A Tunisian Scholar Who Focused on Linguistic, Rhetorical Approach in Quran Interpretation
He was known for his stances against Westernization and tyranny.
Ibn Ashur was born in 1879 in Tunisia and was influenced by reformist scholars. He also maintained connections with contemporary reformers, including Muhammad Abduh, Sheikh Rashid Ridha, and Sheikh Muhammad al-Khidr Hussein, who significantly impacted Ibn Ashur’s dedication to educational reform in Tunisia.
According to Jamaleddin Darawil, a professor of Kairouan University, Ibn Ashur came from an Andalusian family whose ancestors settled in the outskirts of Rabat, the capital of Morocco, before moving to the capital of Tunisia. His paternal grandfather was a prominent scholar of the nineteenth century.
Ibn Ashur is regarded as one of the contemporary masters of Islamic jurisprudence. He was an interpreter of the Holy Quran and wrote extensively on Hadith, language, rhetoric, and the principles of the Islamic social system.
Mohammed bin Ali al-Shatwi, head of the jurists’ department at Ez-Zitouna University in Tunisia, says Ibn Ashur’s writings and proposals possess several distinctive features.
“He introduced a new theory in the science of purposes (maqasid) and, while writing his book ‘Maqasid al-Shari'ah al-Islamiyyah’, he decided to separate the science of the purposes of Shari’ah from the science of the principles of jurisprudence, transforming it into an important field without disregarding the latter.”
Darawil comments on Ibn Ashur’s approach to Quran interpretation, noting that the countries of North Africa recognize no other Quran interpreter than Sheikh Ibn Ashur.
“He based his interpretation on a clear approach, outlined in the ten introductions found in the first section of his book ‘Al-Tahrir wa Al-Tanwir’, where he emphasizes that revisiting the interpretation of the Holy Quran is a focal point for building a new and advanced Arab Islamic culture.”
One of the most prominent points mentioned in the introductions, which can be seen as a guiding principle for Ibn Ashur’s interpretation, is his belief that the fundamental approach to interpreting the Holy Quran is a linguistic and rhetorical one.
Al-Shatwi points out that Tunisia, and Africa in general, were already aware of the interpretation by Yahya ibn Salam, which was written even before the interpretation by Imam Tabari. “There were also commentators who had interpreted some chapters of the Holy Quran. Subsequently, Ibn Ashur’s approach to interpretation emerged within the context of the reform movement that the Arab world was witnessing and gained attention.”
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He adds that one of Ibn Ashur’s distinctive features is that before beginning the interpretation of the Quran, he generally outlines the objectives of the chapter. He does not proceed until he has examines the verse from linguistic, grammatical, and rhetorical perspectives. He also pays attention to the strong connections between the verses and employs his linguistic, jurisprudential, and historical knowledge in interpreting the text of the Quran.”
Darawil expresses regret that Ez-Zitouna University did not fully benefit from Ibn Ashur and has not remained faithful to his projects and ideas regarding freedom and enlightenment.
He emphasizes Ibn Ashur’s positions against despotism, noting that Ibn Ashur rooted the value of freedom and considered it a fundamental goal of legislation, as stated in his books ‘The Objectives of Islamic Law’ and ‘The Principles of Social System in Islam’.
Ibn Ashur passed away on August 12, 1973, at the age of 94 in the capital of Tunisia.
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