Scattered Pearls: Exploring al-Suyūtī's Hermeneutics and Use of Sources in al-Durr al-manthūr fī'l-tafsīr bi'l-ma'thūr

摘要

Jalāl al-Dīn al-Suyūtī's al-Durr al-manthūr fī'l-tafsīr bi'l-ma'thūr is almost unique in presenting an exegesis based entirely on hadīth material, taking tafsīr bi'l-ma'thūr to the extreme. Since al-Suyūtī cites a source, or multiple sources, for every single hadīth that he includes in his collection, it is possible to gain some insight into his compositional method and the way in which he engages with source material. This article presents a statistical analysis of the sources in this exegesis, taking a sample of twenty-three sūras, including over 5,000 ahādīth. The source data is analysed and shows that there is a discernible pattern in al-Suyūtī's use of sources and that there is much to learn from studying this source data in detail. Al-Suyūtī's hermeneutical method is closely aligned with those of Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn Kathīr, and this article will also examine the extent to which al-Durr al-manthūr can be viewed as the culmination of Ibn Taymmiyya's approach to tafsīr.