The Evolution of the Meaning of Barakah in the Tafsir of Al-Tabari and Sayyid Qutb: A Comparative Contextual Analysis

Abstract

The abstract This article investigates the evolution of the concept of barakah in the Qur’anic exegesis of al-Ṭabarī and Sayyid Quṭb through a comparative–contextual analysis. Using a qualitative descriptive design, the study examines selected passages from Jāmiʿ al-Bayān and Fī Ẓilāl al-Qur’ān alongside the socio-historical circumstances that shaped both exegetes’ thought. The analysis demonstrates that al-Ṭabarī conceptualizes barakah primarily within a textual–traditional framework, emphasizing transmitted reports and philological precision that foreground material and spiritual beneficence in an agrarian society. By contrast, Sayyid Quṭb articulates barakah as a dynamic, transformative force that structures individual piety, social ethics, and civilizational struggle in response to colonialism, secularism, and political oppression. The study argues that the shift from a predominantly riwāyah-based to a more ideologically and socially engaged reading reflects a broader movement from classical to modern Qur’anic hermeneutics. These findings enrich thematic tafsir studies and offer a conceptual basis for reinterpreting barakah in contemporary discourses on spirituality, social justice, and sustainable development.