Abstract
M.A.
This is a thematic study of three classical commentaries on the twenty two orphan verses in the Qur`an in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of its enduring concern for the orphan child. It is also a comparative analysis of the exegetical approaches of the respective exegetes namely, Tafsīr bi al-Ma’thūr (tradition-based exegesis), Tafsīr bi al-Ray’ (reason-based exegesis) and Tafsīr bi al-Ishārah (exegesis based on gnosis). It is suggested here that the categories of Sunnī Tafsīr tradition are not mutually exclusive, and that the exegetes in this study straddle genres. It is a case of complementing rather than competing genres because it is in their nuanced interpretations that we move closer towards Authorial intent; the Qur`ān’s concern for social justice for the poor, the needy and the orphans.
The current poor conditions of orphans particularly in regions of conflict prompted this study. It is argued here that the exegetical material in this study hold value in its call for ethical behaviour towards the most vulnerable segments of society. The collective understandings drawn from the respective exegeses resound with the clarion call to protect orphaned children, secure their rights, their property and their dignity. The salient point that emerged from this study is that there can be no claim made to righteousness and belief in God, without a parallel concern for social justice.