The Types of Thematic Exegesis: A Critical Study

Abstract

The infinite intellectual depth of the Holy Qur'an and its capacity to address contemporary  human issues in every era have led exegetes to adopt diverse exegetical methodologies. Parallel  to traditional chronological exegesis, thematic exegesis (Tafsir al-Mawdu’i) emerged as a  systematically structured discipline in the twentieth century to counter ideological challenges  and present Islam as a cohesive system of life.This research paper presents a rigorous  methodological and critical study of the various genres of thematic exegesis(Alwan al-Tafsir 
al-Mawdu'i). While thematic exegesis is conventionally confined to the mere collection of verses  under a single topic from across the Qur'an, this paper challenges that traditional perception.  It demonstrates that the scope of thematic exegesis also encompasses the semantic study of 
Qur'an-specific vocabulary (Al-Wujuh wa al-Naza'ir), the axial study of individual chapters  (thematic unity of Surahs), and the structural analysis of Qur'anic particles and tools.By  critically reviewing the technical classifications of these genres, this study highlights their 
scholarly overlaps and argues that these categories do not function in isolated compartments;  rather, they are deeply interconnected within a dynamic system of Qur'anic comprehension.