Uncovering the Pearl: A Methodology in Reading Books of Tafsīr
Moneeb Sarmad
This paper was originally published in By the Pen: The Qalam Student Journal (1st Ed.).
Translator’s Introduction
A meaningful connection with the book of Allah ﷻ is the goal of every Muslim, let alone students of the sacred sciences. The seeker's journey begins with a deeper understanding of the Quran, which can only be gained after some level of familiarity with the books of tafsīr. However important this may be, many lack a structured approach toward studying tafsīr. It is thus critical to understand that while reading itself is a skill, knowing what to read and how to approach the subject is equally, if not more, imperative.
This article is an adapted translation of Shaykh Musāʿid al-Ṭayyār's1 original piece that he authored as a piece of advice to an aspiring student of the Quran. Due to it being written in a more conversational style, I have taken the liberty of making the original advice more reader-friendly by paraphrasing the ideas whilst omitting certain sections and summarizing others. I have also added footnotes along the way in order to clarify certain concepts or provide useful additional information.
Author’s Introduction
It is well known that memoirs of seasoned scholars and researchers are very much sought after. Unfortunately, some of the ideas and practices shared by such people are too abstract and philosophical, often lacking pragmatism. I am not arguing against sharing such ideas through discourse; they have the potential of getting polished and refined into a form that can actually benefit the masses.
I certainly believe that tafsīr is one of the most challenging subjects when it comes to creating a blueprint for an organized study. especially when the divergent approaches utilized by exegetes2 have made their works a venue for discourses on topics other than tafsīr in such detail that the forest is often lost for the trees.3 I will organize this discussion by first examining some background information about the books of tafsīr. Thereafter, I shall present a summarized approach regarding reading and studying these kinds of books.
Understanding the sciences that constitute books of tafsīr and categorizing them in an organized fashion is an essential element for developing a strong mental model for learning tafsīr. So, what are these categories?
Explanation of the meaning of the verse; this is the crux of tafsīr and the first objective in fully comprehending the intent of Allāh ﷻ in His Book.
Sciences pertaining to the verses and chapters.
Exegetic deduction and reflective benefits.4
First Category: Tafsīr
Linguistically, tafsīr refers to uncovering and clarifying. Hence, if anything is revealed or explained, it is coined as tafsīr. This word may be used in the context of tangible as well as intangible items. For example, when we say that someone uncovered their arms, we call such an action tafsīr. Similarly, when someone clarifies an unclear meaning, it is also known as tafsīr. In summary, when a matter is unveiled or elaborated through the process of deep thought, it is said that so-and-so has done tafsīr of it.
From a technical point of view, there are varying definitions of tafsīr, many of which are based on what the books of tafsīr contain, and commenting on those definitions is beyond the scope of this article.5 However, when we take a look at the aforementioned linguistic definition, we can say that — in reality — tafsīr is the act of expounding upon the meanings of the Quran. This includes meanings of individual words, knowledge of naskh according to the usage of the pious predecessors,6 circumstances surrounding the revelation, and other such aspects without which the meaning would not be sufficiently clear.7 Understanding the meaning of the speech of Allah ﷻ is the main intent behind tafsīr and, depending on its veracity, other exegetic benefits may be derived.8
Second Category: Knowledge Surrounding Chapters and Verses
There are certain salient features of chapters and verses that, when understood correctly, help a reader develop a more concrete understanding of the Quran.
Chapters
The following is a non-exhaustive list of those features, starting with the chapters:9
Name of the chapter
Location of where the chapter was revealed and its chronological order
Number of letters, words, and verses in a chapter
Any authentically established virtues of the chapter
Interrelatedness of themes and the verses of the chapter and thematic connection of the chapter to the one before it
Themes of the chapters
Verses
In regard to the verses, what is being referred to here is any information that the exegesis has attributed to a verse, whether or not it has a direct correlation. Such content may be divided into the following categories:
Those matters that pertain to the verse purely from a Quranic perspective
Those matters that have a connection with the verse from the standpoint of the Islamic sciences in general
Those matters that refer to the verse from the perspective of sciences that are not inherently Islamic
If we combine the first two categories, then there are a number of associated features. A few of them are as follows:
Tafsīr of the verse
Virtues of the verse
Specific name of the verse
Time and location of revelation
Variant recitations of the verse
Grammatical analysis
Any rulings pertaining to jurisprudence, etiquettes, creedal matters, or spirituality
Nāsikh and mansūkh (according to the usage of the salaf)10
Points of pauses in recitation11
Circumstances surrounding the revelation of the verse
Rhetorical devices used in the verse
Oftentimes, books of tafsīr include literary, poetry-based, or anecdotal digressions and even personal experiences of the exegete but these do not fall into this category at all.
As for the third category, many examples of this can be found in the tafsīr of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606 AH) and others who intended to make their works comprehensive but included aspects that are not necessarily from a purely Islamic paradigm, such as logic or philosophy. Content related to this category has taken over the books of tafsīr and, as a result, they have become unnecessarily lengthy.12
Third Category: Exegetic Deduction13
In comparison to secondary information found in the works of tafsīr, the reader will sparingly find any interpretive inferences and deeply profound points of benefit. You will rarely find an exegete making this a priority when doing tafsīr. Instead, the author may point out a benefit but even then it is more or less a side point, not an objective of the work.14 By this I do not mean jurisprudential deductions about worship and transactions that the books of tafsīr are filled with, but rather benefits that are more general and pertain to various other topics.
Practical Advice on Benefitting from Books of Tafsīr
After this preface regarding the sciences contained in the books of tafsīr, I would like to mention a summarized yet practical methodology in studying tafsīr that may benefit the reader:
1. The reader should select a book of tafsīr that shall serve as a foundation.15 The book will be read several times until one can create a mindmap of its contents. It is paramount that this book be small in size. These primers may be divided into two levels:
First-tier primers:
Al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar16
Al-Wajīz fi l-Tafsīr by al-Wāḥidī (d. 468 AH)17
Murāḥ Labīd by Nawawī al-Jāwī (d. 1897 CE)18
Jāmiʿ al-Bayān fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān by al-Ījī (d. 905 AH)19
Second tier primers:
Al-Wasīṭ fī Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-Majīd by al-Wāḥidī (d. 468 AH)20
Tafsīr al-Qurʾān by al-Samʿānī (d. 489 AH)21
Maʿālim al-Tanzīl by al-Baghawī (d. 516 AH)22
Al-Tas-hīl li ʿUlūm al-Tanzīl by Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbī (d. 741 AH)23
Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān fī Tafsīr Kalām al-Mannān by ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Siʿdī (d. 1957 CE)24
2. The reader should select a text on gharīb al-qurʾān that he should rely on to understand the meanings of the individual words as per their usage in the Arabic language.25 There are many such books and they can be divided as follows:
Short treatises like Tuḥfat al-Arīb26 by Abū Ḥayyān (d. 754H), Nuzhat al-Qulūb27 by Abū Bakr al-Sijistānī (d. 330 AH), Al-Turjumān ʿan Gharīb al-Qurʾān28 by ʿAbd al-Bāqī al-Yamānī, Al-Sirāj fī Bayān Gharīb al-Qurʾān by Muḥammad al-Khuḍayrī,29 and others.
Books that have lengthier discussions regarding the meanings of words such as Mufradāt Gharīb al-Qurʾān30 by al-Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī (d. 502 AH), ʿUmdat al-Ḥuffāẓ31 by al-Samīn al-Ḥalabī (d. 756 AH), Tafsīr Gharīb al-Qurʾān32 by Abū Bakr al-Rāzī (d. 666 AH).
Books that follow the style of the early scholars of language that emphasize using poetry to substantiate their views on meanings of words like Majāz al-Qurʾān33 by Abū ʿUbayd Maʿmar b. al-Muthannā (d. 210 AH) and Tafsīr Gharīb al-Qurʾān34 by Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276 AH).
3. The reader should choose what exegetic writing methodology he inclines towards the most — whether that is focused on Arabic rhetoric, grammar, jurisprudence, or others — for two main reasons:35
In order to develop familiarity with different works of tafsīr in that genre along with the books related to that field.
So that the reader can focus and develop his own personal notes when reading the tafsīr of his choice.
Manner of Reading
Read with the intention of not only finishing the book but also developing an intimate awareness of the content such that the reader is able to recall it on a general level. The reader may need to go over the book more than once to achieve this.
Mark the sections that are challenging to read and understand so that they can be dealt with at a later time. They should not become an impediment at the time of reading.
Know what topics the student of tafsīr would find beneficial when reading and leave those issues that have no real value to the student at this phase of study.
Take notes on the book that is being read but do not let it become a distraction from the actual text one is reading.
Come to terms with the fact that there will always be certain issues that the student will be unable to fully grasp. Those issues should not stop the student from pursuing his studies in tafsīr, as they are not an indication that the student has failed in his studies.
Translator’s Conclusion
The bulk of this article discusses the core building blocks of tafsīr literature. Someone who has recently begun exploring Quranic studies may incorrectly assume that the material contained in all books of tafsīr is the same. However, that could not be further from the truth. This article allows a budding student to start his journey toward understanding the Quran from a well-informed perspective, which is why it is imperative that we benefit from the advice of seasoned scholars.
Prior to reading this article, it is possible that a student might have considered studying tafsīr literature to be a quite straightforward endeavor. However, it is hoped that after carefully reading the Shaykh’s detailed advice, one is now able to appreciate the complex and intricate nature of this science and use it to quench one's thirst for understanding the words of Allāh ﷻ.
Notes
The author graduated in 1989 from Al-Imām Muḥammad bin Saʿūd University in Riyadh with a major in ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān. In 1994, he graduated with his masters from the same university with his thesis on the topic of “Pauses in Recitation and Their Impacts on Tafsīr”. Seven years later, he successfully defended his PhD thesis on “Linguistic Tafsīr of the Qur’ān.” He currently teaches at the University of King Saʿūd. He is the author of more than fifteen works. Amongst his several pursuits, he is one of the founding members of Tafsīr Centre for Qurʾānic Studies in Riyadh that produces research and publications on different topics within ʿUlūm al-Qur’ān. For more information, see tafsir.net.
Someone who writes tafsīr, i.e. a mufassir.
The author is arguing that, since books of tafsīr contain information on a range of topics including tafsīr, it may be challenging for a non-specialist — let alone a beginner — to begin this journey.
Shaykh Musāʿid al-Ṭayyār: This triliteral categorization may arguably be an overkill, as a binary categorization suffices if we were to include the third category into the second one. But it has been separated due to its significance and the eagerness that the students of tafsīr show towards it.
The author is arguing that many scholars defined tafsīr based on what the books of tafsīr already contain, which falls prey to the circular logical fallacy, and hence is not a sound method of defining terms.
Contrary to popular understanding, the word naskh was used more broadly by the earlier generations than what became the standard nomenclature of the jurists. See Shāh Waliullāh al-Dihlawī, Al-Fawz al-Kabīr fī Uṣūl al-Tafsīr (Bayt al-ʿIlm Karachi), 47. Naskh was frequently used when qualifying an unconditional statement, or specifying that which was generic, or even clarifying that which was ambiguous. See al-Shāṭibī, Al-Muwāfaqāt (Dār Ibn ʿAffān), 3:344.
In the interest of academic honesty, it is imperative to note that this is not the only definition of tafsīr. In fact, this is quite an exclusive and limiting definition. Al-Zarkashī defines it as “a science through which the meaning of Allah’s Book that was revealed to His prophet Muhammad ﷺ is understood, along with an explanation of its meanings and derivation of its rules and wisdoms.” See al-Zarkashī, Al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān (Dār al-Turāth), 1:13. Furthermore, Abū Ḥayyān adds the art of pronouncing of the Arabic letters, morphology, syntax, and Arabic rhetoric. See Mannāʿ al-Qaṭṭān , Mabāhith fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān (Maktabah Wahbah), 317. The mere presence of these two definitions, amongst many others, in tafsīr literature shows us the vastness of this term. It seems that the author is defining tafsīr with the barebone definition indicating his unease of including secondary sciences into tafsīr as will be made evident later on in the article.
Shaykh Musāʿid al-Ṭayyār: There are other principles one needs to have a solid understanding of in order to appreciate and benefit from works of tafsīr. An example of this is having a deep understanding of the speech of Arabs and their usage of words. Another is knowing the scope of meanings the language allows in a particular context.
Shaykh Musāʿid al-Ṭayyār: Such conversations pertaining to a chapter are principally from the sciences of the Quran and not tafsīr, because being aware of them does not have a direct nor an explicit impact on understanding the meaning of verses. There is, of course, an occasional need to know when a chapter was revealed in order to make an informed judgment when weighing between the opinions of the exegesis.
An example of this is the verse: “Whether you reveal what is in your hearts or conceal it, Allāh will call you to account for it. He forgives whoever He wills, and punishes whoever He wills. And Allāh is Most Capable of everything” (2:284), which Ibn Masʿūd ؓ argues is mansūkh by “Allāh does not require of any soul more than what it can afford” (2:286). This is merely an example of clarification of an ambiguous verse, i.e. Allāh will hold a person accountable for whatever is in the heart if a person has control over it. If it is beyond a person’s ability, then no accountability is assumed. See Abū ʿUbayd, Al-Nāsikh wal-Mansūkh (Maktabah al-Rushd), #506:275.
This is done in order to retain a particular meaning of a verse if paused at a specific word.
This is not surprising knowing the author’s view of what constitutes tafsīr.
Known in Arabic as istinbāṭ, this word can be used in multiple contexts for the same general meaning, which is to extract or infer something from the text. In this case, it refers to inferring unsaid benefits from a verse. For example, in verse 17 of Sūrah al-Isrā’ Allāh ﷻ says, “...And honor your parents. If one or both of them reach old age in your care, never say to them ˹even˺ ‘uff,’ nor yell at them. Rather, address them respectfully.” An obvious and explicit point of benefit is to not say ‘uff’ to parents. But an example of istinbāṭ is to say that rolling one eyes in front of one’s parents also falls within this verse.
An example of this is verse 19 in Sūrah Yūsuf, when Allāh ﷻ concludes the unfortunate sale and devaluing of Yūsuf (as) as a slave by saying, “...but Allah is All-Knowing of what they did.” Ibn ʿAṭiyyah comments that the statement is actually a consolation from Allāh ﷻ for the Prophet ﷺ, who was being mistreated and devalued by his own people at that time. See Ibn ʿAṭiyyah, Al-Muḥarrar al-Wajīz fī Tafsīr Kitāb al-ʿAzīz (Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah), 3:229. These subtle inferences are what a student of Quran lives to read and internalize.
The author shares a few important things to keep in mind when reading and engaging with the texts:
The background of the exegete in terms of his school of thought in creed, jurisprudence, and grammar.
Understanding the overall methodology of the exegete and making connections between the content of the book.
Paying special attention to the aspects that the author specializes in such as jurisprudence, creed, heart softeners, hadith, etc.
Furthermore, he intentionally left out Tafsīr al-Jalālayn and Anwār al-Tanzīl fī Asrār al-Ta’wīl by al-Bayḍāwī (d. 691 AH) because he argues that these are textbooks used in the Azhari (also Deobandi) curriculum and Ottoman curriculum, respectively.
This is published by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and often printed on the sides of maṣāḥif.
Al-Wāḥidī has authored over 20 works and is most celebrated for his contributions to the Quranic sciences. His general methodology in this book is as follows:
Generally speaking, he shares the view of Ibn ʿAbbās ؓ or other Companions and their notable students.
He clarifies the meanings of difficult words.
He states the circumstances surrounding the revelation and any narrations needed to understand the verse. See notes by the editor in the beginning of the tafsīr itself (Dār al-Qalam), 1:45-50.
This work is authored by an Indonesian scholar who became one of the imams of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām in the 19th century.
This book is based on many other earlier works of tafsīr, such as those of Ibn Kathīr, al-Wāḥidī, al-Baghawī, al-Zamakhsharī, and others. See notes by the editor in the beginning of the tafsīr itself (Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah), 1:9.
This is a more elaborate work of the same author.
Al-Samʿānī was an ardent adherent of the ahl al-hadīth in creed, and his tafsīr is evident in detailing his stances and defenses for it. For examples, see notes by the editor in the beginning of the tafsīr itself (Dār al-Waṭan), 1:9-17.
Al-Baghawī was a great Shāfiʿī scholar of hadith, fiqh, and tafsīr. His tafsīr is a refined version of al-Thaʿlabī’s tafsīr, as he filters out any unreliable narrations and bizarre comments. See Muḥammad Ḥusayn al-Dhahabī, Al-Tafsīr wa al-Mufassirūn (Maktabah Wahbah), 1:169.
In his introduction, Ibn Juzayy mentions that his tafsīr is the creme de la creme of the works before him and only brings forth those elements that are necessary and weeds out any unneeded contents. Amongst the stand-out features of this work is that he distills the wide corpus of opinions and presents his preferred view along with the weaker ones often to be “academically honest”. Furthermore, he rarely attributes tafsīr opinions to anyone, arguing that most attributions are dubious. See Ibn Juzayy’s introduction (Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah), 1:4-5.
One of the main features of this work, along with its conciseness, is that it provides the reader with abundance of reflections on self-development and spirituality.
Gharīb al-qurʾān refers to the knowledge of contextual meaning of the words. See al-Zarkashī, Al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān (Dār al-Turāth), 1:291.
This work is arranged by the root letters of words. This author has also written a masterpiece on tafsīr called Al-Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ.
This book is arranged in the order the word appears in the Quran, so it is a nice companion for anyone wanting a quick reference when reading and reflecting over their own recitation.
The author emphasizes a lot on explaining words by their usages in other verses and hadiths.
This is the translator’s personal addition to the list. This book is written by a contemporary author, who is in fact a personal friend and colleague of the article’s author. The book is in simple Arabic and offers uncomplicated meanings of words and phrases and is excellent for a beginner. Lack of inclusion by the article’s author should not create any doubt around the book, but it seems that he prefers to refer to classical works in most cases.
This book almost functions like a dictionary, as it starts by giving the linguistic meaning of the word then its contextual meaning. Words are arranged by root letters.
This is an encyclopedic work filled with linguistic, rhetoric, grammar points along with explaining the words if they come in particular hadiths as well.
This book is arranged alphabetically but in a unique manner. The author arranges words based on root letters but by the last, first, then the second letter. For example, the word ب-د-أ is arranged in the Chapter of أ, then the section of ب.
This is one of the earliest extant books in this genre.
Many books of tafsīr heavily relied on this work, such as al-Qurṭubī, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Abū Ḥayyān, and others.
Some examples of this are Ibn Kathīr’s work, which is a narration-heavy tafsīr, whereas al-Qurṭubī’s is more focused on discussions surrounding jurisprudence, and al-Zamakhsharī frequently highlights points of Arabic rhetoric and syntax.
