Taymiyya Research Articles

QUESTIONING THE POSITION AND STATUS OF IBN TAIMIYYAH IN THE HANBALI SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

For centuries, polemic over Ibnu Taimiyyah (661-728H) has generated cross-generational tension among supporters and opponents. Those supporters believed Ibn Taimiyyah to be ma'shum,surpassed Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, and unilaterally ordained him as khatim al-mujtahidin. A claim which ignores Sunnis scholars’ epistemic criticism across the school of thought and generations, including a critical assessment of the internal Hanbali school of thought itself. Such as Ibn Rajab (736-795H); Ibn al-Mardawi (817-885H); Ibn Najjar (898-972H); al-Buhuti (1000-1051H); and al-Safaraini (1114-1188H). By employing the interdisciplinary approach to analyzing the primary sources, the result of the study revealed that one of the internal consensuses of the Hanbali school of thought is clear enough. When there is a dispute over the results of tarjihformulation in ushuland furu', the hierarchy of the referential authority is as the following; first,Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal; second, Ibnu Qudamah al-Maqdisi al-Hanbali; third,Al-Majd al-Din Abi al-Barakat al-Taimi; fourth,Ibn Muflih al-Hanbali; fifth,Ibnu Rajab al-Hanbali; sixth,Ibnu Hamdan al-Hanbali; seventh,Taqiyy al-Din Ibn Taimiyyah; and eighth,Ibn ‘Abdus al-Hanbali. Considering its various controversies, the leading scholars of the Hanbali school of thought positioned Ibn Taimiyyah in the seventh rank in the hierarchy of the school of thought's authority and emphasized that Ibn Taimiyyah was not the only one bearing the title of sheikh al-Islamwithin the Hanbali school of thought.

Islamic Theology in the Context of Attack and Defense Debates

Many of the details of the issues of Islamic theology were not present in the prophetic era, so when they appeared in the later ages, the school of hadiths stood against them. They saw that studying these issues would harm the Muslim's Islamic belief. In addition to this, these issues are considered heresy that was not reported from the Prophet. The School of the Salaf has many books in warning against heresies and Ahl Kalam. These books were characterized by textuality; Meaning it is full of verses from the Qur'an and hadiths from the Sunnah. There is another group that saw theology as a necessary science in Islam, which every Muslim must learn. Because the Qur’an condemns imitation and the belief of the imitator is a belief that is not based on scientific foundations, but is inherited from parents and grandparents. As for theology, it helps the believer to strengthen his faith by building this faith on clear and strong foundations, and thus the Muslim's faith becomes strong thanks to this knowledge. In addition, the verses of the Qur’an have commanded the Muslim to exercise his intellect, think and consider the universe. As for the fact that theological issues were not mentioned in the Prophet’s era, that is because they were not in the era of the prophet, and if they were in the era of the prophet, he would have talked about them. The same logic applies to detailed jurisprudence issues, as many jurisprudence issues did not appear in the Prophet’s era. But when the need arose to deal with such issues in detail, scholars studied them and wrote many books on them. There are some scholars, such as Al-Ghazali and Ibn Arabi, who have said that the ruling on theology differs according to the person. For example, a simple, ordinary man should not study issues of theology; Because it would be harmful to him in his faith. While Al-Ghazali considered that the study of theology is obligatory for the specialist and the seeker of knowledge in Islam. Ibn Taymiyyah is considered one of the most knowledgeable scholars of hadith who saw the prohibition of studying theology. But despite this, Ibn Taymiyyah studied theology and philosophical sciences in-depth and produced different opinions from the school of hadith. After Ibn Taymiyya came scholars who were nothing more than imitators and summaries of his books. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab was at the head of these scholars, so he was interested in summarizing Ibn Taymiyyah's books and publishing them among the people.

The Contribution of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya to Salafi Sufism

This article aims to explore the Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s original views on Sufism. Ibn Qayyim is regarded as an authority in Salafi circles who reject Sufism as a legitimate representation of Islam, especially its philosophical orientation. This article uses a literature research model to reach the finding that Ibn Qayyim understood Sufism as a moral system and part of the science of Islamic morality. Sufism aims to purify the soul to prepare it for its return to God along the path of love. The basis of Sufism as revised by Ibn Qayyim was the Qur’ān, the Sunnah, the traditions of the companions, the ideas of Ibn Taymiyya, and the teachings words of the early Sufi masters. Ibn Qayyim strongly adhered to the orthodox principles of Islamic scholarship later dubbed as Salafism, especially in terms of prioritizing the shari‘a over reason and rejecting esoteric interpretation (ta’wīl). For Ibn Qayyim, the Sufi philosophers were misled in overly relying on ta’wīl and disregarding the role of reason. His approach to Sufism was to perform an objective evaluation of the Sufi teachings circulating at his time. Instead of joining either side, the side of those who condemned it as unlawful innovation (bid‘a) or the side of those who accepted it uncritically, Ibn Qayyim chose to conduct an extensive review of its ideas and practices, rejecting those elements that he found objectionable and accepting others that he found commendable.

Research and Analytical Study of the Thoughts of Imam Ibn Taymiyyah about Apostasy

After accepting Islam, it is prohibited for any person to abandon Islam and convert to another religion or to adhere to certain principles and acts of worship but rejecting certain other manifest, or consistently proven principles and acts of worship. Ibn Taymiyyah was one of the most popular figures and a talented writer in Islamic history. He has written in detail about apostasy in his literature and mentioned the principles, conditions and manners related to it. In the contemporary era, some resistance and jihadist military movements, in the name of Islamic Jihad, declare all the rulers of the Islamic world and those who support them as apostates for imitating the prevailing political and democratic system and declare their murder obligatory. And connect this violent behavior with the thoughts of Ibn Taymiyyah. Although the fatwas of apostasy issued by militant or jihadi groups against the Muslim people, rulers, officials, political system, and democratic government, is a misinterpretation of Ibn Taymiyyah's fatwas and ignorance of the true spirit of his fatwas. In this situation, there is an urgent need to know and study Ibn Taymiyyah's thoughts and ideas to know his point of view regarding apostasy and the true spirit of his fatwa to end the current terrorism.

Kajian Pemikiran Cendikiawan Muslim dari Al-Kindi Hingga Abduh (Review Buku Khazanah Intelektual Islam Karya Nurcholish Madjid)

Throughout the course of Islamic civilization, Muslims have experienced various kinds of dynamics of life. Islam once stood at the pinnacle of civilization before the Islamic world finally realized its backwardness from the Western world. In the golden age of Islam, the progress of Islamic scholarship was much enlivened by the thoughts of Muslim scholars. Likewise, when the Islamic world began to recede, Islamic thinkers always flowed their thoughts in various fields and contributed and greatly influenced the life and intellectuality of Muslims to this day. So, it is important to mention who are the Muslim scholars who have stuck their fangs and brought influence even to all corners of the world. These are 10 of the many Muslim intellectuals whose influence is very large for intellectual progress and the lives of Muslims. The ten figures include Al-Kindi, Al-Asy’ari, Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, Al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd, Ibn Taimiyah, Ibn Khaldun, Al-Afghani and Muhammad Abduh. The thoughts and contributions of these 10 figures are summarized in Nurcholish Madjid’s work entitled Khazanah Intelektual Islam. Thus, this paper aims to reveal and analyze critically and analytically what is contained in the book relating to the figures of Muslim intellectuals mentioned above. From the process of reviewing this book, it was found that Cak Nur’s work is quite comprehensive in conveying the intellectual journey of the Islamic world in a coherent manner, especially in the preamble which he compiled with a solid and neat content telling the development of critical thinking of Muslims from the friend of Umar bin Khatab to the modernist figure Muhammad. Abduh. In the following chapters, the main ideas of the ten figures are presented. This work makes it very easy for the reader to grasp the developments and differences of thought among the great figures of Islam.

QIYAS DALAM PEMIKIRAN IBNU TAIMIYAH

The purpose of this study is to find out Qiyas in Islamic law and Qiyas in ibn Taimiyah thought. This research method is a qualitative method used so that research activities can be carried out in a directed and rational way to achieve optimal results. The type of research carried out is library research, with the approach used in this study is a normative approach. The result of this research is that the Sahih Qiyas are Qiyas that are in line with the texts, the texts never contradict Qiyas, in the Shari'ah there is no case that contradicts the Qiyas, ijtihad must be carried out correctly, in accordance with standard rules, so that the law produced can be accounted for. From the discussion in the previous chapters it can be said as follows: Qiyas in Islamic law is a solution offered for various legal cases that are not explicitly stated in the arguments in Islamic law sources. In order to fulfill the needs of Islam as a true and perfect teaching, obey the scholars to carry out and carry out everything, as well as judge by law and give everything to Allah and fatwas through everything through fatwas of various levels of ijtihad which are carried out continuously with full sense of responsibility.

Brother against Brother: Early Refutation of Wahhabism by 18th-century Hanbalis Scholars

Since its rise in the 18th century, Wahhabism has been a source of intergenerational controversies among sunnī madhabī scholars (Hanafi, Maliki, and Shafi’i schools) and even among respected Hanbali scholars themselves. Muḥammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhāb’s fatwas have drawn sharp critiques and refutations by Hanbali scholars, particularly those regarding tawḥīd ulūhiyyah which justifies declaring others as infidel-apostates (kāfir murtad). Other contested fatwas include those on Muslim practices of seeking blessings (tabarruk), seeking intermediaries (tawaṣṣul), visiting graves (ziyārah), and seeking help (istighāthah). Muḥammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhāb and his followers have theologically deemed these practices as shirk al-akbar (a major form of idolatry) and have proclaimed his early Wahhabism as the true successor to the manhaj of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. This article portrays the refutations and rebuttals by Hanbali scholars of Muḥammad bin ‘Abd al-Wahhāb and his early Wahhabism based on primary sources. Specifically, this article describes the theological examination of and challenges against Wahhabism by 18th-century Hanbali scholars such as Shaykh al-Qāḍī Sulaimān bin ‘Abd al-Wahhāb al-Najdī al-Ḥanbalī in Al-Ṣawā‘iq al-Ilāhiyyah fī al-Radd ‘alā al-Wahhābiyyah. The findings show that 18th-century Hanbali scholars urge a discontinuity of early Wahhabism's theological concepts from major Hanbali schools on the contested fatwas.

Article Review: Peringkat Pemikiran Imam Al-Ash’ari dalam Akidah by Muhammad Rashidi Wahab dan Syed Hadzrullathfi Syed Omar

This article by Wahab and Hadzrullathfi (2013) is part of a long-standing debate in the discourse of ‘ulama of ahl al-sunnah wa al-jama‘ah, especially between the Ash‘ariyyah and Athariyyah. While the debate is very old, but the discourse is always fresh and this particular topic (i.e. the stages of Imam Al-Ash‘ari’s creed of ‘aqidah) is among the underappreciated topics. The authors explained that this article is intended to refute the Salafis/Wahhabis who claim that Imam Abu Hasan Al-Ash‘ari has had three stages of aqidah creed: (a) Mu’tazilah, (b) Kullabiyah, then (c) Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah (hereinafter: Three Stage), an opinion which they attribute to Ibn Taymiyyah. Hence, this article is a very welcomed addition to this discourse. This review is intended to provide some critical insight towards Wahab and Hadzrullathfi’s article.

Cihadî Selefîlik Bağlamında Neo-selefîliğe Eleştirel Yaklaşım

Salafism has been evaluated at various stages in the historical process. The view that the Salafī approach includes Muslims, especially the first three generations, is generally accepted. Here Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ḥanbal (died 241/855), the muḥaddiths, in which he was included, lead. Salafism, on the other hand, is a method of thought that systematized with Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) and Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751/1350), who said that they followed this first Salafī generation. Later, in the 18th century, Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (d. 1202/1792) Salafism came to the fore again. Since the 19th century, the efforts made for Islam and Muslims to return to their essence, stand up and progress, have been named as Neo-salafism. One of those who positioned itself in Salafism is Jihādī Salafism, which consists of many groups among itself. Jihādī Salafism has been criticized in terms of accepting violence as a method, especially attributing Muslims to takfīr and shirk and to impose their own truth on others and has led to the questioning of the nature of Salafism's lines. With these attitudes, they have come to a situation that will damage both the general belief structure of Muslims and the tolerance, well-being, notification and invitation method of Islam.

Innovation in premodern islam: between non-religion, irreligion and the secular

Abstract Premodern Muslim juristic discussions on religious innovation (bidʿa) frequently invoke a distinction between religion and its other: the irreligious and/or non-religious secular. This demarcation disrupts accounts of the unavailability of the secular beyond the precincts of the modern West, even as the imperfect translation of premodern Islamic non-religion as secular discloses the ethnocentric provincialism of the master categories of European thought that continue to facilitate European colonialism. An alternative, premodern, Islamic account of the secular is found in the thought of Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328), al-Shāṭibī (d. 790/1388) and their intergenerational interlocutors who summon an opaque and shifting, yet real, boundary between religion and the irreligious and/or non-religious secular, which they posit as distinct, oppositional, yet also co-constitutive terms. The distinctions between religion and the secular, for these scholars, arise out of their (i) purposive account of divine law, (ii) compartmentalization of religious ‘worship’ from secular ‘custom’, and (iii) creation of distinct orders of religious and secular spatio-temporality.

ANALISIS HARGA OBAT DAN ALAT KESEHATAN DIMASA PANDEMI COVID-19 (STUDI LITERATUR PEMIKIRAN IBNU TAIMIYAH DAN ABU YUSUF)

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the health sector. This study aims to analyze the prices of drugs and medical devices during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of Ibn Taimiyah and Abu Yusuf. The research method used in this research is literature study. The price of masks which are usually only Rp. 25,000, at the beginning of the pandemic it became Rp. 500,000, Dettol instant hand sanitizer which normally costs Rp. 12,600 to Rp. 126,000. The government's policy to minimize price increases is by limiting the export of masks and supervising traders. This policy is relevant to the thought of Abu Yusuf who said that he did not agree with the government that set the price. The thoughts of Abu Yusuf who oppose the opinion that prices are inversely proportional to the amount of inventory are not relevant to the conditions that occur. If viewed from Ibn Taimiyah's thought, there are individuals who commit price fraud while the goods are really needed by the community, the government is allowed to set prices, but the government does not do it and only makes efforts to normalize prices.
 Keywords; Price Mechanism, COVID-19, Abu Yusuf, Ibn Taymiyya.

Ibn Taymiyya's Conception of Jihad: Corpus, General Aspects, and Research Perspectives

The question of jihad is fundamental to Ibn Taymiyya since he is one of the theologians of the Mamluk period—and probably of the entire medieval period—who wrote the most on this subject. Jihad was an essential part of the life of the famous theologian of Damascus, who took part in the Mamluk war effort as a volunteer in various expeditions. Over the last decades, scholars have been interested in the issue of jihad in Ibn Taymiyya and have highlighted several elements. These works have helped us learn more about the ideology of jihad in Ibn Taymiyya. However, it should be noted that those works focus on the jihad against a particular enemy (Mongols, heretics of the Kisrawān, Shi‘ites) in a particular context and do not deal much with Ibn Taymiyya’s general conception of jihad, for which several grey areas remain. This article will discuss Ibn Taymiyya and his general conception of jihad. My method is broken down into two steps to provide new elements and research perspectives. In the first instance, I will identify the maximum of Ibn Taymiyya’s writings and passages related to jihad, making the beginning of a type of inventory. Then I will analyze their content and cross-check them to bring to light general aspects of Ibn Taymiyya’s conception of jihad.

Fahaman Ibn Taimiyah dan Pengaruhnya dalam Tradisi Kalam

This paper analyzes the ideas and doctrines of Ibn Taimiyah (661-728/1263-1328), an acclaimed Muslim jurist, theologian and reformist in medieval Islam. His juristic opinion and influential kalam and classical school had substantial impact on contemporary Islamic religious outlook, as well as his ideology that deeply impacted the modern salafis movement. This study was conducted based on descriptive and analytical method, deriving its material from library sources, mainly from Ibn Taymiyah’s critical and groundbreaking works as well as from primary and secondary work on him. The finding shows that his theological works had intense and profound impact on classical and contemporary writings of Islamic theology that extensively derived from his fatwa (religious verdict) that informed dynamic understanding of Islam and its religious ideal.

Concept of Jihad: An Analysis of Early Selected Muslim Sources

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss the concept of jihâd. The discussion will include structures “of Jihad as evident in the “Holy Qur’ân”, “Prophetic tradition Hadîth”, and a collection of writings of the medieval jurists such as Imam al-Shafii and ibn Taymiyah. In this study, the early conceptualization of Jihâd, as a “lexeme, and generic term” will also be reviewed in order to come to a rudimentary understanding of the concept. This will be substantiated with examples from the Prophetic period, the era of the “Rightly Guided Caliphs”, “the Umayyad”, Abbasid and “Mongol empires”. The focus will be the Middle East and Asia. Design/methodology/approach- The article will be qualitative, focusing on primary, secondary and related sources. An important aim would be to ascertain the function of jihâd as a lexical term and as a concept within the chosen literary contexts. On the other hand the research methodology would tend to be more detail orientated paying attention to micro aspects such as the semantic field of jihâd receives an attention. On the other hand, a macro- approach will be followed in order to ascertain the function of the concept of jihâd in the broader context. Literature consulted and a predetermined goal will determine research methodology. Research limitations/implications- The article shows that the simplistic translation of jihâd into English as ‘holy war’, as is common in some scholarly and non-scholarly discourses, constitutes a severe twisting and misunderstanding of its Qur’ânic usage. Practical implications- The basic problem to be addressed is to ascertain how a religious sanctioned concept is interpreted by classical scholars compared to modern trends of thought whereby the so so-called terrorism has prevalent. Findings- The article finds that the hypothesis to be tested is, whether the variations in viewpoints pertaining to the word jihâd can be ascribed to selective use of texts Qur’ân, hadîth, Islamic jurisprudence and early Muslim history. Originality/value- The article enhances us with an understanding of the concept of jihâd in Islam and its various forms. Keywords- Jihâd, Holy war, Qitâl and Harb Paper type - Research paper. DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/12-8-03 Publication date: April 30 th 2022

Shāh Walī Allāh in Defence of Ibn Taymiyyah

Until now, only a short excerpt from the eighteenth-century South Asian reformist Shāh Walī Allāh’s (d. 1176/1762) treatise in defence of the medieval Syrian theologian Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728/1328) has been published in English. In addition to providing a full translation of Risālah fī Manāqib Ibn Taymiyyah wa ’l-Difā‘ ‘anhu (Epistle on the Virtues of Ibn Taymiyyah and in His Defence), this article argues that Shāh Walī Allāh’s due attention for Ibn Taymiyyah is principally a defence of his own work for the larger Walī Allāhī project, heavily inspired by the latter, and an effort to reconcile thinkers as disparate as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn ‘Arabī (d. 638/1240), with the mainstream of Sunni Ash‘arī thought. Far from being a reproduction of one or the other in South Asia during the eighteenth century, however, it seems to the writers that Shāh Walī Allāh proves himself to be an independent figure with his own unique philosophy for reformation whose broader vision accommodates polemics among Muslim thinkers from across the spectrum in issues of creed, Qur’ānic hermeneutics, ḥadīth sciences, theology, law, and spirituality.

Социальные предпосылки распространения политического такфиризма в исламском обществе

The research is devoted to the analysis of the concept of takfir, examining its types and es-tablishing social prerequisites for the spread of political takfirism, which has become an urgent problem due to its close relationship with socio-political and economic factors. The work has indicated the ex-istence of a religiously justified accusation of unbelief, which is designed to contribute to the preservation of authentic Islamic teachings and indicate to believers that certain views are not Islamic and the one who adheres to them is not a Muslim. Special emphasis is placed on studying politically motivated but religiously unfounded accusations of unbelief of their opponents by representatives of various radical groups of the past and present. The main goal is to eliminate competitors on the way to achieving power and simply the desire to take possession of the property of a more successful person. The practice of using takfir by Kharijites, a medieval theologian Ibn Tay-miyah and representatives of modern radical groups has been analyzed separately, the comparison has been made and common and different uses of the concept have been revealed. The spread of this practice in the modern world has been called takfiri and it is closely intertwined with the concept of chain takfiri, when those who refuse to accuse others in disbelief in God are viewed as infidels. In the modern world, that has already led to the spread of various extremist concepts that contradict the Islamic creed and its ethical principles, and the creation of extremist groups whose members are united by practising takfir. The radicality of a particular group is now determined by the level of their requirement for a person to be accused of unbelief and the attitude to jihad. The most radical groups are distinguished by the practice of total accusation of unbelief.

Melacak Skeptisisme dalam Islam Klasik

The skepticism referred to in this paper is different from the skepticism commonly known in ancient Greece. Skepticism in Islam is never isolated, but rather is a key reference point where theological questions are debated endlessly. For centuries, Muslim scholars have faced puzzling questions of a theological and philosophical nature. Their inability to answer such questions requires a paradigm shift in a new approach to religious thought. This research is intended to track how skepticism is in classical Islam, by using descriptive methods as well as historical analysis. In this study, it was found that skepticism in classical Islam became an approach in scientific and religious studies as well as a tool for scientific discipline systems test, even though skepticism was not fully institutionalized or became a form of flow. Previously, the study of skepticism in classical Islam was only limited to the thoughts of one figure, so this paper takes several case studies of figures. Skepticism in classical Islamdivided into four periods, starting from the ninth century to the twelfth century. The ninth century was marked by debates about the position of God by anthropomorphic groups with the Jahmiyah. The tenth century was marked by debates and mutual claims of truth between religions. The eleventh century was marked by al-Ghazali's critics on philosophers. Then the twelfth century was marked by Ibn Taimiyah's critics on logic, Christianity and Sufism.

Melacak Skeptisisme dalam Islam Klasik

The skepticism referred to in this paper is different from the skepticism commonly known in ancient Greece. Skepticism in Islam is never isolated, but rather is a key reference point where theological questions are debated endlessly. For centuries, Muslim scholars have faced puzzling questions of a theological and philosophical nature. Their inability to answer such questions requires a paradigm shift in a new approach to religious thought. This research is intended to track how skepticism is in classical Islam, by using descriptive methods as well as historical analysis. In this study, it was found that skepticism in classical Islam became an approach in scientific and religious studies as well as a tool for scientific discipline systems test, even though skepticism was not fully institutionalized or became a form of flow. Previously, the study of skepticism in classical Islam was only limited to the thoughts of one figure, so this paper takes several case studies of figures. Skepticism in classical Islamdivided into four periods, starting from the ninth century to the twelfth century. The ninth century was marked by debates about the position of God by anthropomorphic groups with the Jahmiyah. The tenth century was marked by debates and mutual claims of truth between religions. The eleventh century was marked by al-Ghazali's critics on philosophers. Then the twelfth century was marked by Ibn Taimiyah's critics on logic, Christianity and Sufism.

Law, Justice, and Grace: Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) on the Gospel’s Relation to the Torah


 Early and medieval Muslim anti-Christian polemicists do not present a uniform account of the Gospel’s relation to the Torah, and polemical concerns drive the positions they adopt. This article focuses on how Damascene theologian Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328) responds to a provocation originating in the Christian Paul of Antioch. Paul argues that God sent Moses the law of justice and Christ the perfect law of grace, implying that the Qurʾān is not needed, at least not for Christians. Drawing on Islamic legal categories and invoking Sufi theological ideas, Ibn Taymiyya counters that the Torah and the Gospel contain both justice as obligation and grace as recommendation, with obligation more prominent in the Torah and recommendation in the Gospel, as part of a prophetic history leading up to the Qurʾān, which contains both in perfect balance. With this, Ibn Taymiyya provides a more extensive and sophisticated account of the Torah-Gospel relation than his predecessors.

Fights and Flights: Two Underrated ‘Alternatives’ to Dominant Readings intafsīr

Does Q. 2:178 legislate retaliation for murder? Was Abraham commanded to chop up some birds according to Q. 2:260? This paper examines two cases in which a dominant view in Muslim exegesis has existed alongside an alternative that is minimised or criticised, while arguably being a closer fit to the text and context of the verse. The first, a ‘historicist’ reading of the qiṣāṣ verse (Q. 2:178), was picked up and advocated by the influential Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328), yet it has even less of a footprint in exegetical works subsequent to him. The second, a ‘naturalist’ reading of the birds verse (Q. 2:260) advanced by Abū Muslim al-Iṣfahānī (d. 322/934), has been adopted by some modern exegetes and translators, but largely dismissed as strained and contrary to consensus. As well as charting the reception of these competing views, I analyse them comparatively, phrase by phrase, and argue that these alternatives are more plausible, and indeed fruitful, than the commonly accepted interpretations. The juxtaposition of these cases invites closer examination of key hermeneutical concepts in the tafsīr tradition.