An Original Approach to the Relationship Between Tafsīr and the Bible: Al-Ṣafadī’s Dialogue with Two Sacred Texts

Abstract

In the late classical period of the history of tafsīr, one of the rare commentators who utilized the Bible was Yūsuf b. Hilāl al-Ṣafadī (d. 696/1296). The question of how he utilized the Bible in his tafsīr is important for understanding both his position and the modes of interpretation within the classical tafsīr tradition. This study aims to identify al-Ṣafadī’s approach to the Bible, his interpretations based on biblical material, and his overall methodological framework. The context, frequency, type, and semantic scope of his quotations from the Bible are analyzed, and these references are evaluated through a comparative approach within the framework of the classical tafsīr tradition. Accordingly, the original and non-original aspects of al-Ṣafadī’s approach to the Bible have been identified. By establishing intertextual relationships, al-Ṣafadī interpreted the Qurʾān in the context of the Bible, and the Bible in the context of the Qurʾān. One of the distinctive aspects of al-Ṣafadī’s engagement with the Bible is his interpretation of it from the perspective of a Muslim exegete, ultimately contributing to the tradition of Biblical exegesis. The article aims to contribute to the scholarly literature on Qurʾān–Bible relations by identifying the nature and methodology of biblical references within the framework of Ṣafadī’s tafsīr.