Interpretive Possibilities in Al-Imam al-Jassas (d. 370 AH) in His Work Aḥkam al-Qurʾan: Their Types, Causes, and Methods of Presentation.

Abstract

     This study addresses the interpretive possibilities (al-muḥtamalat al-tafsiriyyah) in Aḥkam al-Qur’an by Imam al-Jaṣṣaṣ (d. 370 AH), clarifying the types of these possibilities, the causes underlying their occurrence, and the methods al-Jaṣṣaṣ employs in presenting them. The research surveys selected examples that illustrate each of these cases and outlines the views of scholars regarding them, in order to determine the most preponderant opinions concerning the meanings of the Qur’anic verses in which such possibilities are mentioned. The study is divided into four sections:

The first section provides an introduction to Imam al-Jaṣṣaṣ and an overview of interpretive possibilities in Qurʾanic exegesis. The second section examines the types of interpretive possibilities according to al-Jaṣṣaṣ. The third section discusses the causes of interpretation based on possibility. The fourth section explores al-Jaṣṣaṣ’s method in presenting these possibilities. The study concludes with a summary of its major findings and recommendations.