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Day 4: Introduction Part 4

BASICS OF TAFSIR
Description
This video discusses the different categories of tafseer and some of the widely used tafsir books under each
category. Together, these books compile a list of some of the sources that were used for this course. Also, the 4
components that make up rhetoric or were discussed.

Continuation from previous lesson

3b. Historical commentary on the aya
Different categories of tafseer
A mufassir is a writer and interpreter of the Quran. In English referred to as exegesis
A.

this is basically an explanation citing the earliest found commentary, which starts with
hadith and then the Companions opinions and stops at first generation
b. - typically used for a quote from a Companion
c. The majority of the comments in this kind of tafseer will be from Sahaba
Complication is authenticity.

EXAMPLES
Tafseer Al-Tabari - Imam Tabari was sought out to write the encyclopedia of tafseer and he decided to
quote anyone and everyone who said anything about the Quran.
a. He didn't care if it was authentic or not.
b. Can find craziest things in classical tafseer without any authenticity of narrations.
c. Read it but with scrutiny
Al-Qurtubi - has ahkaam (Islamic rulings) but a lot of quotes from Companions
a. He had more scrutiny
Tafseer Ibn Kathir
Tafseer Al-Shawkani- late 1800s, more contemporary
a. More stringent and he has done a lot of the authentication already
B.
An explanation of the language of each ayah and each word and each grammatical complexity
EXAMPLES
Tafseer Al-Zamakhshari
a. He was a Muatazilite scholar, therefore has strange aqeedah beliefs here and there.
b. BUT Brilliant in linguistics

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books - grammatical analysis of the Quran, both classical and contemporary

Tafseer Al-Raazi-
a. it was said about it that it contains everything under the sun except tafsir

C.
An explanation focusing on insights implied by the ayah
A lot of pondering into the ayah and it's fruits
EXAMPLES
Muhammad Al-Ghazaalis tafsir
Imam Al-Shaaraawi
Imam Nabulsi
Al-Maghaamisee
These are all contemporary Mufassiroon
D.
Thematic tafseer
a. i.e. overall explanation of passages and surah and a derivation of Islamic philosophy based on it
This tafseer is different because all the others are ayah by ayah (micro tafseer).
This tafseer is a macro view by passage or surah. Not micro.
a. In general, the Arab sensitivity to language study is very microscopic. Zoom in to every word.
This is a modern literary development of wanting the overall picture. But sometimes it oversimplifies the
complexity of the Quran.

What is rhetoric, or made up of?

a. figures of speech - when used at the right moment you hit people's emotions with the right
figure of speech at the right time
b.
- decorating speech with embellishments; sentences can be decorated, for example,
words can be said in powerful ways, use 2 words to contrast, play on words, etc.
c. - order of speech within a sentence and it makes a massive difference
d. - order of ideas and their organization

Points of Reflection
We are learning religion to humble ourselves. We are not learning religion to weaponize.

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