Analytical Study of the Methodologies of Juristic Derivation in Urdu Tafsir Literature of Pakistan

Abstract

This research article presents a critical analysis of the methodologies of juristic deduction   within the Urdu Tafsiri literature produced in Pakistan. Since the country’s inception in 1947, Urdu Tafsir writing has evolved into a distinct intellectual tradition, responding to both classical Islamic legal heritage and contemporary sociopolitical challenges. This study examines how prominent Pakistani Mufassirian such as Syed Abul A’la Maududi, Moulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, Moulana Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi, Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, and Moulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi have approached juristic derivation from the Holy Qur’an. The analysis identifies nine dominant methodologies including the traditional Hanafi-centric inferential model, the revivalist hermeneutic emphasizing direct Qur’anic engagement without blind taqlid, the reformist contextual approach prioritizing maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah and the minimalist or Pervaizi trend. The article explores how these methods address issues such as ritual worship, penal law, women’s rights, economic transactions, and modern bioethics. It further investigates the epistemological sources employed in the Holy Qur’an, Sunnah, Ijmā‘,qiyās, Istiḥsān , Maslaḥah Mursalah and‘Urf . The study reveals a spectrum of interpretive flexibility, ranging from strict adherence to classical juristic schools to innovative methodologies that challenge established legal doctrines. While mainstream mufassirian maintain continuity with Hanafi jurisprudence, modernist and revivalist writers exhibit increased reliance on direct textual reasoning and purposive interpretation. This analysis concludes that the diversity of juristic deduction in Pakistan’s Urdu Tafsir tradition reflects broader ideological currents traditionalist, Islamist, modernist and neo-revivalist and significantly shapes popular religious consciousness, legal discourse, and intra-Muslim debates. The findings offer valuable insights into the role of Qur’anic exegesis as a dynamic and enduring source of legal reasoning in contemporary South Asian Islamic thought.

Keywords: Holy Qur’an, Islamic thought، Juristic Derivation, Legal Heritage, Maqāṣid al-Sharī‘ah, Pakistan, Taqlid, Urdu Tafsir.