TAFSEER OF THE QUR‟AAN
The Qur’aan is the last book of divine revelation sent to man, and Allaah has promised to protect it from
any distortion or loss. He said in the Qur’aan:
َٰ ٗ َ ّ ْ َ ا
َ َلف ُظ ْو َ ْا َْ ُ َا
ن ِ الذك َر واَِّن له
ِ ن َنلنا اَِّن َن
“Verily, I have revealed the Reminder (Qur’aan) and verily I will preserve it.” (Al-Hijr : 9)
Its written and recited forms have been preserved without even the slightest change for over fourteen
hundred years. However, Allaah‟s protection of the Qur‟aan did not stop there; He also safeguarded the
original meaning. If the protection of the Qur‟aan‟s meaning had not taken place, deviants would have
turned the Book of Allaah into a jumble of symbols, riddles and codes open to a multiplicity of
interpretations, and its original meaning would have been lost. Allaah preserved the meaning of the
Qur‟aan by explaining some of its generalities within the Qur‟aan itself and by entrusting the tafseer of
the remainder to His Messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him). The sahaabah (companions) were
taught to seek their understanding of the Qur‟aan first from the Qur‟aan itself, then from the explanations
and applications of the Prophet and from their own intimate understanding of the language of the
Qur‟aan.
After the Prophet‟s death, those who entered Islaam as new converts depended first upon the Qur‟aan to
explain itself, and then they depended on the sahaabah to explain the Qur‟aan to them. The sahaabah
would inform their students among the taabi„oon of the circumstances in which the verses were revealed,
the interpretation given by the Prophet‟s statements and his actions, and finally they would explain the
meanings of some words which may not have been familiar or which may have had a different meaning
to Arabs outside of the Arabian Peninsula. With the passing of the era of the sahaabah, the scholars
among the taabi„oon shouldered the grave responsibility of conveying the original meanings of the
Qur‟aan to the next generation of Muslims exactly as they had received them. It was the third generation
after the Prophet which began the process of gathering and recording the various narrations of tafseer
from the taabi„oon.
However, the depth of comprehension of the Qur‟aan‟s meanings will vary from individual to individual
due to natural differences in intelligence. This variation existed even among the sahaabah (companions of
Prophet Muhammad (r), in spite of the Qur‟aan‟s clarity of expression and its revelation in seven different
dialects. Moreover, Allaah, the Most Wise, chose to place generalities in the Qur‟aan, some of which He
later explained in its other verses, while some he explained only to the Prophet (r). The Prophet (r) knew
and understood the Qur‟aan completely because Allaah had chosen him as its vehicle and explained it all
to him. Hence, Allaah said in one verse:
ٗ َ َ َ َ َ ا َ َْ َ َ ْ َ ٗ َ ُ ْٰ َ ښ َ َ َ َ ْٰ ُ َ ا ْ ُ ْٰ َ ٗ ۚ ُ ا ا
19ۭ ِن غل ْينا ب َياهه
ُث ا18 ف ِاذا كراهه فات ِبع كراهه17 ٗ اِن غلينا َجػه وكراهه
“Verily, collecting the Qur‟aan (for you) and reciting it (to you) is My21 responsibility, so
when I read it to you, listen to it. Then it is upon Me to explain it.”
Therefore, it was the Prophet‟s job to explain the Qur‟aan to his followers by his actions, as well as his
statements. Allaah stated this in the Qur‟aan:
َ ُّ ٓ
ْ ْ ََن اِل َاا ا
ِ َ َْ َ ْ َ َْ َ ّ ْ َ ُ َ ّ َ ا
ِ ِ الذكر ل ِ ِ ِلن
ِ واَنلنا اِلي
“I have revealed the Reminder (Qur‟aan) to you (O Muhammad) so that you may explain
to people what has been revealed to them.”
Consequently, the sahaabah all turned to the Prophet (r) whenever possible during his lifetime for the
tafseer (explanation, understanding, interpretation) of the Qur‟aan.
For example, Ibn Mas„ood related that when the following verse was revealed:
ْ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ُ َ َ ٰۗ ُ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ َ ْ ْٓ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ َ ٰ َ ْ َ ا
َ ُه ُّ ْه َ ُد ْو
82ۧ ن ذْي ا نوا وَل يل ِ سوا اِْياَن ِبظل ٍ اول ِٕى له اْلْم و ِ ال
“Those who believe and do not obscure their faith with transgression (thulm), for them
there is security, and they are rightly guided,”24
some of the companions became distressed, because the general linguistic meaning of thulm covers any
kind of wrong, major or minor, and none of them were free from error. However, when they approached
the Prophet (r) about it, he replied,
It is not as you all think. It is no more than what Luqmaan said to his son,
َ ْ َُ َ ْ ّ ا ه ْ ْ ُ َ ٰ َُ ا
13 ٌالْشك لظل ٌ غ ِظ ْْي
ِ ْشك ِِبّٰلل ِ ڼ اِن
ِ ي َن ْل ت
‘Verily, shirk (associating partners with God) is the greatest form of thulm.
Thus the Prophet (r) clarified for them that the broader meaning of thulm was not intended in the first
verse; rather it was used to refer to shirk.
In this incident, the Prophet (r) explained the Qur‟aan by the Qur‟aan, demonstrating the first step in the
divinely ordained method of understanding and interpretation of the Qur‟aan that was established for all
generations of Muslims until the Day of Resurrection. After the Prophet‟s death, the sahaabah turned to
those among themselves who were more gifted in understanding the Qur‟aan and who had been able to
spend more time with the Prophet (r) for interpretation and explanation of the Qur‟aan.
Period of Sahabah
Among the sahaabah who became the most noted for their ability to make tafseer of the Qur‟aan are the
following: The four Righteous Caliphs, the Prophet‟s wife, „Aa‟ishah bint Abee Bakr, Ibn Mas„ood, Ibn
„Abbaas, Ubayy ibn Ka„b, Zayd ibn Thaabit, Aboo Moosaa al-Ash„aree, „Abdullaah ibn az-Zubayr, Anas
ibn Maalik, „Abdullaah ibn „Umar, Jaabir ibn „Abdullaah, and „Abdullaah ibn „Amr ibn al-„Aas.28
Within the space of twenty-five years after the Prophet‟s death, the sahaabah carried Islaam to all corners
of the known world, toppling in the process the great empires of Persia and Byzantine. Wherever the
Muslim armies stopped their advance, some of the sahaabah would settle and begin teaching those who
came into Islaam the recitation and interpretation of the Qur‟aan. For this reason, the knowledge of tafseer
spread throughout the Muslim realm, and centers of Qur‟aanic learning sprung up everywhere. Among
the people who gathered around the sahaabah were some outstanding individuals who remained their
students and absorbed their knowledge. These students became known as taabi„oon. Each sahaabee
carried with him a portion of knowledge, some of which overlapped with that of others and some of
which did not. Consequently, some of the students traveled to other Islaamic centers to study under other
sahaabah, while others stayed with their teachers until their deaths.
Schools of Tafseer
The most notable centers of tafseer which evolved during this period were those of Makkah, Madeenah,
and „Iraaq. In Makkah, the tafseer school of Ibn „Abbaas became the most prominent. „Abdullaah ibn
„Abbaas was considered to be the greatest tafseer scholar among the sahaabah. He reported that once the
Prophet (r) hugged him and prayed for him as follows,
“O Allaah, give him a deep understanding of the religion and make him skilled in interpretation.”
„Abdullaah ibn Mas„ood, the great scholar among the sahaabah, was reported to have conferred on him
the title, “Tarjumaan al-Qur‟aan,”, “Translator of the Qur‟aan.” The most famous students of Ibn
„Abbaas were Mujaahid ibn Jabr, „Ikrimah (the freed slave of Ibn „Abbaas), Sa„eed ibn Jubayr, Taawoos
ibn Keesaan al-Yamaanee, and „Ataa ibn Abee Rabaah.
In Madeenah, the most noted school of tafseer was that of Ubayy ibn Ka„b, who was considered by
most of his contemporaries as the top reciter of the Qur‟aan. Ubayy was also the first person chosen by
the Prophet (r) to record the revelation of the Qur‟aan.32 The Prophet (r) was reported to have said to him,
“Verily, Allaah, the Most Great and Glorious, has commanded me to recite to you, ‘Lam
yakunillatheena kafaroo.’ (Soorah al-Bayyinah).” When Ubayy asked if Allaah had mentioned him by
name, the Prophet (r) told him yes, and Ubayy cried.33 Ubayy‟s most notable students were Zayd ibn
Aslam, Aboo al „Aaliyah, and Muhammad ibn Ka„b al-Qurathee.
In „Iraaq, Ibn Mas„ood headed the most prominent school of tafseer. „Abdullaah ibn Mas„ood, the sixth
person to enter Islaam, was among the top reciters of the Qur‟aan. The Prophet (r) himself praised his
recitation saying,
“Whoever wishes to recite the Qur‟aan in the tender manner in which it was revealed should recite it as
Ibn Umm „Abd (Ibn Mas„ood) does.”
As for his knowledge of tafseer, Ibn Mas„ood said, By the One besides Whom there is no other god, I
know where and why every verse of Allaah‟s book was revealed.”
Among the many students of Ibn Mas„ood who later became scholars in their own right were al-Hasan al-
Basree, „Alqamah ibn Qays, Masrooq, al-Aswad ibn Yazeed, and „Aamir ash-Sha„bee.
Tafseer and Ta’weel
The words tafseer and ta‟weel were considered synonyms by the early generations of Muslims; however,
in the centuries following the era of the taabi„oon and their students (9th and 10th centuries CE/3rd and
4th centuries AH), the term ta‟weel took on a new meaning with new and dangerous implications.
Consequently, it is necessary for us to look at these terms in their original context, as well as their later
usage.
The word tafseer, which comes from the verb fassara, literally means an explanation or an
exposition, as in the verse,
ْ
ً ْ ن َت ْفس َ ا ْ ُ َْ َ َ
َ ُتهَ َ ِِبَ َثل اِْل ج ْئ ٰن َ ِبَل َ ّق َوا ْح َس
ْيا ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍ وْل َي
“For any parable they bring, I will bring you the truth and a better explanation (tafseeran).
However, in Qur‟aanic sciences, this term is defined as a branch of knowledge by which the Qur‟aan is
understood, its meanings explained, and its points of law and wisdom derived.
On the other hand, the word ta‟weel, which comes from the verb awwala, literally means interpretation.
When the word ta‟weel is used in the context of a command, it means its execution or implementation.as
in the hadeeth reported by „Aa‟ishah in which she said, “Allaah‟s Messenger (r) used to implement
(yata‟awwal) the Qur‟aan by saying in rukoo„ (bowing) and sujood (prostration) [during salaah],
حبساهک ا له ربنا وحبمدک ا له اغفر يل
„Glory be to You, O Allaah, our Lord, and Praised are You. O Allaah, forgive me‟.”
She was referring to the Prophet‟s execution of Allaah‟s command in the verse,
َ َ ّ ْ َْ َ ّ َ َ ْ َ ْ ْ ُ اٗ َ َ َ ا
ً ُت
Ǽۧ اِب د ر ِب واستغ ِفره ڼ اِهه َكن
ِ فس ِ ح ِحبم
“Glorify Your Lord and ask His forgiveness, for verily, He is Oft-Forgiving.”
When ta‟weel is used in reference to news or information, it refers to its occurrence, as in the verse.
Hence, the early scholars of tafseer used the words tafseer and ta‟weel interchangeably.
METHODS OF TAFSEER
From the above-mentioned methodology of the Prophet and his companions and that of the early
generations of Muslim scholars which followed them, the following steps have been deduced by
orthodox scholars as being the necessary conditions for making correct tafseer of the Qur’aan :
1. Tafseer of Qur’aan by Qur’aan
There are many places in the Qur’aan where questions are asked in order to catch the mind of the
reader and subsequently answered to increase the impact of the concept in question. In other places,
general statements are made and then later explained in order to vary the modes of presentation and
encourage readers and listeners to reflect more. This self-explanatory process is referred to as tafseer
of the Qur’aan by Qur’aan. Allaah chose to clarify what He intended by revealing other explanatory
verses. For example, Allaah asks,
“By the heaven, and by at-Taariq (the Knocker or NightApproacher)—and what will make you
understand what at-Taariq is?”
He then answers His question in the next verse:
“It is the piercing star.” (At-Taariq : 1-3)
Another example can be seen in the verse in which Allaah describes Himself, saying:
“Sight cannot encompass Him.” (Al-Anaam : 103)
This verse implies that Allaah will not be seen in either this world or the next.
However, Allaah later describes the believers in the next life as:
“Gazing at their Lord (Al-Qiyamah : 23)
and he says about the disbelievers:
“Verily, they will be veiled from their Lord on that day.” (al-Mutaffifeen : 15)
Therefore, before seeking an explanation or interpretation elsewhere, the Qur’aan must be relied upon
to explain itself, for Allaah knows best what He intended.
2. Tafseer of Qur’aan by the Sunnah
On many occasions, the Prophet added further clarification to various verses of the Qur’aan. Allaah had
entrusted the job of explaining the Qur’aan to the Prophet. This trust was expressed in the Qur’aan in no
uncertain terms,
“I have revealed the Reminder (Qur’aan) to you (O Muhammad) so
that you may explain to the people what has been revealed to them.” (an-Nahal : 44)
The sahaabah understood this clearly and always turned to the Prophet for clarification whenever they
were in doubt about the meaning of any of the Qur’aanic passages. In fact, most of the fine details of
salaah, zakaah, sawm, hajj, inheritance laws, etc. were explained either by the Prophet’s statements or
practical demonstrations and applications (the Sunnah). Thus, the Prophet’s explanations of Qur’aanic
passages are referred to as the tafseer of the Qur’aan by the Sunnah. For example, in Soorah al-
Faatihah, the Prophet explained that “al-maghdoobi ‘alayhim” (those on whom is Allaah’s anger) are
the Jews, and “ad-daalleen” (those astray) are the Christians.(Tirmizi)
In another narration, he explained that the verse:
“Verily, I have given you al-Kawthar,”(Al-kauthar : 1)
referred to a river in Paradise which Allaah has given him (Muslim). Because the Sunnah was based on
guidance from Allaah, it represents the second part of Allaah’s promise to explain the Qur’aan:
“Then, verily, it is for Me to explain it.”(Al-Qiyamah : 19).
Ibn ’Abbaas explained that the statement, “Then it is for Me to explain it,” means, “upon your tongue
*O Muhammad+.”(Bukhari). Consequently, no other human interpretation can be given precedence over
that of the Prophet (Peace be upon him).
3. Tafseer of Qur’aan by Sahaabah
Whenever the sahaabah could not find the tafseer of a passage in the Qur’aan itself or in the Sunnah,
they would use their own reasoning based on their knowledge of the contexts of the verses and the
details of the Arabic language in which the Qur’aan was revealed. Consequently, one of the greatest
commentators of the Qur’aan, Ibn Katheer, wrote in the preface of his tafseer, “If we are unable to find
a suitable tafseer in the Qur’aan or in the Sunnah, we go to the opinions of the sahaabah. For verily,
they knew the Qur’aan better than anyone else due to their knowledge of the circumstances of its
revelation, their complete and accurate understanding of it, and their righteous deeds.” These
explanations of the sahaabah are known as tafseer by aathaar (the sayings of the sahaabah).
However, the tafseer transmitted from the Prophet (r) and the sahaabah did not cover all of the verses
of the Qur’aan. The Prophet explained only what was unclear to the sahaabah, and they, in turn, only
explained what was unclear to the taabi‘oon. But with each succeeding generation, more areas became
unclear due to the evolution of the language. Hence, the taabi‘oon had to make further
explanations after the passing of the sahaabah’s era.
These explanations are considered a part of tafseer by aathaar and should be given precedence over
personal opinions where there is unanimity among them. Where they differed, none of their opinions is
given preference over the others unless it is supported by the language. During the era of the taabi‘oon,
many Christians and Jews became Muslim. As a result, some of the taabi‘oon narrated tales from Jewish
and Christian sources in their explanations of the Qur’aan. Such narrations became known as
Israa’eeleeyaat. In later generations, the books of tafseer became filled with such narrations, many of
which could not be traced to any reliable source.
4. Tafseer of Qur’aan by Language
The natural process necessitated the explanation of some of the Qur’aanic words according to their
literal and grammatical meanings. Consequently, this period witnessed the appearance of dictionaries
written specifically to deal with Qur’aanic Arabic vocabulary and philology. In cases where words had
more than one meaning, this step created differences of opinion which could only be solved by finding
some support in the Sunnah. For example, “lams” literally means to touch, but figuratively it means
sexual intercourse. Thus, the later scholars were of two basic opinions concerning the following verse:
“...or you (laamastum) women and cannot find water, then make
tayammum (ritual purification with dust).”(An-Nisa : 43)
Imaams ash-Shaafi‘ee and Maalik held that it meant the touch of the hand, though each imaam added
certain stipulations to it. On the other hand, Imaam Aboo Haneefah ruled that it meant sexual
intercourse. However, the Prophet’s wives reported that he kissed them before performing salaah,
which indicated that touching was not intended by this verse. (Aboo Dawood)
The four above-mentioned methods come under the general title of tafseer bir-riwaayah or tafseer bil-
ma’thoor (tafseer based on narration) and, as such, leave little room for argument. Although the fourth
step is oftentimes based on narrations from earlier generations, at other times it can be highly
opinionated and controversial.
5. Tafseer of Qur’aan by Opinion
Opinions based on a careful study of the first four steps can be considered valid as long as they do not
contradict any of those steps. Likewise, the application of obvious meanings of the Qur’aan to existing
situations and the formation of conclusions based on their similarities are also allowed, as long as
such interpretations do not clash with authentic classical explanations. But, free interpretation based on
philosophical, scientific, or sectarian ideas is totally forbidden. The Prophet was reported to have said,
“Opinion-based argument about the Qur’aan is kufr.” He repeated it three times,
then said, “What you know of it, act upon; and what you are ignorant of, refer it
to one who knows.” Musnad Ahmed)
We can see from the above-mentioned hadeeth that the Prophet sternly warned his companions and
later generations of Muslims about interpretations of the Qur’aan based on speculation and
unsubstantiated opinions. The reason is that the Qur’aan is the foundation of Islaam and, as such, it had
to remain pure and untampered with. If free rein was given to any and everyone to interpret the
Qur’aan as they wished, its value would be totally destroyed, and Islaam itself Thus, the only acceptable
tafseer is that which adheres to the following sequence: tafseer of Qur’aan by the Qur’aan, then
by the Sunnah, then by the sayings of the sahaabah, then by language, and finally by opinion, as long as
it is based on the preceding four methods and does not contradict any of them.
The Conditions for the Mufassir
From the information in the preceding chapter concerning the historical development of the tafseer, its
correct methodology, and examples of deviant tafseers, the following conditions could be deduced as
necessary for the achievement of an authentic tafseer of Qur’aan. Conversely, the omission of any one
of the following conditions will more than likely result in a distorted interpretation of the Qur’aan:
1. Correct Belief
The mufassir first and foremost must possess a true belief in Islaam for his or her tafseer to be pure and
free from heresy or gross errors. A true or correct belief exists only when one’s conception of Islaam
coincides with that of the Prophet and his companions. Ignorance of what constitutes correct belief in
Islaam will almost certainly lead the mufassir into incorrect explanations. Such an individual will be
unable to distinguish between a correct interpretation and an incorrect one. Consequently, he or she
will have to rely on their personal judgment, which would be impaired due to their ignorance. The
mufassir does not approach the Qur’aan with preconceived ideas and notions for which he or she wishes
to find support in the Qur’aan. Such an approach invariably leads to misinterpretations and sectarian
explanations.
2. Correct Methodology
All honest attempts at tafseer must begin with the tafseer of the Qur’aan by Qur’aan itself. What
remains unexplained must then be sought in the Sunnah. If the tafseer still cannot be found, the
explanations of the sahaabah and their students must then be turned to. That which is left after the
preceding steps can be found in the language of the Qur’aan. Such an approach to tafseer takes into
account Allaah’s role as the revealer and explainer of His revelation, the Prophet’s role as the practical
interpreter of Allaah’s revelation, the sahaabah and their students’ roles as the conveyers of Allaah’s
revelation and the Prophet’s interpretation and application of it, and the role of classical Arabic as the
vehicle in which the revelation and its explanation were transmitted. Any other approach negates one or
more of these vital roles and implies either a claim of direct revelation from Allaah or an understanding
superior to that of the Prophet and his companions.
3. Correct Knowledge
The mufassir must have working knowledge of classical Arabic, its grammatical constructions, and its
figures of speech, because this is the language of the Qur’aan. Any tafseer which is based solely on a
translation of some of the meanings of the Qur’aan will be liable to distortion. As Mujaahid, the student
of Ibn ‘Abbaas, said, “It is not allowable for anyone who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to explain
Allaah’s Book if he is not knowledgeable in the Arabic language.” The mufassir should also know the
other Islaamic sciences which are connected in one way or another to the Qur’aan, such as hadeeth and
fiqh. He should be familiar with the science of hadeeth in order to make sure that explanations
attributed to the Prophet or his companions that he uses in his tafseer are authentic. He should also
know the fundamental principles of fiqh (usool al-fiqh) in order to accurately extract or deduce Islaamic
law from its passages. Without a correct understanding of these two sciences, the mufassir could not
possibly escape including in his tafseer a wealth of misinformation, since the body of weak and
fabricated narrations is quite vast and the schools of fiqh (Islaamic law) and their methods are many and
varied.
