Comparing Tafsir Methodologies in Al-Itqan, Al Burhan, and Manahil al-Irfan

Abstract

This article discusses the differences in the definition and classification of the methodology of tafsir in the three main works of 'ulūm al-Qur'ān, namely Al-Burhān (al-Zarkasyī), Al-Itqān (al-Suyūṭī), and Manāhil al-'Irfān (al-Zarqānī). This study aims to map the meeting points and differences in conceptual emphasis on the boundaries of the terms of tafsir and ta'wil as well as the direction of grouping methodological tools. The method used is library research with a qualitative-descriptive approach and comparative content analysis of primary sources. The results show that there is a similarity in the purpose of interpretation as an explanation of the meaning of the Qur’an but differs in epistemic emphasis and formulation strategies. The discussion emphasizes that the methodology of interpretation in the classical tradition is not always present as a list of modern methods, but as a structure of scientific tools that direct the practice of interpretation.