The Methodology of Al-Kashf wa al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān

Abū Isḥāq Tha‘labī Nayshābūrī is an outstanding Iranian exegete of the fourth and fifth centuries LH. Tha‘labī has been so skillful in various Islamic sciences such as Arabic linguistics (including morphology, syntax (grammatical inflection), vocabulary, and rhetoric), Ḥadīth, exegesis, and qur’ānic sciences that numerous students from many near and far places attended his classes. Tha‘labī’s commentary is a comprehensive and valuable exegesis of the Qur’ān that entails the utterances and viewpoints of many scholars from various scientific fields. Since Tha‘labī’s commentary is largely comprised of the narrations by the Companions and even Ahl al-Bayt (a), it can be considered a narrative commentary. Tha‘labī’s reality-centered and fair spirit has caused him to present narrations from Ahl al-Bayt (a) throughout his commentary. This has caused some biased critics to target him with their criticisms and reproaches. Tha‘labī’s outstanding scientific personality and position has made the exegetes of the ensuing centuries to use his commentary extensively in their works.