Ruh al-Maani fi Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim wa-al-Sab al-Mathani (The Spirit of Meanings in the Exegesis of the Mighty Quran and the Seven Oft-Repeated) by Mahmud b. Abdullah al-Alusi (d. 1854 CE) is one of the most comprehensive and encyclopedic tafsir works of the modern classical period, spanning 30 volumes. Its objective is to integrate the full breadth of Islamic scholarly tradition into a single work, combining transmitted narrations, Arabic grammatical and rhetorical analysis, theological discussion from multiple perspectives, Sufi isharat (spiritual insights), and legal commentary. The manhaj is encyclopedic and synthetic: Alusi draws on the entire classical tafsir tradition while contributing original analysis and spiritual reflection, making the work particularly valued for its rich integration of Sufi esoteric dimensions alongside rigorous exoteric scholarship. Alusi served as the Mufti of Baghdad and had connections to the Naqshbandi Sufi order; unusually, his later writings also show some influence of the Salafi/Wahhabi intellectual movement, creating a distinctive scholarly blend. His is Maturidi and his madhhab is Hanafi. The work is a standard reference for advanced scholars across the Sunni world. More...