A Brief Review of Classical and Modern Tafsir Trends and Role of Modern Tafasir in Contemporary Islamic Thought

Abstract

This article briefly reviews traditional and modern tafsirtrends and how moderntafasirhave shaped contemporary Islamic thought. Classical tafsirtrends, tafsir bi al-ma’thur (tradition-based interpretation) and tafsir bi al-ra’y(reason-based interpretation), are well-documented in historical norms of Qur’ānic exegesis. However, modernity, with its complex socioeconomic, religious, political and cultural developments, presents unique challenges to muffassirun(authors of Qur’ānic interpretations) to contextualise the Qur’ānic message and provide guidance to modern-day Muslims and their worldview. Complex modern Islamic thought is a selection of ideologies and philosophies that resulted from the prevailing diverse geopolitical, sociocultural and economic environment. These dynamic elements of modernity have conceptualised tafsirtrends into the textualist, contextualist, modernist, socio-political, scientific, thematic and feminist approaches. These trends have not only transformed contemporary Islamic thought, and vice versa, but also continue to collectively evolve to meet the challenges of modernity.