Al-Qushayri's approach to presenting and guiding readings in his book Al-Taysir fi 'Ilm al-Tafsir: A foundational study

Abstract

This research deals with Al-Qushayri’s approach to presenting and interpreting the various types of readings, through an applied study of a number of verses that mention Qur’anic readings, whether they are transmitted or anomalous, while explaining his approach to interpretation and his methods in that regard.This research seeks to examine the extent to which al-Qushayri paid attention to including and interpreting variant readings in his exegesis, and how he employed this interpretation, both linguistically and semantically.The research concluded with several key findings, most notably:That al-Qushayri took great care in mentioning, interpreting, and applying both the canonical and variant readings in his exegesis of the verse.His reliance on the readings of the Companions in explaining the meaning of the verse.Al-Qushayri employed various methods in explaining the readings, sometimes focusing on the script of the Quran, other times on the diversity of languages, and so forth.Al-Qushayri applied this explanation in his exegesis, supporting his interpretation with the consensus of the commentators or the majority opinion.Among the most important recommendations I made was to study the majority readings in al-Qushayri's work, especially since they appear in some instances where he explains the different readings, and undoubtedly in various other parts of his commentary.