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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat 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.
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