SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This Thesis consists of a critical edition of Imam Raghib Al-Isfahani's manuscript "Durratul-Tawil Wa-Ghurratul-Tanzil fil Ayat-al-Mutashabihah Wal-Mutakarrirah". It comprises of an introduction consisting of five chapters the text of the manuscript with footnotes where-in the variants met with have been noted, and a list of subjects, chapters and verses quoted in the text. Chapter 1 of the introduction provides a brief account of the various manuscripts from which the text has been collated, their titles and the libraries. Chapter 2 deals with the authorship about which there is a confusion and this has been thrashed out. Chapter 5 gives information about the full name of the author, his life, his place among scholars and his other known books. Chapter 4 deals with his school of thought and establishes that he was one of the great scholars of Ahl-us-sunnah. Chapter 5 discusses the author's method of explanation as adopted in the manuscript and presents eleven examples of the Quranic verses which are rendered into English. They elucidate the similarity and repetition together with scholarly commentary by the author.