Understanding the Quran Majeed is as important as reading it. It is the final and last word of Allah for the mankind. It is the final book that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Quran determines everything that is needed for a human being to live his life in this world and the hereafter. Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad PBUH during his life over the span of 23 years, roughly. It was revealed to him on several occasions. Each chapter and verse of the Quran was revealed in front of the Prophets’ companions and the larger Muslim community who were witnesses to the revelation, the context, and the situation in which it was revealed. Therefore, they developed an understanding of the Quran under the direct guidance and supervision of Rasool Allah PBUH himself.
Over the years, not just the text and words of the Quran, but this understanding too, was transferred to generations of the Muslim community, consistently and with great care. The understanding and explanation of the intended meaning of Quran is called its exegesis. The word for exegesis used in Persian, Urdu, and Arabic is Tafseer. Tafseer or exegesis of the Quran is an attempt by a scholar to explain the Quran and its verses to the larger Muslim community according to their time and era.
Before setting off to know about Tafseer it is important to ask, why is it important to read and study Tafseer? The answer is that we, the people of the 21st century, have come roughly 1400 years after the Prophet. Centuries have gone by, but Alhamdulillah we call ourselves Muslims and we practice the Islamic faith. We study the exegesis because Quran is the final word of Allah and it requires an understanding so that it can be practiced in letter and spirit. We study exegesis because we want to know the exact context of Surrahs, verses and the intended meaning of the Quran with better clarity.
Today we can find Muslims in every nook and corner of the world. Many people were born Muslims, many are accepting Islam as their faith, and many will be accepting Islam in the future. For all of them, it is necessary to understand the Quran. Additionally, it is important to understand that the Quran has a consistent narrative, code of life, and divine orders for the human beings of every generation till the end of times. Every generation, in every era, must understand the fundamentals of the Quran and make sense of it according to their own times. The practicality of the Quran lies in its understanding. Therefore, it is the duty of a Mufassir (the scholar of the Quran) to elaborate the Quran wherever necessary according to his times and era. This helps other people understand the Quran more easily and practically.
Since the Prophets’ time, numerous exegeses of the Quran have been documented and written. Amongst the earliest and most popular is the Tafseer of Hazrat Ibn Abbas who was the prophet’s cousin and one of the closest among his companions. Hazrat Ibn Abbas was himself given the title and rank of a scholar by the Prophet himself. He was equally respected by the larger Muslim community and by the later Caliphs, especially Hazrat Umar (R.A). He was also one of the key narrators of Hadith. Therefore, among the earliest scholars, Hazrat Abdullah Bin Abbas is known as the best Muffasir (explainer/scholar) of Quran.
Muslim scholars have attempted to explain and elaborate the Quran in various languages. The most celebrated exegesis of the Quran is in Arabic which I will write about separately in another essay. In the Urdu language, and especially in Pakistan, numerous exegeses have been written with great dedication. I personally believe that, among the most celebrated are Tafseer-e-Mazhari, Zia-ul-Quran and Tadabbur-e-Quran. I’ll briefly explain the prominent features of these three exegeses.
Tafseer-e-Mazhari is written by a renowned 13th-century scholar and Sufi, Hazrat Qazi Sanaullah Panipati. Panipati was the disciple of renowned Naqshbandi Sufi, Hazrat Mirza Mazhar-e-Janejana who was among the leading Sufis of his age. Additionally, he was among the students of Hazrat Shah Wali Ullah who is perhaps the most celebrated and one of the most brilliant scholars of the sub-continent. The beauty of this Tafseer is that Panipati was himself a leading scholar, Sufi and a jurist. He brings forth all these expressions in his work. His spiritual and intellectual lineage speaks volumes about the authenticity, depth and vast canvas of his intellect. Since this exegesis was written around the 13th century, it might require an extra effort for a common man to read it since the language and style is classic. It covers all the aspects that need to be covered in an exegesis; grammar, philosophy, concept, logic, continuity, flow etc.
This brings us to our next exegesis and that is Tafsir Zia ul Quran fi Tafsir ul Quran, more popularly known as Zia-ul-Quran by Justice Karam Shah Al-Azhari. The special feature of this Tafseer is the ease of language, and beautiful prose -- and most importantly it elaborates, explains, and simplifies key beliefs and constitutional structure mentioned in the Quran. Moreover, it focuses on the context and concept of every Surah/Chapter of the Quran. Before the start of every Surrah, he gives a brief overview that enables the reader to conceptually understand the intended meaning in that chapter. Another additional feature of this exegesis is that it quotes Hadith, earlier works on the Quran by other scholars, and juristic elaboration of key issues mentioned in the Quran. This allows the reader to have a panoramic view and a deeper understanding of every verse and chapter of the Quran.
Zia-ul-Quran is among the best works on Quranic exegesis in modern day Urdu language which must be read, and reread, for better understanding of the Quran.
Lastly, Taddabur-e-Quran by Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi, is an iconic work among the modern-day exegesis of the Quran. The writing style and prose is beautiful, easy to understand, and organized. The prominent feature of this exegesis is that it takes into account the literature psychology, idioms, and everyday life of Arab society and Arabic language. It makes the reader understand the background of every Surah and verse with the political and social environment and circumstances in which it was revealed. Furthermore, it delves into the fundamental patterns of all Surrah’s by bringing out the common features, topics, examples, and divine orders. All this knowledge and information, collectively, makes a comprehensive picture in the mind of a non-Arab reader of the Quran. This exegesis is invaluable and important in many ways.
If I sum up the basic qualities of the above-mentioned three exegesis of the Quran I would say; Tafseer-e-Mazhari gives you a spiritual as well as juristic overview of the Quran with a classical 13th-century commentary style. Zia-ul-Quran gives you transcendental, juristic, and modern-day understanding with a special focus on the beautiful personality of Rasool Allah PBUH. Third, Tadabur-e-Quran gives you literary, social, and psychological aspects of an Arab society in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet PBUH. It also takes into account the modern-day logic and language for the reader to understand the Quran.
May Allah bless us with the understanding of the Quran so that we can act accordingly, Ameen.
Dr. Taimur Shamil
The writer holds a PhD in International relations. He has a special interest in the scholarship of Hadith and Tassawuf. He is based in New York. He tweets @ShamilTaimur.
