This chapter traces the historical evolution of Quar'anic exegesis or tafsīr, particularly the Sunni tafsīr where Maḥmūd Shaltūt's work has focused. The earliest tafsīr was characterized by brevity and simplicity and its evolution was influenced by the works of Muhammad Abduh. His work was continued by Muhammad Mustafa al-Maraghi and Rashid Rida. There are now different styles of tafsīr in contemporary Islam. These include the thematic approach pioneered by Abduh, the aesthetic approach that involves a greater degree of subjectivity, and the psychological approach, which refers to the effect...

This chapter traces the historical evolution of Quar'anic exegesis or tafsīr, particularly the Sunni tafsīr where Maḥmūd Shaltūt's work has focused. The earliest tafsīr was characterized by brevity and simplicity and its evolution was influenced by the works of Muhammad Abduh. His work was continued by Muhammad Mustafa al-Maraghi and Rashid Rida. There are now different styles of tafsīr in contemporary Islam. These include the thematic approach pioneered by Abduh, the aesthetic approach that involves a greater degree of subjectivity, and the psychological approach, which refers to the effect of certain rhetorical features of the Qur'ān.