Abū al-Suʿūd (Ebüssuʿūd) Efendi’s Tafsīr with its Style and Content from Ḥāshiya to Tafsīr: In the Context of the First Verse of Sūrah al-Baqara
Muhammed İsa YüksekZamakhsharī’s (d. 538/1144) masterpiece al-Kashshāf, written by adapting the theory of versification (naẓm) of ʿAbd al-Ḳāhir al-Jurjānī (d. 476/1078-79), has been the source of literature that emphasizes literary-poetic analysis in exegesis. Systematic sharḥ writing in exegesis began with the sharḥs on al Kashshāf. One of the most magnificent works of this literature, which relates the i‘jāz of the Qur’ān to its versification (naẓm) features, is al-Bayḍāwī’s Tafsīr. Abu ’l-Suʿūd’s (d. 982/1574) Irshād al-ʿaḳl al-ṣalīm is a carefully constructed synthesis of al-Kashshāf and Anwār al-tanzīl. Nevertheless, it can be said that Irshād occupies an exceptional place in the literary-grammatical exegetical tradition that Zamakhsharī shaped. For, when carefully examined, it is seen that Irshād was written by taking into account the determinations, analyses, and discussions made in the commentaries-ḥāshiyas written on al-Kashshāf and Anwār al-tanzīl. As a matter of fact, a careful examination of Irshād reveals that it hides in its background a tradition that shaped the emergence of this text. The problematic aspect of this research is determined considering modern criticisms of the commentary-ḥāshiya literature and the claim that Irshād is not original. This study is limited to the first verse of Sūrah al-Baqarah, which consists of al- ḥurūf al- muḳaṭṭaʿa. Indeed, in its formal aspects, this verse constitutes a specific example through which the authors’ original determinations and interactions can be traced. In this study, the exegesis of the first verse of Sūrah al-Baqarah by Zamakhsharī and Bayzāwī is analyzed using the discourse analysis method. Then, the determinations in the sharḥs of al-Kashshāf and Anwār al-tanzīl are analyzed with discourse and process analysis methods. Finally, Abūssuūd’s exegesis of this verse is analyzed using the content analysis method. The study concludes that Irshād has a unique style and approach that extends from commentary to commentary.
Hâşiyeden Telife Uzanan Üslûp ve Muhtevasıyla Ebüssuûd Tefsiri: Bakara Sûresinin Birinci Âyeti Bağlamında
Muhammed İsa YüksekZemahşerî’nin (ö. 538/1144) Abdülkâhir el-Cürcânî’nin (ö. 476/1078 79) nazım teorisini uyarlayarak kaleme aldığı başyapıtı el-Keşşâf, edebî belâgî analizlerle öne çıkan tefsir literatürüne kaynaklık etmiştir. Kur’ân’ın i‘câzını nazım-dizgi özellikleriyle ilişkilendiren bu literatürün en görkemli eserlerinden birisi de Beyzâvî’nin Envârü’t-tenzîl’idir. Tefsir ilminde sistematik şerh yazımı el-Keşşâf üzerine telif edilen şerhlerle başlamış, Envârü’t tenzîl’e yazılan şerh ve hâşiyelerle geleneğe dönüşmüştür. Ebüssuûd’un (ö. 982/1574) İrşâdü’l-ʿakli’s-selîm isimli eseri ise el-Keşşâf’ın ve Envârü’t tenzîl’in özenle kurgulanmış sentezinden ibarettir. Bununla birlikte İrşâd’ın Zemahşerî’nin yön verdiği edebî-belâgî tefsir geleneğinde müstesna bir yere sahip olduğu söylenebilir. Zira dikkatle incelendiğinde İrşâd’ın, el-Keşşâf ve Envârü’t-tenzîl tefsirleri üzerine yazılmış olan şerhlerde-haşiyelerde yapılan tespitler, analizler ve tartışmalar dikkate alınarak telif edildiği görülür. Bu araştırmanın sorunsalı modern dönemde şerh-hâşiye literatürüyle alakalı yapılan eleştiriler ve İrşâd’ın orijinal olmadığı iddiası muvacehesinde belirlenmiştir. Araştırma hurûf-ı mukattaadan oluşan Bakara sûresinin birinci âyeti ile sınırlandırılmıştır. Zira bu âyet formel-teorik yönleriyle, müelliflerin özgün tespitlerinin ve etkileşimlerinin izlenebileceği spesifik bir örnek teşkil etmektedir. Öncelikle Zemahşerî ve Beyzâvî’nin Bakara sûresi birinci âyeti tefsirlerinin söylem analizi yöntemiyle, ardından el-Keşşâf ve Envârü’t tenzîl şerhlerindeki-hâşiyelerindeki tespitlerin söylem ve süreç analizi yöntemleriyle incelendiği, son olarak da Ebüssuûd’un bu âyete yaptığı tefsirin içerik analiziyle ele alındığı araştırmada İrşâd’ın hâşiyeden telife uzanan özgün bir üslûp ve kurguya sahip olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.
The linguistic exegesis movement began to develop in the late second and early third centuries. In the works written during this period, the linguistic features of the Qur’ān were analyzed, especially the expressions and verses that were difficult to understand. From the same years onwards, questions were raised regarding the miraculous nature of the Qur’an (i‘jāz), and various works were written on the subject. ‘Abd al-Qāhir al-Jurjānī (d. 476/1078-79) theorized this claim by saying that i‘jāz of the Qur’ān is in its verse structure. Zamakhsharī (d. 538/1144) adapted this theory to exegesis in his work al-Kashshāf. Zamakhsharī’s al-Kashshāf was a turning point in linguistic exegesis and established a tradition. Al-Bayḍāwī’s Anwār al-tanzīl is one of the most famous tafsīr based on al-Kashshāf. Systematic sharḥ writing in the field of tafsīr began with the sharḥs on al-Kashshāf and turned into a tradition with the sharḥs on Anwār al-tanzīl. Al-Bayzāwī’s tafsīr became the work on which the most sharḥ were written in the Ottoman tafsīr tradition.
In the tradition of sharḥ, commentators served as guides for constituent texts by explaining the words, concepts, and expressions used by the author in the main text, clarifying obscure phrases, and contributing to the reader’s comprehension of these texts. Commentaries have various functions: In these works, the commentators elaborate on issues that the author did not elaborate on, present the reasons for the determinations made in the work, and analyze objections that may be directed against these determinations. The commenters, who also evaluated the analyzed opinions in terms of the author’s school affiliations and the internal consistency of the work, endeavored to reflect the author’s views objectively and enabled the deciphering of implicit presuppositions. When all these aspects are considered, it is seen that sharḥs add value to the tradition of Islamic thought and science and offer a framework to prove scholarly intellectual innovations and depth. However, in modern times, the period of sharḥ has been criticized by some scholars as a process of introversion, rumination, intellectual rupture, and scholarly narrowing.
One of the most essential works in the field of linguistic exegesis within the Ottoman exegetical heritage is Irshād al-ʿaḳl al-ṣalīm ilā mezāya al-Qitāb al-qarīm by Abūssuūd Efendi (d. 982/1574). In the introduction to his tafsīr, Abūssuūd Efendi states that he compiled his work from the tafsīr works of Zamakhsharī and Bayzāwī. However, Irshād al-ʿaḳl al-ṣalīm has features that can comprehended solely through careful analysis. This is not only a synthesis of Kashshāf and Anwār al-tanzīl, but also contains information from the commentaries on these two texts. It also contains implicit references, hidden signs, and allusions.
The problematic aspect of this research is based on the criticisms of the sharḥ literature in the modern period and the claim that Abūssuūd’s tafsīr is not original. In this study, it is predicted that Abūssuūd wrote his tafsīr by taking into account the knowledge accumulated in the sharḥs, and that he brought the scholarly depth acquired during the period of the sharḥs to the tafsīr, thus constituting a very important place in terms of the tradition of tafsīr writing in the Ottoman period. This claim implies a paradigmatic shift in the Ottoman tafsīr writing tradition. In this study, the first verse of Sūrah al-Baqarah was chosen as the sample. This is because this verse comprises hurūf al-muqatta. “Hurūf al-muqattaa is a complex theoretical issue with various aspects to consider. It involves discussions about the intelligibility of speech, the Quran’s challenge to people through its verses, and its impact on them.” The most detailed analysis of the hurūf al-muqattaa is usually found in the first verse of Sūrah al-Baqarah. These features make the hurūf al-muqattaa an important example that should be consulted to trace the fictional and theoretical similarities and divergences of the texts of Zamakhsharī, Bayzāwī and Abūssuūd. In this context, this study first analyzes how Zamakhsharī and al-Bayzāwī interpreted this verse through discourse analysis, then discusses the discussions in the sharḥs that are thought to have influenced Abūssuūd’s text through discourse and process analysis, and finally analyzes Abūssuūd’s text through discourse and content analysis.
This study, conducted within the framework of the first verse of Sūrah al-Baqarah, has shown that Abūssuūd clarified the ambiguous issues in his tafsīr, constructed a terminological structure in accordance with his preferred view, and identified the main themes and super subheadings. In this context, it can be said that the most unique aspect of Irshād al-ʿaḳl al ṣalīm, which contains implicit references to the information in the sharḥs, is that it brings the vertical knowledge gained in the sharḥ tradition to the horizontal plane. This means that the efforts made in understanding and analyzing Zamakhsharī and al-Bayḍāwī’s determinations during the sharḥ period, which some scholars consider stagnant, are directly related to the words of the verse and are included in the literature.
