The Methodology of Al-Khāzin and Ibn ʿAjība in Qur’anic Exegesis: A Comparative Study .

Abstract

This research, titled "The Methodology of al-Khazin and Ibn Ajiba in Qur’anic Exegesis: A Comparative Study,” examines the approaches of al-Khāzin (d. 741 AH) in his tafsīr Lubāb al-Taʾwīl fī Maʿānī al-Tanzīl and Ibn ʿAjība (d. 1224 AH) in his tafsīr al-Baḥr al-Madīd fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-Majīd. The study identifies the points of similarity and difference between their methodologies and explores the extent to which each was influenced by the scholarly and Sufi environment of his time.The research adopts a comparative descriptive approach, providing a general introduction to both exegetes and their works, as well as to the methods each employed in interpretation—such as their sources, reliance on linguistic analysis, use of Isrāʾīliyyāt, and the degree of Sufi inclination.The study concludes that al-Khāzin’s tafsīr is traditional, relying mainly on transmitted reports and the sayings of the early generations, with limited spiritual indications. In contrast, Ibn ʿAjība’s tafsīr is characterized bycombining the exoteric and esoteric dimensions, with a predominance of Sufi symbolic interpretation. The comparison highlights the diversity of exegetical schools, ranging from tafsīr based on transmitted reports to tafsīr founded on spiritual