A Study on the Traces of the Itizālı̄ Influence in al-Bayḍāwı̄ s Tafsīr

The Tafsīr of al-Bayḍāwı̄ is one of the exegetical works which have been referred and cited most widely since the time of its composition until present day. And one of the most important sources of this work is the al-Kashshāf of al-Zamakhsharı̄, who is known to be in line with the Mutazilī thought. However, al-Bayḍāwı̄ is known to have weeded out in his work the parts containing itizālı̄ views and resorted to the Sunnī thought concerning articles of belief. And yet criticisms were leveled against al-Bayḍawı̄ to the effect that he was not meticulous enough when weeding out the itizālı̄ views. This study aims to find out any itizālı̄ influence in al-Bayḍāwı̄’s tafsīr through reading the exegetical works of both al-Bayḍāwı̄ and al-Zamakhsharı̄ in a comparative fashion, and to investigate the degree of veracity of these criticisms.