The Tafsir "Lawami' al-Burhan wa Qawaati' al-Bayan fi Ma'ani al-Qur'an" by Abu al-Fada'il al-Mu'ayyini (d. 584 AH) Correcting its Attribution and Highlighting some of its Features

Abstract

Lawāmiʿ al-Burhān wa-Qawāṭiʿ al-Bayān fī Maʿānī al-Qurʾān by Abū al-Faḍāʾil al-Maʿīnī (d. 584 AH) is considered as one of the Qur’anic interpretations that were recently verified. This study reveals a misattribution of the work to an incorrect author and proceeds to rectify that error.

The research also aims to introduce the author and highlight the key features of his methodology in his interpretation. This is preceded by a prelude that presents the manuscript copies of this exegesis and its scholarly verifications.

The study adopts a historical-analytical, inductive, and descriptive methodology.

Key findings of the research include:

1. The study establishes —beyond doubt— that the author of Lawāmiʿ al-Burhān wa-Qawāṭiʿ al-Bayān fī Maʿānī al-Qurʾān is the Yemeni scholar Abū al-Faḍāʾil Muḥammad ibn Ḥusayn al-Muʿaylafī al-Maʿīnī (d. 584 AH), based on conclusive evidence such as manuscript catalogues, marginalia on manuscript copies, and statements from biographical sources.
2. In his tafsīr, al-Maʿīnī adopts a dual method combining transmitted (al-maʾthūr) and rational (al-raʾy) exegesis, relying on the Qur’an, Sunnah, and reports from early generations, while drawing on linguistic, grammatical, and rhetorical sciences to elucidate meanings of the verses.