How Tafseer is Performed?
Creator: Imam Ibn Taymiyyah
Date: 2006-04-15
Format: text
Identifier: http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=29
Language: en
Rights: © 1993 al-Hidaayah
Source: An Introduction to the Principles of Tafseer
Subject: quran
Title: How Tafseer is Performed?
Created on: Sat Apr 15 12:40:58 -0400 2006
Updated on: Mon Sep 25 13:29:09 -0400 2006
Version: 3
Abstract: ... s the Qur’aan. Imaam al-Shaafi`ee and other scholars have advanced a number of arguments in support of this point; but this is not the place to quote them. [For discussion see al-Shaafi`ee, al-Risaalah] In order to understand the Qur’aan, you should first look to the Qur’aan itself. If that does not help, then turn to the Sunnah. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) sent Mu`aadh (radiyallaahu `anhu) to Yemen and asked him: "How will you judge the cases (that come to you)?" He replied: "I will judge according to the Book of Allaah". "But if you do not get anything there, what will you do?", the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked. He said: "I will refer to the sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam)". "But if you do not get it even there, what will you do?", the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked again. He replied: "I will exercise my judgment." Hearing this the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) patted Mu`aadh (radiyallaahu `anhu) on the shoulder and said: "Praise be to Allaah who has guided the Messenger of His Messenger to what pleases His Messenger." This hadeeth has been reported in the Musnad and Sunan collections of hadeeth with a good isnaad. [Ahmad, Musnad V:230, 236, 242; al-Daarimee, Sunan, Muqaddimah, 30; al-Tirmidhee, Sunan, Ahkaam, 3; Abu Dawood, Sunan, Adhiyah, 11.] When you do not get any help from the Qur’aan or the Sunnah, turn to the words of the companions. For they know the Qur'’an better: they have witnessed its revelation, and passed through the situations in which it was revealed: and know it and understand it fully. This is particularly true of the scholars and leaders such as the four righteous caliphs and `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood. Imaam Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn Jareer al-Tabaree reports: Abu Kurayb narrated to us, saying: Jaabir ibn Nooh informed us that: al-A`mash informed us from Abu Duhaa: from Masrooq that `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood said: "By the one besides whom there none having the right to be worshipped, there is no verse in the Qur’aan about which I do not know in whose case and at what place was it revealed. If I were aware that anyone knew the Qur’aan more than me, and I could reach him, I would certainly have gone to see him." [Ibn al-Atheer, Jaami` al-Usool fee Ahaadeeth ar-Rasool, 1392/1972, Vol. IX p. 48.] Al-A`mash has also reported through Abu Waa`il that ibn Mas`ood said: "When anyone of us learned ten verses of the Qur’aan, he did not proceed further unless he had known what they meant and what action they demanded." Another great scholar is `Abdullaah ibn `Abbaas (radiyallaahu `anhumaa), the nephew of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alay... [Full Article...]
