“Ḥāshiya al-Shihāb within the Tradition of Tafsīr Ḥāshiya:
An Analytical Study of Methodology and Content”
The 17th-century Egyptian Ḥanafī scholar Shihāb al-Dīn al-Khafājī (d.
1069/1659) holds an important place in the tradition of Qur’anic marginal
commentaries (ḥawāshī) through his ḥāshiya on al-Bayḍāwī’s Tafsīr,
titled ʿInāyat al-Qāḍī and Kifāyat al-Rāḍī. In addition to being one of
the leading linguists of his era through his numerous works in Arabic
linguistics, al-Khafājī gained further prominence in the Ottoman capital
thanks to his commentary on al-Bayḍāwī’s Tafsīr. As a result, he was
granted judicial authority (qaḍāʾ) in various regions. His ḥāshiya distinguishes
itself by addressing previously discussed issues in a more systematic
and in-depth manner, while also offering original contributions
and critical perspectives. In terms of style, content, and methodology, it
exerted considerable influence on subsequent works of tafsīr and marginal
commentary. This study aims to examine al-Khafājī’s approach to
marginal commentary and assess his place within the tradition of tafsīr
ḥāshiyas. The work consists of an introduction and four main chapters.
The introduction presents the aim, significance, and sources of the study.
The first chapter outlines the tradition of tafsīr marginalia in the context
of Islamic scholarly writing, discussing its definition, historical development,
and key features. The second chapter explores al-Khafājī’s life,
scholarly identity, works, and the intellectual and socio-political context
of his era. The third chapter analyzes his ḥāshiya in terms of stylistic
features, methodology, and source usage. The fourth and final chapter
evaluates the work in relation to ʿulūm al-Qurʾān and the science of tafsīr,
offering a content-based analysis. In this section, comparisons are
also made with other well-known ḥāshiyas on al-Bayḍāwī. Furthermore,
the influence of al-Khafājī’s Ḥāshiya on later literature is demonstrated
through references found in the Konevī’s Ḥāshiya and in independent
tafsīrs written after him, such as those of Ālūsī, Qāsimī, and Elmalılı.
Keywords: Tafsīr; al-Bayḍāwī; Ḥāshiya, Shihāb al-Dīn al-Khafājī; ʿInāyat
al-Qāḍī and Kifāyat al-Rāḍī