Md Nin, Muhammad Luqman and Jamil, Khairil Husaini (2026) The contours of ihsān: Ibn ‘Ajībah’s Sufi Tafsīr and hadith commentary in al-Baḥr al-Madīd fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān al-Majīd. In: IIUM POSTGRADUATE COLLOQUIUM 2025 TAWHIDIC EPISTEMOLOGY AND THE PURSUIT OF HOLISTIC KNOWLEDGE, 23rd October 2025., Centre for Postgraduate Studies, International Islamic University Malaysia.
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Abstract
This paper examines the concept of iḥsān in Ibn ‘Ajībah’s hadith commentaries, with particular reference to his celebrated work al-Baḥr al-Madīd fī Tafsīr alQur’ān al-Majīd. It opens with an account of the scholar’s life, giving special attention to his engagement with hadith, his Sufi orientation, and his distinctive vision of iḥsān. A retrospective on the concept is then offered, drawing on insights from past and present scholars – especially Sufi scholars – to show that iḥsān occupies a pre-eminent position in Islam: it represents the highest station of servitude, and serves as a bridge between personal spiritual refinement and collective communal responsibility. In its fullest sense, it is iḥsān that discloses the true meaning of taṣawwuf. To discern Ibn ‘Ajībah’s overall conception of iḥsān, the researchers first survey his available works, employing a textual-analytical method to probe his distinct Sufi approach to exegesis and hadith commentary. Central to this is his delineation of eight stages in the attainment of iḥsān, which are then set alongside the treatments of other scholars for comparison. The study concludes that Ibn ‘Ajībah’s unique contributions have not only enriched the discourse on iḥsān within the Islamic intellectual heritage, but also continue to offer valuable perspectives, even when drawn from seemingly obscure hadith commentaries embedded in a Sufi exegesis.
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