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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | An analysis of Swahili exegesis of 'Sūrat al-Shams' in Shaykh Abdullah Saleh al-Farsy's 'Qurani Takatifu' |
Author: | Yusuf, Imtiyaz |
Year: | 1992 |
Periodical: | Journal of Religion in Africa |
Volume: | 22 |
Issue: | 4 |
Period: | November |
Pages: | 350-366 |
Language: | English |
Geographic terms: | Uganda Kenya Tanzania East Africa |
Subjects: | Koran Swahili Swahili language Religion and Witchcraft Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) tafsir |
External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1581240.pdf |
Abstract: | The term 'tafsīr' (explanation, commentary) refers to the exegetical tradition of the Koran. This paper analyses a modern Swahili 'tafsīr' of the Koran titled 'Qurani Takatifu' by Shaykh Abdullah Saleh al-Farsy (1912-1982). The purpose behind choosing 'Sūrat al-Shams' as an example is that it involves discussion about themes such as Allah's glory and majesty, the human disposition, and the institution of prophethood, pertinent topics in the discourse between Islam and the African religious traditions. 'Qurani Takatifu' is both a translation and commentary. Written between 1950-1967, it is an integral part of the phenomenon of Islamic modernism. The paper focuses on the discourse between Islam and the East African religions in order to understand how dialogue between religions produces a variety of new religious interpretations within a single tradition. The paper is divided into two parts. After a brief discussion of the Swahili people in section one, section two analyses Sh. Farsy's commentary on 'Sūrat al-Shams'. It examines how categories of beliefs, institutions, and languages affect discourse between religions. It also examines how the translation of the Koran into a non-Arabic medium has led East African Muslims to adopt alien religious terminology without compromising the fundamentals of Islam. Bibliogr., notes, ref. |