Ibn Kathir's Judgment of Strange Sayings in His Tafsir: A Comparative Interpretive Study

Abstract

This study examines the meaning of the term strange "gharib" as used by Ibn Kathir in his tafsir (Quranic commentary). The study covers the contexts and intentions behind Ibn Kathir's use of this term and compares his interpretations with those of other scholars.

Objectives

1. To determine the intended meaning of Ibn Kathir's use of the term strange in his tafsir.
2. To identify and analyze the Quranic interpretations that Ibn Kathir labeled as strange.

Methodology

The study employs an inductive, analytical, and comparative approach, which involves the following steps:

1. Collecting tafsir statements labeled that Ibn Kathir labeled as strange.
2. Categorizing these statements into tafsir-related categories and arranging them according to Quranic surats.
3. Analyzing these statements alongside those of other tafsir scholars and authors, comparing them to Ibn Kathir's views.
4. Consulting authentic sources of tafsir and language books relevant to the topic.
5. Employing scholarly citation practices in attributing statements and authenticating the Quranic verses and hadiths mentioned in the study.

Key Findings

1. The term strange has multiple interpretations and broad connotations. Ibn Kathir applied the label strange to certain narrations and interpretations in his tafsir. Sometimes, he used it in the sense of the hadith scholars, indicating strangeness in its transmission. Other times, he employed it to convey the interpretation's remoteness in meaning, its rejection, or its lack of credibility.
2. Ibn Kathir's classification of interpretations as strange interpretation falls into two categories: those with explanations and commentary, and those labeled as strange without explanation or commentary.
3. In the category with explanations and commentary, nine examples of Ibn Kathir's strange interpretations were identified. His judgment was correct in eight of these examples, while he erred in one. In the category without explanations or commentary, eleven examples were identified, and Ibn Kathir's judgment was correct in all of them.