Tafsir : interpreting the Qu'rān : critical concepts in Islamic studies / edited by Mustafa Shah.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

V. 1. Tafsīr: gestation and synthesis -- volume 2. Tafsīr: theory and constructs -- volume 3. The scholarship of Tafsīr -- volume 4. Tafsīr: topics, themes, and approaches.

"Within the classical Islamic tradition, the field of Qur'anic exegesis, more commonly referred to as tafsir, occupies a revered place among the traditional Muslim sciences. Although tafsir encompasses various approaches to the explication of the Qu'rān and these include legal, theological, rhetorical, linguistic, mystical, literary, and philosophical treatments, it is the technical tools and methodologies applied in Qu'ranic exegesis and the history of their development which make the discipline so unique in its Islamic context. Given the significance of tafsir within the religious tradition, western academic scholars have devoted considerable attention to the field. This interest remains vigorous today and represents one of the key areas of research in modern Islamic studies. This collection of articles on tafsir provides a definitive overview of the tradition of tafsir in its early, medieval, and modern settings. "Tafsir: Interpreting the Qu'rān" includes works germane to the history and development of exegesis; materials which focus on the tradition Qu'rān's great commentators and their commentaries; articles which look at the genres, themes and contexts of the tafsir tradition; research on exegetical ideas, sources, and constructs; and, finally, articles which examine the hermeneutic tools defined by scholarship for the explication of the sacred text." -- from publisher's website.