Tafsir al-Manar (Arabic: تفسير المنار‎, lit.'Interpretation of beacon') is a work of Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir) by Rashid Rida, the contemporary Islamic scholar and the major figure within the early Islamic Modernism movement.^[1] The tafsir work can be fitted into the category of modern tafsir, which is distinguishable from the classical tafsir in the sense that it approaches to more contemporary issues through the broader scope of methodology it employs for the interpretation. The tafsir is also notable in the context of Islamic Movement, as it served as an avenue for Rida to profess and promulgate his ideology.^[2]

Content[edit]

Tafsir al-Manar was initially a collection of fragments of thought articulated by another pioneer of the Islamic Modernism, Muhammad Abduh whom Rashid Rida was a disciple of. Rida then edited the tafsir into more concise and straightforward phrase and languages that can be understood by non-mufassirs and layman alike.^[3] The style in which involves simpler vocabularies and avoiding the mixture of scientific language and stylistic language is what he succeeded from the Al-Azhar education. The tafsir spans to 12 volumes and dealing with the contemporary issues through explaining the miracles and eloquence of the Qur'an, timelessness and application of Qur'anic teachings and the prophecy of the prophetMuhammad. Regarding the methodology, the tafsir can be considered as a combination of both tafsir al-riwaya, a tafsir that employs the traditional sources, and tafsir al-diraya, a tafsir that employs augmented sources.^[4]

Among the notable contents in the tafsir, Rida preceded Abul Ala Maududi, Sayyid Qutb, and later Islamists in declaring adherence to Sharia as essential for Islam and Muslims, saying,

Koran 5:44 applies to `...whomsoever thinks it distasteful to rule in accordance with the just rules which God sent down, and does not rule by them because he has different views, or because he has worldly interests. According to these verses, they are unbelievers; because true faith requires obedience. Obedience requires deeds, and is not consistent with omission'^[5]

References[edit]

1. ^تفسير القرآن الحكيم ( تفسير المنار ) المؤلف : الشيخ محمد رشيد رضا شبكة مشكاة الإسلامية اطلع عليه في 22 أغسطس
2. ^Mir, Mustansir. (1995). 'Tafsīr'. In John L. Esposito. The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
3. ^تفسير المنار قود ريدر اطلع عليه في 22 أغسطس 2015
4. ^الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر من خلال كتاب تفسير المنار للإمام رشيد رضا مجلة دعوة الحق العدد 339 نوفمبر 1998
5. ^Rida, Muhammad Rashid, Tafsir al Manar, VI, p.330

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