As the book鈥檚 introduction notes, there are several works on the topic of Qur’anic commentaries but these do not draw on as 鈥渆xtensive a range of commentaries, both confessionally and historically, as this volume鈥. The聽Anthology聽is a reflection of the plurality of meanings that the Holy Qur’an itself allows for, and which have produced a vast and venerable tradition of diverse interpretations. In their attempts to discern God鈥檚 nature, the commentators inevitably introduced their own particular theological concerns into their commentaries. The resulting interpretive plurality shows the role and nature of text-reader interactions in the construction of meaning. Contextual introductions and annotated translations included in the work will allow the book鈥檚 reader to follow the genesis of key intellectual debates and religio-political attitudes that are still relevant to the lives of Muslims today.
The Anthology of Qur’anic Commentaries聽aims to make the reception and interpretation of the Holy Qur’an accessible to anyone interested in cultural and religious studies. The multiple volumes of the聽Anthology聽will, collectively, emphasise the historicity of聽tafsir, the fact that each commentator and commentary is a product of his own time and significantly shaped by the social, political and theological concerns of his day and age. The volumes are designed as a standard reference work and textbook for university courses, and also contribute towards a 鈥榤apping鈥 of how ideas, concepts and fields of knowledge have evolved along a fluid history to the present time. In the book’s Introduction, there is a valuable discussion of how the anthology can be used in teaching.
