Introduction to Tafsir

Allah ‘azza wa jall says in Surah An-Nisaa verse 82: ‘Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction’. At-tadabbur (contemplation/reflection) is for every Muslim; learned and unlearned alike. Studying this course will train a person to focus on the core meaning and essence of the Qur’aan, hence allowing them to ponder over the message and the meaning of the Qur’aan. This will allow a person to realise the beauty of the Qur’aan, the greatness of the message and most importantly the Beauty and Greatness of the One Who revealed this Qur’aan and Spoke these very words.

Usool ut Tafseer is essentially a study of the key principles referred to by the scholars to make tafseer when there are differences in tafseer and to explain the meaning of the verses. However, it is beneficial for beginners to study this subject as it will allow them to appreciate the scholars for their ijtihaad in mattes of tafseer and help the person to understand not only the reason for these differences but also how to deal with these differences.

This course is based upon Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah’s ‘An Introduction to the Principles of Tafseer’.

During this course you will learn:
– What is the benefit of studying this course?
– What is tafseer?
– What are the key definitions and concepts in Usool ut Tafseer?
– What are the different approaches/methodologies to adopt when making tafseer?
– What are the main sources referred to for making tafseer?
– Why may there be differences between the mufassiroon?
– How do we deal with those differences?
– Did the Prophet sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam explain the entire Qur’aan?
– What is abrogation and how does this affect tafseer?
– Why is it so important to know the specific reasons behind the revelation of a verse?
– Why can the same verse have so many different interpretations?
– How do we know which interpretation is correct?
– Can we use Israelite narrations?
– What conditions must a person fulfil to be qualified to make tafseer?