Our Methodology
Our methodology in publishing this eminent exegesis may be summarized in the following steps:
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To establish the text of the exegesis according to what is most likely to be the author’s own text. This is done by adopting one manuscript as the basis for the critical edition—for considerations to be mentioned in their proper place—and comparing it with manuscript (B). The reading of the base manuscript is retained; but when we are certain that the correct reading of a phrase or word is found elsewhere, we adopt the correct reading and, where necessary, note this in the footnotes. We often find minor variations in certain words or letters that do not affect the meaning—for example, one manuscript may use the connective fa- (“then” or “so”), while another uses wa- (“and”). We saw no need to note such differences, lest we burden the book with an unnecessary multitude of footnotes and thereby inflate its size.
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To reference the noble Quranic verses cited by the author in his exegesis, distinguishing them from the verses being explained by using different brackets.
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To document all Prophetic hadiths in detail, citing the work, chapter, volume, page, and, in some books, the hadith number, so as to maximize benefit and facilitate reference to all editions when they differ.
If a hadith is found in the two Sahihs, or in either one of them, we limit the reference to them, since citing them indicates its authenticity, as the Ummah has accepted them. If the hadith is not recorded in them, we trace it to the other works, such as the Sunan collections, Musnad collections, and Musannaf compilations. We also report the assessments of scholars, critics, and hadith specialists concerning the hadith, such as al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, al-Mundhiri, al-Haythami, al-Busiri, and others. As for weak or fabricated hadiths—which are few—we report the ruling upon them and explain in detail the reason for their defect.
Whether the hadith is found in the two Sahihs or elsewhere, if the author has included it in his book Sharh al-Sunnah, we indicate its location there. This has enabled us to correct many textual corruptions, especially in the names of narrators in the chain of transmission. Referring to it also makes it easier to ascertain al-Baghawi’s view regarding the hadith and its meaning.
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To trace the occasions of revelation and the differing reports concerning the revelation of verses to their original sources in hadith works, works on the occasions of revelation, or other books of exegesis, such as al-Durr al-Manthur, al-Tabari, and Ibn Kathir.
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At times, there may be a need to add a comment or observation on certain passages in the exegesis, in order to clarify an unsound view, or