The approach of Mahmoud bin Masoud Al-Shirazi (d. 710 AH) in his interpretation of Fath Al-Mannan in the interpretation of the Qur’an

Abstract

Many copies of (manuscripts) of the interpretation of the Book of God are still locked away in manuscript libraries, and access to them and benefiting from them is still rare and difficult; due to the importance of these manuscripts and the abundant useful knowledge they contain, and to revive the great Islamic heritage, and bring it out of the role of manuscripts into the realm of circulation, and to verify it before a period of time passes in which it is completely lost or some of its panels are eroded as is the case with some manuscripts, and for this reason it needs someone to find a way to uncover it. The Book of Allah, the Most High, is the best thing for competitors to compete in reading, teaching and learning, because it is the source of various knowledge and sciences. Therefore, scholars, interpreters and researchers have taken care to study it and explore its meanings and secrets. It was truly a light with which Allah, the Most High, guides those who follow His pleasure to the paths of peace, as it illuminated the path of guidance and happiness for humanity in both worlds. Scholars lived contemplating its verses and extracting pearls from its rulings, acting upon its clear verses and believing in its ambiguous verses. From here, many came to the Book of Allah, the Most High, and the sciences of the Qur’an multiplied and branched out at the hands of scholars through research in the books that were translated by Qutb al-Din al-Shirazi. Through my research in the books of indexes and manuscripts, it became clear to me that its name is (Fath al-Mannan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an). I found this title written on the handwritten copies, after reviewing those who preceded me in investigating it. Authors usually begin their books with an introduction in which they explain the reason for writing the book, and some of the features of their approach in it, so that the reader is aware of what he is reading. The author explained the reason for writing this interpretation in the introduction to the manuscript, saying: “And after: This is a book that I have chosen for myself and for whomever God wills of His creation, from the books of compiled interpretations, in all of His compiled sciences.