qurn 15:14-15.
276
explained that the two meanings are close to each other; hence both are acceptable.868 He
attached both meanings to the single reading sukkirat with the doubled kf, and did not
accept the alternative reading sukirat.869 Therefore, while al- a ar accepted the two
meanings of the verse, he did not accept both readings. Al- a ars attitude to the variant
reading is at first glance surprising, seeing that the variant is now generally accepted as
one of the seven canonical readings.870 However, as we have seen above, in al- a ars
day the system of the seven readings was not quite settled. Thus, al- a ar did not
mention the eponyms of the seven readings. Instead, al- a ar credited the reading of
sukkirat to the people of Medina and Iraq; and the reading of sukirat to Mujhid.871 In his
final analysis, al- a ar writes that he does not deem permissible any reading but
sukkirat, since the overwhelming evidence points to that as the correct reading.872
As we have seen, however, al-Suy accepted the readings of the seven and of
the additional three. Hence al-Suy had no qualms about including the variant which ala ar discarded. Like al- a ar before him, al-Suy em races oth meanings of the
verse. But, in contrast with al- a ar, al-Suy does not erect oth meanings on the asis
of the single reading. Rather, he explains that the acceptable dual reading is the very
factor that gave rise to the two meanings.
868
Al- a ar, vol. 14, p. 19.
869
Al- a ar, vol. 14, p. 19.
870
The reading is that of I n Kathr among the seven readers. See law . Muammad b. Amad
Balafqh, al-Qirt al-ashr al-mutawtirah min arqay al-shbyah wa-l-durrah, ed. Muammad Karm
Rjim (Medina: Dr al-Muhjir, 1994) p. 232.
871
Al- a ar, vol. 14, p. 17.
872
Al- a ar, vol. 14, p. 19.
277
I will discuss the second example below. Al-Suys third example similarly
demonstrates, contrary to al- a ars tafsr, that a dimorphous reading of Qurn 4:43 is
at the root of two interpretations. The verse prescribes a dry ablution as a special
dispensation for those men who touch women and afterwards find no water with which to
purify themselves before prayer.873 The exegetes cannot agree on whether touch in the
verse refers to a simple touch, as with the hand, or whether it is a euphemism for sexual
intercourse.874 However, al-Suy explains that the ver
to touch may e read in two
ways: lmastum with the long vowel; and lamastum without the long vowel. Lmastum
refers to intercourse; lamastum refers to touching with the hand. Hence al-Suy
concludes that there is no conflict between the two exegeses: they imply two different
legal judgements, but each rests on its own reading.875 For al-Suy, the two readings
were an accepted reality. The Uthmnic consonantal ductus was written without the alif
signifying the long a vowel in the ver , which appears as follows: lmstm. The ductus
could thus accommodate either a short or a long a vowel after the first consonant. Two
of the canonical seven readers applied the short vowel; the others inferred the alif.
Al- a ar, on the other hand, was unclear about the basis of the two meanings,
and the basis of his acceptance of the two readings in question. First, he based both
meanings on the single reading. Then he mentioned that there are two readings. Then he
attempted to explain the two readings as having the same meaning. He writes that
lmastum means both a simple touch and sexual intercourse. Moreover, according to him
873
See also Qurn 5:6.
874
See al- a ar, vol. 5, pp. 122-130. Among the views presented by al- a ar is the view that if
any part of a mans ody touches any part of a womans ody then their state of purity stands nullified.
875
278
lmastum implies a mutual touch.876 Lamastum, on the other hand, refers to a subject
touching an object. Al- a ar argues, however, that even with the use of this transitive
verb, the action is unavoidably mutual due to the nature of touching between persons.
For, he adds, if a part of a man has touched a part of a woman then it is implied that the
said part of the woman also touched the said part of the man. Hence, whereas the verb
lmastum with the long vowel inherently indicates mutuality, the verb lamastum with the
short vowel also, practically, entails mutuality. Al- a ar concludes that, since the two
readings have the same meaning, both are acceptable.
Hence it is clear that al- a ar lacks a consistent epistemological foundation for
accepting or rejecting variant readings. Now he accepts both readings because they are
similar in meaning. However, as we have seen above, he applied a contrary principle
when dealing with a variant reading of Qurn 15:15. On that occasion he was likewise
faced with two readings having, according to him, the same meaning. But on that
occasion he rejected one reading simply because it was not the reading of the majority.
I turn now to al-Suys second example. A variant reading of Qurn 14:50 does
violence to the Uthmnic ductus. Yet al- a ar could not but yield silently to the
pressure of the numerous traditions asserting that reading.877 Qurn 14:50 states that the
garments of the deniers will be made of pitch (qairn). Al- a ar presents two traditions
showing that the word qairn refers to the tar that was used to treat the mange of
876
His explanation here is based on the fact that this is a third-form verb; and third-form verbs can
entail mutual action.
877
Al- a ar, vol. 13, pp. 203-204.
279
camels.878 Then he presented fifteen traditions showing that the garments will be of either
brass or copper. In many of these traditions, the interpretation that the garment will be of
either brass or copper is explicitly linked to a variant reading. Instead of the single word
qairn of the standard reading, the variant has two words: qir n.879 The single word
qrn of the Uthmnic ductus has thus been separated into two words qir (brass or
copper) and n (heated to the utmost). However, in presenting these traditions, al- a ar
makes no further comment about the oddity of the reading. He lacks a theoretical
foundation for a consistent treatment of non-canonical readings.
In mentioning his second example, however, al-Suy is quite clear as to his
principle. He writes that both meanings have been reported: pitch and melted copper. AlSuy and al- a ar both link the two meanings of the verse to the two readings. But
whereas al- a ar did not know what to say of the variant, al-Suy uses it as evidence
for a broad principle: various interpretations often rest on variant readings. Altogether,
these three examples from the Itqn show that al-Suy had a special interest in variant
readings due to their bearing on Qurnic exegesis.
Having seen from the Itqn how the appeal to variant readings is central to alSuys hermeneutics, we are now ready to explore specific instances in al-Durr where
his theory can be seen in practice. I thus turn now to an examination of data drawn from
al-Durr. There are three ways in which variant readings acquire comparatively greater
prominence in al-Durr. First, in al-Durr, the traditions which mention variant readings
stand on par with other traditions whereas in other tafsrs variant readings are given
878
Al- a ar, vol. 13, pp. 202-203.
879
Al- a ar, vol. 13, pp. 203-204.
280
secondary treatment. Second, al-Durr often includes more variations than are mentioned
in the other tafsrs. Third, whereas the other exegetes attach negative comments to the
variant readings, al-Suy offers no comment, either positive or negative.
To show al-Suys comparatively greater interest in variant readings, I will
present three sets of citations from the various tafsrs. In the first set of examples, I will
include variant readings which al-Durr contains in common with the tafsr of al- a ar or
of I n Kathr or both. As we examine that set of examples, it will become evident that alSuy was more welcoming of variants than were his predecessors. Then I will turn to
examples of variant readings which al-Durr contains, but which are absent from the
tafsrs of both al- a ar and I n Kathr. I place these in two categories. In the first
category are those variants which were also included in the tafsr of al-Shawkn or of alls or both. From our examination of this category of variants, al-Suys influence on
the later tafsr tradition will become evident. In the final category I include variants
which are mentioned in al-Durr alone of the five exegetes mentioned above.
7.3 Variants Mentioned by al-abar and Ibn Kathr

I will now examine some of the instances in which either al- a ar or I n Kathr
mentions a variant that is also found in al-Durr. From an examination of the manner in
which these variants appear in the three tafsrs, it will become evident that al-Durr
represents the variants in a far more favourable light than do the other two tafsrs.
After recounting the genesis of the cosmos and of humans, the Qurns second
chapter turns to its view of Israelite history. In Qurn 2:61 the Banu Isrl are still
wandering in the desert, and they are not satisfied with manna and quail. They ask for
fm, among other produce of the earth. What then is fm? Al- a ar presents fifteen
281
traditions to show that fm means either wheat or bread or both.880 According to the
fourteenth tradition, fm is used for wheat in the dialect of the Banu Hshim,
Muammads clan. The fifteenth tradition presents a line of poetry to illustrate the use of
fm with the meaning wheat.881 Then al- a ar turned to another possible meaning of fm
as garlic (thm). In support of this meaning, al- a ar presents two traditions simply
equating the two words fm and thm.882 In his final analysis, he mentions that in one
reading the word thm occurs in the place of fm. He writes: It has een mentioned that
in the ancient language, (al-lughah al-qadmah) wheat and bread together are called
fm.883 He then gives a verb fawwim which, he says, means
ake in the ancient
language, being the imperative derived from fm. Hence fm is a principal baking
ingredient. Then he adds: It is mentioned that A dullah . Masd read wa thmih (and
its garlic). Al- a ar then explains that, if the report is authentic, then the reading is such
because the letters th and f are similar in their pronunciation. Due to the proximity of
pronunciation of the two letters, they have been interchanged in many Arabic words and
expressions, some examples of which al- a ar presents.884 In sum, al- a ar has
maintained a disinterested distance from the report of Ibn Masds reading y
introducing it with the words, It has een mentioned, and following up with the
880
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 357-58.
881
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 358.
882
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 359.
883
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 359.
884
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 359.
282
condition, If this is authentic. His overwhelming support, however, is for the canonical
fm and its associated meaning wheat or read.
On the meaning of fm, I n Kathr basically summarizes the tafsr of al- a ar
and adds notes from the tafsrs of I n A tim and al-Quru .885 I n Kathrs position
is similar to that of al- a ar. His overwhelming support is for the reading fm and its
related meaning wheat. After mentioning thm as the reading of Ibn Masd, I n Kathr
adds that Mujhid and I n A s also interpreted the verse as referring to thm. But Ibn
Kathrs evaluation of the non-canonical thm is simply copied from al- a ar. Hence Ibn
Kathr also predicates his discussion of the variant on the explicit condition: If this is
authentic.886 I n Kathr thus remains non-committal with respect to the variant.
Al-Suys extraordinary interest in the non-canonical variant is evident in his
presentation of traditions reporting the various readings. He presents four traditions in
favour of the meaning of fm as wheat; four traditions in favour of the meaning garlic;
and one tradition mentioning both meanings. Hence he has presented the same number of
traditions in favour of each meaning. But the nature of the traditions in favour of garlic
shifts the balance in favour of the variant reading. Four of al-Suys traditions which
mention garlic as the intended meaning do so on the basis of the variant reading. The
tradition mentioning Ibn Masds reading is cited from I n A Dwds reputa le ook
on codices, Kitb al-maif.887 From the same book al-Suy cites a tradition which
includes I n A
s reading of that variant. According to the same tradition, I n A s
885
886
I n Kathr, vol. 1, pp. 280.
887
283
explains his stance with regards to variant readings in general, and this one in particular.
I n A s explains, My recitation is [generally] that of Zayd. But in more than ten
instances I follow the mode (arf) of Ibn Masd. This is one of those instances.888 AlSuy has thus added an important early authority, I n A s, as a reader of the variant.
Al-Suy has thus shown a greater interest in the variant reading than did al- a ar and
I n Kathr.
Al-Suys influence on the su sequent tafsr tradition will be seen in the way in
which al-Shawkn and al-ls deal with the variant reading. On the whole, al-Shawkn
represents the two views fairly evenly. But, following al-Suy, al-Shawkn mentions
thm as the reading not only of Ibn Masd ut also of I n A
s.889 Al-Shawkn thus
cites the tradition in which I n A s says that, though he generally follows Zayds
reading, he reads thm as did Ibn Masd.890
Al-ls mentions the meaning of fm as wheat. He writes that there is no
disagreement among linguists that fm refers to any grain used in baking. But, following
al- a ar, al-ls adds that fm was originally thm, the change resulting from the
transposition of the initial letter. Finally, al-lss preference is for the view that fm
means garlic.891 However, al-ls stops short of citing the variant reading. In this case,
al-Suys exegesis of Qurn 2:61 has had an influence on al-Shawkn, but not on alls.
888
889
Al-Shawkn, p. 102.
890
Al-Shawkn, p. 102.
891
Al-ls, Rh al-man tafsr al-Qurn al-am wa-l-sab al-mathn (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr,
n.d.) vol. 1, p. 434. References to this work are to this very edition except where noted.
284
To take another example, Qurn 2:126 appears in A del Haleems translation as

follows:
A raham said, My Lord, make this land secure and provide with produce those
of its people who believe in God and the Last Day. God said, As for those who
disbelieve, I will grant them enjoyment for a short while and then subject them to
the torment of the Firean evil destination.892
That appears as a dialogue between Abraham and God. Abraham prays for the
believers alone, but God answers that he will grant the provisions of this world to the
disbelievers as well. Al- a ar embraced this interpretation, and the canonical reading on
which it is based, attributing both the reading and the interpretation to Ubayy. However,
whereas the verse in Arabic identifies its first speaker, Abraham, by name, it does not
specify the subject of the second occurrence of the verb ql (he said). Following the
common interpretation, Abdel Haleem in his translation has identified the second speaker
as God. But could it be that Abraham uttered both statements, especially seeing that the
second statement begins with the conjunction wa (and)? If so, then Abraham prayed for
both believers and non-believers to enjoy the provisions of this life, as follows:
A raham said, My Lord, make this land secure and provide with produce those
of its people who believe in God and the Last Day and those who disbelieve.
Grant them enjoyment for a short while and then subject them to the torment of
the Firean evil destination.
Al- a ar had to address this possible rendering, for so the verse appears in a noncanonical reading.893 The verbs appearing in the first person imperfect indicative in the
standard reading are read as imperatives in the variant reading. Instead of, I will grant
them enjoyment (umattiuhu), the non-canonical reading has, Grant them enjoyment
892
Qurn 2:126; A del Haleem, p. 15.
893
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 629.
285
(amtihu).894 And, instead of, I will su ject them (aarruhu), the non-canonical
reading has, Su ject them (iarrahu). The exegesis of I n A
s, which al- a ar
reports, could only have been based on this non-canonical reading. Yet al- a ar
attributes the non-canonical reading not to I n A
s ut to Mujhid. Moreover, al-
a ar finally disregards the interpretation of I n A
s and castigates the reading of
Mujhid as eing shdhdh (irregular).895

I n Kathr repeats the discussion from al- a ars tafsr, expanding it by linking
the ideas to other Qurnic verses and adths.896 Thus he mentions the view of Ibn
A
s and the associated variant of Mujhid. In the course of his exegesis of the verse,
however, I n Kathr depicts I n A s as also holding to the common interpretation

which is based on the canonical reading.897 Yet I n Kathr does nothing to reconcile the
conflicting reports he provides a out the view of I n A
s. I n Kathr concludes the
discussion along the lines traced out by al- a ar. I n Kathr thus dismisses the variant
reading, saying, It is a reading opposed to the reading of the seven. Moreover, Ibn
Kathr argues that the reading of the majority (al-jumhr) makes better sense. He adds
that if A rahams speech were continuous, there would e no need to interrupt it with the
expression, He said. I n Kathr argues that the injection of that verb is justified on the
894
Although the translation has the object pronoun here in the plural, the Arabic has it in the
singular. This is because the Arabic implies the relative pronoun man (whoever) which is grammatically
singular in Arabic but is best translated in plural constructions in English.
895
Al- a ar, vol. 1, p. 630.
896
I n Kathr, vol. 1, pp. 399-400.
897
286
canonical reading, for in that case it indicates a change of speaker from Abraham to
God.898
The tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr left an unanswered question. How could
I n A s have held to the uncommon interpretation without also subscribing to the
non-canonical reading? For, the interpretation is dependent on the reading. Yet both ala ar and I n Kathr credited the reading only to I n A s student Mujhid. Given
that sequence of events, the exegesis of the master is based on the reading of his student.
Interestingly, al-Suy does not mention the view that Mujhid read the non-canonical
version of the verse. Instead, one of al-Suys traditions asserts that Mujhid read the
canonical reading.899 More importantly, however, al-Suy solves the logical pro lem.
After mentioning I n A
s exegesis of the verse, al-Suy writes: I say: I n A
used to read, fa-amtihu (grant him enjoyment), using the ver in its command form;
and that is why I n A
s said that the entire speech was that of A raham.900 This is a
rare instance in al-Durr when al-Suy explicitly interjects his own thoughts. He
generally says whatever he can by way of traditions, and holds his other thoughts to
himself. But on this occasion he felt compelled to correct the logical flaw he noticed in
the previous tafsrs. Al-Suy thus inferred from I n A
A
s interpretation that Ibn
s su scri ed to the variant reading. If al-Suy could have found a adth to state
this fact he would have presented it. Failing that, al-Suy made old to declare, in his
898
899
900
287
own words, that I n A
s uncommon exegesis of the verse implies his non-canonical
reading of the verse.

Al-Shawkn gave a balanced explanation of the two exegeses of the verse, and
the appropriate grammatical explanation of the variant reading.901 He copies all the
traditions of al-Durr, but not al-Suys statement that I n A
s read the variant. Thus
al-Shawkn copied the tradition asserting that Mujhid read the canonical reading, and
the tradition asserting that I n A
s held to the uncommon exegesis.902 But al-
Shawkn does not address the question of who read the non-canonical variant on which
I n A s exegesis is ased. Al-Shawkn prefers the view based on the common
reading: only the first part of the verse was uttered by Abraham. That, al-Shawkn
declares, is the plain reading of the verse.903 At the same time, however, he does nothing
to disparage the non-canonical reading.
After explicating the relevant part of the verse on the basis of the canonical
reading, al-ls credits the non-canonical variant to oth I n A
s and Mujhid.904
But rather than dismiss the variant, he shows it to stand on good grammatical and
contextual grounds. It is reasonable to conclude that al-Suys welcoming of the variant
reading of Qurn 2:126 had a positive effect on al-ls.
Another example will further illustrate the various approaches of the exegetes to
variant readings. Speaking of the Meccan hillocks al-af and al-Marwah, Qurn 2:158
901
Al-Shawkn, p. 137.
902
Al-Shawkn, p. 138.
903
Al-Shawkn, p. 137.
904
Al-ls, vol. 1, pp. 601-602.
288
declares that these are among the sacred monuments of God; hence there is no offence if
anyone circumambulates them in the course of performing the ajj or umrah to the
kabah. The verse continues to say that God will reward those who voluntarily perform
virtuous deeds. The verse reads as follows in A del Haleems translation:
Safa and Marwa are among the rites of God, so for those who make major or
minor pilgrimage to the House it is no offence to circulate between the two.
Anyone who does good of his own accord will be rewarded, for God rewards
good deeds, and knows everything.905
At first glance, the verse seems to regard the circumambulation of the hillocks as
optional: there is no harm in doing it; and one who does it voluntarily will be rewarded.
Some early exegetes took that view. But one only has to open a classical commentary to
discover that the said view was vigorously contested. Some early commentators held the
view that the circuits were essential, and that their non-performance would therefore
necessitate a corrective sacrificial offering.906 Al- a ar adopted an even stricter view
that the effort (sa) between al-af and al-Marwah were obligatory (far wjib).907
According to him, one who omits the circuits, whether intentionally or unintentionally,
must return to the sacred site and complete the rounds.908 To al- a ar, the basis of this
strict ruling is the demonstrated practice of Muammad which must be followed. He
argues that the verse is not giving new permission to practice the walk between the two
905
906
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 66-61.
907
The Quran uses the term awf (circumambulation) for both the movements around the kabah
and the movements in relation to al-af and al-Marwah. On the other hand, the jurisprudential literature
commonly refers to the awf (circumambulation) as being specifically that of the kabah, and the sa
(effort) as the strides back and forth between the two hillocks.
908
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 62.
289
hillocks, since that practice, once established, was never prohibited.909 The verse merely
intended to allay the irrational fears of those who hesitated to perform the sa (the effort)
between al-af and al-Marwah. Some were hesitant because, during the days of
ignorance, they used to visit those hillocks to worship their idols which were placed
there.910 Others, the Banu Tihmah in particular, used to have some unspecified fear of
the hillocks.911 The verse assures them that there is no harm in following the ongoing
prophetic practice. Al- a ar supports these assertions with numerous traditions.
Five of al- a ars traditions are of particular relevance to the question of variant
readings. Three are variations of each other. According to these three, ishah is
approached y her nephew Urwah . al-Zubayr. He suggests to her that the verse implies
the voluntary status of the sa. She denies such an implication. She maintains that the
implication would have been valid if the verse had said, It is no offence to not circulate
etween the two.912 But, as it is, the verse reads without the negation, It is no offence to
circulate etween the two. One cannot ut admire the logical precision employed here.
Given that the practice is established on some other ground, the sunnah of the prophet,
ishah would not rescind the practice on the basis of a statement that the practice is not
harmful. What she demands is a statement saying that omitting the practice is not
harmful. She seems unaware that the very wording she was demanding is supplied in a
variant reading credited to Ibn Masd and I n A
909
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 60.
910
Al- a ar, vol. 2, pp. 56-58.
911
Al- a ar, vol. 2, pp. 58-60.
912
Al- a ar, vol. 2, pp. 59, 62.
290
s, as is mentioned in al- a ars
other two traditions.913 But since al- a ar was aware of the variant reading, how would
he retain his position that the sa is o ligatory? He dismisses the variant ecause, That
is opposed to what is in the codices of the Muslims, and it is not permissible for anyone
to add anything to the codices.914 He adds that ishah, in the adth which we saw
above, rejects the variant reading and denies that the verse was revealed that way.915 That
of course is al- a ars inference, for, as we have seen, ishah in the adth in question
does not show any awareness of the variant.
Al- a ar takes another surprising step in his insistence on the sa. He now
addresses the hypothetical case that the variant reading is acceptable. Even then, ala ar argues, the obligation to perform the sa would not be relaxed. Why? Because in
that case al- a ar would argue that l in l jun (no sin) could be superfluous.
Normally l serves as a negation; but in this case it would carry no meaning. Al- a ar
supports his argument y referring to other Qurnic statements in which l is similarly
superfluous.916
Al- a ar now combines his various arguments. First, Muammad has taught his
followers to practice the strides between the hillocks. Second, even if the variant reading
was present in the codex, its negative particle is possibly superfluous; hence the variant
would not prove the voluntary status of the sa. Finally, al- a ar suggests that the
variant cannot be used as proof since it is contrary to the Uthmnic ductus, and reciting
913
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 61.
914
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 62.
915
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 62.
916
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 63
291
such variants would merit punishment for adding something to the book of God.917 On
this single occasion al- a ar has thus revealed both his skill in dissolving undesirable
evidence and his sternness in refusing undesira le readings of the Qurn.
I n Kathr has done much to fortify the view that the performance of the sa is a
pillar (rukn) of the ajj.918 The non-performance of a pillar would not be compensated for
by a sacrificial offering. This is the same position as that of al- a ar, though al- a ar
did not employ the same terminology. I n Kathrs intention is to align himself here with
al-Shfi, the eponym of his legal school.919 I n Kathr cites evidence from the adth
books, especially those of al-Bukhr and Muslim, to show that Muammad not only
performed the sa ut also declared Gods command that it e done.920 We have seen in
al- a ars tafsr the adth in which ishah confounds her nephew. Her nephew failed
to supply the variant reading in support of his inference that the sa is voluntary. Ibn
Kathr likewise mentions the adth of ishah. But, unlike al- a ar, I n Kathr does
not mention any of the reports of the variant reading.
The range of opinions we have come across in the tafsrs of al- a ar and Ibn
Kathr are present also in al-Durr. What is unique here, however, is al-Suys emphasis
on the variant reading. We have seen that al- a ar credited the variant reading to Ibn
Masd and I n A s. Al-Suy attri utes the variant not only to these two readers, but
917
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 63.
918
919
920
292
also to U ayy and Mujhid.921 The association of the variant with Mujhid is especially
interesting, for it was the standard reading that al- a ar had associated with him.922 AlSuys unique interest in variant readings is also evident from the sources he cites here.
Among his sources are A U ayd (d. 223/837), I n A Dwd (d. 316/929), and Ibn
al-An r (d. 328/939), all writers on the early codification of the Qurn.923 Finally, alSuys remarka le interest in this reading is evident from the num er of readers he
associates with it. Whereas al- a ar mentioned two readers; and Ibn Kathr mentioned
none; al-Suy mentioned four.
Al-Shawkn did not mention the variant reading. When he wanted to find some
support for the view that the sa is voluntary, he pointed to the final expression of the
verse which indicates that God will reward anyone who voluntarily does a good deed.924
On the other hand, he mentions a number of adths which, in the earlier tafsrs, support
the view that the sa is necessary.
Al-ls does his best to support the opinion of A anfah whom he refers to
as his imm. Al-ls writes that, according to A anfah, the sa is wjib (essential)
such that its omission would be corrected by a compensatory sacrifice.925 The ingenuity
of the interpreters in arguing for their partisan legal rulings is particularly striking in al-
921
922
Al- a ar, vol. 2, p. 61.
923
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 2, p. 92. The work of A U ayd al-Qsim b. Sallm is Fail alQurn, ed. Marwn al-Ayah et al (Damascus: Dr I n Kathr, 1995). The work of I n A Dwd is
Kitb al-Maif, ed. Muibb al-Dn A d al-Subn Wi (Doha: Wizrat al-Awqf, 1995). The work of
Ibn al-An r is most likely the now lost Kit al-mahif. See Arthur Jeffery, Materials for the History
of the Text of the Qurn The Old Codices (Leiden: Brill, 1937) p. 11.
924
Al-Shawkn, p. 151.
925
Al-ls, (2003) vol. 2, p. 527.
293
lss tafsr at this point. He argues that Qurn 2:158 did not mean to cancel the known
obligation. He illustrates the point with an example. Suppose someone missed the
afternoon prayer and now asks if he may offer the missed prayer just before sunset, a
time when unnecessary prayers are to e avoided. There is no harm if you do, would e
a fitting reply. That reply is not intended to cancel the known obligation to offer the
prayer.926
With such an acute interest in defending the rulings of his legal school, al-ls
cannot but dismiss the variant reading. He mentions the reading as that of Ibn Masd and
Ubayy, thus being content to mention only the two foremost authorities associated with
the variant in al-Durr. Al-ls then writes: It is not appropriate to use this reading in
support of the view that the sa is voluntary, since the reading is shdhdh (deviant). He
now continues along the lines laid out by al- a ar. The variant reading has no weight, he
writes, since it is opposed to the standard reading. It is possible, he adds, that in the
context of the verse the negative particle included in the variant reading is superfluous.927
Thus, for both al- a ar and al-ls the statement, There is no offense if he does not
circumambulate them, can mean, if necessary, the same as the statement, There is no
offense if he circumam ulates them.
In sum, neither I n Kathr nor al-Shawkn mentioned the variant of Quran 2:158
indicating the voluntary nature of the sa. Both al- a ar and al-ls mentioned two
readers of the variant, but dismissed the variant as being opposed to the canonical
reading. Al-Suy, on the other hand, mentioned four readers of the variant and said
926
Al-ls, (2003) vol. 2, p. 527.
927
Al-ls, (2003) vol. 2, p. 527.
294
nothing to disparage it. Thus it is clear that al-Suy was far more interested in that
variant reading than were al- a ar and I n Kathr. In the case of that variant, however,
al-Suy has had no success in influencing either al-Shawkn or al-ls to mention it in
a favourable light.
7.4 Variants Not Mentioned by al-abar and Ibn Kathr

I will now survey some of the variants which al-Suy included ut which oth
al- a ar and I n Kathr failed to mention. I further subdivide this set of variants under
two subheads. Under the present subhead I include those variants which also appear
either in the tafsr of al-Shawkn or of al-ls or both. I thus reserve for my next
subhead those variants which were included in al-Durr, but not in the tafsrs of al- a ar,
I n Kathr, al-Shawkn and al-ls.
The latter half of the Qurns first srah is a supplication. By reciting this surah,
suppliants ask God to guide them with regards to the straight path. Qurn 1:7 specifies
the desired path as being the path of those people whom God has favoured. The relative
pronoun corresponding to those people is alladhna in the canonical readings. But alSuy mentions the reading of Umar b. al-Kha and A dullh . al-Zubayr as
containing instead the relative pronoun man (whoever).928 Al-Shawkn reproduced this
information from al-Durr.929 Al-ls mentions this variant as the reading of Umar, Ibn
928
929
Al-Shawkn, p. 48.
295
Masd, Zayd . Al and the ahl al-bayt.930 On this rare occasion, al-ls has surpassed
al-Suy in shoring up a variant reading with reference to multiple authorities.
The standard reading of Qurn 2:102 implies that magic was divinely revealed to
the two angels of Babel who then taught people magic. In the canonical readings the
word for two angels is malakayn. With the change of the middle vowel, however, the
word becomes malikayn (two kings). The kingdom of Solomon was mentioned early in
the same verse. Commentators thus linked the events to Solomons kingdom, and
encompassed in their exegeses legends about him and his father David. Al-Suy gives a
variant reading which not only mentions two kings, but also names them as David and
Solomon.931 The implication of this reading is that magic was revealed to David and
Solomon. Al-Shawkn also mentions this variant.932
Qurn 2:236 declares that it is not sinful for a man to divorce his wife prior to
having touched her. But, as can be seen from al- a ars tafsr, some interpreters took the
word touch (mass) here as a euphemism for intercourse (jim).933 Supporting this
interpretation is a reading of Ibn Masd. The reading appears in al-Suy, al-Shawkn
and al-ls.934 Al-Shawkn said that he obtained the report from al- a ar. However,
the edition of al- a ar which I consulted failed to show the variant, and it seems that alShawkn actually obtained the information from al-Suy.
930
Al-ls, vol. 1, p. 156.
931
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 504; al- a ar mentions a variant that reads malikayn (two kings),
but not the variant which names the two kings. See al- a ar vol. 1, p. 528.
932
Al-Shawkn, p. 123.
933
See al- a ar, vol. 2, pp. 233-34.
934
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 3, p. 27; al-Shawkn, p. 219; al-ls, vol. 2, p. 230.
296
A segment of Qurn 3:7 has proved especially pro lematic for exegetes.
Depending on where a reader determines the separation between two statements, the
verse could e construed in two different ways. Referring to the Qurn more generally,
the verse could e saying, No one knows its interpretation except God. And those who
are well grounded in knowledge say, We elieve in it. Such is the canonical reading.
On the other hand, the verse could e saying, No one knows its interpretation except
God and those who are well grounded in knowledge. They say, We elieve in it. On
the canonical reading God alone knows the Qurns interpretation. On the non-canonical
reading those who are well grounded in knowledge also know the Qurns interpretation.
The non-canonical reading is mentioned across the various tafsrs. There is a variant,
however, which is mentioned by al-Suy ut not y al- a ar and I n Kathr. That
variant does not address the issue of where to separate the two statements. It merely
expands and paraphrases the first part of the statement, And no one knows its
interpretation except God. The variant, reported y al-Suy, reads: And the reality of
its interpretation is with none ut God.935 Al-Shawkn copied this variant from alSuy.936 But al-ls is in alignment here with al- a ar and I n Kathr who have a
similar variant ut one that lacks the word reality (aqqah).937 The variant in al- a ar,
I n Kathr, and al-ls thus reads, And their interpretation is with none ut God.938
Hence only al-Suy and al-Shawkn mentioned the more extensive variant.
935
936
Al-Shawkn, p. 270.
937
Al-ls, vol. 3, p. 137.
938
297
Qurn 5:62 censures those among the People of the Book who compete with
each other in sin (al-ithm), hostility (al-udwn) and the consumption of that which is
unlawful (akl al-sut). The following verse, Qurn 5:63, then asks, Why do the ra is
and the priests not prevent them from their evil speech (qawlim al-ithm) and their
consumption of that which is unlawful? Thus of the three transgressions mentioned in
Qurn 5:62, only two are mentioned in Qurn 5:63. A sent is the second of the three
transgressions: hostility (al-udwn). Moreover, whereas the first transgression in 5:62
was sin (al-ithm), the compara le transgression in Qurn 5:63 is their sinful speech
(qawlim al-ithm). However, al-Suy mentions I n A s reading of Qurn 5:63 in
which the first transgression ecomes their speech of enmity (qawlihim al-udwn).939
The variant thus involves a recombination of existing terms. Al-ls also mentions this
variant.940
In Qurn 5:101 God warns the Muslims in Muammads presence not to ask
about things which God has mercifully held back from mentioning. If Muslims were to
ask a out such things while the Qurn is eing revealed the answers will be given, but
such answers would cause the Muslims distress. The following verse, Qurn 5:102, adds
that some people did ask a out such things, ut then dis elieved in them. That seems to
imply that the people disbelieved in the things they asked about. What is more to the
point is that they disbelieved in the answers they were given. But the fact that they were
given answers is not explicitly mentioned in the verse. The missing statement was,
however, supplied in the reading of Ubayy which includes the words buyyinat lahum (it
939
940
Al-ls, vol, 4, p. 263.
298
was made clear to them). On that reading, reported by al-Suy, the people dis elieved in
the answers.941 Al-ls also mentioned this variant.942
Qurn commentaries generally link the story of the Satanic verses to Qurn
22:52 in which God assures Muammad: Even prior to you, whenever we sent
messengers or prophets Satan casts something into their hopes. But God removes what
Satan throws in. Moreover, God makes his signs clear. The verse mentions two
categories of recipients of divine revelation: messengers and prophets. But a adth in alDurr contains I n A
s variant reading which mentions a third category: muaddath
(an inspired person).943 In another adth in al-Durr, Abd al-Raman . Awf, a

companion of Muammad, explains that whereas the verse once contained the three
categories, the third, muaddath, was subsequently abrogated. That same adth,
however, gives four examples of such inspired persons: the unnamed preacher mentioned
in Qurn 36:20; Luqmn; the eliever elonging to the family of the Pharaoh (Qurn
40:28); and the companion of Moses.944 Al-Shawkn copied these two adths from alDurr.945
Qurn 22:78 says: Strive for God in all earnestness. But, al-Suy mentions
the following variant: Strive for God in all earnestness in the later days as they strove
941
942
Al-ls, vol. 5, p. 60.
943
944
945
Al-Shawkn, p. 1174. Cf. al- a ar, vol. 17, pp. 219-224.
299
against you in the early days. In a adth, Umar asks, Were we not used to reciting
[the variant]?946 The tradition appears also in al-Shawkn.947
The Qurns 49th srah teaches many aspects of social behaviour. Stressing
utmost respect for Muammad in particular, the second verse of that srah prohibits
Muslims from calling out loudly to Muammad in the manner in which they would call
out to each other. In this vein, Qurn 49:4-5 shows what would constitute unacceptable
ehaviour: As for those who call out to you from ehind the apartments, most of them
have no sense. If they had remained patient until you came out to them that would have
een etter for them. The exegetes identified the perpetrators of such impertinent
ehaviour as a group visiting from the Ban Tamm. Thus al-Suy reproduces a reading
which names the tribe of the uncouth visitors.948 The tradition which al-Suy presents
does not credit the reading to any particular reader, but characterizes it as being an early
recitation (al-qirah al-l). Al-ls also mentioned this reading.949
Qurn 54:1-2 read: The hour has approached, and the moon was split. And if
they see a sign they turn away saying, A continuous magic. The exegetes had to decide
if the splitting of the moon mentioned in the verse is a past or future event. On the one
hand, mention of Muammads detractors turning away in the face of a miracle, which
they characterise as magic, suggests a past event. Moreover, the statement is in the
perfect tense. On the other hand, according to the exegetes, the perfect tense could be
946
947
Al-Shawkn, p. 1180.
948
949
Al-ls, vol. 14, p. 212.
300
used to emphasize the reality of a future event. Moreover, mention of the approach of the
hour, a common Qurnic reference to the hour of Judgement, suggests that the event is
apocalyptic. A variant reading now weighs in favour of the event being past. A tradition
in al-Durr attributes to udhayfah the following reading: iqtarabat al-satu wa qad
inshaqq al-qamar (the hour has approached after the moon was split).950 The tense has
thus been changed to the pluperfect. Al-Shawkn and al-ls both copied this
tradition.951
One of the troubling issues for Muslims in the second century was the question of
how to define a eliever. Some of the Khrijites held that those who committed grave
sins such as adultery and theft ceased being believers.952 On the other hand, Murjiites
deferred the matter of the grave sinner to Gods judgement which will e rendered on the
Day of Judgement and only then ecome known to everyone. Qurn 55:46 says,
Anyone who fears standing efore God will have two gardens. In the light of that
verse, what is to be said of the grave sinner? The question is answered in a adth in alDurr containing the following variant reading: Anyone who fears standing efore God
will have two gardens, regardless of having committed adultery and theft.953 According
to that adth, someone challenged the reader of the variant, Surely the verse does not
include, regardless of having committed adultery and theft. But the reader insisted,
950
951
Shawi, p. 1703; al-ls, vol. 15, p. 117.
952
A.J. Wensinck, The Muslim Creed: Its Genesis and Historical Development (New Delhi:
Oriental Books Reprint Corporation, 1979) pp. 38-45.
953
301
This is how I heard the prophet recite it, and this is how I will recite it until I die. The
adth, including the variant, appears also in al-ls.954
Qurn 66:4 scolds two of Muammads wives for having divulged Muammads
secret. If they continue to defy him, the verse warns, they should know that God is
Muammads patron (mawl) and so too is Gabriel and the righteous ones among the
elievers. The Qurns exegetes, always eager to identify vague references, needed to
specify who among the believers were referred to as the righteous ones in that verse.
Naturally, for Sunns, A Bakr and Umar are two of the most righteous. In al-Durr, a
reading attributed to Ubayy includes the names of those two caliphs.955 Al-ls also
mentions the reading.956
In Qurn 108:1, God address Muammad, We have given you the a undance.
The verse contains a common Arabic word aaynka which translates as, we have given
you. Al-Suy mentions a variant attri uted to Umm Salmah, wife of Muammad. In
this variant the equivalent word is anaynka.957 Al-Shawkn and al-ls both mention
this reading. They justify it as being in conformity with an Arabic dialect but meaning the
same as the canonical reading aaynka.958
Some of these readings are uninteresting in and of themselves. However, the fact
that al-Suy included these readings after they were omitted from oth the tafsrs of al-
954
Al-ls, vol. 15, pp. 178-79.
955
956
Al-ls, vol. 15, p. 228.
957
958
Al-Shawkn, p. 1980; al-ls, vol. 16, p. 440.
302
a ar and I n Kathr shows al-Suys superlative interest in variant readings.

Moreover, the fact that some of these variants subsequently made their way into the tafsr
of al-Shawkn, or of al-ls, or both, is a proof of al-Suys lasting influence on the
tafsr tradition.
7.5 Variants Mentioned by al-Suy Alone

I will now indicate some instances in which al-Suy cites a variant reading that
is mentioned neither by al- a ar and I n Kathr before him nor by al-Shawkn and alls after him. In such instances, al-Suys unique interest in variant readings is most
readily obvious. In my notes, I will also indicate the comparable locations in the other
four exegeses where the absence of the variants is evident.
As we saw above, a variant reading of Qurn 2:102 turned the two angels of
Babel into the two kings David and Solomon. Another variant reading of the same verse
attempts to avoid the implication that angels received their knowledge of magic through
divine revelation. According to the standard reading, And they followed what the devils
fabricated (tatlu) about the Kingdom of Solomon. But Solomon did not disbelieve.
Rather, the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and what was revealed (unzil) to
the angels at Ba el, Hrt and Mrt. According to a adth in al-Durr, Solomon used
to talk to trees as he planted them. He would enquire of their therapeutic properties, and
the plants used to inform him accordingly. Soon after his death, Solomons knowledge
was written by the devils who then secretly stashed their book in the temple.
Subsequently, they publically retrieved the book, thus succeeding in convincing people
that it was the writing of Solomon himself. But the book which the devils thus recited
contained both genuine remedies and reprehensible magic. It was in this regard that the
303
verse was revealed saying, And they followed what the devils fa ricated a out the
Kingdom of Solomon . . . and what was revealed to the two angels. But, the adth
continues, it is mentioned that U ayy read, And what was eing recited (yutl) to the
two angels.959 Hence the word unzil (was revealed) has been replaced by the word yutl
(was recited), the passive form of the verb tatlu (recited) which was mentioned earlier in
the verse. The result is that the divine origin of the angels knowledge of magic is
rendered ambiguous.
Qurn 2:185 suggests that, on account of illness or travel, one may postpone the
fasts of Ramadan but compensate for the lapse by fasting on an equal number of other
days. The verse does not indicate that the compensatory days must be consecutive.
According to a adth in al-Durr, however, ishah says that the verse was revealed
with these words, A num er of other consecutive days. ishah adds that the word
consecutive was su sequently dropped (suqiat). According to al-Bayhaq, one of alSuys sources, ishahs statement means that the word consecutive was a rogated
(nusikhat).960
A similar insertion of the word consecutive was found in U ayys reading of
Qurn 2:196. The verse prescri es an alternative for pilgrims who possess no sacrificial
animal to offer. If such pilgrims are not accompanied by their families, they should fast
three days while on the pilgrimage and another seven days on their return home.
959
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 502; Cf. al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 519-520; I n Kathr, vol. 1, pp.
338-48; al-Shawkn, p. 121; and al-ls, vol. 1, pp. 536-38.
960
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 2, p. 247. Cf. al- a ar, vol. 2, pp. 179-189; I n Kathr, vol. 1, p. 467;
al-Shawkn, pp. 165-66, 167; al-ls, (1995) vol. 2, pp. 74-75.
304
According to al-Durr, U ayys reading specifies that the three days must e
consecutive.961
Qurn 3:159 tells Muammad to seek the counsel of his companions; and to put
his trust in God after reaching a decision. But that would mean that some of the affairs of
Muslims could be decided aside from divine revelation. However, a variant reading in alSuy has God saying, And when I have decided a matter for you, O Muammad, put
your trust in God.962 The result is that God decides instead of Muammad. Al-Suy
garnered this reading from I n A tim.963 Al-Shawkn includes a variant reading
that affects only the word azamta (you decide) of the canonical reading. The variant
reads that word as azamtu (I decide), thus changing only the last vowel.964 The result,
here too, is that God decides instead of Muammad. But whereas al-Shawkns variant
involves only the replacement of a vowel, the extensive insertion reported in the exegeses
of I n A tim and al-Suy is extraneous to the canonical ductus.
Qurn 24:31 prohi its Muslim women from revealing their znah except to
certain specified relatives and categories of individuals. The commentators explain znah
variously as beauty or ornaments. One of the categories of individuals to whom women
may thus expose their znah is their slaves, referred to in Qurn 24:31 as what their
right hands possess. But the verse posed a pro lem for later piety when it was thought
961
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 2, p. 365. Cf. al- a ar, vol. 2, pp. 296-304; I n Kathr, vol. 2, pp.
502-503; al-Shawkn, pp. 178-80; al-ls, (1995) vol. 2, pp. 99-100.
962
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 4, p. 90; al- a ar, vol. 3, pp. 193-94; I n Kathr, vol. 2, p. 797; and alls, vol. 3, p. 168.
963
Ibn Abi Hatim, vol. 2, p. 286.
964
Al-Shawkn, p. 325.
305
o jectiona le for a womans znah to be seen by her male slaves. A adth in al-Durr
shows two early exegetes, ws and Mujhid, expressing their anxiety over the morality
of the canonical reading. They say: The slave should not look at the hair of his
mistress. ws and Mujhid continue to say that, according to one reading the category
in question is, what your right hands possessthose who have not reached pu erty.965
The variant thus contains a lengthy insertion in which women are allowed to expose their
znah not to all their slaves, but only to those slaves who have not reached puberty.
Similarly, according to another adth in al-Durr, the first reading (al-qirah al-l) was
as follows: those who have not reached pu erty from among what your right hands
possess.966
Qurn 33:59 announces that God and his angels less the prophet. According to a
adth in al-Durr, umaydah says, We inherited ishahs possessions and found that,
in her codex, Qurn 33:59 says, God and his angels less the prophet and those who
reach the first rows.967 The variant is therefore an encouragement to Muslims to rush
ahead and join the first row when they congregate for prayer.
In Ibn Masds reading, Qurn 37:102 grants a rare glimpse into the emotional
state of Abraham as he informs his son of the plan to sacrifice him. The standard reading
is as follows: When the oy was old enough to work with his father, A raham said, My
965
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, p. 32. Both al- a ar and al-ls mention a variant reading of
aymnuhunn (what their right hands possess) as aymnukum (what your right hands possess) thus changing
the possessive pronoun from the third person feminine to the second person masculine. Only al-Durr has
the extensive insertion making the slaves pre-pubescent. Cf. al- a ar, vol. 18, pp. 145-46; I n Kathr, vol.
6. p. 2497; al-Shawkn, p. 1220; and al-ls, vol. 10, p. 211-213.
966
967
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 12, p. 135. Cf. al- a ar, vol. 22, pp. 52-53; Ibn Kathr, vol. 6, pp.
2841-59; al-Shawkn, pp. 1419-22; and al-ls, vol. 12, pp. 108-111.
306
son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream.968 According to al-Durr, Ibn Masd
read: When the boy was old enough to work with his father, Abraham, keeping his grief
to himself, said, My son, I have seen myself sacrificing you in a dream.969 The variant
thus exposes A rahams grief.
The variants under the present caption were omitted by both al- a ar and Ibn
Kathr but mentioned by al-Suy. Although al-Shawkn and al-ls generally copy
variants reported by al-Suy, on these occasions they a stained from doing so. Hence
al-Suys interest in these particular variants remains incompara le.
7.6 Summary
It is now evident that al-Suy had a much greater interest in variant Qurn
readings than did al- a ar and I n Kathr. Al-Durr mentions a large number of such
readings which occur neither in the tafsr of al- a ar nor in that of I n Kathr. If a
variant is mentioned in the tafsrs of al- a ar and I n Kathr, invariably it occurs also in
al-Durr. But even in such cases al-Suys interest in the variant is unique among these
exegetes. Al- a ar and I n Kathr often mention the variants only to disparage them. Ala ar sees the variants as a nuisance either to be explained away or to be harmonized
with what he deems to be the genuine reading. Al- a ar would often dismiss a variant
on the basis that it is not in agreement with the Uthmnic codex. Ibn Kathr would often
dismiss a variant on the basis that it is not among the seven canonical readings. Hence
968
969
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 12, p. 429. Cf. al- a ar, vol. 23, pp. 91-93; I n Kathr, vol. 7, pp.
2983; al-Shawkn, pp. 1494-96; and al-ls, vol. 13, pp. 186-88.
307
these two exegeses were themselves varied one from another in their treatment of variant
readings.
Al-Suys approach to variant readings is distinctive from that of either ala ar or I n Kathr. And whereas al- a ar and I n Kathr are unified in their
abhorrence for variant readings, al-Suy in contrast welcomes variant readings. AlSuy appends no derogatory remarks to the variants he reports. Whereas al- a ar and
I n Kathr usually deal with the variants as if they represent peripheral issues, al-Suy
mentions them on par with other issues affecting the task of exegesis. Thus al-Suy has
made variant readings central to tafsr.
Al-Suys superlative interest in variant readings is understanda le in the light
of the historical evolution of Muslim attitudes towards variant readings. By al-Suys
day, some Muslim scholars had reached a refined understanding of the relationship
between the Qurns seven modes of revelation (aruf) and the various canonical
readings (qirt) of the Qurn. The classical Muslim scholars agree that the Qurn was
revealed to Muammad in seven modes, all equally valid. The scholars could not agree,
however, on how to define the seven modes.
Al- a ar thought that the seven modes were seven readings of the Qurn, each
in accordance with a prominent Arabic dialect. He explained that in the early days God
facilitated the reception of the Qurn among the various tribes by allowing for its
recitation in accordance with the various dialects. But this facility later proved
unnecessary by the time of Muammads death after local opposition to the Qurn had
dwindled. Moreover, the previous allowance for multiple readings of the Qurn ecame
an em arrassment after the prophets death when lay Muslims egan to anathematize
308
unfamiliar but genuine readings. It was in response to this confusion that Uthmn
ordered the compilation of the Qurn according to the dialect of Muammads tri e, the
Quraysh. In his insistence that all readings now conform to his codex, Uthmn had
effectively abrogated the readings in accordance with the other dialects. Yet, according to
al- a ar, Uthmns drastic measure was justified since it was merely permissible, but
not necessary, to read the Qurn in accordance with the other dialects. Uthmn was
merely foregoing a permissible act for a greater good. Uthmn had to save the Muslim
masses from the horrible act of unwittingly anathematizing the Book of God.
Thus, for al- a ar, there remained only one genuine reading of the Qurnone
that conforms to the codex of Uthmn. However, al- a ar had no clear theory that
would accommodate the staggering variety of readings which conform to the codex.
There were multiple copies of the codex with minor variations among them. Hence we
may speak of a single codex in view of the relatively minor discrepancies among the
copies, or of the plural codices when it is necessary to highlight those differences. Ala ar was aware of variations among the codices, for he often spoke not of a single
codex but of the codices of the Muslims. Moreover, the Uthmnic codices were devoid
of diacritical marks and vowels. Thus the same consonantal ductus could be read in
several different ways. Whenever he was faced with a variety of reported readings, ala ar was compelled by his hermeneutics to determine which among them was correct.
Having done so, he would either dismiss the other readings or attempt to show that they
are not, really, very different from the accepted reading.
Al- a ars younger contemporary I n Mujhid wrote a book on seven readings,
all conforming to the Uthmnic codex, thus giving the seven a decisive advantage of
309
popularity over other competing readings. The masses, however, began to confuse the
seven aruf with Ibn Mujhids seven readings. But the scholars resisted conflating the
aruf with the readings (qirt). Nonetheless, by I n Kathrs day I n Mujhids seven
readings were so well accepted that I n Kathr could simply dismiss variant readings as
falling outside of the seven. Yet I n Kathr was reluctant to mention even the variations
among the seven. Like al- a ar before him, I n Kathr had no way of showing how
various readings can all genuinely represent the same Book of God. Variant readings thus
proved embarrassing for I n Kathr as well.
Subsequently, however, Ibn al-Jazar made better sense of the relationship
between the seven aruf and the various readings. He clarified the three criteria for the
canonicity of a reading: its agreement with Arabic grammar; its conformity with the
Uthmnic codices; and its trusted chain of authorities. On the basis of these criteria, Ibn
al-Jazar added another three readings to Ibn Mujhids seven. More importantly,
however, he argued that these ten readings are all within the ambit of the seven aruf.
Hence the ten readings are all divine revelation. He also accepts in principle that there
could be other variants which meet the three criteria and hence must be accepted.
According to Ibn al-Jazar, the copies of the Uthmnic codex were deliberately
varied so as to accommodate various readings. Moreover, the Uthmnic codices were
deliberately written without diacritical marks for the very purpose of permitting a variety
of readings. In this way, the Uthmnic codices accommodated the ten readings which are
remnants of the seven aruf. There are still puzzling aspects of Ibn al-Jazars
reconstruction, especially the claim that ten readings resulted from seven aruf.
310
Nonetheless, his acceptance of the ten readings as divine revelation set the stage for alSuy to welcome variants which oth al- a ar and I n Kathr dismissed.
All of the classical exegetes, of course, had recourse to the doctrine of abrogation.
With this doctrine they could claim that readings which do not conform to the Uthmnic
codex were once revealed but subsequently abrogated. Exegetes often mentioned such
readings, if only for the purpose of explicating the Qurnic text. Al-Suy had a special
interest in such readings, however, and he explained his reason in his Itqn. In that work
he argued that some of these readings represent early exegetical attempts and therefore
deserve mention over and above later attempts. Moreover, he explained that, whereas on
occasion al- a ar missed the point, varied exegeses of a verse, as reported from early
authorities, often stem from variant readings of the verse.
Al-Suy thus intended al-Durr to serve as a necessary corrective to the tafsrs of
al- a ar, and I n Kathr. Al-Shawkn and al-ls often use al-Durr as a source for
their own compositions. Hence it is not surprising to find in those two tafsrs many of the
variants which were excluded by al- a ar and I n Kathr but included by al-Suy. In
this way, al-Durr has had a lasting effect on the su sequent evolution of Qurnic
exegesis. Yet there are many variants which al-Suy alone of the five exegetes included.
Hence al-Suys extraordinary interest in variant readings is evident.
311
Chapter 8
Conclusions
I will now draw together several minor conclusions reached in my preceding
chapters and show that these point to a grand conclusion: al-Durr was composed as a
response to what Saleh termed the radical hermeneutics of I n Taymyah.970 Al-Suy
was intimately familiar with the Muqaddimah in which I n Taymyah delineates his
hermeneutics.971 Al-Suy copied much of that work into his Itqn, adding, That much
is from the discourse of Ibn Taymyah, and it is very precious.972 I n Taymyah
presented early exegesis as being unified; and later exegesis as being diverse due to
subsequent corrupting influences.973 In his view, such negative influences would have
been avoided if tafsr were restricted to the bare mention of the tafsr traditions reporting
the exegesis of the salaf (predecessors).974 This is precisely what al-Suy has done. He
composed al-Durr as a collection of early exegetical traditions. Only on extremely rare
occasions did he add a comment of his own, and then too, in the briefest of notes.975
970
Walid Saleh, I n Taymiyya and the Rise of Radical Hermeneutics, in Ibn Taymiyya and his
Times, ed. Yossef Rapoport and Shahab Ahmed (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010) 123-62, p. 125.
971
Muqaddimah f uul al-tafsr li-bn Taymyah (Damam: Dr I n al-Jawz, 2007-8).
972
Al-Suy, al-Itqn, vols. 3-4, p. 472
973
I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, pp. 59, 139.
974
I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, p. 140; al-Suy, al-Itqn, vols. 3-4, p. 472; Saleh, I n

Taymiyya, p. 142.
975
See, for example, al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 653.
312
However, al-Suy has adopted that formal feature for the purpose of de-radicalizing
tradition-based exegesis.
As Saleh has shown, only two medieval exegetes, I n Kathr and al-Suy, have
composed their works along the lines delineated by Ibn Taymyah.976 We have seen
above that on several topics I n Kathr has tried to keep the tafsr tradition within the
narrow Salaf constraints suggested by I n Taymyah; on the other hand, al-Suy
steered the tradition towards a greater openness. I n Taymyah had indentified many
corrupting influences, including Israelite traditions, f tendencies, and sectarian
exegesis. On each of these subjects, I n Kathr nudges the tradition in the Salaf direction
while al-Suy welcomes the very influences which I n Taymyah decried. Hence the
present work has shown that the tafsrs of I n Kathr and al-Suy took I n Taymyahs
suggestions in two different directions. Al-Suy maintained the formal features of those
suggestions; I n Kathr maintained their spirit.
Although he based his exegesis largely on that of al- a ar, I n Kathr omitted
many of the legends and Israelite traditions he found in al- a ars tafsr.977 Often he
would mention a legend only to lambaste it, especially to castigate it as an Israelite
tradition unworthy of Muslim belief. On the other hand, al-Suy included a vast supply
of such stories. In this regard he lost nothing essential from al- abars tafsr, but
included other legends from a wide array of early Muslim sources. Rather than dismiss
these stories, al-Suy often buttressed belief in them by appealing to multiple
authorities.
976
Saleh, I n Taymiyya, pp. 152-53.
977
See above, Chapter 3.
313
In terms of f influences, al-Suy not only surpassed the exegeses of al- a ar

and I n Kathr, but also the f tafsrs.978 Al-Suy introduced a number of traditions
depicting Jesus during his schooldays as the pioneer of allegorical exegesis. Jesus appears
in these traditions astounding his would-be teacher with esoteric interpretations of the
Arabic alphabet and of the letters of the Qurns basmalah. This type of exegesis is the
stock-in-trade of f tafsrs. However, f exegetes make very minimal appeal to Jesus
authority in their exegeses of the basmalah and of the disjointed letters at the head of
some Qurnic chapters.
Moreover, while fs generally see Jesus as a wandering ascetic, al-Suy
superseded them all in capitalizing on that image of Jesus.979 In his commentary on
Qurn 3:48, al-Suy presented a list of one hundred and four sayings of Jesus. These
sayings represent Jesus as a wandering ascetic and a wisdom sage. I could find no other
tafsr containing such a long list of Jesus sayings. Hence al-Suys exegesis of that
verse marks a unique moment in the history of Qurnic exegesis.
As for sectarian influences, al- a ar and I n Kathr were reticent to include
traditions that Shs could seize upon in their counter-Sunn polemical discourses.980 Yet
some such traditions are found even in Sunn sources. Al-Suy included a tradition
showing that, at the pool of Khumm, Muammad promoted Al as the patron of the
believers. He mentioned yet another tradition saying that during Muammads lifetime
some Muslims used to read Qurn 5:67 in a variation openly pronouncing that Al is the
978
979
980
314
patron of the believers. Neither al- a ar nor I n Kathr included these traditions. That
al-Suy would be interested in Al was again due to al-Suys fism. Al-Suys
Shdhil arqah traces its authority back to that of Al, as do most major lines of f
authority.
As a corollary of his support for Al, al-Suy also includes traditions critical of
Als political opponents.981 This was most evident in al-Suys exegesis of Qurn
34:51. The verse is believed to have been revealed in the Meccan phase of Muammads
career when a Muslim polity did not exist. Consequently, Qurn 34:51 is far removed
from the Muslim internecine conflicts that would arise after Muammads death.
However, early exegetes politicized the verse by linking it to the ominous prediction of a
certain Sufyn who would attack Mecca. The Sufyn is obviously a descendant of Abu
Sufyn whose son Muwiyah began the Umayyad dynasty in defiance of Al and his
descendants. It was Muwiyahs son Yazd who commissioned an army towards Mecca.
Their target was A dullh b. al-Zubayr who was rallying followers at Mecca in a
movement to counter the Umayyad caliphate. Al- a ar included a tradition about the
Sufyn, but was ambivalent about the worth of the tradition. Later, I n Kathr expressed
his shock that al- a ar had missed the opportunity to impugn that tradition. On the other
hand, having seen I n Kathrs disparagement of that single tradition, al-Suy then
supplied eighteen traditions reaffirming the premonition about the Sufyn.
One of al-Suys traditions on the Sufyn is extremely bold, for it shows
Muammad predicting seven fitnahs (civil wars), each associated with a major Muslim
981
315
centre.982 One of the transmitters of that tradition equated some of the fitnahs with some
of the chief opponents of Al. The transmitter thus names two of the fitnahs as alah
and al-Zubayr, the two stalwarts who had joined ishahs revolt against Al. Al-Durr is
therefore unique among the tafsrs for its inclusion of that tradition directing criticism at
some of Islams most revered personages.
In sum, whereas I n Taymyah was concerned that Sh exegetes had introduced
corruptions into the tafsr tradition, al-Suy was intent on including this variety of
exegesis. For, prior to al-Suy, the traditions depicting such Sh influence had already
made their way into Sunn sources. And it was now al-Suys method to gather
exegetical traditions from Sunn sources. The extent to which al-Durr thus favours Al
was not lost on some Sh writers who appealed to al-Durr in support of their position.
According to I n Taymyah, both the Qurn and its exegesis were revealed to
Muammad; and it was the task of Muammads companions to transmit to their
followers these two divine revelations: the Qurn and its exegesis.983 On the other hand,
al-Suy shatters this presumption about an early unified exegesis. I n Taymyah had
offered several reasons for differences arising in early and, especially, later exegeses. Yet
he failed to mention the simple observation that various interpretations of the Qurn
stem from variant readings of the Qurn. Al-Suy now offers that additional reason
one that runs deep: the Companions were not all elucidating the same text.984 The Qurn
was available to them in various readings. Hence their exegeses were varied, one from
982
983
I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, pp. 31-32.
984
316
another, at their very cores. Not only is the exegesis of the Qurn polyvalent; the text of
the Qurn itself is polyvalent.
Al- a ar and I n Kathr did not know how to accommodate the wide variety of
Qurnic variants they encountered in Muslim literature and among contemporary reciters
of the Qurn. For, how could competing readings equally represent the same book of
God? Both exegetes believed, as did Muslim scholars more generally, that the Qurn
was revealed in seven modes (aruf). But neither al- a ar nor I n Kathr had a theory to
explain how the seven modes resulted in the several readings (qirt) which they knew
were backed by reputable authorities. Al- a ar thought that only one mode remained
valid after Uthmns command to urn competing codices.985 Al- a ar therefore treats
the supposed single surviving mode (arf) as one reading (qirah). Hence al- a ar can
often be seen supporting one reading at the expense of others, for he must continuously
determine the single correct reading. Whenever he did accommodate two readings, he did
so after explaining that they are only insignificant variations of each other.
I n Kathr included even fewer variants than did al- a ar. At first glance, this
reduction in the mention of variants is surprising seeing that in I n Kathrs day Ibn
Mujhids seven readings (qirt) were commonly accepted as canonical. I n Kathr
himself accepts these seven readings, and often dismisses a reading on the ground that it
is not one of the seven. However, I n Kathr had explained that the seven (qirt) are
not the same as the seven modes (aruf).986 But given that the modes were all divinely
985
Al- a ar, vol. 1, pp. 34-35.
986
317
revealed, and the readings were not the same as the modes, I n Kathr found himself
unable to account for the origins of prevalent readings.
I n Kathr had an additional reason for refusing to reproduce reports on the
variety of readings he found in al- a ars tafsr: I n Kathr was following a directive of
I n Taymyah. I n Taymyah had cautioned exegetes against presenting a variety of
viewsexcept where necessary.987 I n Kathr thus aimed at minimizing the differences
in early reported exegesis. On the other hand, al-Suy aimed at elucidating this variety.
The genius of Ibn al-Jazar is largely responsible for al-Suys new approach
which rises above that of both al- a ar and I n Kathr. Ibn al-Jazar argued that
Uthmn, by publishing his codex, did not intend to abrogate the aruf; rather, he
intended to accommodate them.988 On this view, Uthmn excluded diacritical marks and
vowel indicators from the codices for the very purpose of allowing for a variety of
readings. According to Ibn al-Jazar, a multiplicity of reading traditions could thus be
accommodated on the same consonantal ductus. Moreover, Ibn al-Jazar maintains that
the copies of the codex sent to various cities were varied one from another, even slightly,
not as the result of copyist errors, but in a further effort to accommodate variants. Ibn alJazar thus argued that a wide variety of readings (qirt) were remnants of the seven
modes (aruf) which, according to Muslim traditions, were all divinely revealed. Based
on his criteria for authenticating contemporary reading traditions, Ibn al-Jazar then listed
another three readings to e added to I n Mujhids seven.
987
988
318
Ibn al-Jazars views are not entirely satisfying, for the number of accepted
readings now exceeds the number of modes. Nonetheless, al-Suy accepted Ibn alJazars views.989 Therefore al-Suy had at his disposal ten authoritative readings as
compared with the mere seven available to I n Kathr. But al-Suy had the additional
advantage of being able to consider all of these readings as remnants of the divinely
revealed modes. To al-Suy, therefore, the readings were not extraneous elements to be
discarded but divine dicta to be expounded. Al-Suy achieved a further advantage in
this regard by developing a special theory for the inclusion of variant readings in
exegesis. He argued that many reported variants are examples of early exegesis, and that
these therefore deserved inclusion in tradition-based tafsrs.990 By accommodating the
many variants he did, al-Suy was thus pursuing his own hermeneutic in
contradistinction to that of I n Taymyah.
The two tendencies, one towards tafsr by way of tradition, and the other towards
tafsr by way of reason, were always intertwined. However, I n Taymyah in his
Muqaddimah castigated the use of human opinions in exegesis. Thus he attempted to
delimit exegesis to the tradition-based variety. Responding to any such suggestion that
reason cannot be used in exegesis, al-Suy clarified in his Itqn that tradition and reason
form two tiers of exegesis. A qualified exegete is fit to apply reason after first taking
stock of the traditions. Al-Suy then listed fifteen qualifications of an exegete.991
989
Al-Suy, al-Itqn, vol. 1, p. 139.
990
991
319
Accordingly, the fifteenth qualification is gifted knowledge (ilm al-mawhibah).992 AlSuy then cites a adth to support the veracity of this type of knowledge. According to
that adth, if anyone acts according to what he knows, God will teach him what he does
not know.993 Al-Suy then addresses his readers directly, saying:
Perhaps you doubt the existence of gifted knowledge, and you are saying to
yourself, This is not something within the power of humans. Yet it is not as
dubious as you think. Rather, the way to obtain such knowledge is to apply the
means by which it is gifted. The means include good deeds and asceticism
(zuhd).994
That is how al-Suy defended esoteric knowledge in the Itqn. In al-Durr, he
continues to defend such knowledge, but in more subtle ways. For example, al-Suy
depicts Idrs as an extreme ascetic who has advance knowledge of Qurnic exegesis.995
In a bygone era, before the Qurn could be revealed to Muammad, Idrs cited and
elaborated on the Qurn as he debated with the angel of death. Idrs insisted on the basis
of the Qurn that he should not be expelled from Paradise. God, adjudicating over the
debate, declared in favour of Idrs.996 Through this story, al-Suy has established a
strong bond between asceticism and knowledge. The ascetic Idrs not only outwits the
angel, but also proves himself a competent exegete.
992
993
994
995
996
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol, 10, pp. 94-95.
320
Al-Suy has likewise proved the worth of asceticism and fism through the
wisdom sayings of Solomon.997 Solomon in all his glory is hardly a model ascetic. Yet
his wisdom sayings, as depicted by al-Suy, counsel the fear of God and other aspects
of f wisdom. Moreover, Solomon advises that one consults a murshid (guide) before
making decisions.998 Al-Suy could not have been unaware that the term murshid in that
saying would suggest to his readers a f shaykh. Thus the wisdom sayings of Solomon
serve to emphasize the strong link between asceticism and esoteric knowledge.
Moreover, al-Suy has related a tradition in which Luqmn, who was not a
prophet, is said to be a muaddath (an inspired person).999 In the traditions regarding
Luqmn, the link between asceticism and wisdom receives further emphasis. Al-Suy
gathered into his exegesis of Qurn 31:12 a corpus of fifty-seven sayings in which
Luqmn teaches a wide range of ascetic principles.1000 In recounting these traditions, alSuy was simultaneously defending both fism and exegesis based on esoteric
knowledge. It is interesting that al-Suy listed two books of proverbs among his sources
for the sayings of Luqmn.1001 Al-Suy therefore went beyond the religious sources to
collect wisdom sayings from the belles-lettres. For, such aphorisms had been largely
marginalized from the religious literature. Al-Suy thus gave the wisdom sayings new
prominence in his exegesis.
997
998
999
1000
1001
Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 11, pp. 629, 632.
321
In presenting such a large stock of wisdom sayings of Luqmn, al-Suy was

making the point that God bestows wisdom and knowledge on persons who were not
prophets. Al-Suy took that to be the general meaning of Qurn 2:269 which asserts
that God grants wisdom to whomever he wills. The tradition-based exegetes before alDurr tried to equate ikmah (wisdom) with sunnah (prophetic practice) in their exegeses
of several Qurnic verses. Al-Suy often agreed with that interpretation. In reference to
Qurn 2:269, however, al-Suy refused to abide by that interpretation. Al- a ar had
explained that ikmah includes sunnah; but I n Kathr later reversed the order and said
that sunnah includes ikmah.1002 Whereas I n Kathr reversed the hierarchy of ikmah
and sunnah, however, al-Suy decided to save ikmah from being reduced to sunnah.
Al-Suy gathered as many as fifty-eight traditions depicting the meaning of wisdom
not one of these mentioned sunnah.1003 Al-Suy was thus steering the meaning of
ikmah back to its literal meaning of wisdom, maxim or aphorism. To emphasize the
point, al-Suy included a maxim of Luqmn in reference to this verse as well.
Moreover, he included a adth in which Muammad says, If God intends betterment
for his servant, God causes him to understand the religion and guides him by inspiration
(alhamahu rushdah).1004 This adth affirms the bestowal of esoteric knowledge. Hence it
mirrors the adth we saw above from the Itqn. In that adth, Muammad says, If
anyone acts according to what he knows, God will teach him what he does not know.1005
1002
1003
1004
1005
322
Hence, in both the Itqn and al-Durr, al-Suy defends esoteric knowledge and its
validity as a source of exegesis.
Throughout this study we have attempted to identify the purposes for which alSuy composed al-Durr. A simple conclusion would be that he composed it for the
purpose of gathering exegetical traditions lest they be lost to posterity. Such was the
verdict offered by Geoffroy about the mission in life which al-Suys adopted.1006
Likewise al-Shur aj wrote that, in composing al-Durr, al-Suys purpose was merely
to gather as many exegetical traditions as possible.1007 Such a simple conclusion is based
on a superficial overview of al-Durr. Given our detailed analysis of the specific views
which al-Suy supported with long lists of traditions, however, a more complex
conclusion is now evident. Al-Suy was not simply collecting traditions. He was going
out of his way to find traditions on particular themes of interest to him.
In his epilogue to al-Durr, al-Suy identifies four early exegeses as models of
the tradition- ased genre: those of Abd b. umayd; al- a ar; Ibn al-Mundhir; and Ibn
A tim.1008 With these works available to him, why would al-Suy essay another
tradition-based tafsr? Al-Suy had noticed the tendency of I n Kathr to follow in the
footsteps of I n Taymyah in his disregard for certain types of traditions. Al-Suy
intended to steer tradition-based tafsr towards an openness that would incorporate the
traditions of the four model tafsrs which I n Kathr discarded. Moreover, al-Suy
1006
E. Geoffroy, Al- Suy, in EI2, vol. 9, p. 915.
1007
Muammad Yusuf al-Shur aj, al-Imm al-Suyi wa juhduh f ulm al-Qurn (Damascus:
Dr al-Makta , 1421/2000), p. 267.
1008
323
incorporated traditions from other early but largely neglected exegetical works of the
tradition-based genre, such as that of Ibn Mardawayh.
In my previous chapters it became clear that often al- a ar included traditions
which I n Kathr found objectionable. For example, al- a ar mentioned many legends
which I n Kathr denounced. Moreover, whereas al- a ar mentioned many variant
readings of the Qurn, I n Kathr mentioned relatively fewer traditions. Furthermore,
I n Kathr reversed al- a ars explanation that ikmah is broader than sunnah. In each
of these instances, I n Kathr betrays the influence of I n Taymyahs radical
hermeneutics. Al-Suy therefore turned the tables on I n Taymyah. Al-Suy defended
the legends which I n Kathr denounced; picked up the variant readings which I n Kathr
dropped; and re-opened the meaning of ikmah. Whereas I n Kathr pursued the spirit of
I n Taymyahs hermeneutics, al-Suy maintained only the formal feature of strict
reliance on tradition. The contents of al-Suys traditions, however, would be troubling
to I n Taymyah and I n Kathr.
I n Taymyah had presented a strong argument in favour of the tradition-based
genre of tafsrs to the exclusion of all else. Al-Suy took up the challenge to present a
tafsr of that form, but one that will defend fism and polyvalent exegesis. Al-Suys
method was mainly to gather traditions from the four model exegeses he mentioned, and
to add traditions from a vast array of sources that were not limited to the religious
literature. But his method should not be mistaken for his mission. In gathering this
diversity of traditions, al-Suys mission was to show the breadth of the early tafsr
tradition before the rise of later radicalizing tendencies.
324
In the foregoing chapters we have continuously traced the influence of al-Durr in

two subsequent major exegetical works, those of al-Shawkn and al-ls. Despite his
Zayd ackground, al-Shawkn was an aspiring Salaf whose writings, including his
tafsr, are welcome in Salaf circles.1009 Al-lss tendencies are likewise composite. On
the one hand, he adheres to some Salaf principles; on the other hand, he includes
allegorical exegesis in his tafsr.1010 Both of these tafsrs prove to be popular. The degree
to which they have been influenced by al-Durr is therefore a tribute to al-Suy. Both
works make ample use of al-Durr. In the introduction to his tafsr, al-Shawkn
acknowledges his constant reliance on al-Durr as a source of traditions.1011 Al-ls is
less reliant on al-Durr, but can often be seen copying its traditions. On a few of these
occasions, al-ls acknowledges his use of al-Suys tafsr.1012
I will recap here only a few illustrative instances in which I have demonstrated the
influence of al-Durr on these two tafsrs. Al-Shawkn copied al-Suys traditions on
the seduction of the angels Hrt and Mrt.1013 Al-ls was convinced by al-Suys
demonstration of the authenticity of these traditions. However, he interpreted those
traditions allegorically in order to avoid the negative connotations of the story.1014 Al-
1009
Bernard Haykel, Revival and Reform in Islam: The Legacy of Muammad al-Shawkn
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003) pp. 18-19, 143, 165.
1010
Basheer M. Nafi, A u al-Thana al-Alusi: An Alim, Ottoman Mufti, and Exegete of the
Quran, in International Journal of Middle East Studies, 34 (2002) 465-94, p. 472; al-ls, vol. 1, p. 538.
1011
Al-Shawkni, p. 36.
1012
See, for example, Al-ls, vol. 5, p. 282.
1013
1014
Al-ls, vol. 1, p. 538.
325
ls copied thirteen of Luqmns sayings from al-Durr.1015 These were subsequently

copied into the exegesis of Ibn shr.1016 Al-Suys traditions affirming that
Muammad promoted Al at Ghadr Khumm were copied y both al-Shawkn and alls.1017 Al-ls attempted to impugn these traditions. Finding himself unable to do so,
he switched tactics and interpreted these traditions to mean that Al is a friend of the
believersa proposition which Sunns wholeheartedly accept.1018 Many of the variant
readings of the Qurn which were omitted by al- a ar and I n Kathr were picked up
by al-Suy only to be copied later either by al-Shawkn or al-ls or both.1019 Those
are some of the ways in which al-Suy has succeeded in leaving a lasting influence on
the tafsr tradition.
1015
Al-ls, vol. 12, p. 126-27.
1016
I n shr, vol. 21, p. 169; see above, Chapter 4.
1017
1018
Al-ls, vol. 4, p. 287.
1019
326
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The Culmination of Tradition-based Tafsr

The Qurn Exegesis al-Durr al-manthr

A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements

Copyright by Shabir Ally 2012

The Culmination of Tradition-based Tafsr

2.6 Emphasis on Four Sources ...................................................................... 66

Chapter 5 ..................................................................................................................... 180

Chapter 8 ..................................................................................................................... 312

Al-Maall and Al-Suy, Tafsr al-Jallayn (Beirut: Makta at Lu nn, 2000).

I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, p. 253.

I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, pp. 258-60.

From al-Dhaha s al-Tafsr wa-l-mufassirn, a comprehensive overview of the

Ibid, vol. 1, p. 254.

Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 26.

Second, al-Dhaha s evaluation of al-Durr among other tradition-based tafsrs

Al-Dhaha , al-Tafsr wa-l-mufassirn, p. 254.

Al-Dhaha , vol. 1, p. 333.

Al-Dhaha , vol. 3, p. 143.

Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 36.

I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, p. 59.

I n Taymyah, Muqaddimah, p. 63.

The Itqn, vol. 4, pp. 469 and 472.

Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 36.

Al-Suy, al-Durr, vol. 1, p. 36.

The Itqn, vol. 4, p. 484.

such as Arabic is susceptible to be read, literally, in a variety of ways. An attempted

The Itqn, vol. 4, p. 476.

The Itqn, vol. 4, p. 483.

Saleh, I n Taymiyya, p. 123.

The Itqn, vol. 4, p. 502.

The Itqn, vol. 4, p. 502.

E. M. Sartain, Jall al-Dn Al-Suyi: Biography and Background (Cambridge: Cambridge

Neal Robinson, Christ in Islam and Christianity (Albany:

SUNY, 1991) pp. 70-74.

Todd Lawson, "Akh r Sh approaches to tafsr," in Approaches to the Qurn, ed. G. R.

Andrew Rippin, "The Function of Asbb-Al-Nuzl in Qurnic Exegesis," Cambidge: Bulletin of

My fifth chapter continues to deal with wisdom pronouncements, but now of

The Life and Works of al-Suy

M. Sartain, Jall al-Dn Al-Suyi: Biography and Background (Cambridge: Cambridge

E. M. Sartain, Jall al-Dn al-Suyi: Biography and Background (Cambridge: Cambridge

Sartain, pp. 25-26, 45, and 82.

Sartain, pp. 44-45.

, it is as a result of such activity that we now possess a stock of articles

and counter-articles depicting the dispositions of al-Suy and his opponents.76

Sartain, pp. 32-33.

Muammad . A d al-Ramn al-Sakhw, al-aw al-lmi li-ahl al-qarn al-tsi (Cairo:

Al-Suy, al-w li-l-fatw (Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 2004) 2 vols.

Shfi school.84 He writes further that he is an absolute attached mujtahid (mujtahid

Al-Suy, al-Radd, p. 116.

Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 205.

Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 209.

Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 210.

Al-Suy, al-Taadduth, p. 209.

Sartain, pp. 69-70.

Landau-Tasseron, p. 199, n. 32.

Al-Suy, al-aw, vol. 2. p. 104.

Al-Suy, al-aw, vol. 2. p. 104.

1.4 Disappointment and Seclusion

Al-Suy, al-aw, vol. 2. pp. 104-5.