The Concept of Iʿjāz in al-Māturīdī’s Tafsīr

Abstract

This article, derived from a thesis examining the notion of iʿjāz in al-Māturīdī’s Taʾwīlāt al-Qurʾān, offers a concise overview of Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān and presents the exegete’s views on the various dimensions of inimitability discussed throughout the history of tafsīr. According to the study, al-Māturīdī affirms the Qurʾān’s inimitability with respect to its language and style, its reports concerning the unseen, its capacity to address human needs, its composition, its content, and its immunity to alteration even by the Prophet. Although he does not explicitly designate them as aspects of iʿjāz, he approaches the concept in his views on the Qurʾān’s references to natural phenomena, its verses admonishing the Prophet Muḥammad, its ease of memorization, its spiritual impact, and numerical features. He does not address positions asserting that the Qurʾān encompasses all sciences or is phonetically miraculous. Overall, al-Māturīdī locates iʿjāz in both wording and meaning, giving greater emphasis to meaning.