RHETORICAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN IBN ʿĀSHŪR'S AL-TAḤRĪR WA AL-TANWĪR AND AL-ZAMAKHSHARĪ'S AL-KASHSHĀF: AN ANALYTICAL STUDY

Abstract

This research article examines Ibn ʿĀshūr's principal rhetorical agreements with al-Zamakhsharī's al-Kashshāf as reflected in al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr. It focuses on selected rhetorical issues in which Ibn ʿĀshūr explicitly concurs with al-Zamakhsharī, including the interpretation of ḥattā, ẓarf, lafẓ al-jins, istifhām taqrīrī, taḍmīn, and the Qur'anic rhetorical method of combining targhīb and tarhīb. The Qur'an has continuously inspired scholarly engagement with its linguistic and rhetorical dimensions, and successive exegetes have built upon the contributions of their predecessors. Among the most influential of these was al-Zamakhsharī, whose al-Kashshāf became a landmark in Qur'anic rhetorical exegesis and an important source for Ibn ʿĀshūr. Adopting a comparative analytical approach, this article demonstrates that Ibn ʿĀshūr frequently affirms al-Zamakhsharī's rhetorical analyses where he considers them consistent with the Qur'anic context, coherence (naẓm), and established principles of Arabic rhetoric. These agreements highlight the enduring influence of al-Kashshāf on later Qur'anic exegesis and illustrate Ibn ʿĀshūr's appreciation of al-Zamakhsharī's rhetorical insights while incorporating them into his own exegetical methodology.