A Brief Introduction to Quranic Exegesis

Abstract

Ali Suleiman Ali’s A Brief Introduction to Quranic Exegesis provides a lucidsummary of the Quranic exegetical genre, beginning with the exegeticalpractices of the Prophet’s Companions and concluding with modern exegeticaltrends. Drawing largely from classical Sunni literature, Ali’s work isconfessional but nonetheless conversant with Orientalist examinations andcritical treatments of the tradition. In his introduction, Ali states that heintended to provide something “brief and descriptive not analytical,” whichis an accurate characterization of the work. It is considerably more detailedthan the cursory summary included in Von Denffer’s popular Ulumal-Quran, while retaining an accessibility for undergraduate and graduatestudents gaining initial exposure to the Quranic text and its concomitantexplanations ...