Takhaṣṣuṣ fī al-Tafsīr

Background

Completion of the Takhaṣṣuṣ fī al-Tafsīr program will provide students with the classical and contemporary tools to study, understand, and contribute to the primary and secondary sources of the vigorous science of tafsīr.

Program Name & Objective

Takhaṣṣuṣ fi al-Tafsīr: Specialization in Qurʾānic Exegesis, Post-Advanced Program

Length

One full year (Fall, Spring, Short-term)

Four courses in the Fall semester
Four courses in the Spring semester
Three courses in the Short-term semester

Eligibility/Prerequisites

Completion of the Advanced program of studies at Darul Qasim or equivalent. Placement assessments will be given to all incoming students.

What You Will Gain

Over the course of one year, students will study closely with tafsīr specialists and acquire knowledge and skills that will aid them in:

Describing the historical context and dynamic nature of exegetes (muffasirūn) and their tafsīrs
Articulating the methodologies, philosophies, and models of influential exegetes and tafsīr genres
Developing appropriate academic responses to modern Qurʾānic questions
Explaining the impact of tafsīr on fiqh, ʿaqīdah, lugha, manṭiq, and other sciences
Designing resources that enhance tafsīr research and study
Evaluating current resources and tools that facilitate tafsīr research
Deriving principles (ʿuṣūl) from classical tafsīrs and applying them to contemporary tafsīrs
Demonstrating teaching and learning standards in relation to re-presenting tafsīr

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What to Expect

The Takhaṣṣuṣ fī al-Tafsīr program builds on the Advanced Islamic Law & Islamic Theology program which elucidates the link between the derivatives (furūʾ) of Islam and their primary sources (uṣūl). In this rigorous one-year program, students will learn through classroom lectures, discussions, and unique project-based education the skillsets needed to read, interpret, and contribute to the field of tafsīr. Assignments will also lead to participation in professional tafsīr-related activities and associations such as conferences, internships, and practicums.

The program comes to a completion by researching and documenting the Takhaṣṣuṣ fi al-Tafsīr learning goals and outcomes which are discussed in the course description and syllabi for each class.

What Darul Qasim Believes & Delivers

It is vital that people have access to a source of Islamic knowledge that is authentic, reliable and relevant. Much like any other discipline (religious or secular), knowledge is a trust and must reside with scholarship. Scholars who have dedicated their lives to the preservation, learning, and distribution of the Islamic intellectual heritage must be considered the sole custodians and distributors of this trust. This knowledge must be accessible to anyone who wishes to seek it.

Muslims throughout their intellectual history have always shown this level of professionalism since the very outset of Islam. Understanding the context in which Muslims live has always been a prerequisite to disseminating Islamic knowledge. At Darul Qasim, we have faculty members who are graduates of both secular universities as well as traditional Islamic institutions. Our scholars understand the culture and psyche of contemporary academic discourse.

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