As a guideline for life, the Qur’an demands a deep and contextual understanding in every age (Agustian et al., 2025, p. 420). However, throughout its history, interpretive activities should not run without a clear direction. A mufassir bears the responsibility of morality, scientific honesty, and manners to maintain the purity of meaning so as not to mislead the audience (Maksum & Isyanto, 2025, p. 369). It is in this context that the urgency of tafsir bil-ma’tsur (narration-based tafsir) has emerged since the beginning of Islam as a solid method, with the explanation of verses grounded in authoritative history, ranging from hadith to the opinions of the companions (Saputra et al., 2025, p. 70). This study found that the modern reconstruction of the Tafsir As-Suddi al-Kabir compiled by Dr Muhammad ‘Atha Yusuf shows that the classical tafsir of bil-ma’tsur can be systematically rewritten through the synthesis of Bayani and Burhani reasoning, without sacrificing the authority of the sanad.

However, we must still acknowledge the reality of the present day that the current bil-ma’tsur often faces severe methodological challenges. Many Western scholars criticise this model of interpretation for being too rigid and textual. They argue that this model is less open to more dynamic readings. The criticism not only highlights the issue of the authenticity of sanad and matan, but it also argues that this traditional approach is insufficient to address modern issues such as human rights and gender equality (Muslim, 2025, p. 150). In addition, the modern positivism paradigm has led to the study of religion being considered not to meet empirical and objective standards (Cholidi, 2026, p. 126).

This tension has prompted a creative response from contemporary Muslim scholars to carry out scientific formalisation. This realisation becomes evident in the structure of the Muqaddimah of the book Tafsir As-Suddi al-Kabir. The book, which can currently be accessed as PDF files or traced through digital repositories such as Waqfeya, is not a complete manuscript from the 2nd century Hijri but the result of a modern reconstruction that seeks to address the challenges of the times (As-Suddi, 1993, p. 10).

Through the dedication of Muhammad ‘Atha Yusuf, the narrations of Imam As-Suddi, which were originally partial and descriptive, are typical of the early classical era (Ghalib et al., 2025, p. 578-579) and are now integrated into a structured, contextual, and systematic analysis (Saputra et al., 2025, p. 66). The nuances of this modernisation are structurally evident on the first page of the book through systematic chapter numbering, such as the subchapters “Thalitsan: Manhaj As-Suddi fi al-Tafsir” (Third: The Method of Tafsir As-Suddi) and “Al-Asas al-Awwal: Al-Qur’an al-Karim” (First Principle: Al-Qur’an al-Karim) (As-Suddi, 1993, p. 49). This structure does not allow Bayani’s reasoning, which relies on the authority of history, to stand alone in the face of the blows of the times. On the contrary, this text strengthens Bayani’s reasoning with the logical structure of Burhani’s reasoning, i.e., scientific-rational analysis. Thus, the manifestations of this theoretical synthesis move consistently in two main domains:

1. Sanad Authority: The text massively repeats the terms At-Tafsir bil-Ma’tsur and Salasil al-Isnad (the chain of narration) and relies directly on key figures such as Ibn Abbas and Ibn Mas’ud to secure the authenticity of the first generation of understanding of Islam (As-Suddi, 1993, pp. 42, 101-102).

2. The Realm of Scientific Conflict Resolution: The text openly raises the term Al-Khilaf (debate) regarding the personal credibility of As-Suddi in the eyes of hadith critics, while at the same time establishing a firm stance on Al-Isra’iliyyat narrations, balancing between rejection (rafdh) and the accepted (qabul) (As-Suddi, 1993, pp. 29, 83).

This method is evident in the analytical grouping (tahlili). As-Suddi interprets Surah Sad: 69 regarding the sentence “when they (angels) argue” (As-Suddi, 1993, p. 49). The researcher showed that As-Suddi analysed the meaning of the verse using Surah Al-Baqarah: 30, which contains a dialogue about human creation. This is not the only instance: indeed, on the same page, As-Suddi employs this method twice more. For instance, he explains the word “kalimat” that Ibrahim was tested with in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 124 by pointing to the actual prayers recorded in Surah Al-Baqarah verses 127-129, and subsequently connects Zakariya’s prayer mentioned in Surah Ali ‘Imran: 38 to Surah Al-Anbiya: 89 (Zakariya’s prayer). In this case, using one verse of the Qur’an to explain another verse was not done by As-Suddi by accident, but by a method that As-Suddi used again and again every time a verse needed further explanation. This consistency is important because it demonstrates that the tafsir bil-ma’thur of As-Suddi follows a clear and repeatable method, which can directly address the Western criticism, mentioned earlier, that the style of classical interpretation is too rigid and unsystematic (As-Suddi, 1993, p. 49).

The format of the interpretation of the Qur’an with the Qur’an is deliberately packaged systematically to prove that As-Suddi’s tafsir bil-ma’tsur has a strong and objective methodological compass. For modern academic society, this reconstruction is a smart epistemological move. Muhammad ‘Atha Yusuf proved that classical traditions are not always rigid and obsolete. With an integrative approach, the purity of revelation is maintained without closing itself off from modern methodological reasoning. Classical texts are dynamically synchronised, showing that, in the end, the authenticity of history and the demands of the times can go hand in hand.

Reference

Agustian, Ahmad Fachri, Muhammad Ali Hanafi, Ali Akbar, and Edi Hermanto. “Al-Qur’an dan Urgensinya di dalam Kehidupan Manusia.” Ilmu Al-Qur’an, vol. 1, no. 3 (2025): 420. https://doi.org/10.63822/59mb8h94

As-Suddi al-Kabir, Ismail bin Abdurrahman. Tafsir As-Suddi al-Kabir. Dikumpulkan dan ditahqiq oleh Muhammad ‘Atha Yusuf. Mansoura: Dar al-Wafa’, 1993.

Cholidi, M. Fiqih. Filsafat Ilmu. Bogor:  STIU DQ Press, 2026.  

Ghalib, Muhammad, Halimah Basri, and Syamsul Qamar. “Metodologi Tafsir Al-Qur’an: Masa Klasik Hingga Kontemporer.” Imtiyaz, vol. 9, no. 3 (2025): 578–579. https://doi.org/10.46773/imtiyaz.v9i3.2398

Maksum, Gufron, and Nur Isyanto. “Fenomena Penafsiran Al-Qur’an di Media Sosial: Analisis Kompetensi Keilmuan dan Etika Dakwah.” Al-Ashriyyah, vol. 11, no. 2 (2025): 369. https://doi.org/10.53038/alashriyyah.v11i2.245

Muslim, Haris. “Otoritas Tafsir bil Matsur: Analisis Metodologi dan Implikasinya.” An-Nawa, vol. 10, no. 1 (2025): 150. https://doi.org/10.30868/at.v10i01.8294

Saputra, Deden Mula, Nurul Ahmadi, and Andry Hariono. “Epistemologi ‘Ulum al-Qur’an: Kajian Historis atas Dinamika Penafsiran di Dunia Islam.” AL MIKRAJ: Jurnal Studi Islam dan Humaniora, vol. 5, no. 2 (2025): 64-83. https://doi.org/10.37680/almikraj.v5i2.6730

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