The Persian book Sadr’s Exegetical Thought (published in Winter 2026 by the Shahid Sadr Research Institute, 310 pages) is an analytical and interdisciplinary work that elucidates the final methodological legacy of Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, namely, “Thematic Exegesis” (Al-Tafsir Al-Mawdu’i). This volume is compiled with the aim of deepening, systematically critiquing, and extending the school of thought of Martyr Sadr. By transcending reductionist approaches, it seeks to establish a methodological framework for developing “Quranic theories” and laying the foundations for the Islamic humanities.
Written as a research companion to the book Historical Laws in the Quran, this strategic work departs from the typical structure of loose essay collections. Instead, it is organized based on the coherent logic of “scholarly encyclopedic writing” structured across four epistemological layers:
1. A Priori Analysis (Historical and Developmental Contextualization):
This section explores the historical context and the lifeworld (Lebenswelt) in which Martyr Sadr’s thought was shaped. The approach of this section demonstrates that his exegetical innovation was not merely a methodological choice made in a vacuum, but rather a conscious response to the social developments facing contemporary humanity and an identity-defining turning point in the historical evolution of the discipline of Quranic exegesis.
2. Internal Analysis (Conceptual and Methodological Dimensions):
The core of the book is dedicated to formulating thematic exegesis as a “purposeful, step-by-step ijtihadi process.” Within this layer, while establishing precise conceptual demarcations to prevent theoretical conflation, the operational application of this methodological model is explained in terms of interrogating (istintāq) the Quran and extracting social laws.
3. Peripheral Evaluation (Interdisciplinary Studies):
This section places the theory of thematic exegesis in an active dialogue with adjacent disciplines. By evaluating the relationship of this approach to the “principles of jurisprudence” (Usul al-Fiqh, acting as the logic of deduction), “hermeneutics and modern theories of textual interpretation,” and ultimately its functions in addressing the fundamental questions of the “humanities,” this section demonstrates the dynamism of Sadr’s model in social system-building.
4. Diagnostic Approach (Evaluation of Epistemic Challenges):
In its final stage, the book adopts a critical approach to address the methodological pitfalls along this path. The most significant challenge discussed is how to manage the dialectic between “revelation and reality (objectivity),” ensuring that while the exegete addresses contemporary issues, they do not fall into the trap of imposing preconceived notions onto the text (tafsir bi-al-ra’y) and manage to preserve their epistemological discipline.
In sum, Sadr’s Exegetical Thought, which is the product of the scholarly refinement of a series of lectures delivered by a group of experts and Sadr scholars, reconstructs the methodological potentials of this prominent thinker for academic circles and humanities researchers by offering a coherent, layered, and critical reading.
