Fath al-Qadir

The combination of the arts of narration and knowledge in the science of interpretation, 5 volumes

Author's name: Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Muhammad al-Shawkani

It is an interpretation that combines the techniques of narrational interpretation and interpretation based on knowledge, and it is considered a fundamental principle of interpretation, and an important reference in rational interpretation.
Al-Shawkani explained his method and approach to interpretation: he would mention the verses, then interpret them in a reasonable and acceptable manner. He would then quote the interpretive traditions transmitted from the early scholars, relying on previous commentaries, especially those of Ibn Atiyya al-Dimashqi, Ibn Atiyya al-Andalusi, al-Qurtubi, and al-Zamakhshari. He also relied on Abu Ja'far al-Nahhas, al-Mubarrad, al-Nahhas, and other leading figures in Arabic linguistics to clarify the Arabic, grammatical, and rhetorical meanings. He would mention the connections between the verses, use linguistic analysis to determine the most likely interpretation, and occasionally address the seven canonical readings of the Quran. He would present the various schools of Islamic jurisprudence regarding verses related to legal rulings, citing their opinions and evidence, weighing the evidence, and offering his own opinion on matters of independent legal reasoning and deduction, as he considered himself a mujtahid (one qualified to exercise independent legal reasoning). He would conclude the interpretation of some verses with hadiths and narrations transmitted from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and from the early generations of Muslims.
The author is distinguished by his objectivity, scholarly integrity, broad knowledge, deep understanding of Islamic jurisprudence, avoidance of fanaticism and sectarianism, and adherence to the Salafist creed. .
However, the book is criticized for including fabricated or weak narrations mentioned by some commentators without warning, merely attributing them to other books of exegesis. Nevertheless, its merits outweigh its flaws, especially since it encompasses the writings of earlier scholars.