Introduction to the Science of Tafseer of the Quran
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About this ebook
For a Muslim, the focal point is the Holy Quran. It is the guide book that Allah(s.w.t) has sent down for us to follow in our daily life. It is relevant to us today as much as it was relevant 1400 years ago.
The danger we face, is when we reduce the Quran to just a recital. It is more than a recital; it is a reminder as the Quran points on it numerous verse.
The Quran constantly questions... 'Do you not ponder' Do you not reflect' Do you not think'
These are clear commands to each and every one of us to use the Quran in a way where we benefit from it, that it guides us to the 'Truth' and away from 'falsehood'
In order for us to live a Quranic life; we need to understand what the Quran is telling us. And as one gets familiar with the Quran; he can get alot out of the Quran. Every time he reads a verse he gets a different message from it.
For every outer meaning, there is an inner meaning; and for every inner meaning there are upto 70 other inner meaning.
As one perserveres in trying to understand the Quran; he reaches a point where he enjoys sitting down with the Quran; emptying his heart of all else and letting the Quran speak to him. The pleasure that one gets from this cannot be compared to anything this world has to offer.
It is no wonder that the Imam(a.s) said that if he was left alone with the Quran and there existed no other human being on this earth; he would never feel lonely.
However, to be able to understand what the Quran is telling us; one needs to understand certain prerequisites. These include the study of the Arabic language; the context in which the verses were revealed; metaphors and similes used in the Quran; abrogation in the Quran and so on.
This book provides the reader the foundation he needs to begin this journey of discovery of the Holy Quran. a journey which; if one starts, he would never want to go back.
The style used by the author is very easy to read; with a logical flow.
A recommended read for all.
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Introduction to the Science of Tafseer of the Quran - Ayatullah Jaffer Subhani
INTRODUCTION
TO THE SCIENCE
OF TAFSIR OF THE
QUR’AN
Written by Ayatullah Ja’far Subhani
Translated by Saleem Bhimji
Foreword by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
Copyright © 2006 the World Federation of KSIMC
Smashwords Edition
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 1-898449-77-5
Published by
The Islamic Education Board of the World Federation of KSIMC
Registered Charity in the UK No. 282303
Islamic Centre - Wood Lane
Stanmore, Middlesex
United Kingdom, HA7 4LQ
Tel: 44 1923 823 606
Fax: 44 1923 823 132
www.world-federation.org/ieb • ieb@world-federation.org
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This work was originally published as the final chapter to the Farsi work, Tafsir-e-Sahih-e-Ayat-e-Mushkile-Qur’an [The Correct Exegesis of the Difficult Verses of the Qur’an] written by Ayatullah Ja’far Subhani, compiled and edited by Sayyid Hadi Khusrushahi.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright holder, except in the case of brief quotations quoted in articles or reviews.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Biography of the Author
A Correct Approach to the Exegesis of Qur’an
1. AN AWARENESS OF THE RULES OF ‘ARABIC GRAMMAR
2. AN AWARENESS OF THE MEANING OF THE WORDS IN THE QUR’AN
3. EXEGESIS OF THE QUR’AN THROUGH THE QUR’AN
4. EXAMINING THE OCCASION OF REVELATION OF THE VERSES
5. EXAMINING THE AUTHENTIC AHADITH
TESTIMONIES OF THE QUR’AN
6. A CONSIDERATION OF THE HARMONY BETWEEN ALL THE VERSES OF THE QUR’AN
7. EXAMINING THE CONTEXT OF THE VERSES OF THE QUR’AN
A CONSIDERATION OF THE CONTEXT OF THE VERSES AND THE SUCCESSIVELY NARRATED AHADITH
EXAMPLES OF THIS ISSUE
8. AWARENESS OF THE VARIOUS VIEWPOINTS AND OPINIONS
9. DISTANCING ONESELF FROM ANY FORM OF PREJUDGMENT
10. AWARENESS OF THE PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC THEORIES
11. UNDERSTANDING OF THE EARLY HISTORY OF ISLAM
12. FAMILIARITY WITH THE STORIES AND THE HISTORY OF THE LIVES OF PREVIOUS PROPHETS
13. KNOWLEDGE OF THE HISTORICAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE QUR’AN WAS REVEALED
14. KNOWING THE VERSES OF THE QUR’AN WHICH ARE MAKKI
AND MADANI
QUESTION
ANSWER
Notes
Transliteration Table
The method of transliteration of Islamic terminology from the ‘Arabic language has been carried out according to the standard transliteration table mentioned below.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Foreword
By Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi
THE MOST TANGIBLE OF miracles left by the Prophet Muhammad is the Qur’an. Al-Qur’an is the Divine revelation, which descended upon the Prophet’s blessed soul in a span of twenty-two years and few months.
Muslims consider the Qur’an as the most important document for their faith. They have given extreme importance to preserve, recite, memorize, and study the Qur’an.
Gradually, different subjects emerged with the purpose of facilitating the process of studying the Qur’an: ‘Ilmul Tajwid was devised to learn the proper recitation of the Qur’an; Hifz was invented as an art of committing the Qur’an to memory; and ‘Ilmul Tafsir emerged as the science of exegesis of the Qur’an. Among these relevant subjects, ‘Ulumul Qur’an flowered as a science dealing with the Qur’an itself: the revelation and its reality; how, when and where it was revealed; how it transformed from an oral tradition to the written form; the issue of abrogation, its meaning and reality; its textual integrity and its protection from alteration; how was it complied, by whom and when. These are questions that are discussed in ‘Ulumul Qur’an; and as such, it is the foundation of sciens dealing with the Qur’an.
This brief treatise deals with an important question in ‘Ulumul Qur’an: the rules governing the interpretation of the Qur’an. It comes from the pen of Ayatullah Shaykh Ja’far Subhani, a leading Shi’i scholar of Qum, who is well-known for his expertise in Qur’anic studies and for writing a thematic exegesis of the Qur’an.
The Qur’an is indeed a guide for mankind, but its true interpretation depends on conditions that must be adhered to. The Qur’an itself says that some of its verses are of an allegorical nature while others are decisive; those who intend to create confusion and mischief among the Muslims use the allegorical verses:
He (Allah) it is Who has sent down to you the Book. In it, are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is a perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge. They say: ‘We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord.’ And none will grasp the Message except the people of understanding.
(Surat Ale ‘Imran (3), Verse 7)
Again, it warns and says that if people do not approach the Qur’an with an open heart, then they may be misguided by some of its contents:
"Allah does not disdain from the use of the similitude of things, lowest as