TAFSEER

TRANSLATED BY : MOHAMED HUSSEIN ALI

تفسيــــرمقرر ال ترجمة الداعية المكتب

محمد حسين علي

إعداد :

قسم البحث والترجمة بالمكتب

ــــوى الثاني المست

ــــــزي ليـــــإنج

JUBAIL DA’WAH & GUIDANCE CENTER

EDUCATION SECTION

المكتب التعاوني للدعوة واإلرشاد وتوعية الجاليات بالجبيل

إدارة التعليم

LEVEL TWO English

(03)362 5500 (Ext.1063) Fax No. (03)362 6600 1580, Jubail 31951

Account No. in Al-Rajhi at Jubail (Gen.9/21, Books & Cassettes 8/26)

First Edition Jamad II, 1426H

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ه 1426جمادى األخرى الطبعة األولى

ه 1437الثانية محرم الطبعة

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بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION

The Definition of Tafsîr (exegesis):-

The word Tafsîr is taken from the Arabic word al-Fasr, which means

explanation.

The Islamic meaning of Tafsîr (exegesis)

And Tafsîr means Learning how to understand The Holy book of Allah sent

down to The Prophet Peace be upon Him by understanding its meaning and

also deriving its wisdom and decisions.

The Virtue of Learning Tafsîr:-

It is the most important and most superior knowledge in general, it’s the

knowledge which Allah Loves, because Allah ordered to reflect on His Book

and to understand its meaning, Allah also praised those who work in the field

of Tafsîr and also offered them the Top ranks. And why shouldn’t it be so

whereas the guidance and blessings for the slaves are found within it and also

their benefits and success. It is verily the guarantor for the best life.

Alî Bin Abî Tâlib R.A. states that once he mentioned the name of Jâbir Bin

Abdullâh R.A. and praised his knowledge and superiority. So a person

remarked that you have described Jâbir as superior to you in knowledge

whereas you have your own status. So Ali replied that he knows the Tafsîr of

the words of Allâh:

ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَِّذى فََرَض َعلَۡيَك ٱۡلقُۡرَءاَن لََرآدَُّك إِلَٰى َمعَاد Surely the One who has enjoined upon you the Qur’aan shall surely bring you

back to a place of return. – Suurah Qasas 28, verse 85. Hadeeth quoted from Tafsîr Al Qurtubî volume 1 page 26.

Imâm Mujâhid Rahmatullâh Alaih stated: “The One whom Allah likes the most

among His creation is the one who knows the most regarding the Qur’ân.” – Tafsîr Al Qurtubî volume 1 page 26.

Ayâs Bin Mu’âwiyah Rahmatullâh Alaih states that “Those people who read

the Qur’ân but do not know its Tafsîr, their example is similar to a people who

received a letter from their king at night but they do not have any lamp with

them, due to which they began to sense fear and terror because they do not

know at all what is there in it. And the example of the person who knows the

Tafsîr of the Qur’ân is like the person who brought a lamp in the darkness of

the night and then he read whatever was there in that letter. Tafsîr Al Qurtubî volume 1 page 26.

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The need for Tafsîr:

People need Tafsîr in their Worship for Allah, their moral behavior, beliefs and

their transactions for the reasons below:-

1) The Holy Qur'an has high level of sophistication. In a few and short words,

it contains volumes of meaning and knowledge; in order to understand which, a

person needs explanation and more details.

2) Those verses and Chapters of the Holy Qur'an which came down because of

a particular situation, in order to understand their meaning it is vitally

important to know their background for revelation, which is available in the

books of Tafsîr.

3) The Holy Qur'an sometimes contains some verses whose apparent meaning

is not intended but something else is intended. That is why the knowledge of

those hidden interpretations is also necessary through Tafsîr.

4) The Holy Qur'an contains some rulings which are not understandable in the

right way unless we have the knowledge of the Sunnah (the tradition of the

Prophet peace be upon him) because the Hadith explains its meaning and

interpretation.

The Definition of Mufassir (Expert of Tafsîr):-

He is the person who has sufficient capability to explain the meanings and

interpretation of the holy Qur'an.

Conditions for the Mufassir (Expert of Tafsîr):-

Scholars mentioned some conditions for the Mufassir which are as follows.

1) The first condition is that he must have a genuine Aqîdah (Creed / beliefs). Because the Creed of a person, has a great impact on oneself.

That is why a person from a deviant creed tries to divert the people from

the righteous path and the way of the pious predecessors for which he

adopts unwarranted and wrong interpretation along with dishonesty and

concealment of Hadiths of the Prophet PBUH and the statements of the

scholars. And he deliberately misinterprets those verses of the Qur'an

which are against his creed.

2) Firstly he must search for the explanation of the Holy Qur’an within the Qur'an, because what was summarized somewhere may be detailed /

referred somewhere else in the Qur'an.

3) Next he should seek the explanation from the Sunnah because the Sunnah is the explanation of the Holy Qur'an. The Prophet (Peace Be

upon Him) Said: - “I have been given by Allah the Holy Qur'an and

together with it something that is similar to it (the Sunnah)”. Narrated by

Abu Dawûd and authenticated by Al Bânî.

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4) If he didn’t find the Tafsîr in the Qur'an and the Sunnah then he should seek the statements of the Companions R.A., because they were present

in that era of the Qur'an and they observed the background of its

revelation with their own eyes and they know the Tafsîr better than

anyone else. Moreover, they possessed complete understanding &

insight together with correct knowledge and righteous actions.

5) If the Tafsîr of a verse is not available either in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah or from the Sayings of The Companions, most of the reverent

Scholars and great Imâms refer to the statements of the Tâba’ien (the

students of the companions) because they learned their knowledge from

the pious Companions.

6) He must possess complete command over the Arabic Language together with its rules and conditions, because The Holy Qur'an was revealed in

pure Arabic Language. Imâm Mujâhid Rahmatullah Alaih stated: - “It is

unlawful for anybody who believes in Allah and the last day to provide

an explanation and meaning of the Qur'an without having the knowledge

of the Arabic Language.

7) He must also have the knowledge of the sciences that are connected to The Holy Qur'an, like mastering the Tajwîd (intonations/pronunciation)

and recital of The Holy Qur'an, reasons of the revelation of The Verses,

together with the Nâsikh (abrogating) verses and the ones Mansookh

(abrogated). Also should have the knowledge of the absolute and the

specific types of verses and other types of knowledge that are closely

related to the Holy Qur'an.

8) Should have sound and fine understanding that enables him in case of conflicting matters to outweigh one meaning over another.

Character of the Mufassir (Expert of Tafsîr):

1) He must have a good and sincere intention, verily actions are guided by

intentions. Especially the Islamic knowledge is most deserving of good

intentions because they are meant to benefit Islâm. That is why the intention of

those who learn and teach Islâmic knowledge shall be solely for the service of

Islâm and the benefit of the people.

2) The Mufassir shall display an image of good manners. Because the Mufassir

is a guide, therefore as long as he does not become a role model of good

manners, people will never be influenced by him.

3) In addition to being a literary campaigner, a person who provides a Tafsîr

(explanation) of the glorious Qur'an shall also be puritan in deeds. Otherwise

the biggest obstacle for seeking knowledge in the rudeness and the personal

indiscipline of the teachers.

4) He shall be truthful, investigative and steadfast while quoting the narrations.

Thus he shall ensure that he does not state anything without verification and he

shall confirm each matter before writing it.

5) He should be kind and humble because rudeness and unnecessary harshness

prevents people from gaining knowledge.

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6) He shall possess self-respect and thus stay away from useless and stupid

activities.

7) He should not fear anyone in stating the truth.

8) He shall be fervent and solemn.

9) Instead of haste, he shall display patience and perseverance. He shall not

exhibit haste while explaining anything whereas he shall explain everything

methodically and gradually.

10) He shall prepare the lessons in the best way and he shall adopt the best

approach while teaching. For e.g. he shall start with the background for the

revelation. Then he shall explain the meaning of each word, then the

sophistication and grammar. Then he shall explain the common Tafsîr. Then he

shall relate all these things with the present era. And finally he shall mention

the laws and inferences derived from the verses.

Questions

1) What is the linguistic and also the religious definition of Tafsîr? 2) Mention the reasons for the below

a) It is unanimously agreed that Tafsîr is the best and the highest form of knowledge.

b) People are dependent upon Tafsîr for their beliefs, morals, behaviors with others and issues related to worship.

c) It is essential that the Mufassir (Tafsîr Expert) should possess the authentic Aqîdah (creed/beliefs)

3) Fill in the following blanks: a) He is the person who has _________________________to explain

the meanings and interpretation of the _____________________.

b) The Mufassir shall firstly provide explanation of the Qur'an from the Qur'an. If he does not find it therein, he shall ______________. And

if he does not find it even there then most of the reverent Scholars

and great Imâms refer to _____________________.

4) Who is the translator and mention the conditions that are set for him? 5) It is essential that the Mufassir possesses certain qualities. Mention five

of them?

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Chapter 2 - The Science of Tafsîr and its stages.

In order to understand the methodology adopted by the Mufassirîn (Tafsîr

Experts) in the Tafsîr (exegesis / explanation) of the Qur’ân, it is essential to

understand the eras and stages through which the science of Tafsîr has passed.

Just like all other Islâmic Arts and Sciences, the knowledge of Tafsîr has

passed through two important eras: a) The period of narrations and b) The

period of collection and compilation.

The First era: - the period of narrations

This era encompasses the period of the Prophet PBUH, the period of the

Sahâbah (Companions) and the Tâbaîn (Students of the Sahâbah) when each of

the fields of knowledge would reach each other by narrations. The Sahâbah

would narrate from the Prophet PBUH and also narrate to each other. After the

Sahâhah, began the era of the Tâbaîn who used to narrate from the Sahâbah and

also to each other. In the below lines, a short description of each of the eras is

being presented

Tafsîr in the Prophet's Period

The preservation of the Qur’ân is the preservation of its Tafsîr which began

with the Prophet PBUH. Allah (SWA) promised to protect The Holy Qur'an

when He Said:-

ۡكَر َوإِنَّا لَهُ ۡلنَا ٱلذ ِ ِفُظونَ إِنَّا نَۡحُن نَزَّ ـٰ ۥ لََح We have, without doubt, Sent down the Message and We will assuredly Guard

it (from corruption). (15 Surah Al Hijr, Verse #9).

And Allah (SWA) gave the responsibility to explain the Qur'an to his

messenger PBUH. Allah says:-

َل إِلَۡيِہۡم َولَعَلَُّهۡم يَتَفَكَُّرونَ ۡڪَر ِلتُبَي َِن ِللنَّاِس َما نُز ِ َوأَنَزۡلنَآ إِلَۡيَك ٱلذ ِWe have sent down Unto you the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'an) that you may explain

clearly to men what is sent down to them and that they May give thought (16 Surah Al Nahal, Verse 44).

For these reasons The Companions used to refer to The Prophet for anything

that is difficult for them to understand.

There is difference of opinion among the Islamic Scholars regarding the extend

of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) Tafsîr. Some Scholars said that The

Prophet stated the Tafsîr of the entire Qur'ân. Among who said this is Shaikh

Ul Islâm Ibn Taymiyah, And Some Scholars said The Prophet mentioned the

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Tafsîr of a very few verses of the Holy Qura'n. And the preferable opinion is

The Prophet (PBUH) mentioned the tafsîr of an abundant number of verses of

the Holy Qur'an and He PBUH died only after explaining the Tafsîr of all the

difficult verses.

The Prophet’s method of explaining the Tafsîr was that he did not mention too

many details neither did he state unnecessary matters. On the contrary, His

Tafsîr consisted of explaining and specifying the summarized and common

verses; and also explanation and clarification of the difficult verses.

Tafsîr in the Sahâbah’s (Companions) Period

The Sahâbah (Companions) R.A. were pure Arabs who due to their intelligence

and nature were able to understand the Qur’ân very well. However, the Qur’ân

surpasses every language in its sophistication and words. That is why, there

was a difference in the level of understanding of the Qur’ân between the

Sahâbah. If any verse was difficult for a Sahâbî, then another Sahâbî would

state its tafsîr and if none of them had its understanding, then they would ask

the Messenger of Allah PBUH. Then the Prophet PBUH would state its tafsîr in

front of the reverent Sahâbah.

The reasons for the differences in the level of understanding of the Holy

Qur'an between the Sahâbah

1) Difference in fluency in the language. 2) Amount of time spent with the Prophet PBUH and attending His

gatherings.

3) Knowledge of the background of revelation. 4) Difference in the level of Islâmic knowledge and in intelligence.

These are some of the few reasons due to which there was a difference in the

level of understanding related to the Qur’ân between the Sahâbah.

.

The Sahâbah’s sources and bases for Tafsîr:

1-The Holy Qur'an.

2 -The Prophet's (PBUH) Sunnah.

3-Ijtehâd (independent reasoning but according to the Holy Qur'an and the

Sunnah.

4-Isrâilî Rivâyât (Narrations from the Torah, Bible and other Isrâilî scriptures).

We have already mentioned the method and sequence (order of precedence) for

obtaining the Tafsîr from the Qur’ân, then from the Sunnah of the Messenger

PBUH and then from Ijtehâd. As far as the matter regarding deriving the Tafsîr

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from the Isrâilî Narrations, then we would like to state regarding it, that in

certain matters, the Qur’ân, the Torah and the Bible are unanimous especially

the stories and parables of the Holy Prophets PBU Them. Yes, it is true that the

methodology of the Qur’ân is different from the Torah and the Bible meaning

that the Qur’ân does not mention all the details and the vicinal (associated

backgrounds). That is why some of the Sahâbah used to refer to some of the

Ahle Kitâb who had now embraced Islâm such as Abdullâh Bin Salâm and

Ka’ab Bin Ahbâr etc in order to know the details of those stories. However it

shall be noted that the high status associated with the first three sources

definitely does not apply to this source, the biggest reason for which is that the

Torah and the Bible have been altered. That is why the Sahâbah used to take

only those things which were complaint with the sound beliefs and were not

contradictory with the Qur’ân. As far as those things, whose falsehood was

clear, then they would reject them and never narrate them. And if they found

anything regarding which there was no clear evidence within the Qur’ân, then

they would hear them but they would neither classify them as true nor false,

because there was no injunction within the Qur’ân regarding them. They used

to obey the following directive of the Messenger of Allâh PBUH:

“Convey to the people even it is only one verse. Narrate from the Banî Isrâîl

there is no harm. And whoever invents a lie regarding me then he shall prepare

for himself a destination in hell”. Sahîh Al Bukharî, hadîth number 3202.

Such types of Isrâilî Narrations shall be mentioned merely for added emphasis

but without believing in their authenticity.

Three levels of Isrâilî narrations

1. The one which possess some evidence in the Qur’ân and Hadîth supporting its authenticity and truthfulness. It is surely true. It shall be

narrated.

2. The one which is contrary to the Islâmic Shariah. It is totally false. It is not allowed to narrate it under any condition.

3. The one regarding which the Qur’ân and the Hadîth are silent regarding either its truthfulness or falsehood. It is permissible to narrate them but

without either affirming them or contradicting them. But it shall be

remembered that there is no benefit in such types of narrations such as

the names of the As’hâbul Kahaf, their number and the color of their

dog; Musa A.S. staff was made from the wood of which tree; similarly

the names of the birds that Allah had raised from the dead for Ibrâhîm

A.S. etc. These and similar issues are such that there is no benefit in

knowing about them or being ignorant about them.

The names of Sahâbah most famous in Tafsîr who number in Ten

1-4 Khulfâe Râshidîn (Abu Bakr Siddiq, Umar Bin Al Khattâb, Uthmân Bin

Affân, Alî Bin Abî Tâlib

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5. Abdullâh Bin Mas’ûd

6. Abdullâh Bin Abbâs

7. Abî Bin Ka’ab

8. Zaid Bin Thâbit

9. Abû Mûsâ Al Ash’arî

10. Abdullah Bin Al Zubair

Allâh is pleased with all of them

It may be noted that these Sahâbah had varying levels in Tafsîr. Based on the

quantity of narrations and basis of their Tafsîr, their sequence is somewhat as

follows:

1. Abdullâh Bin Abbâs 2. Abdullâh Bin Mas’ûd 3. Alî Bin Abî Tâlib 4. Abî Bin Ka’ab 5. Then the remaining out of the above ten, Allah is pleased with all of

them.

Insha Allah the details of the first four Sahâbah is coming in the next sections.

In addition to the above ten Sahâbah, there are other Sahâbah whose Tafsîr is

also reported however the number of reports narrated by them is very less.

The ruling regarding the Tafsîr of a Sahâbî and also its types

1. If their Tafsîr is related to those issues in which there is no mixture of opinion and ijtehâd (personal investigative efforts) such as the matters of

the unseen and the background for the revelation of a verse / chapter,

then such narrations will be treated similar to a Marfu (attributed to the

Prophet PBUH) Hadîth and it is compulsory to abide by them.

2. If it is such a Tafsîr that it contains the Sahâbî’s ijtehâd then as long as they are not attributed to the Prophet PBUH, then they shall be treated

similar to a Mauqûf Hadîth (meaning they shall be treated as a personal

opinion of the Sahâbî). Certain scholars state that it is mandatory to

abide by their Tafsîr because the Sahâbah are those pure personalities

who have observed the Qur’ân being revealed with their own eyes

which is the most singular attribute in this greatest distinction.

A few unique merits of the Tafsîr during the time of the Sahâbah

1. Tafsîr that was free from complications and discord. It was easy and simple. It is the explanation of any word or a command derived from the

verses.

2. It was not a Tafsîr of the entire Qur’ân but only of the difficult verses.

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3. Normally, the Tafsîr was narrated verbally from one person to another. It was not formalized by writing, even though a few personal efforts were

found wherein the Tafsîr would be written down.

4. The Tafsîr was free from Isrâilî narrations because only the great and senior sahâbah had the status of being sources and references of Tafsîr and

also that of rulings and commandments. As far as those Sahâbah from

among the Ahle Kitâb (people of scriptures) who embraced Islâm, they did

not attain that acceptance and status that would enable them to spread the

Isrâilî narrations.

5. In that period of narrations, the tafsîr was inter mixed with jurisprudential issues & rulings, Ahâdîth (plural of Hadîth), beliefs, morals, manners,

encouragement and admonishment because these Islâmic sciences were not

distinguished form each other and neither they had the status of

specialization.

3 – Tafsîr during the period of the Tâbaîn

Tâbaîn are those who attained the distinction of being the students of the

Sahâbah. They learned much of their knowledge from the Sahâbah themselves.

Sources of Tafsîr during the period of the Tâbaîn

1. The Noble Qur’ân 2. The Sunnah of the Prophet PBUH 3. The Ijtehâd (personal investigative efforts) and statements of the Sahâbah 4.

Isrâilî Narrations 5. Ijtehâd of the Tâbaîn and their derivations

We have mentioned earlier that the Tafsîr of the entire Qur’ân is not reported

from the Prophet PBUH and his noble companions but only the Tafsîr of the

difficult verses in reported. But with the passage time, the level of

understanding among the people regarding the Quran began to diminish. That

is why the Tâbaîn had to provide the Tafsîr of a larger portion of the Qur’ân

compared to the Sahâbah. And during that period, for the first time formal

seminaries were established for the Tafsîr of the Noble Qur’ân in order to

inculcate a genuine understanding of the Qur’ân among the people.

When Allah the Lord of the Universe bestowed victory to the Muslims over a

large number of countries, and when many sahâbah spread over many countries

and cities carrying with them the bright light of this religion, then many of

them took over the governorship and ministry of provinces, while others

managed the position of judges, teachers and instructors. Therefore, taking

advantage of this opportunity, a large group of Tâbaîn gained knowledge from

the Sahâbah during this period. And in these cities, religious educational

institutes came into existence. In the list of their teachers are found the names

of large numbers of the reverent Sahâbah (Allah is pleased with them) and their

students, the reverent Tâbaîn (May Allah bless his mercy on all of them). Out

of those institutes, some gained fame for Tafsîr and some gained fame for Fiqh

(jurisprudence). In the institutes for Tafsîr, three of them gained a lot of fame

which are as follows:

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1. The madarsa of Makkah Al Mukarramah, whose founder was Abdullâh Bin Abbâs, R.A. Its famous pupils are:

a. Saîd Bin Jubair, b. Mujâhid Bin Jabr c. Ikrimah Maulâ Ibn Abbâs, d. Tawûs Ibn Kaisân Al-Yamânî, e. Atâ Ibn Abi-Rabâh etc,

2. The madarsa of Madînah, Madinah was the capital of the Islamic Caliphate. It was the policy of Umar Bin Al Khattâb R.A. that he did not

allow the senior Sahâbah to emigrate from Madînah (However, when

necessary, he used to sometimes allow them to leave), so that they

would continue to be the source of strength for his Caliphate and would

continue to participate in his consultative assembly. This school was

formed at the hands of Ubay ibn Ka'ab R.A., and its most renowned

students were;

a. Abul Âliyah Al-Riyahî, b. Saîd bin Al-Musayib, c. Muhammad ibn Al-Ka'ab Al-Qaradhî and d. Zayd ibn Aslam etc.

3. The Madarsa of Kûfah whose founder was Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, and his most renowned students were

a. Alqamah Ibn Qays, b. Masrûq ibn Al-Ajdâ, c. Ubaydah Al-salmani, d. Aswad ibn Yazîd, e. Amr Ibn Shurahbil, f. Abu Abdulrahman Al-

Sulami etc.

The ruling concerning the Tafsîr of the Tâbaîn

There is considerable debate between the scholars regarding accepting or not

accepting the Tafsîr of the Tâbaî. Some scholars state that it is not mandatory

to accept their Tafsîr narrations because neither have they heard it from the

Messenger of Allâh PBUH nor were they present in the circumstances related

to the revelation, nor did they witness the revelation of the glorious Qur’ân

with their eyes. That is why they can commit an error in understanding the

meaning and the intention. Further, unlike the way that the fairness of the

Sahâbah is established by the Qur’ân and the Hadîth, theirs is not.

Another group of scholars states that the statement of the Tâbaî is worthy of

acceptance because they gained the knowledge of Tafsîr from the reverent

Sahâbah, they attended their gatherings and they satiated themselves from the

springheads of their knowledge.

Preferable opinion

in this matter is according to the statement of Shaikh Ul Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah

that, “If there is consensus between the Tâbaîn regarding a particular Tafsîr

then it is a worthy evidence, which is compulsory to be accepted. And if there

is disagreement between them regarding a particular Tafsîr then it is not

compulsory to be accepted. And in this situation, one shall refer to the language

used in the Qur’ân and the Sunnah of the Prophet PBUH or the common

language of the Arabs or the statements of the Sahâbah. Fatâwa Ibn Taymiyyah 13/370

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The characteristics of the Tafsîr in the period of the Tâbaîn (Students of

Sahâbah).

1- The presence of Israelite traditions in the Tafsîr due to the embracing of Islâm by a large number of Ahle Kitâb (people of the book).

2- Due to a sustained period of victories, and the entry of multitudes of Non Arabs within the fold of Islâm, there was additional need compared to

earlier for Tafsîr. Keeping this in consideration, the Tâbaîn put their efforts

in the Tafsîr of the Glorious Qur’ân.

3- In this period also, the Tafsîr was transmitted by narrations, meaning instead of writing, the people only depended on verbal transmission.

4- The scope of disagreements in Tafsîr was widened further. But if you study carefully, you will observe that all the statements look similar more or less.

That is why those differences can not be classified as fundamental

differences. On the contrary, they can be classified as differences in words

and in the style of expression.

5- Each statement was mentioned along with the evidence so that the authentic and inauthentic could be distinguished.

Questions

Q.1. Mention the Prophet’s PBUH method in the Tafsîr of the glorious

Qur’ân

Q.2. Mention the reasons for the following things:

a. Differences among the Sahâbah with regards to understanding the

Qur’ân

b. During the time of the Tâbaîn, institutes were established for

teaching Tafsîr.

c. During the time of the Tâbaîn, the Tafsîr was mentioned along with

the evidence.

Q.3. Fill in the blanks below:

a. Just like all Islâmic Arts and Sciences, the knowledge of Tafsîr has

passed through two important stages: The period of

_________________and the period of ___________________.

b. For the Tafsîr of the Glorious Qur’ân the Sahâbah relied upon four

sources. They were _________________, ____________,

________________ and __________________.

c. In Kûfah, the institute of teaching Tafsîr was established by

______________R.A. whole famous pupils were

_______________and ________________.

Q.4. Mark the below statements as True or False.

a. The compilation (writing down) of Tafsîr was practiced during the

era of the Prophet PBUH, during the era of the Sahâbah and during

the era of the Tâbaîn. (___________)

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b. The Isrâelî Narrations are presented as additional supports instead of

fundamental beliefs and they are of three types. (___________)

c. The speciality of the Tafsîr during the era of the Sahâbah was the

ease of Tafsîr and the lack of concern for beliefs. (___________)

d. The freedom from complications and from excessive discussion was

the singular distinguishing feature of the tafsîr during the period of

the sahâbah. (___________)

Q.5. Were all the Sahâbah R.A. equally fluent in Tafsîr and why.

Q.6. Is each Tafsîr of each Sahâbî R.A. compulsory to be followed?

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Second period: - The Period of Collection and

Compilation of Books

The act of collection of Tafsîr in the form of books began near the end of the

era of the Tâbaîn (ending period of the Ummayad Dynasty and the beginning

period of the Abbasid Dynasty). This period can be divided into a few stages:

First Stage : Tafsîr along with the books of Hadîth

When the period of writing began, the Hadîths were given the highest

importance in the books within which different sections were established, out

of which one section was the section of Tafsîr. In that period, no exclusive

book was compiled regarding Tafsîr, so in the books of Hadîth, the Tafsîr was

also mentioned.

Second Stage – Exclusive Books of Tafsîr

In this period, following the sequence of the Qur’ân the Tafsîr of each verse

was written. The Tafsîr was written exclusive from the Hadîth and was given

the status of an exclusive science. Few of the first people who wrote an

exclusive book for tafsîr were :

Name Year of Death Name Year of Death

Ibn Mâjah 273 Hijri Ibn Jarîr Tibrî 318 Hijri

Ibn Abî Hâtim 327 Hijri Hâkim 405 Hijrî

The chain of narration of the mentioned mufassirs (Tafsîr Experts) is connected

to the Prophet PBUH, the reverent Sahâbah R.A., Tâbaîn and the Students of

the Tâbaîn along with the evidence. Occasionally, they also give preference

over competing opinions and statements, they also derive laws and answers. At

times of need, they also mention the intricacies of Arabic grammar. That is

why, their Tafsîr comes under the category of Tafsîr Bil Mathûr (Scripture

based Tafsîr because it is written in the light of the Hadîth of the Prophet

PBUH and the statements of the Sahâbah).

Third Stage – Omission of the evidences from the Tafsîr

In this era, the evidences were removed from the narrations. Statements were

mentioned without disclosing the name of the speaker due to which weakness

and fabrication began to creep into the Tafsîrs because due to the omission of

evidences, the differentiation between the authentic and weak was no more

possible. Verily the identification of authentic and weak is from the names of

the people mentioned in the evidence.

Fourth Stage – Tafsîr by Opinion

Instead of Tafsîr Bil Mathûr (Scripture based Tafsîr), opinion and ijtehâd

(personal investigative efforts) were introduced which is called Tafsîr Bil Râey.

Fifth Stage – Increase of external influences upon Tafsîr

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When the Islâmic conquests spread everywhere, at that time new creeds began

to develop among the people based on their beliefs and understanding. The

range of their differences kept on growing all the time. Debates were initiated

on Kalâm (polemic) issues. Logic and philosophy began to be intermixed with

the Qur’ân and the Hadîth. The deviance of sectarian partisanship began to be

witnessed. Mufassirs (Tafsîr experts) began to trust their own opinions and

understanding. The newest of the new idioms (terminology) began to rise.

According to the specialization of each Mufassir, its effects began to appear in

his own Tafsîr. In the Tafsîr of experts in logic and philosophy, the statements

of logicians and philosophers would pre dominate e.g. Fakhruddîn Râzî (in

whose Tafsîr you will find the statements of philosophers instead of the Hadîth

and the statements of the Sahâbah). And if the aspect of Fiqh (jurisprudence)

dominates over the Mufassir, then his tafsîr would be dominated by Fiqh e.g.

Jisâs and Qurtubî in whose books of Tafsîr you will find an excess of Fiqh and

its hair peeling. The historians were mostly influenced by historical events and

stories such as the Tafsîrs of Tha’albî and Khâzin wherein instead of Tafsîr,

there has been long debates based on historical stories and incidents. And the

deviants started stressing more on misinterpreting the word of Allah according

to their corrupted creed, like the scholars of the Motazila creed e.g. Ramânî,

Jibâî, Qadhî Abdul Jabbâr and Zamakhsharî etc. And the Tafsîr of the

fabricators among the twelver Imâmiyâ Shias which are overfull with arbitrary

and needless misinterpretation of the verses of the Qur’ân together with

baseless and fabricated hadîths. And if he was a Sûfî then his Tafsîr would be

more inclined towards miraculous visions, divine inspiration, dreams and

signals. Also instead of the apparent meaning of the verses, wrong

interpretations are preferred such as the Sûfî Ibn Arabî (Who was a fanatical

Wahdatal Wujûdî meaning one who believed that Allah and His creation are all

one. He raised the slogan ‘I am the Truth’. Based on his heretic statements, he

was declared a Kâfir by the scholars).

In this way various types of Tafsîr Books, some of which were authentic and

some were inauthentic were filled up according to their nature with useful and

useless things. And each Mufassir, in order to support his creed and to refute

the competing creed began to arbitrarily misinterpret the verses of the Qur’ân.

And we have to state with great sorrow that the science of Tafsîr whose

fundamental purpose was guidance, purification of self, understanding the

commandments of the religion and also to further clarify the Message of the

Lord towards the people using the tongue of the Prophet PBUH, that purpose

slowly and steadily began to diminish and in the ocean of opinions and

personal inferences they survived merely as statements and signs.

Sixth Stage – Tafsîr Books of the Modern Era

It means those Tafsîr Books that were organized, keeping in mind the needs of

the prevailing era. That is why in these books, there is ample discussion

regarding Science and the Modern fields of knowledge. E.g. Tafsîrul Jawâhir,

15

Tafsîrul Manâr and Tafsîr Fî Dhilâlil Qur’ân. But even these Tafsîrs are full of

errors and they drifted quite far away from their real aim. Similar is the case of

certain Tafsîr books written in the Urdu Language such as the Tafhîmul

Qur’ân, Tadabbur Qur’ân, Kanzul Îmân etc. which played a major role in

corrupting the beliefs of the people and pushing them away from the Sunnah.

QUESTIONS

Q.1. Mention the stages of Tafsîr after people began to collect and compile

them in books

Ans : Write only the names of the six stages above

Q.2. Say ‘True’ or ‘False’ for the following sentences.

a. Ibn Mâjah was the first person to compile an exclusive book of Tafsîr.

(___________)

b. When the Islâmic conquests spread everywhere, at that time new creeds

began to develop among the people based on their beliefs and

understanding due to which the range of their differences kept growing all

the time. (___________)

c. Tafsîr Bil Râe (Tafsîr by Opinion) is also called Tafsîr Bil Mâthûr (Tafsîr

from the scriptures) (___________)

Q.3. Match the columns

A B

1. Ibn Jarîr Tibrî Tafsîr Bil Râe

2. Omission of the evidences from the

Tafsîr

Tafsîr based on Philosophy

3. Fakhruddîn Râzî Tafsîrs were filled up with

fabricated and weak narrations

4. To develop the Tafsîr of the Qur’ân

based on opinion and ijtehâd (personal

investigative efforts)

Died in 318 Hijrî

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Chapter 3 – Sûratul Kauthar.

ُسۡوَرةُ الَکوثَر

ِحيمِ ِن ٱلرَّ ـٰ ۡحَم بِۡسِم ٱهللِ ٱلرَّ

َك ٱۡلَكۡوثََر ) ـٰ ( ٣) ٱۡۡلَۡبتَرُ ُهوَ َشانِئَكَ إِنَّ ( ٢) َوٱۡنَحرۡ ِلَرب ِكَ فََصل ِ ( ١إِنَّآ أَۡعَطۡينَTranslation

Lo! We have given you Abundance; (1) So pray unto your Lord, and sacrifice.

(2) Lo! it is your insulter (and not you) who is without posterity (successor). (3)

Background of revelation :

This is a Makkî Sûrah in which there are three verses. Its other name is Sûratul

Nahar. Arabs used to call a person as abtar when none of his male children

survived. When none of the male children of the Prophet PBUH could survive,

some of the Kâfirs called him Abtar. At this, Allah revealed this Sûrah and

consoled him that you are not abtar but your enemy (Abû Jahal) is so. (Tafsîr Al Qurtubî by Imâm Muhammad Bin Ahmad Al Qurtubî 10/200)

Interpretation of Sûratul Kauthar

َك ٱۡلَكۡوثَرَ ـٰ إِنَّآ أَۡعَطۡينَAl Kauthar is a river in paradise whose water flows into a lake. The length and

breadth of the lake is equal to the journey of a month. Its water is whiter than

milk and sweeter than honey. The number and sparkle of its drinking bowls is

similar to the stars in the sky. The one who drinks a single sip from it shall

never be thirsty again.

Anas R.A. states that the Prophet PBUH stated:

On the night of Merâj, I reached a river, both banks of which were filled with

hollow pearls. I inquired “What is this O Jibrâîl”. He replied “This is the

Kauthar.” (Sahîh Al Bukharî, Hadîth number 4582)

The words of Sahîh Muslim are as follows:

Anas R.A. states that one day the Messenger of Allah was with us and He

PBUH went into a trance. Then he smiled and raised his head. We inquired “O

Messenger of Allâh, PBUH why are you smiling?” He replied “Just now a

Sûrah has been revealed to me”. Then he recited Sûratul Kauthar. Then he

asked us “Do you know what Al Kauthar is?” We replied “Allâh and His

Messenger PBUH knows better”. He PBUH said “It is a river which my Lord

has promised to me. It is a great blessing. It is a lake at which the people of my

Nation will quench their thirst on the day of surety (Qayâmah). Its drinking

bowls are numerous like the stars in the sky. Some people will be driven away

from it at which I will say “O my Lord, these are people of my nation.” Allâh

will state “You do not know all the deviations that these people had invented in

the religion”. Then the Messenger of Allah will say “Take them away, take

them away those who changed the religion after me”.

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َوٱۡنَحرۡ ِلَرب ِكَ فََصل ِ Nahar means to sacrifice. It means that reserve your worship and sacrifice

exclusively for Allâh.

ٱۡۡلَۡبتَرُ ُهوَ َشانِئَكَ إِنَّ Your enemy َشانِئَكَ

رُ Stopped. The line of descent has been interrupted. Meaning the one who ٱۡۡلَۡبتـَdoes not have any descendants.

Your enemy and the one who hates you is so.

Brief meaning and interpretation of the Sûrah.

Allâh, the Lord of the universe is addressing His Prophet and stating that I have

bestowed upon you a great abundance and grace. Among them is also the river

whose name is Kauthar (abundance). And after this great favor and prestige,

Allâh is commanding you to thank Him by praying to Him and sacrificing for

Him because both these forms of worship are the most superior and the best

way to gain nearness to Allâh. Then Allah, the Lord of the Universe his

consoling him that you are not abtar but your enemies are abtar who are devoid

of all good things and blessings. Thence Allâh allowed the descendants of the

Prophet PBUH to exist. In addition, the followers of Muhammed PBUH will be

so numerous that on the day of resurrection, he shall be proud of them. Further,

the name of Muhammad PBUH is mentioned with utmost respect and

reverence whereas for those who harbored enmity for the Prophet PBUH, their

names do not survive and neither do people have any respect in their hearts for

them.

Inferences

1. In this Sûrah, the high status of the noble Prophet PBUH in the sight of Allah has been stated.

2. Prayers and sacrifice are very beneficial for gaining closeness to Allâh. 3. The person who hates the Messenger of Allah PBUH and the one who

shows disrespect for him, is devoid from all goodness.

4. Just like prayers and fasting, sincere devotion to Allâh is necessary for all forms of worship.

5. One can curse the cruel people.

Questions

1) Mention the background for the revelation of Sûratul Kauthar. 2) Write the meanings of the following words:

Al Kauthar َٱۡلَكۡوثَر Anhar ۡٱۡنَحر Shâni’aka ََشانِئَك Al Abtar ُٱۡۡلَۡبتَر

3) Mention the overall meaning of Sûratul Kauthar

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4) Mention three inferences from Sûratul Kauthar

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Chapter 4 – Sûratul Mâ’ûn.

ُسۡوَرةُ الَماعون

ِحيمِ ِن ٱلرَّ ـٰ ۡحَم بِۡسِم ٱهللِ ٱلرَّ

يِن ) ُب بِٱلد ِ ( َوََل يَُحضُّ ٢) ٱۡليَتِيمَ يَُدعُّ ٱلَِّذى فَذَٲِلكَ ( ١أََرَءۡيَت ٱلَِّذى يَُكذ ِۡلُمَصل ِينَ فََوۡيل ( ٣عَاِم ٱۡلِمۡسِكيِن ) َعلَٰى طَ َصََلتِِہمۡ َعن ُهمۡ ٱلَِّذينَ ( ٤) ل ِ ( ٧) ٱۡلَماُعونَ َويَۡمنَعُونَ ( ٦) يَُرآُءونَ ُهمۡ ٱلَِّذينَ ( ٥) َساُهونَ

Translation

Have you seen him who denies the Recompense? (1) That is he who repulses

the orphan (harshly), (2) And urges not on the feeding of Al Miskîn (the poor),

(3) So woe unto those performers of Salât (prayers) (hypocrites), (4) Those

who delay their Salât (prayer from their stated fixed times), (5) Those who do

good deeds only to be seen (of men), (6) And prevent Al-Mâ'ûn (small

kindnesses like salt, sugar, water). (7)

Meanings of words

ين The day of reckoning and recompense meaning the day of ٱلد ِQayâmah

To scold, rebuke, trouble, do injustice and turn away يَُدعُّ

To not encourage anybody and not motivate َوََل يَُحضُّ

There is a pit in hell whose name is wail. Additionally, it is َوۡيل also used to indicate destruction, warning, ruin and severe

punishment

It includes all the following meanings: Those who miss their َساُهونَ prayers, those who do not pray on time and also those who do

not care about the pre requisites, essentials, sincerity and

attention associated with prayer.

They perform deeds to show others يَُرآُءونَ

It means common things. Ibn Mas’ûd R.A. states that it ٱۡلَماُعونَ means those things that neighbors lend each other such as an

axe, utensil and bucket etc. Ibn Abbâs R.A. states that it

means household items. And Muhammad Bin Ka’ab Al

Qardhî (Tâbaî) states that it means every good deed. Tafsîr al Tibrî by Imâm Muhammad Bin Jarîr Al Tibrî, 30/319.

Brief meaning and understanding of the Sûrah.

The initial few verses of this Sûrah were revealed in Makkah regarding Âs bin

Wâel, Walîd Bin Mughîrah and a few other kâfirs of the Quraish which

mention their bad behavior. Allah the Lord of the universe is addressing his

beloved Messenger PBUH and informing him that the person who does not

believe in the hereafter and the resurrection after death is the one who mistreats

the orphans and is wicked towards them because his heart is hard. Neither does

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he have any hope of reward nor any fear of consequences and punishment. And

neither does he encourage nor motivate others to show consideration, mercy

and kindness towards the poor. If this is his condition, then he can never

himself treat the poor well nor can he feed them and provide for them.

َرآُءونَ مۡ يـُ ِذينَ هـُ اُهونَ )٥( ٱلَـّ ۡلُمَصل ِينَ )٤( ٱلَِّذينَ ُهمۡ َعن َصََلتِِہمۡ سـَ ل ِفََوۡيل

)٦( So woe unto those performers of Salât, (4) Those who delay their Salât, (5)

Those who do good deeds only to be seen (6)

It means those who miss their prayers, those who go late for prayers, those who

pray only for the sake of showing others, those who do not pray attentively and

who do not try to concentrate on their prayers etc. It means the hypocrites as

mentioned in the below verse.

لَٰوةِ قَاُمواْ ُكَسالَٰى إِنَّ ٱۡلمُ ِدُعُهۡم َوإِذَا قَاُمٓواْ إِلَى ٱلصَّ ـٰ َ َوُهَو َخ ِدُعوَن ٱَّللَّ ـٰ ِفِقيَن يَُخ ـٰ نََ إَِلَّ قَِليَلا ) ( ١٤٢يَُرآُءوَن ٱلنَّاَس َوََل يَۡذُكُروَن ٱَّللَّ

Surely the hypocrites (try to) deceive Allâh while he (in reality) deceives them.

And when they stand up for Salât, they stand up lazily, only to show to people

and they do not remember Allah but a little. – Sûrah Nisâ 4, verse 142.

Because these people are not mindful regarding prayer even though prayer is

the main form of worship, that is why Allâh has identified them with show off,

display and hard heartedness. These are such people who neither worshipped

their Lord as He deserves nor do they behave kindly with the people. To the

extend that they even refuse to lent the common household items to people. So

when this is their condition, then they can never give the zakât (poor-due), alms

and perform other righteous deeds to gain closeness to Allâh.

Few Inferences from the Sûrah

1. Proof of reckoning, recompense and the hereafter, whose denial is apostasy.

2. We should be considerate, kind and polite to the orphans. 3. It is a very important deed to feed Muslims towards which we should

encourage others.

4. There is a strict warning for those who delay their prayers without a valid religious justification. And it has been said clearly that the person

who delays the prayer without any valid justification shall be in the fire.

5. Showing off and display has been criticized. Sincerity is essential and compulsory for every deed.

6. People have been encouraged towards good deeds. Especially one should not withhold commonly used things because Allâh has severely

criticized those people who refuse to share those things which are

normally lent to others.

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7. There is a difference between forgetting while praying and forgetting to pray. In the first instance there is no harm and criticism because any

person can forget while praying to the extend that the Messenger of

Allâh PBUH also has forgotten while praying. On the other hand

forgetting to pray due to laziness is a very severe sin on which the

religion has given a strict warning. May Allah guide all Muslims to pray

in the earliest recommended time. Âmîn.

8. Show off and hardness of heart are bad qualities. 9. People have been motivated to do good deeds. And people have been

encouraged to lend common things such as books, utensils, buckets etc.

because the people who do not share those common things have been

criticized by Allah.

Questions:

Q.1. Mention the meaning of the following words

ُدعُّ ــَ ل ____________________ يـــ ــۡ _____________________ َويـــ _________________________ ٱۡلَماُعونَ ____________________ يَُرآُءونَ

Q.2. Mention a brief explanation of Sûratul Mâ’ûn

Q.3. Mention a few inferences drawn from Sûratul Mâ’ûn

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Chapter 5 – Sûratul Quraysh.

ُسۡوَرةُ قَُریش

ِحيمِ ِن ٱلرَّ ـٰ ۡحَم بِۡسِم ٱهللِ ٱلرَّ

ِف قَُرۡيش ) ـٰ يلَ ِفِهمۡ ( ١ِِلِ ـٰ تَآءِ ِرۡحلَةَ إِيلَ ۡيفِ ٱلش ِ ذَا َربَّ فَۡليَۡعبُُدواْ ( ٢) َوٱلصَّ ـٰ َهن أَۡطعََمُهم ٱلَِّذىٓ ( ٣) ٱۡلبَۡيتِ نۡ َوَءاَمنَُهم ُجوع م ِ (٤) َخۡوِف م ِ

Translation

For the familiarization of the Quraysh. (1) For familiarizing them regarding the

journey in the winter and the summer (2) So they should worship the Lord of

this House, (3) Who has fed them against hunger, and secured them against

fear. (4)

Explanation of the meanings

ِف قَُرۡيش ـٰ يلَ ِِلِÎlâf means to become (or make) familiar with something / habituated to

something / to start liking something.

ِفِهمۡ ـٰ تَآءِ ِرۡحلَةَ إِيلَ ۡيفِ ٱلش ِ َوٱلصَّ For familiarizing them with the journey in the winter (towards warm Yemen)

and the summer (towards cool Syria)

ذَا َربَّ فَۡليَۡعبُُدواْ ـٰ ٱۡلبَۡيت َه Meaning they should proclaim the oneness of Allah and they should worship

Him alone. They shall not ascribe any partner(s) with Him.

A brief interpretation of the Sûrah

In this surah, Allah has reminded the Quraysh regarding His gifts and reminded

them that look what He did to the As’hâbul Fîl who had come to demolish the

Kabah. And He did this for the Quraysh so that they may attain peace.

Whoever intended evil against the Quraysh, We destroyed them. Due to this,

the Arabs were awed by the Quraysh and people began to respect them.

Because the source of income for the Quraysh was trading, their caravan would

venture out twice during the year and return with merchandise for trading.

They would go to Yemen in the winter and to Syria in the summer. Because

they were the custodians of the Kabah, all the people of Arabia used to respect

them. That is why their caravans used to travel without any hindrances. In this

Sûrah, Allah has mentioned these same journeys and has also stated that not

only did He facilitate these expeditions but also gave them peace during

travelling and in their home town. And He destroyed the As’hâbul Fîl so that

your prestige shall also be maintained and the routine of your journeys shall

also continue. If Abrahah was successful in his evil intentions, then your

23

prestige and preeminence would be finished and also the routine of the trips

would be interrupted. That is why it is your responsibility to worship your

Lord, to believe that He is only One and to not worship anything other than

Him.

Inferences from the Sûrah

1. It is compulsory to thank Allâh for his gifts. And if one is thankful, Allah continues to bestow His bounties whereas if one is ungrateful,

Allâh takes away those favors.

2. Abundance of food along with peace and security in the country are great favors of Allâh.

3. It is mandatory to reserve all forms of worship exclusively for Allâh and also not to associate any partners with him in his ‘Rubûbiyah’

(Lordship), ‘Ulûhiyah’ (Fervent adoration) and ‘Asmâ wa Sifât’ (His

names & attributes).

4. It mentions the greatness of the Kabah, the house of Allâh. Whereas Allâh is the Lord of everything but here, in order to emphasize the

importance of His house, he has mentioned His Lordship together with

its name.

Questions

Q.1. Write the meanings of the following phrases:

ِف ـٰ يلَ For the familiarization ِِلِِفِهمۡ ـٰ For familiarizing them إِيلَ So they should worship فَۡليَۡعبُُدواْ

Q.2. Write a brief interpretation of the Sûrah

Q.3. Write three inferences derived from this sûrah.

24

Chapter 6 – Sûratul Fiil.

ُسۡوَرةُ الِفیل

ِحيمِ ِن ٱلرَّ ـٰ ۡحَم بِۡسِم ٱهللِ ٱلرَّ

ِب ٱۡلِفيِل ) ـٰ ( ٢) تَۡضِليل فِى َكۡيَدُهمۡ يَۡجعَلۡ أَلَمۡ ( ١أَلَۡم تََر َكۡيَف فَعََل َربَُّك بِأَۡصَحا َعلَۡيِہمۡ َوأَۡرَسلَ يل )٣) أَبَابِيلَ َطۡيرا ن ِسج ِ فََجعَلَُهمۡ ( ٤( تَۡرِميِهم بِِحَجاَرة م ِۡأُڪوِل َكعَۡصف ( ٥) مَّ

Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant? (1)

Did He not take their stratagem out of track, (2) And send against them swarms

of birds, (3) Which pelted them with stones of baked clay, (4) And made them

like green crops devoured (by cattle)? (5)

Explanations of the meanings

تَۡضِليل فِى َكۡيَدُهمۡ يَۡجعَلۡ أَلَمۡ َدُهمۡ Their stratagem, meaning their scheme to demolish the Kabah and : َكيـۡ

promote their own religion in Arabia.

ِليل Out of track, meaning Allah stopped them from reaching their target : تَضـۡwhich was the Kabah

ا َعلَۡيِہمۡ َوأَۡرَسلَ أَبَابِيلَ َطۡيرا .It is not the name of a species of bird but it means swarms : أَبَابِيلَ

يل ن ِسج ِ تَۡرِميِهم بِِحَجاَرة م ِيل .It means a pebble prepared from clay that is baked in an oven : ِسج ِThose little pebbles were more destructive than cannon balls and bullets.

ۡأُڪوِل ف َكعَصۡ فََجعَلَُهمۡ مَّ Like hay : َكعَۡصف

The story of the ‘As’hâbul Fîl’ (Owners of the Elephant)

Abrahah Al Ashram was the governor of Yemen on behalf of the king of

Abyssinia. He built a huge church in Sana. And he tried to divert people

towards it instead of the Ka’bah for Hajj and worship. This matter was highly

disliked by the people of Makkah and other tribes. Therefore one of them

desecrated the church built by Abrahah using filth. When he was informed

about it, he decided to demolish the Kabah and taking a strong armed force, he

attacked Makkah. There were also some elephants in his army. When this force

reached the valley of Mahsar, Allâh sent swarms of birds who had pebbles in

their beaks and claws that were as small in size as peas. On whichever soldier

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the pebble fell, he would melt and his flesh would separate from his bones and

thus he would die. This also became the condition of Abrahah by the time he

reached Sana. This is now Allâh protected His house.

When Abrahah’s force had reached near Makkah, they seized the camels that

belonged to Abdul Muttalib who was the grandfather of the Prophet PBUH and

at that time was the chief of Makkah. At this Abdul Muttalib met Abrahah and

asked him to return his camels which his force was holding. As far as the

Kabah, which you have come to demolish, then that matter is between you and

Allâh. He is its protector. He knows what needs to be done with it and with

you.

According to the most famous statement, this episode occurred in the same

year when the Prophet PBUH was born. That is why this episode remained well

known among the Arabs through their reports.

Short interpretation of the Sûrah

In this Sûrah, Allâh addressed his beloved Muhammed PBUH and told him

regarding Abrahah and the rout of his force “O Muhammad, continue your

mission with patience. Do not be disheartened by the wicked stratagems &

ploys enacted and harms inflicted by your enemies, because their time has been

fixed.” Thus the whole sûrah is filled with lessons and teachings in which Allah

states while expressing his divine power “Don’t you see how over-powering is

my ability and how vast is my security? How did I deal with those who came to

demolish the Kabah and how did I help its custodians”.

Few inferences from the Sûrah

1. Allâh’s protection of the Sacred Sanctuary (Kabah) is assured. 2. Allâh has consoled his Prophet PBUH against the harms and injustices

inflicted by the kuffâr (disobedient) of the Quraysh.

3. Nobody can estimate the swarms of Allâh nor can anyone overcome them.

4. The power of Allâh is dominant and above all the powers of human beings. When He intends to do something, He commands it to happen

and it complies.

5. Even animals and beasts are compliant to the commands of Allâh, they obey Him and they fulfill the purpose of their creation.

Questions

Q.1. Mention the story of the As’hâbul Fîl in short.

Q.2. Write the meanings of the following words:

Swarms : أَبَابِيلَ Their stratagem : َكۡيَدُهمۡ يل .It means a pebble prepared from clay that is baked in an oven : ِسج ِ Hay : َعۡصف Q.3. Mention three inferences from this Sûrah

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Chapter 7 – Sûratul Humazah.

ُسۡوَرةُ الُهَمزة

ِحيمِ ِن ٱلرَّ ـٰ ۡحَم بِۡسِم ٱهللِ ٱلرَّ

ل ُِڪل ِ ُهَمَزة لَُّمَزة )َدهُ َماَلا َجَمعَ ٱلَِّذى ( ١َوۡيل ۥۤ َمالَهُ أَنَّ يَۡحَسبُ ( ٢) ۥ َوَعدَِّ نَارُ ( ٥) ٱۡلُحَطَمةُ َما أَۡدَرٰٮكَ َوَمآ ( ٤ لَيُۢنبَذَنَّ فِى ٱۡلُحَطَمِة )ۖ ( َكَلَّ ٣) ۥ أَۡخلََدهُ ٱَّللَّ َعلَۡيِہم إِنََّہا( ٧) ٱۡۡلَۡفـ َِدةِ َعلَى تَطَِّلعُ ٱلَّتِى( ٦) ٱۡلُموقََدةُ

ۡؤَصَدة َعَمد فِى( ٨) مَُّدةِ َمدَّ ( ٩) مُّ

Translation

Woe to every slanderer and backbiter, (1) Who collects wealth and counts it,

(2) Thinking that his wealth will support him forever! (3) By no means! He

shall surely be thrown into the breaker. (4) And what do you understand by the

breaker? (5) The Fire that Allah kindled (6) The one which shall reach the

Hearts: (7) It shall enclose them from all sides, (8) In tall columns. (9)

Explanation of the meanings

ل ُِڪل ِ ُهَمَزة لَُّمَزة َوۡيل

Warning, woe and severe punishment َوۡيل

َزة ُهمـَ and َُزةل مـَ

Certain scholars consider both to be synonymous. Others slightly differentiate between the two. Humazah is the one who

criticizes others on their face (impolite) while Lumazah is the one who

criticizes others behind the back (back biter). Certain others interchange the

meanings. Still others state that Humaza means making mocking signs using

hands and eyes and Lumaza means mocking with the tongue.

َدهُ ۥ َوَعدَّ ٱلَِّذى َجَمعَ َماَلا

َدهُ دَّ Means to collect without spending and to count. It is the behavior of a َوعـَmiser.

يَۡحَسبُ أَنَّ َمالَهُ ۥۤ أَۡخلََدهُ ۥ .He calculates يَۡحَسبُ It will keep him (in the world) for ever أَۡخلََدهُ

َكَلَّ ۖ لَيُۢنبَذَنَّ فِى ٱۡلُحَطَمةِ َلَّ By no means. Meaning the matter is not according to his presumption ۖ كـَ

and calculation

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لَيُۢنبَذَنَّ (He) will be thrown into

ٱۡلُحَطَمةُ The breaker. It is one of the names of Hell because it will break things due to

severe burns / heat.

ِلعُ َعلَى ٱۡۡلَۡفـ َِدةِ ٱلَّتِى تَطَّ

The one that shall reach the hearts. Meaning its heat shall reach the hearts and

burn them.

ۡؤَصَدة إِنََّہا َعلَۡيِہم مُّMu’sada means closed. Meaning the doors and roads of Hell will be closed so

that no one can ever escape.

َدةِ َمدَّ فِى َعَمد مُّIn Iron columns

And they will be tied to iron spikes which will be tall like columns.

Short interpretation of the Sûrah

Allah has declared clearly in this Sûrah that those who highlight the

weaknesses of others either by the tongue or by gestures shall be cast into that

closed valley of hell from wherein there is no chance of escape. Similarly it has

been stated that wealth and money are temporary things. If one does not spend

for good purposes, it shall be a source of regret. This Sûrah also includes the

message that miserliness reduces one life-span. And if one performs good

deeds and is obedient then his life-span is increased.

The vain attitude of those who ignore the obedience of God because of their

intoxication of wealth, whereby they consider wealth to be permanent has been

refuted. Such people do not have any sense because they do not reflect and

ponder over the heat of hell and its severe punishment. They will be imprisoned

in it in such a way that there shall be no possibility of escape.

Few inferences form the Sûrah

1. It includes a severe warning for those who consider others to be inferior; whether this is expressed verbally or by gestures.

2. This Sûrah mentions the belief regarding resurrection after death and either reward or punishment.

3. In this surah, one has been warned against slandering and back biting. 4. Merely, abundance of wealth is not beneficial. On the contrary God-

consciousness and abundance of good deeds is actually beneficial.

5. It includes various names of Hell. 6. The punishment of Hell shall be severe.

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Questions

Q.1. Write the names of the following words

He) will be thrown into) لَيُۢنبَذَنَّ Slanderer ُهَمَزة ۡؤَصَدة The breaker ٱۡلُحَطَمةُ Closed مُّ

Q.2. Write a brief meaning and interpretation of this Sûrah

Q.3. Write three inferences derived from this Sûrah.

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Chapter 8 – Sûratul Asr.

ُسۡوَرةُ العَصر

ِحيمِ ِن ٱلرَّ ـٰ ۡحَم بِۡسِم ٱهللِ ٱلرَّ

نَ إِنَّ ( ١َوٱۡلعَۡصِر ) ـٰ نَس َوَعِملُواْ َءاَمنُواْ ٱلَِّذينَ إَِلَّ ( ٢) ُخۡسر لَِفى ٱِۡلِـٰتِ ِلَح ـٰ ۡبرِ تََواَصۡواْ وَ بِٱۡلَحق ِ َوتََواَصۡواْ ٱلصَّ ( ٣) بِٱلصَّ

Translation:

(I swear) by time, (1) Indeed! man is in a state of loss, (2) Except those who

believed and did good deeds, and exhorted one another to truth and exhorted

one another to patience. (3)

Excellency of the Sûrah:

Imâm Shâfa’î Rahmatullâh Alaih states that if Allâh had revealed only this

single Sûrah for His creation, then this Sûrah alone would have sufficed for

them. – Tafsîr Ibn Kathîr 1/63.

Meanings of words:

I swear by the eras and time َوٱۡلعَۡصرِ Loss, harm, doom ُخۡسر

Summarized meaning of the Sûrah

In this Sûrah, Allâh has sworn by Time, which represents the passage of days

and nights which come alternatively; because the slaves perform their deeds

therein. That is why Allâh the almighty swears that each person is a loser. This

loss occurs in various ways, sometimes both in this world and the hereafter and

sometimes solely in this world. That is why Allâh has excluded four types of

people from it. (These people are not losers.)

1. Those people who accepted belief in Allâh according to His command. 2. Those people who adopted the means to perform good deeds. They

performed all types of good deeds whether seen by others or unseen.

3. Those people who continued to remind each other to perform good deeds; because this is exactly the expectation from faith and good deeds.

4. Those people who acted with patience in each situation. Patience is of various types such as constancy in obeying Allâh, accepting the destiny

decided by Allâh, forbearance during difficulties and sorrows, self

control during difficulties faced in the path of invitation etc.

In the first two types, the slave develops himself whereas in the second two

types he reforms others. And after fulfilling all these four actions, he shall be

saved from all types of loss and harm and he shall be bestowed with unlimited

benefits.

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Interpretations from the Sûrah

1. The excellency of Sûratul Asr is increased by this aspect that in just three verses the path of salvation has been identified.

2. For any person among the creation, it is not permissible to take an oath in the name of anything besides Allâh. But Allah can swear by anything

that he likes.

3. On swearing by time and era, Allâh has stated its importance and value so that a person can realize the worth of this precious commodity;

because with the passage of time and life span, the person’s place for

actions ceases. After it, the place for repayment starts.

4. In this Sûrah, Allâh has praised and commended those four things on adopting which a person shall be successful and rewarded.

5. This Sûrah announces a complete loss for a Kâfir (rejector). 6. In accordance to the belief of the ‘Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamâ’at’ (The

people on Prophetic tradition and consensus) for the faith in the heart,

the outward actions are necessary. Both are mutually necessary and

indispensable. However according to the Murjiah, belief in the heart is

solely necessary. Outward actions are not mandatory.

Questions

Q.1. Mention a statement from one of the pious predecessors regarding the

excellency (importance) of this Sûrah.

Q.2. Write the meaning of the following words:

Loss / harm / doom ُخۡسر Time / period / era َعۡصرQ.3. Mention the ruling regarding swearing by something from among the

creation.

Q.4. Mention two inferences derived from this Sûrah.