نحمدہ و نصلی علی رسولہ الرکیم

نحمدہ و نصلی علی رسولہ الرکیم In the Name of Allah the Most Compassionate Very Merciful All Praise Due to Allah Almighty the Lord of Hazrat Muhammad may Allah send peace and blessings upon him Introduction to Tafseer Prior to beginning with the acquisition of a branch of knowledge one is in need of knowing 10 facts about it: 1. Name: Tafseer is extracted from the root word ف س ر which means to open and to explore. 2. Definition: It s the knowledge of acquiring those principles through which one is enabled, according to one s humanly strength, to find out the meanings of Allah s Speech. 3. Subject: The Quranic verses, in the manner of understanding their objectives. 4. Founder: The founders of this branch of knowledge are the scholars, from the time of the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him up to this age, who are profound in the field of Ilm and are matured in this faculty, as Allah Almighty provides evidence: تب ک ا ن ز ل ع ل ی ک ال ا ل ی ہ و ب ہ ت ف ا م ا ا ل ی ن ف ق ل و ب ہ ش ت م ر و ا خ ا م ال ک ت ب م ن ہ ا ی ت م ح ک مت ہ ن ہ ہ ب م ن ا ن م ت ش و ت ب ع ف ی زی غ 1

ہ ا ل اہلل www.musjidulhaq.com ا ل ا و ی ل ل م ت وم ی ع ا ا و ی ل اء ت ت غ واب ۃ ن ف ت اء ال اب ت غ ی ق و ل ون ام م ع ل خ ون ف ال و الر اس ن ا ب ہ ک ل ا ول وا ا ل ل ب ب ۷ م ا ی ذ ا و ک ر م ن ع ن د رب ن It is He Who sent down upon you the Book, in which some verses have clear meaning, they are the substance of the Book, and others are those, in the meaning of which there is doubt. Those in whose hearts there is perversity pursue doubtful one desiring deviation and searching their own view point of it, and its right interpretation is known to Allah alone. And those of firm knowledge say, 'We believed in it, all is from our Lord and none accept admonition save men of understanding. (Aale Imraan 3, Verse 7) 5. Resources: This knowledge is benefitted from the Quran, Sunnah (Hadeeth), the sayings of Sahaba and Taabe een and pure and the sayings of the eloquent people of Arabia. 6. Ruling (Shariah ruling about the acquisition of this knowledge): It s Fard Al-Kifaayah. 7. Matters: Those sentences, from different perspectives of commandments, preventions, and counsel etc. 8. Rank: It ranks high among the Shariah Uloom and acts as their foundation. 9. Benefits: The better and higher understanding of the meanings of Allah s Words. 10. Need: To gain good fortune in both the worlds; in this world by fulfilling the commands and by abstaining from what is forbidden, and in the hereafter, to enjoy the paradise and its bounties. It is for this reason that the Aalim of the Quran and the ones that fulfilled its commands will be told: 2

(Tafseer Saawi, Ala Al-Jalaalain) www.musjidulhaq.com Keep on reciting more and more. The Holy Quran was revealed collectively at Bait Al- Izzah (The house of honour) onto the first sky in the same order we read it, and then it was sent down little by little according to different consequences upon the Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him in the period of 23 years. Allah Almighty states: ف س یا ۳۳ ح و ا حسن ت ق ک ب ال ن ل ا ل ج ئ ب مث ک ا ی ت ون و ل And they will not bring you any saying but We shall bring you the truth and better explanation. (Al-Furqaan 25, Verse 33) The revelation differed according to its places of revelation, and in fact, 83 Surahs were revealed in Makkah Mukarramah i.e. prior to migration, and 21 in Madinah Munawwarah. The first Surah to be revealed in Makkah Mukarramah was Surah Alaq but there is difference of opinions in the last Surah which is either: 1. Al- Ankaboot 2. Al-Mu minoon 3. Al-Muttaffifeen The first Surah to be reveal in Madinah Shareef was Surah Al-Baqarah and the last was Surah Al-Ma idah. There is difference of opinions in the place of the revelation of Surah Al-Fatiha whether Makki or Madani; there is a possibility that it could be both. The first verse to be revealed is: The last verse to be revealed is: خ ل ق ۱ رب ک ا ل ی ا ق را ب اس م Recite with the name of your Lord Who created, (Al- Alaq 96, Verse 1) ن ف یہ ا ل اہلل و ات ق وا ی و م ا ت ر جع و And fear the day in which you shall be made to return to Allah. (Al-Baqarah 2, Verse 281) The Number of Its Letters, Words and Verses: 3

www.musjidulhaq.com The number of Quranic letters is 225,000 and the steps to the paradise are also of the same quantity, the distance between the two steps is measured by the journey of 500 years. The number of the verses is 6,666. The number of words is 77, 450. Taking the verses into account, the central verse of the Quran is: م ی ف ک ون ۵۴ ا ف ا ق ل عصاہ ف ا ذ ا ہ ی ت و س ف ا ل قی م Then Musa cast his staff, henceforth it began to swallow their fabrications. (Al-Shu ara 26, Verse 45) Taking the letters into account the middle letter of the Quran is in the following Speech of Allah: ن ک ر ا ۷۵ ا شی ت ل ق د ج ئ Undoubtedly you have done a hideous thing'. (Al-Kahf 18, Verse 74) second. in the ک falls in the first half and نکرا of ن Taking the Surahs into account Al-Hadeed falls under the first half and Al-Mujaadalah in the second. The order of the Surahs is as the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him had directed. Hajjaaj Ibn Yoosuf had named the Surahs after consulting the Sahaba. It was he who had divided the Quran into 3, 4, and 10 portions and 30 Juz s (Paras/Volumes) on his own interpretational strength. It is for this reason that sometimes, one may notice that the beginning of some Rubu occurs in the middle of a story. (Tafseer Saawi Ala Al-Jalaalain) The Necessity and Importance of Tafseer Imam Jalaaluddeen Suyooti may Allah be pleased with him states, The time in which the Quran was revealed in the Arabic language it was the era of the experts of Arabic literature who could figure out its apparent interpretations and then derive the rulings from it but they also had to ponder over their inner meanings and finer details which used to be solved only after consulting the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him. When the verse: ہ ب ظ ل م وا ا ی من ب س ی ل ا و ل م و ن ام ا ل ی ن Those who have believed and mixed not any injustice with their faith. (Al-An aam 6, Verse 82) The Sahaba asked Allah s Messenger may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, his household and all his companions Who amongst us is such; without having done any injustice to himself? The Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him replied, Injustice, at this occasion, is interpreted as polytheism. and provided the following verse as a proof of this: 4

www.musjidulhaq.com ا ن الش ر ک ل ظل م ع ظ ی م ۱۳ 'Undoubtedly, the association with Allah is a tremendous wrong'. (Luqman 31, Verse 13) م ن ن و ق ش ال ح س اب stated, Similarly, when the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him Ayeshah Whoso is held accountable in his accountability will be captured in punishments, Hazrat ع ذ ب may Allah be pleased with her then wanted to find out from the Holy Messenger may Allah send blessings and peace upon him concerning the following verses: ی ب ح ساب ا ی س یا ۸ اس ف س و ف ح He will soon have an easy reckoning. ی ل ا ہ ل م س ر و ر ا ۹ و ی ن ق ل ب ا And he will return to his household joyfully. (Al-Inshiqaaq 84, Verse 8, 9) This is just about the time when the deeds will be presented (i.e. there is no collision in the meaning that He mentioned in the Hadeeth) He replied. We are even more in need of those fortunes which they needed but we are rather more needy than anyone else, for we cannot even grasp the essence, evaluations and the inner meanings of the language without having to learn them. (Al-Itqaan Fi Uloom Al-Quran of Imam Suyooti, Vol. 2, p. 546-547) Grasping the meaning of Quran is a great form of worship and bliss, therefore one needs to grasp the meaning of the Quran from reliable Tafseers along with its recitation. Hazrat Iyaas Ibn Mu awiyah may Allah be pleased with him states, The example of those, who recite the Quran and are not aware of its meaning, is of a people by whom the letter of the king reached at night and they did not have a lamp to read it as to what is written, and the example of the one who recites the Quran, knowing its Tafseer, is of a nation by whom the postman brought the letter at night along with the lamp and they read the letter in the light of the lamp and knew what the letter contained. (Tafseer Qurtubi Vol. 1, p. 41) May Allah enable and grant all the Muslims the divine guide to understand the Quran. Ameen! The History of Tafseer The history of Quranic Tafseer could be summarized into four epochs: 1 st Epoch: 5

www.musjidulhaq.com The Holy Quran was revealed in the pure Arabic language and the literature was in accordance with the Arabic principles and rhetoric, hence, the Sahaba had no problem in grasping the meaning and it was easy for them to find out the objective of the Speech but since, all the Sahaba were not on the same level of intellect and knowledge and in grades of knowledge, therefore when any of them observed a difficulty in understanding the meaning of a verse they used to consult the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him and He used to quench their thirst of knowledge, and sometimes, He himself used to explain the interpretation of the verses, and this was the time where the revolution of Quran interpretation or Tafseer began. Firstly, Allah Almighty taught his beloved Messenger may Allah send blessings and peace upon him the Tafseer and the interpretation of Quran, for Allah knows best the objective of His own Speech, and then the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him related those Tafseers to the Sahaba. Highlighting this great station of the beloved Rasool may Allah send blessings and peace upon him Allah Almighty states: ر ل ت ب ی ل لن اس م ا ل ی ہ ا ا ل ی ک ا ل ک ن ا ن ز ل زل و ا ن And O' Beloved! We sent down to you the Remembrance The Holy Quran that you may explain them to people what was sent down to (Al-Nahl 16, Verse 44) ی ت ل وا ع ل ی ہ ی ک ی ہ و ث ف ا ل م ی ر س و ل م ن ہ ع ی ب ا ل ز ا ی ت ہ ہ و و ضل ل م ب ی ۲ ب ل ل ف ی مۃ و ا ن ک ان وا م ن ق ح ک ک و تب ال ل ی ع م ہ ال It is He Who sent among the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His signs and purifies them and bestows them the knowledge of the Book and wisdom, although they had been necessarily in manifest error before that. (Jumu ah 62, Verse 2) 2 nd Epoch: In the time of Sahaba after the physical departure of the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, there were few personalities among them, who had directly learnt from Him, dedicated their entire lives in this great work. Despite having the full command over the language and being fully aware and witnessing the reason, place and condition of the Quran s revelation, they still did not rely on their intellect. They rather went to the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him and learned the Quran and the knowledge of its mystical and finer properties. Hazrat Abu Abd Al-Rahmaan, a famous Taabe i may Allah be pleased with him stated, The Sahaba, who taught us the Quran interpretation, informed us that they used to learn 10 verses from the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him on a daily basis, and they did not move forward until they had understood the theoretical and practical interpretation (Tafseer) of the verses. 6

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah, 7, p. 152, Hadeeth No. 1) Hazrat Anas may Allah be pleased with him states, Someone would become very honorable in our eyes when he had learnt Surah Baqarah and Aale Imraan (from the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him). (Sharh Al-Sunnah Vol. 7, p. 76, Hadeeth No. 3619) When people were faced with a difficulty in understanding the Quran at that time, they brought themselves at the threshold of Sahaba and enquired the Tafseer from the ones who had directly benefitted from the knowledge of the beloved Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, his household and all his companions. Note: Neither the Holy Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him taught the Tafseer of the entire Quran nor did the Sahaba, but their Tafseer mostly included some verses and words and their interpretations, the circumstances and reasons of their revelation and the knowledge of Naasikh and Mansookh etc. but it all was due to them having the full command on Arabic language and literature, thus they never felt the need for the Tafseer of the entire Quran. Names of some famous Sahaba who contributed to the knowledge of Tafseer: 1. Hazrat Uthmaan Ghani 2. Hazrat Ali Murtuza 3. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abbaas 4. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Mas ood 5. Hazrat Ubaiyy Ibn Ka b 6. Hazrat Zaid Ibn Thaabit 7. Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al- Aas 8. Hazrat Abu Moosa Ash ari 9. Hazrat Abu Dardaa (May Allah be pleased with them all) 3 rd Epoch: It was the revolutionary time of Tabe een after the Sahaba. Although they had a vast ocean of the Quran s Tafseer directly acquired from the Sahaba but it was not the Tafseer of the entire Quran but the Tafseer was limited to some verses and Surahs. Islam had reached in different parts of the world by that time, and the Sahaba that were still living, were serving Islam in different cities. When doors of fitnahs opened at that time, people differed in their opinions, and the fatawa were widespread then the Taabe een founded the institutional structures of the knowledge of Hadeeth, Fiqh and Tafseer. When it came to Tafseer, they followed the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet and His noble Companions may Allah send blessings and peace upon him, his household and all his companions by doing the Tafseer of the Quranic verses from within the verses of Quran, then from the relevant Ahadeeth of the beloved Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him and then applied other ways of describing the Tafseer. When they did not find the Tafseer of a verse from within the Quranic verses nor were they to be found in the Ahadeeth, they benefitted from the Tafseer 7

of the Sahaba, and when they did not find a Tafseer from within the quotations of the Sahaba, they themselves made Ijtihaad or interpretation and derived the Tafseer by themselves and it was at that time when a great treasure of Tafseer books came into existence. Below are the names of some famous Mufassireen amongst the group of Taabe een: 1. Hazrat Ibn Al-Musayyib 2. Hazrat Urwah 3. Hazrat Saalim 4. Hazrat Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez 5. Hazrat Sulaimaan Ibn Yasaar 6. Hazrat Ata Ibn Yasaar 7. Hazrat Zaid Ibn Aslam 8. Hazrat Ibn Shahaab Zohri 9. Hazrat Hasan Basri 10. Hazrat Mujaahid Ibn Jubair 11. Hazrat Sa eed Ibn Jubair 12. Hazrat Alqamah 13. Hazrat Qataadah 14. Hazrat Imam Ibn Seereen 15. Hazrat Ibraheem Nakh i 16. Hazrat Imam She bi 4 th Epoch: After the era of Taabe een, a great deal of work on Tafseer was carried out in the time of Umayyads and Abbasids caliphate, and up until this time the books of Tafseer have been written in many languages and from many different perspectives. The names of some remarkable Tafseer works in Arabic language are as follows: No. Names of The Books Author 1 Jaame Al-Bayaan Fi Taweel Al-Quran (Also known as Tafseer Tabri or Tafseer Ibn Jareer) Imam Abu Ja far Muhammad Ibn Jareer Tabri 2 Bahr Al- Uloom Faqeeh Abul Laith Nasr Muhammad Samarqandi 3 Tafseer Al-Quran Al- Azeem Haafiz Abdur Rahmaan Ibn Muhammad, Ibn Abi Haatim 4 Taaweelaatu Ahl Al-Sunnah Imam Abu Mansoor Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Maatureedi 5 Al-Nukatu Wal- Uyoon Imam Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Muhammad Maawardi 6 Al-Muharrar Al-Wajeez Fi Tafseer Al-Kitaab Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Ahmad Waahidi Al- Azeez 7 Ahkaam Al-Quran Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn Ali Jassaas 8

8 Ahkaam Al-Quran Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn Husain Baihaqi 9 Ahkaam Al-Quran Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Abdillah Ibn Al- Arabi 10 Ma aalim Al-Tanzeel Fi Tafseer Al-Quran (Tafseer Baghwi) Abu Muhammad Husain Ibn Mas ood Baghwi 11 Zaad Al-Maseer Fi Ilm Al-Tafseer Imam Jalaaluddeen Abdur Rahmaan Ibn Ali Baghdadi 12 Al-Tafseer Al-Kabeer (Tafseer Raazi or Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ibn Umar Raazi Tafseer Fakhri or Mafaateeh Al-Ghaib)) 13 Al-Jaame Li Ahkaam Al-Quran (Tafseer Qurtubi) Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Qurtubi 14 Anwaar Al-Tanzeel Wa Asraar Al-Taaweel (Tafseer Baidaawi) Naasir Al-Deen Abu Sa eed Abdullah Ibn Umar Baidaawi 15 Madaarik Al-Tanzeel Wa Haqaa iq Al- Abul Barakaar Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Nasafi Taaweel (Tafseer Nasafi) 16 Lubaab Al-Taaweel Fi Ma aani Al-Tanzeel Alaa uddeen Ali Ibn Muhammad Khaazin 17 Al-Bahr Al-Muheet Abu Hayyaan Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Andalusian 18 Tafseer Al-Lubaab Fi Uloom Al-Kitaab Abu Hafs Siraaj Al-Deen Umar Ibn Ali Dimashqi 19 Tafseer Al-Quran Al- Azeem Abul Fida Isma eel Ibn Umar Ibn Katheer Dimashqi 20 Al-Durr Al-Manthoor Fi Al-Taweel Bil Mathoor Abdur Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr, Jalaal Aldeen Suyooti 21 Rooh Al-Bayaan Shaikh Isma eel Haqqi 22 Rooh Al-Ma aani Shahaabuddeen Sayyid Muhammad Aaloosi Baghdadi 23 Haashiyah Jumal Ala Al-Jalaalain Shaikh Sulaimaan Jumal 24 Haashiyah Al-Saawi Ala Al-Jalaalain Allamah Ahmad Saawi 25 Al-Muharrar Al-Wajeez Abu Muhammad Abdul Haq Ibn Ghaalib Andalusian 26 Al-Jawaahir Al-Hisaan Abu Zaid Abdur Rahman Ibn Muhammad Tha alabi Quran Interpretation (Tafseer Al-Quran) is further divided into two categories: 1. Tafseer 2. Taaweel Difference Between Tafseer And Taaweel The Mufassireen have given many interpretations to Tafseer and Taaweel. One of those definitions is as follows: The definition of Tafseer: 9

Those interpretations of the Quran which cannot be acquired through Aql or intellect alone but there is always a need of Naql or traditions; such as acquiring the information regarding the circumstance, place and reason for the revelation of a particular Quranic verse or Surah, Mansookh (the verses which rulings have been abrogated) and Naasikh (the verse which caused the abrogation). The Definition of Taaweel: It is to interpret the matters and finer points of the Quran and bring out all the different types of hidden gems from the Quranic verses by the aid of different branches of knowledge; such Sarf, Nahw, Tasawwuf, science and technology etc. The Shariah Ruling Concerning Tafseer and Taaweel: To do the Tafseer of the Quran from one s own whims and fancies is forbidden, and it s permissible for one to do a valid Taaweeel of the Quran based on his knowledge and wisdom, and it s a rewarding act to do so for the people of knowledge (the righteous Ulama). The Requirements That Are to Be Met For Anyone to Even Being Able to Begin with Tafseer: The in-depth knowledge of: 1. Language (Arabic Literature) 2. Grammar 3. Syntax 4. Ishtiqaaq (The ability to be able to relate the words to their root words and vice-versa) Rhetoric s: (5, 6, 7) 5. Ma aani 6. Bayaan 7. Badee 8. Differenet Qira ats (Aside from Qira at Hafs i.e. the 7 different ways of Quranic renditions) 9. The Principle of Deen 10. The Principles of Fiqh 11. Knowledge of the reason behind the revelation of the verses (Asbaab Al-Nuzool) 12. Naasikh and Mansookh 13. The Ahadeeth related to Mujmal and Mubham Tafseer. The Grades of Quran s Tafseer: They are further categorized into five categories: itself. (Interpretation of Quran through Quran), for the Quran also explains ت ف س ی ر ال ق ان ب ال ق ان 1. 10

(Interpretation of Quran through Hadeeth), for no one understood Quran as ت ف س ی ر ال ق ان ب ال ح د ی ث 2. much as the Prophet may Allah send blessings and peace upon him did. Sahaba) (Interpretation of Quran through the sayings of the ت ف س ی ر ال ق ان ب ا ث ار الص ح اب ۃ.3 Tabe een) (Interpretation of Quran through the sayings of the ت ف س ی ر ال ق ان ب ا ث ار الت اب ع ی ن.4 language) (Interpretation of Quran through the Arabic ت ف س ی ر ال ق ان ب الل غ ۃ ال ع ر ب ی ۃ.5 The Books of Tafseer Are Divided Into Two Catagories: 1. Tafseer Bil Mathoor: Are the books of Tafseer that are based on the abovementioned principle No. 1, 2, 3, 4. The most famous among them are the following eight: No. Names of The Books Author 1 Jaame Al-Bayaan Fi Tafseer Al-Quran (Also Imam Abu Ja far Muhammad Ibn Jareer Tabri known as Tafseer Tabri or Tafseer Ibn Jareer) 2 Bahr Al- Uloom Faqeeh Abul Laith Nasr Muhammad Samarqandi 3 Tafseer Al-Quran Al- Azeem Haafiz Ibn Katheer 4 Al-Muharrar Al-Wajeez Fi Tafseer Al-Kitaab Abul Hasan Ali Ibn Ahmad Waahidi Al- Azeez 5 Ma aalim Al-Tanzeel Fi Tafseer Al-Quran (Tafseer Baghwi) Abu Muhammad Husain Ibn Mas ood Baghwi 6 Al-Durr Al-Manthoor Fi Al-Taweel Bil Mathoor Abdur Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr, Jalaal Aldeen Suyooti 7 Al-Jawaahir Al-Hisaan Abu Zaid Abdur Rahman Ibn Muhammad Tha alabi 8 Al-Kashf Wal-Bayaan An Tafseer Al-Quran Abu Is haaq Tha labi 2. Tafseer Bir Raai: Are the Tafseers that are written through Ijtihaad (Islamic analogy), so if that analogy is correct and not based on ignorance or misinterpretations, then such Tafseer s are praiseworthy, or else they stand no chance in Islam. Some famous Tafseer books of this nature are as follows: No. Names of The Books Author 1 Al-Tafseer Al-Kabeer (Tafseer Raazi or Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ibn Umar Raazi Tafseer Fakhri or Mafaateeh Al-Ghaib)) 2 Gharaa ib Al-Qur an Imam Nishapuri 3 Anwaar Al-Tanzeel Wa Asraar Al-Taaweel (Tafseer Baidaawi) Naasir Al-Deen Abu Sa eed Abdullah Ibn Umar Baidaawi 4 Madaarik Al-Tanzeel Wa Haqaa iq Al- Abul Barakaar Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Nasafi Taaweel (Tafseer Nasafi) 5 Lubaab Al-Taaweel Fi Ma aani Al-Tanzeel Alaa uddeen Ali Ibn Muhammad Khaazin 6 Al-Bahr Al-Muheet Abu Hayyaan Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Andalusian 11

7 Rooh Al-Ma aani Shahaabuddeen Sayyid Muhammad Aaloosi Baghdadi 8 Tafseer Jalalain Imam Suyooti and Imam Mahalli Al- Shaafe i We will, Allah willing, shed some light on the most reliable books of Tafseer in near future. To be continued................ 12