A Translation and Commentary Extending from the Indian Subcontinent to Anatolia: The Transfer of al-Tafsīr al-Jamālī to the Ottoman Empire and Its Evaluation from the Perspective of the Science of Tafsīr

Authors : Abdullah Turhan

Pages : 347-370

Doi:10.33718/tid.1774742

View : 96 | Download : 206

Publication Date : 2025-11-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī (d. 1176/1762) lived at a critical time and place during the transition from the classical to the modern era. He was a scholar who was named a mujaddid (renewer) because his ideas were both traditional and innovative in religious thought. Shāh Walī Allāh is a figure who deserves serious attention for his works, ideas, and his struggle as a leader of reform. This article discusses the history of the writing of Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī’s Persian translation Fatḥ al-Raḥmān fī tarjamat al-Qurʾān and its Ottoman Turkish translation al-Tafsīr al-Jamālī, their transition to the Ottoman Empire, their translation, and the basic characteristics of the translation and commentary. The content of the work is examined from the perspective of exegesis. First of all, this work is important in terms of understanding the cultural relations established between the Indian subcontinent and Anatolia. On the other hand, the author of the Qur’ān translation is a scholar with original ideas on understanding and interpreting the Qurʾān, and therefore, the work, which is the field of application of his thoughts and claims, is worthy of examination. The four-volume al-Tafsīr al-Jamālī was read from the original edition, the information mentioned above was identified, and then the classification and evaluation processes were carried out. In the article, the document review method was used, and the relevant sources were subjected to a literal reading. The work is rich in material from the perspective of exegesis. In particular, it contains abundant information about the context of revelation, such as knowledge of the Jahiliyyah period and reports of the reasons for revelation, and a dynamic connection is established with the context of revelation in the translation and exegesis. In the translation and exegesis of some verses, interpretations that can be considered original have been made
Keywords : Tefsir, Fethurrahmân, Hint alt kıtası, Şah Veliyyullah ed-Dihlevî, Tefsîrü`l-Cemâlî

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