Thematic Unity and its Impact on the Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an: an Applied Study on the Interpretation of the Holy Qur’an by Mahmoud Shaltout

Fajar Islami Human (International Islamic University of Islamabad)
Muhammad Rafsanjani (Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Al-Qur’an dan Sains Al-Ishlah (STIQSI) Lamongan)

Studia Quranika: Jurnal Studi Quran
Vol. 11 No. 1 (2026): July

This study examines one of the central principles of the Madrasah al-'Aqliyyah al-Hadithah (modern rationalist school), namely the concept of thematic unity (al-waḥdah al-mawḍūʿiyyah) as articulated in Mahmoud Shaltout's Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim. It aims to explore both the application of this principle and its implications for Shaltut's methodology of Qur'anic interpretation. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study collects, describes, and critically analyzes data derived from Shaltut's exegesis. The findings demonstrate that the paradigm of thematic unity plays a significant role in Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim, as reflected in its profound exploration of the central themes of each surah and its precise analysis of Qur’anic diction. At the level of uṣūl al-tafsīr, this paradigm entails a reconceptualization of asbāb al-nuzūl, which are no longer treated in a fragmentary manner, and reaffirms the role of the Prophetic Sunnah as an interpretive source that must remain consistent with the overarching thematic framework of the surah.