The Influence of Ijtihād in Al-Durr al-Manthūr

Among the methods of Qurʾānic exegesis is narrative interpretation. Whether narrative interpretations are devoid of any ijtihad and the interpreter's use of reason, or not, has led some scholars to categorize these types of interpretations into two kinds pure narrative and Ijtihādi narrative. Al-Durr al-Manthur by Suyūtī, a Sunni interpreter and hadith scholar, is considered among the narrative interpretations of the Qurʾān. This interpretation has been deemed by some contemporary interpreters and exegesis researchers as a pure narrative interpretation. The main question of this research is whether the interpreter in Al-Durr al-Manthūr has solely relied on narratives in the interpretation of the verse, or if there are grounds for ijtihad and the use of reason as well. The forthcoming essay seeks to answer this question, using a descriptive-analytical method and a critical approach. While examining Al-Durr al-Manthūr, it concludes that despite some contemporary interpreters and researchers categorizing this interpretation as pure narrative, there is evidence of the influence of the interpreter's preconceived intellectual notions and the use of reason in mentioning the chains of some narratives, commenting on the authenticity of some narratives, the influence of the interpreter's theological inclinations in the selection and arrangement of some narratives, the selection of some narratives from the sources used, and also expressing the hadith-rejal viewpoints of some scholars about the narrative and narrator. This leads to the possibility of categorizing Al-Durr al-Manthūr as an Ijtihadi narrative interpretation, although the interpreter has refrained from explicit commentary in explaining the verses.