A History of the Methodology of Quranic Exegeses

The Qur'an, the primary source of knowledge for all Muslims, containsuniversal principles. This Holy Book has been interpreted numerous times byscholars since its revelation. Despite being a single text, just 300 pageslong, the rich content of the Qur'an has afforded multiple types of exegesis,each of them different according to the capacity of the scholar, the conditionsof the time, and the mentality behind the approach. Great linguists tried tointerpret the Qur'an by following the guidelines of Arabic grammar while Kalamscholars aimed to establish the sound pillars of Islamic theology with theirQur'anic exegeses. Since the revelation of the Qur'an, which took place over aperiod of twenty-three years, some scholars produced thematic Tafsir books toenable an easy comprehension of the Divine messages by laymen. In order to drawattention to the fact that Islam is not just set of rules or acts to perform,but a holistic religion which combines both the spirit and body, Sufi mastersproduced many Sufi Tafsir books. In the modern age, scholars have tried tointerpret the Qur'an pragmatically and in harmony with modern sciences. In thisbook, Doğan aims to show the different approaches in Qur'anic exegesis andelaborate each method with examples.