سر سید احمد خاں کے اصول تفسیر: تنقیدی و تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's Principles of Tafsir: A Critical and Analytical Study

Abstract

This research critically examines the interpretative principles of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817–1898), a prominent Muslim reformer and modernist thinker of the Indian subcontinent. His approach to Qur’anic exegesis was shaped by rationalism, modern science, and the intellectual challenges posed by colonialism and Christian missionary activities. Sir Syed emphasized the harmony between revelation and reason, maintaining that the Qur’an must be interpreted in light of natural laws and contemporary knowledge. In this framework, he rejected weak or irrational traditions, reinterpreted miracles as extraordinary but natural events, and advocated a contextual reading of Qur’anic verses. However, his rationalist methodology extended to the denial of the supernatural nature of miracles altogether, which marked a clear departure from traditional Islamic scholarship. Following his trajectory, some of his intellectual heirs went further toward rejecting hadith, creating a deeper rift with mainstream Muslim thought. Sir Syed has thus been regarded as the founder of the so-called Naturist School (Nachri Mazhab), wherein he, under the influence of Western scholarship, advanced interpretive strategies that distorted centuries-old Islamic traditions and interpretive continuity. While his contributions stimulated important debates about the compatibility of Islam and modernity, they also generated serious critiques from traditional scholars who viewed his project as undermining the integrity of classical Islamic heritage. This study evaluates both the strengths and limitations of Sir Syed’s hermeneutics, situating them within the wider discourse of Islamic modernism and its contested legacy in South Asian intellectual history.