The Ontology of the City in the Quran: A Study Based on Ibn ‘Āšūr’s Commentaries in the Book of al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr


Ibn ‘Āšūr was an interdisciplinary commentator. His thoughts on the development and civilization of Islam are remarkable and spectacular. This article discusses Ibn ‘Āšūr’s thoughts on the response of the Quran to one of the civilization issues, especially in the city definition. Ontology dimensions of the city still play an essential role and basis for understanding the urban characteristics in establishing civilizational construction. This study is based on the thematic interpretation method (maudū’ī) by explaining six-city terms according to Ibn Āšūr’s interpretation in the Book al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr. The findings illustrate that city definition is more context-oriented to the region’s functioning than the linguistic explanation, while the function of an area determines the scale of the city. Overall, this study presents the approach of Ibn ‘Ašūr in exegeting the Quran by combining the Quran sciences with urban theories.