The sources of Tafsir

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Translated and compiled by Abdulilah Lahmami

The first source of Tafsir is the Qur’an by the Qur’an. The scholar of Tafsīr, Ash-Shinqītị
(1426H. 1/8) said, “The scholars have unanimously agreed that the most honourable and
noble type of Tafsīr is the Tafsīr of the Qur’ānby the Qur’ān since there isn’t anyone who
knows the meaning of the Qur’ān (more) than Allāh.” If this type of Tafsīr has this lofty
status, then there is no doubt that it is part of a fundamental methodology in
understanding the Qur’ān correctly. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself
said to his wife ‘Aisha radhiallaahu ‘anha,“if you see some people following the
unclear (verses) then they are the ones that Allāh named; so be warned
from them.” [S ̣ah ̣īh ̣ Al-Bukhāri 5/166]. This was referring to the attitude of those trying
to cause strife and doubts by quoting unclear verses with their own deviated explanation.
These are fundamental principles of Tafsīr so as to avoid translators incorrectly
translating the Qur’ān.

The second source of Tafsīr is the speech of the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him).
The Qur’ān is explainedby the Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) because he was
responsible for conveying the message. He is the most knowledgeable person of what
Allāh intends with His speech.

َ ‫ﺎس َﻣﺎ ﻧُ ﱢﺰ َل إِﻟَْﯿ ِﻬ ْﻢ َوﻟَ َﻌﻠﱠ ُﻬ ْﻢ ﯾَﺘَ َﻔ ﱠﻜ ُﺮ‬ ‫َوأَْﻧ َﺰ ْﻟﻨَﺎ إﻟَْﯿ َﻚ ﱢ‬
َ ‫اﻟﺬ ْﻛ َﺮ ﻟِﺘُﺒَﯿ‬
‫ون‬ ِ ‫ﱢﻦ ﻟِﻠﻨﱠ‬ ِ

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 “And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people
what was sent down to them and that they might give thought” (Holy Qur’ān,
Chapter 16: 44).

Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said, “The Sunnah explains the Qur’ān and shows what it
means and explains it further…the authentic Sunnah does not contradict the Book of
Allāh but rather it agrees with it and affirms it, but it clarifies and shows further (its
meaning) to those who fall short in understanding the Qur’ān, for the Qur’ān has subtle
meanings that are obscure to many people and in it are topics mentioned in the general
sense and the Sunnah explains it.” (Majmu’ Fatāwa: 21/131). Imam Muhammad bin Idrīs
ash-Shaf’ī said, “Whenever the Messenger of Allāh gave a ruling, then it was what he
understood from the Qur’ān.

َ ِ‫اﷲُ َو َﻻ ﺗَ ُﻜ ْﻦ ﻟِْﻠ َﺨﺎﺋِﻨ‬ َ ‫ﺎب ﺑ ْﺎﻟ َﺤ ﱢﻖ ﻟِﺘَ ْﺤ ُﻜ َﻢ ﺑَ ْﯿ َﻦ اﻟﻨﱠﺎس ﺑ َﻤﺎ أَ َر‬

‫اك ﱠ‬ ْ َ َ ْ َ
ِ ‫ﯿﻦ َﺧ‬
‫ﺼﯿﻤًﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ َ َ‫إِﻧﱠﺎ أ ْﻧ َﺰﻟﻨَﺎ إِﻟ ْﯿﻚ اﻟ ِﻜﺘ‬

“Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth so you

may judge between the people by that which Allah has shown you. And do
not be for the deceitful an advocate.” (Holy Qur’ān, Chapter 4:105).

َ ‫ﺎس َﻣﺎ ﻧُ ﱢﺰ َل إِﻟَْﯿ ِﻬ ْﻢ َوﻟَ َﻌﻠﱠ ُﻬ ْﻢ ﯾَﺘَ َﻔ ﱠﻜ ُﺮ‬ ‫َوأَْﻧ َﺰ ْﻟﻨَﺎ إﻟَْﯿ َﻚ ﱢ‬
َ ‫اﻟﺬ ْﻛ َﺮ ﻟِﺘُﺒَﯿ‬
‫ون‬ ِ ‫ﱢﻦ ﻟِﻠﻨﱠ‬ ِ

“And We revealed to you the message that you may make clear to the people
what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.” (Holy Qur’ān
Chapter 16: 44).

ْ ‫اﺧﺘَﻠَُﻔﻮا ِﻓﯿ ِﻪ َو ُﻫ ًﺪى َو َر ْﺣ َﻤ ًﺔ ﻟِ َﻘ ْﻮ ٍم ﯾ‬

َ ُ‫ُﺆ ِﻣﻨ‬
‫ﻮن‬ ْ ‫ﱢﻦ ﻟَ ُﻬ ُﻢ اﻟﱠ ِﺬي‬ َ َ‫َو َﻣﺎ أَْﻧ َﺰ ْﻟﻨَﺎ َﻋﻠَْﯿ َﻚ ْاﻟ ِﻜﺘ‬
َ ‫ﺎب إِﱠﻻ ﻟِﺘُﺒَﯿ‬

“And We have not revealed to you the Book, [O Muhammad], except for you
to make clear to them that wherein they have differed and as guidance and
mercy for a people who believe” (Holy Qur’ān Chapter 16: 64).

This is why the Messenger (peace be upon him) said “Indeed I have been given the Qur’ān
and that which is similar to it.” , meaning the Sunnah (cited in Ahkām Al-Qur’ān (1/21).

An example where the Qur’ān is clearly explained by the Prophetic tradition (hadīth) is in
the verse in chapter 10:26:

‫ﯾﻦ أَ ْﺣ َﺴﻨُﻮا ْاﻟ ُﺤ ْﺴﻨَﻰ َو ِزﯾَﺎ َدٌة‬

َ ‫ﻟِﻠﱠ ِﺬ‬

“Those who have done righteousness, for them will be the best reward
(paradise) and something more.” This ‘something more’ has been explained to mean
seeing His face based upon the authentic Prophetic tradition reported by Abu Musa and
Ubay ibn Ka’b and recorded by Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Abi Hātim. Also At-Tabari recorded it
from the hadīth of Ka’b bin ‘Ujrah. There is also a hadīth in S ̣ah ̣īh ̣ Muslim (no.449)
narrated by S ̣uhaibbin Sinān from the Prophet (peace be upon him). Within this latter
hadīth is the statement of the narrator that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “then
the covering will be removed and they will not have been given anything
more beloved to them than looking at their Lord.” This interpretation is in

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harmony with other verses in the Qur’ān that confirm the believers seeing Allāh on the
Day of Judgement such as, “Some faces that Day shall be radiant, Looking at
their Lord (Allāh)” [75:22-23:]. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

When those deserving Paradise would enter it, the Blessed and the Exalted
would ask: Do you wish Me to give you anything more? They would say:
Have you not brightened our faces? Have you not made us
enter Paradise and saved us from the Fire? He (the narrator) said: He
(Allāh) would lift the veil, and of the things given to them, nothing would be
dearer to them than the sight of their Lord, the Mighty and the Glorious. He
then recited the verse: {For those who do good is the best reward and something
more} in chapter 10:26. [S ̣ah ̣īh ̣ Muslim]

He (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said: “You will see your Lord with your
eyes.” [S ̣ah ̣īh ̣ Bukhāri]

The third source of Tafsīr is the consensus of the companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu
‘alaihi wa sallam) and successors, especially those who were known for their knowledge
and understanding of Tafsīr because the Qur’ān was revealed in their language and in the
time where the companions were prevalent. Imam Dhahabi said,“If you want to be
justly balanced, then restrict yourself to the Qur’ānic and prophetic texts, then look to
what the companions and their successors conveyed, the scholars of Tafsīr with regards
these verses and what they narrated from the methodology of the pious predecessors.
Either you speak with knowledge or you stay quiet upon patience.”

Abu ‘Abdulrahman al-Sulami said, “those who used to teach us the Qur’ān such as
‘Uthmān bin ‘Affān, ‘Abdullahbin Mas‘ud would say: when we learnt from the Prophet
(peace be upon him) ten verses we would not gobeyond them until we learnt what these
verses entailed of knowledge and action. So we learnt the Qur’ān, knowledge and action
altogether.” Ibn Kathīr (1/7) wrote in the preface of his Tafsīr, “If we are unable to find a
suitable Tafsīr in the Qur’ān or in the Sunnah, we go to the opinions of the companions.
For verily, they knew the Qur’ān 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.” ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud radhiallaahu ‘anhu said:

“By the One whom none has the right to be worshipped but Him, no verse from the Book
of Allāh (that has been revealed) except that I know whom it was revealed for and where
it was sent down and if I knew that there was a place where there was a person who is
more knowledgeable of the Book of Allāh than me, then I would go to them” (At- T ̣abari
(15/60) with an authentic chain of narration).

The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) himself supplicated for his cousin
‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas: “O Allāh give him the understanding of this religion and
teach him the understanding of this (Qur’ān)” (S ̣ah ̣īh ̣ Al-Bukhāri 75 and S ̣ah ̣īh ̣
Muslim 2477).

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