Amin al-Khuli and his role in the development of thematic tafsir in the 20th century

Abstract

The article covers the biography, scientific and educational activities of an outstanding Egyptian scientist and public figure Amin al-Khuli (1895–1966). The aim of the study is to demonstrate the real role of the thinker in the formation and the development of thematic tafsir in the 20^th century. A summary of the information about the scholar and an analysis of his key work on exegesis in the form of the article “Tafsir”, originally prepared for the Arabic version of the Encyclopedia of Islam, allows us to conclude that the deeply grounded presentation of the thematic approach as “inevitably necessary and most adequately expressing the meaning” undoubtedly served as a powerful stimulus for the development of thematic tafsir, which was embodied, among other things, on the basis of the Faculty of General Theology of Al-Azhar University by introducing the corresponding subject into the programs. At the same time, Amin al-Khuli’s call for thematic tafsir did not consist of rejecting all previous experience, but was based on the use of those intellectual treasures as a basis for obtaining new results that meet the demands of the time.