The Interpretation of the Fourth Part (al-Juzʾ al-Rābiʿ) of the Qur'an through the Prophetic Sunnah in al-Ṭabarī's Jāmiʿ al-Bayān: An Analytical Study

تفسير الجزء الرابع من القرآن الكريم بالسنة النبوية عند الطبري في تفسيره جامع البيان

Abstract

The interpretation of the Noble Qur'an through the Prophetic Sunnah (al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah) represents one of the most significant fields of Qur'anic studies, given that one of the primary functions of the Sunnah is to elucidate the intended meanings of the Divine Revelation. Consequently, scholars engaged in Tafsīr and ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān have devoted considerable attention to examining the Qur'an in light of the Sunnah.

This methodological approach is clearly reflected in the exegetical work of the eminent Qur'anic commentator, Imām al-Ṭabarī (d. 310 AH), whose Jāmiʿ al-Bayān relies extensively on narrations transmitted from the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions (al-Ṣaḥābah), and the Successors (al-Tābiʿūn), to the extent that his name has become closely associated with al-tafsīr bi al-maʾthūr (tradition-based exegesis).

This study aims to investigate the instances in which al-Ṭabarī employed the Prophetic Sunnah in his interpretation of the fourth part (al-juzʾ al-rābiʿ) of the Qur'an in Jāmiʿ al-Bayān. Through inductive and analytical examination, the study demonstrates al-Ṭabarī's extensive reliance on the Sunnah in clarifying Qur'anic meanings and in determining the most preferable interpretation among competing exegetical opinions.

The study concludes that, within the selected portion of the Qur'an, Imām al-Ṭabarī devoted greater attention to the linguistic and semantic dimensions of Qur'anic expressions than to juristic (fiqhī), legal-theoretical (uṣūlī), or theological (ʿaqadī) discussions.