Tafsir of the Qur’an with the Sunnah
Allah says, {And We sent down to you the Reminder so that you may clarify to mankind what We have sent down to them} [16:44] and in doing so Allah declared the function of the Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in this verse. It was the duty of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to clarify the Qur’an. Since explaining the Qur’an was his duty, it is incumbent that we refer back to his Tafsir in order to fully understand the Qur’an.
Read MoreTafsir of Qur’an by Qur’an
Methods of Exegesis
There are 6 methods for exegesis, 4 of which are usually mentioned:
1) Explanation of the Qur’an with the Qur’an itself.
2) Explanation of the Qur’an with the Sunnah.
3) Explanation of the Qur’an with the statements of the Companions RA.
4) Explanation of the Qur’an with the statements of the Tabi’?n.
5) Explanation of the Qur’an with the language.
6) Explanation of the Qur’an based on opinion and deliberation (al-Ra’i wal-Ijtihad).
The Ruling of Tafsir and Its Categories
Allah revealed the Qur’an in order for us to ponder it: “A Book that We have sent down to you, blessed, so that they may ponder its verses.” [38:29] Allah also rebukes those who do not ponder it: “Do they not ponder the Qur’an, or are there locks on some hearts?” [47:24] Tadabbur, or pondering, the Qur’an is to contemplate its words and meanings time after time to penetrate its depths. Hence it can be said that Tadabbur is a stage that follows after Tafsir, because one cannot ponder a verse or surah if he does not first understand it at a basic level. Consequently, the command for Tadabbur is a command for Tafsir by greater reason.
Read MorePrinciples of Tafsir: Introduction and Background
The field of Tafsir is devoted to explaining the meanings of the Qur’an. There are certain principles and concepts that assist the exegete (mufassir) in his task of explaining the Qur’an, understanding the different opinions of the exegetes, and knowing how to deal with these differences. These principles are generally known as Usul al-Tafsir, or the Principles of Qur’anic Exegesis. This discipline revolves around answering the questions “How has the Qur’an been explained?” “How should we explain the Qur’an?” The first requires studying the methodology and principles utilized by the classical exegetes in their commentaries on the Qur’an, while the second requires study of those methodologies and those principles so that they can be correctly applied in explaining the Qur’an.
Read More