PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Abdulrahman Al-Hajj in Quranic Exegesis and Sciences

Mr. Abdulrahman Ahmed Ahmed Al-Hajj was awarded a PhD degree in Quranic Exegesis and Sciences with distinction for his dissertation titled: A Critical Study and Investigation of Al-Jawhar Al-Aseel Al-Mukhtasar min Ma’alim Al-Tanzil by Scholar Abdullah Abdalwali Mohammed Al-Ward (d. 13th Century AH): From the Beginning of the Chapter on the Virtues of the Quran to the End of the Chapter on Prohibitions, which was submitted to the Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Humanities – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

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:

#	Committee Members	Designation	University	Position
1	Prof. Ali Mohammed Maqbul Al-Ahdal	Internal Examiner	Sana’a University	Chair
2	Prof. Rifaat Hussein Mohammed Aburah	Main Supervisor	Sana’a University	Member
3	Prof. Hassan Ali Naji Sharyan	External Examiner	Ibb University	Member

The study aimed to critically edit and analyze a manuscript in Quranic exegesis authored by Abdullah Abdalwali Al-Ward, one of Yemen’s prominent 13th-century scholars. It represents a valuable scholarly contribution to Quranic exegesis and sciences, enriching researchers with significant academic material.

The study yielded several key findings, including:

Al-Jawhar Al-Aseel is an important work in jurisprudential and thematic exegesis, combining the arts of narration and knowledge.
The author demonstrated exceptional organizational and classificatory skills, structuring his book with well-arranged chapters, sections, and insightful annotations.
The author’s introductory entries reflect a mastery of diverse literary and scholarly styles, giving them particular significance within the work.

The researcher concluded his dissertation with several key recommendations, including:

Conducting broader academic studies on Al-Ward’s methodology in Al-Jawhar Al-Aseel.
Examining his scholarly preferences and juristic leanings in comparative studies with the jurisprudence of prominent Yemeni scholars from the prevailing schools of his era.

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