Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-342) and index

Text in English, translated from the Malay, with parallel text in Malay, transliterated from the Jawi Malay.

One century, two commentaries ; The Wujudiyya environment of Tafsir Sura al-Kahf ; The reformist environment of Tarjuman al-mustafid ; The significance and pragmatic roles of Sura al-Kahf ; Narrative explication by the 17th C. Acehnese commentators ; Study of the qira'at in 17th century Aceh ; Comparing the texts.

In 'Malay Court Religion, Culture and Language: Interpreting the Qur'an in 17th Century Aceh' Peter G. Riddell undertakes a detailed study of the two earliest works of Qur'anic exegesis from the Malay-Indonesian world. Riddell explores the 17th century context in the Sultanate of Aceh that produced the two works, and the history of both texts. He argues that political, social and religious factors provide important windows into the content and approaches of both Qur'anic commentaries. He also provides a transliteration of the Jawi Malay text of both commentaries on s'ra 18 of the Qur'an (al-Kahf), as well as an annotated translation into English. This work represents an important contribution to the search for greater understanding of the early Islamic history of the Malay-Indonesian world