sign in sign up
<<
Home , Sakina, Tafsir

TAFSIR IN EARLY

The Ark of Noah is described by elucidation, explication, interpretation Muslim tradition as being of very large and commentary. It also means ‘to elu- size. Exegetes relate that Noah worked cidate what is meant from a difficult on the boat for 400 years, building it word’ (Ibn Manzur, 1994, V: 55; al- from the wood of a special teak tree Zabidi, n.d., III: 470). Technically, tafsir which had grown for forty years until it is the term encompassing both) scholarly was 300 cubits tall. The Ark is said to efforts to explain the Qur an and make have been anywhere from 300 by 50 it more understandable and also the cubits to 1200( by 600 cubits in length branch of Islamic science that deals with) and width. relates that Jesus it. The word tafsir occurs in the Qur an resurrected Ham, the son of Noah, to just once, at 25.33: ‘They never bring describe to his disciples the size and you any simile but We bring you the structure of the Ark. truth and a better exposition (tafsiran).’ The is men- Ta’wil is word that has a similar mean- tioned in 2.248 as containing the ing to tafsir. Ta’wil is derived) from the ‘Sakina’ and the remains left behind by verb awwala/yuawwilu/ta wil, meaning to the family of Moses and the family of interpret dreams, explain, explicate, taf- Aaron. The Sakina is defined variously sir, kashf (discover), elucidate and result. as the ‘presence’ of (Heb. Shechi- Some) scholars think that tafsir and nah), a blowing wind with a face like the ta wil had different meanings from early face of a man or two heads, or a spirit on, while others believe that at least up with the( head of a cat, two wings and a until the end of third/ninth century there tail. Ibn Abbas reports that the Sakina was no differentiation) in meaning.) The was the basin of gold from paradise in word ta wil appears in the Qur an in which the hearts of the prophets were seventeen different places across fifteen washed. The remains of Moses and verses, and has various meanings such Aaron in the Ark of the Covenant are as ‘the end or intended result of some- reported to have included the rod of thing’, ‘interpretation of a dream’ and Moses and pieces of the Tablets, the rod ‘exposition of a saying’. Once concep- of Aaron, some manna, the clothes of tualized, it was used to denote a person Aaron and the shoes of Moses and using his other rational and intellectual Aaron. Others report that the term abilities to interpret a word or a text. ‘remains’ refers to what was left of the The) need for commentary on the knowledge of the Torah. Qur an has existed from its conception and stems both from the nature of the text and of the process of the develop- Further reading ment) of Islamic society. In essence, the Goldziher, I. (1893) ‘La notion de la sakina Qur an was revealed in the dialect of the chez les Mohametans’, Revue de l’histoire tribe, who lived in , des re´ligions 27: 296–308. McClain, E.G. (1978) ‘The Kaba as Arche- home of the Prophet. However, once typal Ark’, Sophia Perennis 4, 1: 59–75. Islam spread to other Arab tribes, it was Brannon Wheeler possible that some words were either not understood correctly) or taken out of context. Also, the Qur an employs some TAFSIR IN EARLY ISLAM strange words that not everybody can The word tafsir (pl. tafasir) is a noun easily grasp at first glance. derived from the verb fassara/yufassiru/ The demand for resolution of appar- tafsir, meaning explanation, exposition, ent contradictions in some verses was

624 TAFSIR IN EARLY ISLAM ) another) reason driving interpretation of wrong: ‘Whoever talks about the Qur an the Qur an in the early period of Islam.) relying on one’s self-knowledge is wrong, The fact that some verses in the Qur an even if he is right’( (al-Tirmidhi, Tafsir: were muhkam (clear in meaning), while 1; Abu Dawud, Ilm: 5). Another others were mutashabih (ambiguous) has such people destined for hell. forced Muslims to expend extra effort in It is very) likely that the utilization of making the mutashabih) verses better the Qur an through tafsir during the understood. The Qur an emphasized intense political struggles and intellec- this problem more concretely in 3.7 by tual differences of the early periods pointing to ‘those in whose hearts there resulted in a tentative approach towards is vacillation, they follow what is the tafsir movement and the narrations ambiguous in it, seeking sedition and that followed. Thus Ahmad b. Hanbal intending to interpret it’. (d. 241/855) says: ‘Three things have no Another important issue in need) of reality: tafsir, fierce battles (malahim) explication was the stories the Qur an and military expeditions (maghazi)’ (al- narrated.) Unlike the biblical narratives, Suyuti, Itqan, II: 227). the Qur anic stories were scattered As far as tafsir methods are concerned, throughout the text and included repe- several approaches) can be observed. titions. They generally did not give First, the Qur an comments on itself; much detail and were mostly utilized to this is considered) the best tafsir. The) support the message of the Prophet. tafsir of the Qur an by the Qur an Lack of detail in stories made their occurs in several ways, such as limiting interpretation necessary to satisfy enthu- an absolute statement, restricting the siastic Muslims eager to know more general meaning, explaining ambiguous about them. positions, vague expressions and unfa- The social, political, economic and miliar words, defining the best possible cultural change that Islamic society meaning among several alternatives and underwent after ’s time was explicating short and terse expressions another reason behind the need for in detail. Sometimes the explanation commentary. Expansion into the lands may come after a verse in the same sura. of Persia and Byzantium under the poli- For instance, in 5.1, ‘Lawful unto you tical successors of the Prophet brought [for food] are all beasts, with the excep- new problems, and to) solve these Mus- tions named’, is followed almost imme- lims turned to the Qur an as a source of diately by ‘Forbidden to you [for food] advice and knowledge. Moreover, it was are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of not long before the political struggles swine, and that on which has been were carried to the religious sphere, invoked the name of other than ; where, in addition) to the ahadith, some that which has been killed by strangling, used the Qur an to defend their position, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong even at the price of taking the verses out fall, or by being gored to death; that of context. ) which has been [partly] eaten by a wild Although the Qur an has been inter- animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it preted from its very inception, there are [in due form]; that which is sacrificed on reports calling for caution or even ask- stone [altars]’ (5.3). Sometimes the com- ing readers to abstain from comments mentary is offered in another sura. For about the verses. Some hadith suggest example, the tafsir of the ‘Master of the that those who) give their own opinions Day of Judgement’ (malik yawm al-din, about the Qur an have been warned it is 1.4) can be found in 82.17–19: ‘And

625 TAFSIR IN EARLY ISLAM what will explain to thee what the Day explicates) the succinct expressions of the of Judgement is? Again, what will Qur an. explain to thee what the Day of Judge- Also of use was the commentary as an ment is? [It will be] the Day when no aid to performing the rituals of the reli- soul shall have power [to do] aught for gion. Muslims needed the Prophet’s another: For the Command that Day guidance to learn the times of the daily will be [wholly] with Allah.’ prayers and how they are performed, Traditionally,) it is held that the tafsir the quantity of alms-giving () and of the Qur an begins with the Prophet. of its payment time, and to instruct No doubt the Prophet would have had them how to carry out such practices as to encounter some questions about the performing (pilgrimage). revelation he had received and conveyed During the lifetime of Muhammad, to his people. Thus, some verses begin and in a situation in which he was the with) the expression ‘They ask thee authority, the tafsir of the Companions (yas alunaka)’. It was quite natural that could only have served to transmit the some of the questions asked of) the Pro- Prophet’s tafsir. Upon encountering) a phet were answered by the Qur an, while problem in understanding the Qur an, others were answered by him, for it is Muslims solved it by referring it to the possible that, from time to time he was Prophet. Muslims consider the sunna of asked questions – mostly by people who the Prophet) in general as related to the were not members of his tribe – about Qur an and they accept its explanation. the descriptions or the language used in In fact, some verses declare that the the Holy Book. Therefore, even if it was Prophet was also commissioned) to ela- not systematic, he certainly) commented borate upon the Qur an. One such verse on some parts) of the Qur an. Never- states: ‘We have sent down unto thee theless, the Qur anic parts that the Pro- [also] the Message; that thou mayest phet commented upon must have been explain clearly (li tubayyina) to men very small, for there was no need) for what is sent for them, and that they may wide-ranging explanations– the Qur an give thought’ (16.44). Another states: was able to be understood by most of its ‘We sent not a messenger except [to contemporaries due to the fact that the teach] in the language of his [own] peo- contexts of most verses were known ple, in order to make [things] clear to already. them (li yubayyina)’ (14.4). The tafsir of the Prophet was mostly The tafsir of the Prophet can be found to elaborate upon those questions direc- in different sources. One is as expected, ted to him about the verses, to give more namely the tafsir books; another is the detail about the concise expressions, to tafsir sections of hadith collections. explain strange words or to make the Other reports can be found in sources statements required of his mission. such as history books. There are several Hence, his tafsir was not of a systematic instances of this: the Prophet explained type compared to the tafsir movement that ‘the Middle Prayer’ (al-salat al- observed in later periods. One cannot wusta( ) (2.238) was the ‘late afternoon talk of the Prophet’s tafsir as though ( asr) prayer’ (Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2); and he were making long, comprehensive the Prophet’s exaplanation of the phra- interpretations of the verses and words, ses ‘the white thread’ (al-khayt al- only of a commentary explaining what abyadh) and ‘black thread’ (al-khayt al- might be meant. The sunna of the Pro- aswad) (2.187) as ‘daylight’ and ‘night- phet is particularly important here as it time darkness’ respectively (Bukhari,

626 TAFSIR IN EARLY ISLAM

Tafsir 28; Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2). Finally, The important elements in the tafsir the Prophet’s explanation of the term of the Companions are the reports of ‘wasat’ in 2.143: ‘Thus, have We made those who had associated with the Pro- of you an umma justly balanced (umma phet long enough and had knowledge of wasat)’, is supposed to mean ‘just’ the occasion of the revelation of the (Tirmidhi, Tafsir 2). verses (asbab al-nuzul). In later times, It was natural that there were different the scholars considered the tafsir of the approaches) towards the tafsir of the Companions an important source after Qur an among the Companions of) the that of the Prophet. Certainly, there Prophet and their followers (tabi un). were differences among the Companions Some abstained from tafsir, either when with respect to knowledge as well as they witnessed its use – or rather misuse – ability. It can also be said that they in political quarrels or( due to the fear of quite obviously had varying opinions on moral responsibility. Umar, the Second the understanding of certain verses. After Caliph, is( reported to have punished the death of Muhammad, Muslims put Sabigh b. Isl with a beating due to his forward) their own opinions ( and comments on mutashabih verses (Darimi, ra y) to solve problems arising from dif- Muqaddima 19; Malik, 19). How- ferent understandings. Additionally, ever, this seemingly( stern position does during the times of the Companions, not reflect Umar’s general attitude among the sources) consulted for the towards tafsir. He not only permitted tafsir of the Qur an were the cultures of tafsir of other verses but also reported other religions and nations, or Muslims the tafsir of the Prophet (Abbott, 1967:) associated with the neighbourhood, with 455). When a question( about the Qur an Jewish( culture heading( the list.( was put to Sa id b. al-Musayyab (d. 94/ Ubayy( b. Ka b (d. 19/640),( Abdullah 712), he used to say,) ‘I do not say any- b. Mas ud (d. 32/652), b.( Abu Talib thing about the Qur an.’ Some of the (d. 40/661), Abu Musa al-Ash ari (d. 42/ Followers and the Companions thought (662–63), Zayd b.( Thabit (d. 45/665), it very important to explore) and explain Abdullah( b. al- Abbas (d. 68/687–88) the parts of the Qur an they felt were and Abdullah b. al-Zubayr (d. 73/692) unexplained or closed in meaning, but were some of the well-known Compa- their numbers were few. Like that of the nions associated with the tafsir move- Prophet, the tafsir method of the Com- ment.( The most renowned( of them all panions was also about the ambiguous was Abdullah b. al- Abbas, the son of parts, not about the text as a whole. The the Prophet’s paternal uncle, although Companions both reported the tafsir of he did not have the opportunity( to be the Prophet) and also commented on the with the Prophet for long. Ibn Abbas Qur an, relying on their view and was considered to be an authority in the understanding. By reporting the occasion fields of tafsir, hadith, fiqh, military for the revelation of some suras or verses expeditions (maghazi),( the accounts of (asbab al-nuzul), they made significant the (ayyam al- Arab) and contributions to the tafsir movements literature. It is reported that the Prophet even after their time. The examples of prayed for him by saying ‘Oh,) my Lord! the tafsir of the Companions found in Teach him wisdom( and the ta wil of the the sources are generally concerned with Book’ (Ibn Sa ad, 1985, II: 365; Ahmad( either linguistic clarification or elucida- b. Hanbal, 1993, I: 269). Ibn Abbas tions about a pronouncement that can- also benefited from( the Jewish converts not be fully understood. to Islam, namely, Abdullah b. Salam

627 TAFSIR IN EARLY ISLAM ( ( ( (43/663–64) and Ka b al-Akhbar (32/ 114/732), Naf i (d. 117/735), Amr( b. 652–53). It is also possible that his Dinar (d. 126/744) and Wasil b. Ata (d. authority was broadened by the erro- 132/749), comprise some of the most neous ascription to him of some narra- renowned mawali scholars. And during tions because( of his position as the this era, the importance of the mawali father of the Abbasids: – it is certain tafsir scholars and the role that the they that( some of the tafasir credited to Ibn played in the development of the tafsir Abbas do not belong to him. ) schools can easily be recognized. Although The period of the Followers (tabi in)is there were differences of opinion among an era that witnessed significant devel- the Arabs before the mawali accepted opments in the field of tafsir. Initially, Islam, these differences were not so the science of tafsir began as part of opposed or sufficiently strong as to con- , but during this time it stitute a separate school. The interest of developed into an independent science the mawali in tafsir catalysed things. in its own right. Even then the method One) trigger was the need to explain the of the chain of transmission (isnad) was Qur an because of the fact that Arabic used to relate tafsir remarks. The increase was not the mother tongue of the in differences of opinion around the mawali. Another was the comparative meaning of some verses during this per- lack of Arab involvement in tafsir and iod is one of the important indicators of other Islamic sciences, the result of their discussions in this era. Students gath- previous nomadic lifestyle and accom- ered around some of the Companions panying lack of any solid grounding in mentioned above not only narrated intellectual research. Also of influence what they heard from their teachers but was the Arab preoccupation with the day- they themselves) also commented upon to-day running of things – as the ruling the Qur an. power and political elite, Arabs held Of this period, some of the important most of the administrative offices. teachers and their students are( as fol- Jewish and Christian cultures also have lows. Among( the students of Ibn Abbas an important role to play in the) devel- were Sa id b. Jubayr (d. 95/713), Muja- opment of tafsir. The term Isra iliyyat hid b. Jabr (d. 103/721), Ikrima al-Bar- usually denotes that which was bor- bari (d. 105/723),( Tawus b. Kaysan (d. rowed from Jewish culture, especially in 106/724),( Ata b. Abu Rabah (d. 114/ tafsir literature, but its scope is wide (732), Sa id b. al-Musayyab( (d. 94/712), enough to include news and reports Ubaydullah b. Utba (d. 98/716) and al- imported from Christianity and other Qasim b. Muhammad( b. Abu( Bakr (d. cultures. For example, to complete the 107/725?);( of Ubayy ibn Ka b were Abu missing parts) of succinctly told stories in al- Aliya al-Riyahi( (d. 90/709), Muham- the Qur an, Muslim scholars generally mad b. Ka b al-Qurazi (d. 108/726), referred to the , which told them Zayd b. Aslam (d. 136/753); and of the about those incidents in more detail. (well-known commentator( ( of , There was a dramatic) increase in the Abdullah b. Mas ud, were Alqama b. number of Isra iliyyat borrowings dur- Qays (d. 62/682), Masruq (d. 63/683), ing the times of the Followers, this al-Aswad b. Yazid (d. 75/694), al-Hasan information mostly deriving from Jewish al-Basri) (d. 110/728) and Qatada b. Muslim converts. Di ama (d. 117/735). The traditional sources have various Most of the names just listed, as well positions as to whether to include as others such as Wahb b. Munabbih (d. reports from foreign sources. In one

628 TAFSIR IN EARLY ISLAM hadith the Prophet is reported to have come down to us and many of them are said: ‘Even if it is one verse, convey my included in the tafsir of al-Tabari (d. message, tell it again) from the sons of 150/923). We can also find linguistic Israel (Banu Isra il), and there is no tafsirs, that is tafsirs focusing on lin- problem in doing that. [But] If anybody guistic analysis,( right from early times: forges lies about me, let him prepare his Zayd b.) Ali’s (d. 121/738) Tafsir gharib place in hell’ (Bukhari, Anbiya: 50). al-Qur an al-majid (The tafsir) of the Nevertheless, there are also reports of foreign( words) of the noble Qur an) and the Prophet criticizing consultation of Ma )ani al-Qur an (The( meanings of the the Torah. It is narrated that he became Qur an) by Wasil b. Ata (d. 131/748) angry when he( saw a piece or page from are examples of this type. the Torah in Umar’s hand (Ahmad b. All early religious and political move- Hanbal, 1993, III: 470–1; IV: 265–6). ments that emerged in the Islamic world Apart from these, there are also reports put great effort into defending) their suggesting taking a middle way. In one views by relying on the Qur an. In order hadith, the Prophet enjoins: ‘Neither to do so they interpreted certain verses accept nor deny the [reports of the] in such a way that they supported their People of the Book. Say to them ‘‘We cause. This was one of the elements) that believe in God and what was revealed to motivated the tafsir of the Qur an. Some us’’’ (Bukhari, Tafsir: 11). reports in the traditional sources indi- Although there are reports indicating cate that certain people attempted to that some scholars in the first century explain the political events during the had written tafsir books, this does not) time of) the Companions by( relying on mean that they commented on the Qur an the Qur an. The) son of Sa id b. Abu in its totality. They can be thought of as Waqqas, Mus ab, related: ‘I asked my short treatises containing either expla- father who was meant in ‘‘Shall we tell nations on the meaning of some verses you of those who lose most in respect of that caused disagreement among Mus- their deeds?’’’ (18.103) I asked whether lims or narrations they received from it was it the Haruriyya (). His the Prophet or from the Companions father replied ‘No, they are the Jews and about the tafsir of some( verses. One the Christians ... whereas Haruriyya such tafsir is ascribed to Sa id b. Jubayr, were those who were mentioned in ‘‘But who( wrote a tafsir book at the request those who break the Covenant of Allah, of Abd al-Malik( b. Marwan and sent it after having plighted( their word to him. Later, Ata b. Dinar found this thereto’’’ (13.25). Sa id used to describe tafsir in the Library (diwan) them as (rebellious and wicked) and narrated from it (Ibn Abu Khatim, (Bukhari, Tafsir: 18). 1952, VI, 332). Unfortunately it is no The Kharijites, one of the influential longer extant. There are reports also sects in the first century of Islamic his- claiming( that scholars such as Mujahid( tory, based their existence) on unwaver- b. Jabr, Ikrima, al-Hasan al-Basri,( Ata ing allegiance to the Qur an. Reports b. Abu Raba and Sufiyan b. Sa id al- pointing to the name of the sect as being Thawri (d. 161/778) had produced inspired by verse 4.100 – ‘And whosoever examples of the tafsir genre. However, it leaves his home as an emigrant unto is Muqatil b. Sulayman who is recog- Allah and His Messenger (wa man yakh- nized as the first) person to comment on ruj min baytih muhajiran ila Allah wa the whole Qur an. Many of the early rasulih)’ – are part of Kharijite efforts to tafsirs did not survive long enough to defend their position in the light of the

629 TAFSIR IN EARLY ISLAM

Divine Word. The famous Kharijite slo- sonably argue that they commented gan, ‘Judgement only belongs to Allah upon the verses without taking into (La hukm illa li Allah)’ is inspired by the account their context. For) instance, it is verse ‘Command is for none but Allah said that Bayan b. Sem an (d. 119/737),( (In al-hukm illa li Allah)’ (12.40, 67). leader of one of the early Shi a move- Their strict reliance on the Holy Book ments, claimed that his name was men- meant they tried to find in it answers to tioned in the verse: ‘Here is a plain all the questions they encountered in statement (bayan) to men, a guidance their daily life. Among the first Khar- and instruction to those who fear Allah’ ijites, there was no one who spent long (3.138) (Ibn Qutayba, 1972: 72). enough with the Prophet to make him The reign of the Umayyads was the knowledgeable about the contexts in period during which) theological discus- which the verses were revealed. Thus, it sions of the Qur an created the need for is highly likely that they took the verses tafsir. It was the time when terms such out of context when trying to under- as jabr, tashbih and irja’, from which stand them. It has been said that) the originated many of the sects, were Kharijites’ understanding of the Qur an introduced. We can trace the beginnings was rather narrow-minded and super- of those discussions in some reports. ficial owing to the fact that they were Mujahid is reported to have said: ‘The mostly from the Bedouin tribes and had (best worship) is a good opinion (afdal al- limited experience in dealing with the ibada al-ra y al-hasan)’ (Ibn Qutayba, subtleties of life in large urban commu- 1972: 57). With these words, he was nities. possibly replying to criticisms levelled Examples of how the Kharijites against the tendency to favour the tafsir understood) and commented on certain of those verses relying upon personal Qur anic verses are related in the sour- opinion. He explained the verse ‘Look- ces of their opponents. What we do not ing towards their Lord (ila rabbiha have is satisfactory information regard- nazira)’ (75.23) as meaning ‘They expect ing which of the first Kharijites com- reward from their Lord’. He further mented on the work, although reports elaborated his views on the subject by exist that confirm the conversion of adding ‘Nobody from His creation can ‘Ikrima, one of the well-known scholars see Him’ (al-Tabari, 1985, XXIX: 192). in the( Followers’ period( and the However, Muhammad b. Sirin (d. 110/ of Abdullah b. al- Abbas, to the) sect. 729) is reported as saying, by way of Naturally, the tafsir of the Qur an was comment on the verse, ‘See you not used to defend the views of the Khar- those that dispute concerning the signs ijites as well as to criticize them. of Allah? How are they turned away As a political phenomenon( ( of the first [from reality]?’ (40.69); ‘If it was not (century, the Shi at Ali (supporters of revealed about the Qadriyya, I do not Ali) also placed special) emphasis upon know who it was revealed about’ (al- the tafsir of the Qur an to defend their( Tabari, 1985, XXIV: 83). views. While the work by Jabir al-Ju fi (d. 128/746), which is generally( acknowl- References and further reading edged as the first Shi i tafsir, is not extant, there is mention of another tafsir Abbott, N. (1967) ‘The Early Development of Tafsir’, in Studies) in Arabic Literary by Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 114/733). Papyri II: Qur anic commentary and tra- Depending on the( tafsir examples ascri- dition, Chicago: University of Chicago bed to some Shi i groups, we can rea- Press, 106–13.

630 TAFSIR – SALAFI VIEWS ) ( Abu Dawud, Sulayman b. Ash as al-Sijistani Malik b. Anas, Abu Abdullah (1992) al- (1992) Sunan, Istanbul:. C¸ag˘ rı Yayınları. Muwatta’, Istanbul: C¸ag˘ rı) Yayınları. Abu Zaid, N.H. (2001) Ilahi Hitabın Tabiatı Ozturk, M. (2001) ‘Tefsir-Te vil Kars¸ ıtlıg˘ ının (The Nature of the Divine Message), Tarihsel ve Epistemolojik Ko¨ keni’ (The trans. M.E. Mas¸ alı, Ankara:( Kitabiyat. Historical and Epistemological Roots) of Ahmad b. Hanbal, Abu Abdullah b. the Opposition between tafsir and ta wil)’, Muhammad b. Hanbal al-Shaybani (1993) Islami Aras¸tırmalar) 14, 1: 77–89. al-Musnad, Istanbul: C¸ag)˘ rı Yayınları. —— (2003) Kur an ve As¸ırı) Yorum: Tefsirde Albayrak, H. (1993)) Kur) an’ın Bu¨tu¨nlu¨g˘ u¨ batinilik) ve batini te vil geleneg˘i (The U¨zerine: Kur an’ın Kur an’la) tefsiri (On Qur an and its Extreme Interpretation: the Wholeness) of the Qur)an: The tafsir Esotericism) in tafsir and the esoteric of the Qur an by the Qur an), 2nd edn, ta wil tradition), Ankara: Kitabiyat. Istanbul: S¸ ule Yayınları. . al-Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Husayn b. Muham- Aydemir, A. (1979) Tefsirde Israiliyyat mad) (1986) al-Mufradat fi gharib al- (Israiliyyat. in Tafsir), Ankara: Diyanet Qur)an (The Strange Terms of the Is¸leri Bas¸kanlıg˘(ı Yayınları. Qur an), Istanbul: Kahraman Yayınları. al-Bukhari, Abu Abdullah Muhammad b. al-Suyuti, Jalal al-Din Abdurrahman) (1978) Ismail (1992) al-Sahih, Istanbul: C¸ag˘ rı al-Itqan) fi ‘Ulum al-Qur an (Perfection in Yayınları. ) the Qur anic Sciences), 4th edn, Istanbul: Cerrahog˘ lu, I. (1968) Kur an Tefsirinin Kahraman Yayınları.) Dog˘us¸u ve Buna Hız Veren Amiller) (The al-Tabari, Abu Ja far Muhammad) b. Jarir Birth of the Tafsir of the Qur an and the (1985)) al-Jami‘ al-Bayan an ta wil ay al- Hastening Causes for It), Ankara: Ankara Qur an (The Completion of Commen-) U¨ niversitesi Ilahiyat Fakultesi Yayınevi. taries on the Verses of the Qur an), Bei- —— (1988) Tefsir Tarihi (The History. of rut: Dar al-fikr. ( ( Tafsir), 2 vols, Ankara: Diyanet Is¸leri al-Tirmidhi, Abu Isa Muhammad b. Isa Bas¸kanlıg˘ ı Yayınları. ( (1992) Sunan, Istanbul: C¸ag˘ rı Yayınları. al-Darimi, Abu Muhammad Abdullah b. Versteegh, C.H.M.) (1983) Abdurrahman (1992) Sunan, Istanbul: and Qur anic in Early Islam, C¸ag˘ rı Yayınları. Leiden: E.J. Brill. ) al-Dhahabi, Muhammad Husayn (1976) al- Yıldırım, S. (1983) Peygamberimizin Kur an’ı Tafsir wa al-Mufassirun (Commentaries Tefsiri) (Our Prophet’s Exegesis of the and Commentators), 2nd edn, al-: Qur an), Istanbul: Kayıhan Yayınları. Dar al-kutub al-haditha. al-Zabidi, Muhib al-Din Abu al-Fayd Ibn Abu Khatim, Abu Muhammad Abdur- Muhammad) Murtada al-Husayni (n.d.) rahman b. Abu Khatim Muhammad b. Taj al- Arus min Jawahir al-Qamus (The ) al-Razi (1952) Kitab al-Jarh wa Crown of the Bridegroom for the Jewels al-Ta dil (The Book of Criticism and of Lexicon), Dar al-fikr. (Decency), Beirut: Dar al-kutub al- al-Zarkashi,( Badr al-Din Muhammad b. ilmiyya. Abdullah) (1957–59) al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum) Ibn Manzur, Abu al-Fadl Jamal( al-Din al-Qur an (The Guide for the Qur anic Muhammad b. Mukarram b. Ali (1994) Sciences), ed. Muhammad Abu( al-Fadl Lisan al-‘arab (The Language of the Abraham, Dar Ihya’ kutub al- arabiyya. Arab), 3rd edn, Beirut: Dar al-fikr.( ) Ibn Qutayba, Abu Muhammad Abdullah b. See also: ahl al-kitab; )aya; Isra iliyat; Muslim (1972) Ta’wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith language and the Qur an; Muqatil b. (The Solution to the Contradicting Sulayman; sunna ), ed. Muhammad Zuhri al-Najjar, Adnan Demircan Beirut:( Dar al-jil. Ibn Sa d, Muhammad (1985) al-Tabaqat al- and Rifat Atay Kubra (The Biggest Biography), Beirut: Dar al-sadr. Leemhuis, F. (1988) ‘Origins and Early TAFSIR – SALAFI VIEWS Development of the Tafsir Tradition’, in Tafsir (exegesis, commentary) of/on the A. Rippin (ed.) Approaches to the History) ) of the Interpretation of the Qur an, Qur an, it might be argued, is the most Oxford: Clarendon Press, 13–30. important Islamic science because the

631