Periodisasi Tafsir Courses

Periodization of Tafsir is an approach that some Muslim scholars have taken in order to systematize the diverse interpretations of the Qur’an. Tafsir, or Qur’anic exegesis, is a tradition of Islamic scholarly discourse devoted to understanding, interpreting, and explicating the Qur’an. For most of Islamic history, tafsir had not been subject to periodization, and the practice of tafsir had not been governed by clear-cut rules. However, during the brief period of the 19th century, some Muslim scholars began to systematize tafsir by periodizing it, an approach that is evident in the increasingly named exegetical works of early modern scholars. In doing so, they sought to develop a set of scholarly norms that would guide future generations of Muslim exegetes. This approach of periodization of tafsir is somewhat controversial among modern scholars due to the fact that it is said to limit and restrict the scope of tafsir to what has already been written. For example, by re-assessing the traditional explanations of ayat (verses) and developing new taxonomies and understandings of the Qur’an, modern scholars have attempted to extend the scope of tafsir further than the approach of periodization of tafsir allows. Despite this disagreement, periodization of tafsir has had a lasting impact on the discourse of Islamic religious studies, and has been accepted as the standard method of dividing and analyzing tafsir works. By emphasizing the importance of contextualizing tafsir works and their respective authors within wider historical and intellectual discourses, modern scholars of tafsir have paved the way for a more fruitful understanding of the complexity and contours of tafsir discourse in Islamic tradition.