The student, Riam Qasim Abdul Ameer Hashem, has been awarded a Master’s degree in Sharia and Islamic Sciences from the University of Karbala / College of Islamic Sciences, following the successful defense of her thesis entitled:
“Tafsir Dafiʿ al-Baliyya by Sheikh Muhammad Muhsin ibn Muhammad Rafiʿ al-Rashti al-Isfahani, from Verse (65) to Verse (82) of Surah al-Baqarah – A Study and Critical Edition,”
for which she received a grade of Excellent.
The thesis focused on the study and critical editing of a Qur’anic exegetical manuscript dating back to the thirteenth century Hijri. It shed light on the scholarly contributions of the scholars of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) school of thought in the field of Qur’anic exegesis, highlighting their intellectual depth and rigorous methodology.
The thesis was divided into two main sections. The first section was devoted to the analytical study and included an introductory chapter presenting the author’s biography, lineage, teachers, students, works, and date of death. The first chapter examined his exegetical methodology through linguistic interpretation, exegesis and hermeneutics, as well as mystical interpretation. The second chapter addressed the principal theological and jurisprudential discussions found in his commentary.
The second section was dedicated to the critical edition of the selected Qur’anic text in accordance with established scholarly principles for manuscript verification, including authentication, textual editing, and comparison with relevant primary sources.
The thesis concluded that Tafsir Dafiʿ al-Baliyya represents a comprehensive exegetical work that integrates linguistic analysis, Qur’anic interpretation, theological reasoning, and esoteric insights. It also demonstrated that the author adopted a methodology based on selecting the most authoritative opinions, grounded in the narrations of the Infallibles (peace be upon them).
Furthermore, the thesis aligns with Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—“Quality Education”—by promoting rigorous academic research and reviving Islamic heritage through the scholarly editing of manuscripts according to contemporary academic standards, thereby contributing to the enhancement of higher education quality and the consolidation of a strong academic research culture.
