The Value of Introductions in Riwayah Tafsīrs in terms of Methodology of Quranic Exegesis (Example of Husayn al-Baghawī, Muhammad Ibn al-Jawzī, and Ibn Kathīr)

One of the essential sources for methodology of Quranic exegesis and Quranic sciences, is the introduction/muqaddimah parts of Tafsīr books. Especially the introductions of riwayah tafsīrs are of particular importance for collecting data. Most obvious example of riwayah tafsīr is al-？abarī since it was written in the early period. In his tafsīr, al-？abarī presents an introduction which is very rich in content. Being in the first place al-？abarī’s tafsīr, a lot of information about Quranic Sciences can be reached in the introductions of tafsīrs which were written after the Codification Period. In this study, we have chosen the introductions of Husayn al-Baghawī’s, Muhammad Ibn al-Jawzī’s and Ibn Kathīr’s tafsīrs since they are examples of riwayah tafsīrs, to see the evolution of topics in the methodology of Quranic Exegesis. At the end, based on the collected information, we tried to find out the methodology and principles of these tafsīrs. Additionally, this study aims to urge the analysis of introductions of tafsīrs which are written recently, to see the dimensions of information gained in methodology of Quranic Exegesis