AStudy of Oliver Leaman's Views Regarding the Sunnah and its Role in Exegesis

In order to understand some of the views of Orientalists about the role of the sunnah in Qur’anic exegesis¡ and the importance of this topic¡ the present paper aims to introduce and analyse the article entitled ‘Sunnah and its Role in Interpretation’ that has been authored by Professor Oliver Leaman¡ the editor of ‘The Qur’an: An Encyclopedia’. The author of said article mentions certain applications for the sunnah in Qur’anic exegesis¡ and for each instance¡ he mentions the related verses and traditions. Despite some noteworthy positive points that exist in this article¡ it fails to mention the primary function of hadith in a coherent manner with its classifications. This¡ along with the incorrect utilization of some of these functions in interpreting selected verses as well as reference to only wellknown Sunni traditions¡ some of which are solitary and fabricated¡ exemplify the weaknesses of this article that this paper aims to examine.