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Paper presented at the 11thRegional Leadership Training Programme held in Hungary 21 Jul - 21 August 1999 by Prof Omar Hasan Kasule, Sr
OUTLINES
DESCRIPTION OF THE QUR'AN
Definition of the Qur’an
Practical guide.
Rational Approach (al istidlaal al aqli)
The miraculous nature of the Qur’an (i’jaz an Qur’an)
The revelation of the Qur’an (nuzul al Qur’an)
The collection of the Qur’an (jam’u al Qur’an)
The concept of occasion of revelation (sabab al nuzuul)
Chapters and sections of the Qur’an
Madanese and Makkan chapters
SCIENCES OF THE QUR'AN
Definition of sciences of the Qur’an (uluum al Qur’an)
List of the main Qur’anic sciences
Definition of ‘ilm al tafsir
History of ‘ilm al tafsir
Sources of tafsir
Disciplines that assist tafsir
Methods of tafsir
Classification of ‘ilm al tafsir according to various criteria:
Interpretation by precedent (tafsir bi al ma’athuur)
Tafsiir based on rationality / opinion (tafsir bi al ra’ayi)
Interpretation based on empirical science (Tafsir ‘ilmi)
The concept of ta’awiil
The concept of abrogation (naskh)
Israiliyaat in tafsir
Indexation of the Qur’an
DESCRIPTION OF THE QUR'AN
Definition of the Qur’an: The Qur'an is technically defined as 'Allah’s words revealed to Muhammad (PBUH) in the Arabic language, transmitted to us in continuity, written in the mashaf, whose recitation is worship, commencing with surat al fatihat and ends with surat al nas (‘kalaam al llaah al munazzal ala sayyidina Muhammad (SAW) bi al lafdh al ‘arabi al manquul ilaina bi al tawaatir al maktuub bi al masahif al muta’abbadu bi tilaawatihi al mu’ujiz bi aqsar surat minhu al mabdu bi surat al fatihat al makhtuum bi surat al naas).
Practical guide: According to Muhammad Iqbal the Qur’an is a book that emphasizes deed rather than idea. The Qur’an is a practical work-plan and a guide for the family and the society. Each verse has practical implications. Verses on historical events are in the Qur’an for the instruction of the living and not just providing historical information. Verses of legal rulings (ayat al ahkam) regulate the daily lives of individuals and communities. Many verses deal with the universe (ayat kawniyyat) and are a basis for developments in science and technology. Other verses are for moral guidance or teaching the upright aqidat.
Rational Approach (al istidlaal al aqli): The Qur’an uses rational approaches that are akin to scientific enquiry. Examples of the Qur’an and rationalism are: similarity (tashabuhu & imtithaal), specialization (tajzi’at), generalization followed by particularization (ta’amiim & takhsiis), definition (ta’areef), apposition (muqabalat), examples and similitudes (amthaal), stories (qisas), argument and debate (jadal & munadharat), and induction (istiqra)
The miraculous nature of the Qur’an (i’jaz an Qur’an): The Qur’an is an intellectual, scientific and linguistic miracle. Deep study reveals to an open and incisive mind that this is not a product of the human mind. It defies and challenges human intellect. The Qur’an will continue as a standing miracle and challenge down the centuries to the last day.
The revelation of the Qur’an (nuzul al Qur’an): The Qur’an was revealed in bits and pieces (nuzuul al Qur’an munajjaman). The great wisdom behind this was to make sure that the first Muslims learned the teachings of the Qur’an in a practical context so that their understanding of the message would be perfect and thus ensure correct transmission to the later generations. Each verse was therefore revealed to coincide with an occasion to which it was related.
The collection of the Qur’an (jam’u al Qur’an): The companions of the prophet learned the Qur’an by heart. People in that simple society were largely illiterate had good memory because their minds were not crowded with other extraneous information as is found in more complex societies. Some companions who were literate wrote the Qur’an down. The prophet had official scribes who wrote down every verse as soon as it was revealed. They also noted its location by chapter and position in the chapter. Writing of hadith at the time of the prophet was discouraged for fear of confusion with the Qur’an. The prophet recited the Qur’an often so that the companions could learn and remember. He used to sit down on occasions and listen to their recitation to make sure they were reciting correctly. Abubakr collected all writings of the Qur’an that had been made at the time of the prophet and kept them safely. It was the third Khalifah Othman bin Affan who undertook the major task of collating all the existant writings into one standard volume written in the Quraishi dialect. This volume known as mushaf Othmani is what is read today throughout the Muslim world. The original style of writing has been preserved as much as possible and it differs from that of modern Arabic in some details. The earliest mushafs were written without dots on letters which could cause confusion between some letters like ‘b’ and ‘t’; it was Yusuf bin al Hajjaj al Thaqafi who introduced the dots. The Qur’an unlike common Arabic text has vowels to make sure there are no mistakes in reading. There are also many marks and instructions that guide the reader. The prophet read the Qur’an in 7 different ways (qira’at al Qur’an ‘ala al ahruf al sab’a). All are valid and have been preserved. They differ in the enunciation of some letters and words. The Qur’an can be recited as tartiil or as tajwid.. The former is straightforward whereas the latter involves using a more pleasant voice. There are special rules for tajwid (ahkam al tajwid).. In addition to the written mushaf there are thousands of Muslims who have learned the Qur’an by heart and this will continue until the last day (yawm al qiyamat). The Qur’an enjoys the distinction among all revelations of being the only scripture that has been preserved in its original form and has been transmitted in an unbroken chain (manqul bi al tawatir) until the present day.
The concept of occasion of revelation (sabab al nuzuul): Proper understanding and interpretation of a verse requires knowing the circumstances of its revelation. The Qur’an was revealed in a dynamically changing society. The verses revealed related to events actually taking place. Thus the present order of the verses is different from the chronological order in which they were revealed. Arranging the verses in their chronological order is like writing the history of the Islamic dawa during the 23 years during which the Qur’an was revealed.
Chapters and sections of the Qur’an: The Qur’an is divided into 114 chapters each called a surat. The first surat is al Fatihat also called the opening or mother of the book. The remaining surats are arranged in roughly a descending order on the basis of their length. Surat al Baqarat is the longest surat and it follows surat al fatiha. The last surat, al nas, is one of the shortest. Each surat starts with the basmalah except surat al baraa. There have been many misleading writings on the mathematical order or pattern in the Qur’an. These serve no useful purpose and they distract from understanding the message being revealed in the verses.
Madanese and Makkan chapters: The verses and chapters revealed in Makka differ in many ways from those revealed in Madina. This reflects the historical experiences. Muslims in Makka were weak and their main concern was to call others to the din, to preserve and strengthen their aqidat. Muslims in Madina were strong and were building a state. The Makkan verses are short, poetic, and powerful. They deal mostly with issues of aqidat. Verses revealed in Madina are longer and deal with details of societal organisation.
SCIENCES OF THE QUR'AN
Definition of sciences of the Qur’an (uluum al Qur’an): Qur’anic sciences deal with general matters relating to the revelation, arrangement, collection, writing, recititation, interpretation, miracles, and abrogation of the Qur’an (al mabaahith al kulliyat allati tata’allaqu bi al Qur’an al karim min nahiyat nuzuulihi, wa tartibihi, wa jamuhu, wa kitaabatuhu, wa qiraatuhu, wa tafsiiruhu, wa ijazuhu, wa nasikhuhu wa mansuukhukhu).
List of the main Qur’anic sciences: Iinterpretation (‘ilm tafsir al Qur’an), circumstances of revelation (‘ilm asbaab al nuzuul), miracles of the Qur’an (‘ilm i’ijaz al Qur’an), abrogating and abrogated verses in the Qur’an (‘ilm naasikh al Qur’an wa mansuukhuhu), legal rulings in the Qur’an (‘ilm ahkaam al Qur’an), excellence of the Qur’an (‘ilm fadhail al Qur’an), elucidating the complex in the Qur’an (‘ilm ta’wiil mushkil al Qur’an), clear and allegorical verses in the Qur’an (‘ilm al muhkam wa al mutashhabih), history of the writing of the Qur’an (‘ilm taarikh al Qur’an wa tadwwinuhu wa naskhihi wa kuttabihi wa rasmihi), grammar of the Qur’an (‘ilm i’iraab al Qur’an), and different readings of the Qur’an (‘ilm al Qira’aat). These sciences are interelatad and share the characteristic of being methodological in approach.
Definition of ‘ilm al tafsir: It was defined by Zarkashi as the science that deals with elucidating the indication intended by Allah in the Qur’an to the best of human capacity (‘ilm yubhathu fiihi ‘an ahwaal al Qur’an al Majeed min haithu dalaalatihi ‘ala muraad al llah ta’ala bi qadr al taqat al bashariyyat). ‘Ilm tafsir al Qur’an is the most important of the ‘uluum al Qur’an. It has a basis in the Qur’an (Sad: 29, nisa: 82). The major issue in tafsir is to reconcile the holiness of the text with the humanness of the interpreter (mufassir); who being human has limitations and weaknesses and may make mistakes in the interpretation of the text. The tafsir of clear verses (ayat muhakamat) is easier and more straightforward than that of allegorical verses (ayat mutashabihat). A clear verse (Ayat muhakkamat) is defined as one whose literal meaning is the same as the actual meaning, is clear, and is not possibly abrogated (‘al dalaalat al dhaahiru alladhi la yatahammalu al naskh’) (p 55 3:7, 11:1, 22:52). The allegorical verse is defined as one that whose actual meaning can not be elucidated from its literal meaning and can not be understood by stand by itself without interpretation (ma lam yutalaqqa ma’anhu min lafdhihi, wa la yastaqillu bi nafsihi bal yahtaaju ila bayaan’).
History of ‘ilm al tafsir: The evolution of tafsir went through many stages: The Prophet’s tafsir was to explain the details and explain the meaning. A major portion of tafsir was through the actions of the prophet because his life was a reflection of the Qur’an in practice. The tafsir of sahabat was either trasmitted from the prophet (naqli) or was based on their own judgment (ijtihadi). The most famous mufassiriin among the companions were according to al Suyuti: Abubakr, Omar, Othman, Ali, Ibn Mas’ud, Ibn Abbaas, Ubayy bin Ka’ab, Zayd bin Thabit, Abu Musa al Ash’ari, and Abdullah bin al Zubayr (Hadidi 1983). The discipline of tafsir grew when differences started to appear and there was a need to look for solutions to the problems that arose in the community. Tafsir remains a dynamic and growing discipline to our day because the Qur’an is a contunuing challenge and every generation undetstands it in its own way.
Sources of tafsir: There are 2 primary sources of tafsir: the Qur’an and the sunnat. The Qur’an explains itself. Sunnat explains the Qur’an. Ijtihad and inference (istinbaat) are additional sources of tafsir. The Qur’an can explain itself because of its internal unity such that one part can elaborate and not contradict another. Methods of the Qur’an interpreting itself (tafsir al Qur’an bi al Qur’an) include: a detailed verse interpreting a brief concise verse (sharh al mujaz bi al mubassat), an open verse being interpreted by a restrictive one (sharh al mutlaq bi al muqayyad), the general being interpreted by the specific (sharh al aam bi al mukhassas), reconciling what are apparently different assertions (al jamu bayn ma yatawahhamu annahu mukhtalif) (Hadid 1983). Methods the sunnat interpreting the Qur’an (tafsir al Qur’an bi al sunnat) include: explaining the general, clarifying the comlicated (mushkil), making the general particular, restricting the open (mutlaq), explaining terrminology (lafdh), explaining abrogation (naskh), and emphasizing Qur’anic legal rulings (hukm) (Hadid 1983).
Disciplines that assist tafsir: the science of linguistics (‘ilm al lugha wa al nahawu wa al saraf), science of Qur’anic readings (ilm al qiraat), theology (‘ilm usul al ddiin), science of the principles of jurispudence (ilm usul al fiqh), science of the occasions of revelation (‘ilm asbaab al nuzuul). There are disciplines not yet discribed today that will push ‘ilm al tafsir to new heights of achievement in the future.
Methods of tafsir: Each mufassir uses a different methodology. It is worth studying the methodology before reading the tafsir. Famous mufassirin like Ibn Abbas and Abu Jarir al Tabari had each a different approach. The methodology of Ibn Abbas, the father of tafsir, included: use of sabab al nuzuul (occasion, time, and place), identifying the abrogating (naasikh) and abrogated (mansuukh) verses, use of poetry to understand meanings of Arabic words and expressions, using the Qur’an to interprete itself (tafsir al Qur’an bi al Qur’an), and considering the personal and human dimension. Al Tabari’s tafsir methodology included: using precedence (tafsir bi al mathuur), interpreting stories using evidence (tafsir al qisas bi al hujjat), refusal of rationalist interpretation (tafsir bi al ray), literal interpretation of the text (tafsir al nass dhahiriyat), and use of linguistic tools.
Classification of ‘ilm al tafsir accrding to various criteria:
by approach: linguistic, literal
by source: Qur’an, sunnat, ijtihad, inference (isitinbat)
by method: precedence (tafsir bi al mathur), ration/reason (tafsir bi al ra’ay)
by subject matter (tafsir mawdhu’i): terms and words (tafsir bi al alfadh & al kalimaat), jurispudence (tafsir fiqhi), sufi (tafsir sufi), philosophy (tafsir falsafi), science (tafsir ‘ilmi), linguistics (tafsir lughawi), literature (tafsir adabi), social (tafsir ijtimae), empiricism (tafsir tajriibi), and sectarian (tafsir aqdi) such as sunnite or shiite.
Interpretation by precedent (tafsir bi al ma’athuur): Tafsir bi al mathuur refers to explanations that are from the Qur’an, the sunnat, the companions and the followers. The three most important authors of this method were: Muhammad bin Jariir bin Yaziid bin Kathir Abu Ja’afar al Tabari (224 - 310 AH), Ismail bin Omar bin Kathiir al Qurashi al Basrawi al Dimashqi (701 - 774 AH), and Abd al Rahman bin Abi Bakr bin Muhamad bin Sabiq al Ddiin al Khudhairi al Suyuuti (849 - 911 AH).
Tafsiir based on rationality / opinion (tafsir bi al ra’ayi) uses ijtihad. It can be praiseworthy (mahmuud), or blameworthy (madhmuum). The praiseworthy uses opinion that is guided by valid general principles from the Qur’an and sunnat. The blameworthy is based purely on rational reasoning and could lead to wrong conclusions. The main field of tafsir bi al ra’ay are the allegorical verses. Tafsir bi al ra’ay has been controversial throughout the ages because of its use reason and rationality. Ibn Taymiyyat considered tafsir bi al ra’ay forbidden (haraam). There are supporters and opponents of tafsir bi al ra’ay in the ancient and modern periods. The balanced view is that use of reason or rationality within limits is not bad. These limits should be defined by the general principles and fundamentals of the creed (aqidat), and the purposes of the law (maqasid al shariat).
Interpretation based on empirical science (Tafsir ‘ilmi): Tafsir ‘ilmi is empirical and scientitifc; it related to empirical sciences (uluum kawniyyat) and the miraculous nature of the Qur’an (ijaz al Qur’an). The main assertion of tafsir ilmi is that there is no contradiction between science and the Qur’an. Tafsir ilmi is defined as the intellectual effort of the interpreter to discover the link between the verses of the Holy Qur’an dealing with the empirical world on one hand and the discoveries of empirical science on the other hand such that the miraculous nature of the Qur’an is exposed; this proves that the Qur’an is indeed a word of Allah and is suitable for every place and every time ( Ijtihad al mufassir fi kashf al silat bayn ayaat al Qur’an al kareem al kawniyyat wa muktashafaat al ilm al tajriibi ala wajh yadh’hiru bi ijaz li al Qur’an yadullu ala masdarihi wa salahiyatihi li kulli zamaan wa makaan (Rumi pt 3, p 549, 1987). Examples of tafsir ilmi is finding scientific explanations for Qur’anic verses on creation of everything from water, prohibition of coitus during menstruation(haidh), and exemption from salat and saum during menstruation. In both ancient and modern times tafsir ‘ilmi has had proponents and opponents. Ancient suporters of tafsir ‘ilmi: al Ghazzali (d. 505 AH), al Fakhr al Razi (d. 606 AH), al Zarkashi (d. 794 AH), Ibn Abi Fadl al Mursi, and al Suyuti (d. 911 AH). Ancient opponents of tafsir ‘ilmi: al Shatibi (d. 790), and Ibn Hayyaan al Andalusi (d. 745 AH). Modern supporters of tafsir ‘ilmi are: Abd Rahman al Kawakibi in tabaiu al istibdaad wa masariu al istibaad, Muhammad Abduh, Abd al Hamid bin Badees in tafsir Ibn Badees - majalis al tadhakkur min kalaam al hakiim al khabiir, Muhammad Mutawalli Sha’araawi, Hasan al Banna, al Tantawi in al jawahor fi tafsir al Qur’an al karim, Abdul Aziz Ismail in al islam wa al tibb al hadith, Hanafi Ahmad in: al tafsiir al ilmi li al ayaat al kawniyyat fi al Qur’an, Muhammad Bakhiit al Mutie in: tanbiihu al ‘uquul al insaniyyat lima fi ayat al Qur’an min al ‘uluum al kawniyyat, Mustafa Maraghi, Muhammad Abdullah Darraaz in: madkhal ila al Qur’an al kareem, Wahidu al Ddiin Khan in: al Islam yatahadda, Mustafa Sadiq al Rafie in: ‘ijaz al Qur’an wa al balaghat al nabawiyyat, Muhammad Ahmad al Ghamrawi, Muhammad jJmaluddin al Fandi in al Qur’an wa al ‘ilm, and Muhammad al Tahir bin Ashour in al Tahriir wa al tanwiir. Modern opposers of tafsir ‘ilmi: Mahmud Shaltuut, Amin al Kholi, Abbas al Aqaad, Syed Qutb, Muhammad Rashid Ridha, Abbas Mahmoud al Akkad, Muhammad Izzat, Muhammad Abd al Rahiim al Zarqani (in: manahil al irfaan fi uluum al Qur’an).
The concept of ta’awiil: The concept of ta’awil can be used in a positive sense or in a negative one. In the positive sense it is similar to tafsir but there are technical differences that experts can explain. In a negative sense it can be used to refer to attempts to interprete the holy text to support pre-conceived views or personal or parochial interests. The Qur’an talked about ta’awil (p 221 4:59, 7:53, 10:39, 17:35, 18:78, 18:82, p 221 3:7).
The concept of abrogation (naskh): This has already been discussed at length before in the unit on methodology.
Israiliyaat in tafsir: Some mufassirin have borrowed from judaic folklore to provide details about some Qur’anic stories. This reflects misunderstanding of the purposes of the Qur’an. The stories told by the Qur’an are for moral teaching of the living; they have no historical value since the Qur’an is not a text-book of history. The Qur’an therefore did not tell all the details of each story and the prophet did likewise not feel the need to do so. Recourse to israiliyaat is an attempt to get the historical details complete which is unnecessary.
Indexation of the Qur’an: All down the centuries students of the Qur’an have always wanted to index it so that it is easier to look for verses relevant to a certain subject or topic. Several indices were published and more will continue to be published. Since the Qur’an is a living miracle, new developments in knowledge always lead to new insights in its interpretation. It is therefore inevitable that the indices are reviewed regularly.