Imam Ibn al-Qayyim's (may God have mercy on him) Attention to Interpreting the Quran with the Quran through Surah al-Fatihah and Short Surahs

Abstract

The Holy Quran is a wellspring of wisdom, a cure for ailments, life for the heart, delight for the soul, a garden of Paradise, a guide for spirits, a lamp of guidance, and the key to success. Those whom God chooses listen to this revelation and benefit from it; those who ponder its meanings attain its comprehensive wisdom; and those endowed with knowledge are granted the ability to derive rulings from it. Falsehood cannot approach it from any direction; it is a revelation from the All-Wise, the Praiseworthy. The Arabs tasted it instinctively and were astonished by its eloquence, to the point that one of them said: "It has a sweetness, a charm, a fruitful top, and a bountiful bottom; it is superior and nothing is superior to it." Even the jinn submitted to it and yielded to its authority, saying: "Indeed, we have heard a wondrous Qur'an. It guides to the right path, so we have believed in it, and we will never associate anything with our Lord." It is the best thing that has ever consumed lives and minds, its words perfectly crafted and its meanings profound.

Among the scholars renowned for their deep understanding of the Qur'an is Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may God have mercy on him). He devoted himself to the Holy Qur'an with great care, evident to anyone who studies his books. He employed various methods in his interpretation, and because his interpretation is characterized by precision, I wanted to examine his approach of using the Qur'an to interpret the Qur'an.