PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulbaqi Abdu in ‎Quranic Exegesis and Sciences

Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulbaqi Ghaleb Abdu ‎was awarded a PhD degree in Quranic Exegesis and Sciences for his dissertation titled: Al-Manhaj Al-Qawim fi Tafsir Al-Qur’an Al-Karim (The Sound Method in the Interpretation of the Holy Quran), authored by Ali bin Yahya bin Mohammed Al-Banna (d. 696 AH), from the beginning of the book to the end of Surah Aal Imran: A Critical Study and Investigation‎, which was submitted to the Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Sunday, February 15, 2026.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

The dissertation aimed to:

• Revive Islamic heritage in general, and Yemeni heritage in particular, by producing an accurate, critically edited version of the manuscript free from distortion or textual errors.

• Introduce Imam Ali bin Yahya bin Mohammed Al-Banna and highlight his scholarly status.

• Present the book Al-Manhaj Al-Qawim fi Tafsir Al-Quran Al-Karim.

• Highlight the book’s substantial scholarly contributions in the fields of Quranic exegesis, jurisprudence, and linguistics.

• Clarify the author’s methodology, key sources, and treatment of jurisprudential, theological, and linguistic issues.

The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:

• Imam Ali bin Yahya bin Mohammed Al-Banna was one of the prominent Zaydi ‎scholars of the 7th century AH.‎

• The author drew extensively from diverse sources, including works of exegesis, ‎Hadith, linguistics, Qur’anic recitations, and related sciences.‎

• The author significantly contributed to demonstrating the eloquence, rhetorical ‎beauty, and expressive power of the Holy Qur’an.‎

• His treatment of jurisprudential issues varied between detailed elaboration and ‎concise presentation.‎

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:‎

• Completing the critical edition of the book and studying it from Hadith and rhetorical perspectives to achieve comprehensive scholarly benefit.

• Conducting a study entitled: “Reasons for Revelation: A Hadith-Based Exegetical Study from the Book Al-Manhaj Al-Qawim by Imam Ali bin Yahya Al-Banna.”

• Examining the author’s scholarly preferences (exegetical, linguistic, and jurisprudential) in independent research works, and shedding further light on this distinguished scholar who, despite his significant knowledge, did not attain the same recognition as other prominent imams.

The dissertation defense was attended by a number of academics, researchers, and specialists, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.

A video from the Viva-Voce