Quran Commentary (Tafsir):
Commented by Shaikul Hadith Maulana Muhammad
Zakariyaa Kandhalvi (Late)
Abdur Rahman ibn-e-'Auf (Radhi Allaho anho) narrates that Rasulullah
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said, "On the Day of Judgement, three things
Will be under the shade of the 'Arsh' (Allah's Throne). One, the Holy Qur'an
which will argue with men—the Qur'an has both an
apparent and deeper meaning. The second will be 'amanat' (trust).
The third will be kinship, which shall proclaim 'O. Allah! have mercy on
the person who upheld me, and deprive him of Your mercy whosoever severed
me."
TheQur'an has both an apparent
and deeper meaning
Comment by Shaikul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Zakariyaa
The meaning of the expression "outward and inward of the Qur'an"
is evident. The Qur'an has an apparent meaning, which can be understood
by all, but the Deeper spiritual significance not understood by everybody.
It is in this connection that Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has
said: "Whosoever expresses his personal opinion in respect of anything
in the Qur'an commits a mistake, even if he be right in his opinion."
Some scholars hold that the word 'outward', i.e., the body of the
Qur'an, refers to its words, which can be recited properly by everybody
and the word 'inward', i.e., spirit, refers to its meanings, and its underlying
ideas, the understanding of which varies with the ability of the readers
Ibn-e-Mas'ud (Radhi Allaho anho) said; "If you seek knowledge, you
should meditate on the meanings of the Qurtan, because it embodies the
history of the former times as well as of the latter."
It is, however, essential to obsene the pre-requisites for interpreting
the Qur'an. An unbecoming present-day fashion is that even those who possess
a little or no knowledge of Arabic vocabulary offer their personal opinion
on the basis of vernacular translations of the Qur'an. Specialists have
laid down that any one attempting a commentary of the Holy Qur'an should
be well versed in fifteen subjects.
These, as briefly given below, will show that it not possible for everybody
to understand the underlying significance and real meanings of the Holy
Quran
-
(1) Lughat, i.e., philology of language, which helps in understanding
the appropriate meanings of words. Mujahid says, "One who believes in Allah
and the Day of Judgement should not open his lips in respect of the Qur'an
unless he is thoroughly conversant with the philology of the Arabic language.
Quite often an Arabic word has several- meanings. A person may be knowing
only one or two of them, though in a given context the actual meaning may
be quite different."
-
(2) Nahv, i.e., syntax, a branch of grammar, which helps in understanding
the relation of a sentence with another and also of 'Irab' (vowel sounds)
of the letters of a word. A change in 'Irab' often means a change in the
meaning.
-
(3) Sarf, i.e., etymology, a branch of grammar, which helps in knowing
the root words and conjugations. The meaning of a word changes with the
change in the root and with a change in its conjugation. Ibn-e- Faris says,
"One who loses the knowledge of etymology loses a great deal." 'Allamah
Zamakhashri mentions that, when a certain person set to translate the 'ayat’
On the day that We shall call each and every people after their leader,
he ignorantly rendered it thus: “On the day that We shall call each people
after their mother." He supposed that the singular Arabic word 'Imam' (leader)
was the plural of the Arabic word 'um' (mother). If he had been conversant
with etymology, he would have known that the plural of 'um' is not 'imam'
-
(4) Ishtiqaq, i.e.,derivatives. It is necessary to have the knowledge
of derivatives and their root words, because if a word has been derived
from two different root words, it will have two different meanings, e.g.,
the word 'masih' is derivable from 'masah' which means to touch or to move
wet hands over, and also from 'masahat' which means measurement
-
(5) Ilm-ul-Ma'ani, i.e., knowledge of semantics, because phrase constructions
are understood from their meanings.
-
(6) Ilm-ul-Bayan, i.e., knowledge of figures of speech, like similes
and metaphors, due to which expressions or shades of meaning or similes
and metaphor become known.
-
(7) 'llm-ul-Badi', i.e., knowledge of rhetoric, the knowledge which
reveals the beauty of language and its implications.
-
(8) Ilm-ul-Qir'at, i.e., knowledge of the art of pronunciation, because
different methods of recitation sometimes convey different meanings, and
sometimes one meaning is to be preferred over the other.
-
(9) 'Ilm-ul-'Aqaid, i.e., knowledge of the fundamentals of faith. This
is necessary to explain certain analogies. The literal meaning of certain
ayaat' referring to Almighty Allah is not the correct one. For example,
the analogy in the ayat—(The hand of Allah is over their hands)will have
to be explained because Allah has no physical hands.
-
(10) Usul-e-Fiqah i.e., Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence. These are
necessary for reasoning out and finding arguments in the basic support
of statements.
-
(11) Asbab-unaz-ul, i.e., the particular circumstances which caused
the revelation (of ayat). The meaning of an 'ayat' will be better understood
if we know how and when it had been revealed. Sometimes the true meaning
of an 'ayat, is understood only if we know the circumstances in which the
'ayat' had been revealed.
-
(12)Nasikh-mansukh, i.e., knowledge of commandments that have subsequently
been abrogated or changed, so that abrogated commandments may be distinguished
from the standing ones.
-
(13) Ilm-ul-Fiqah, i.e., knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence, because
it is only through this knowledge that we arrive at a complete understanding
of general principles.
-
(14) Knowledge of such 'ahadith' that happen to be a commentary on certain
brief verses of the Qur'an.
-
(15) The last but most important is the 'ilm-e-Wahbi'or
the gifted understanding, bestowed by Almighty Allah upon His selected
ones, as referred to in the ‘hadith'—
Whosoever acts upon what he knows, Almighty Allah bestows upon him the
knowledge of things not known to him.
It is this special understanding that was implied in the reply of
Hadrat 'Ali (Karram Allaho wajhu) (may Allah be kind to him) when he was
asked by the people if he had received from Rasulullah (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) any special knowledge or instructions which were not received
by others. Hadrat Ali (Radhi Allaho anho) said, " I swear by Him Who made
the Paradise and created life that I possess nothing special, except the
clear understanding which Almighty Allah bestows upon a person in respect
of the Qur'an.
Ibne-Abi-Dunya says that the knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and that
which can be derived out of it are as vast as a boundless ocean.
The branches of knowledge described above are like tools, i.e. essential
pre-requisites for a commentator. A commentary written by a person who
is not thoroughly acquainted with these branches of knowledge will be based
on his personal opinion, which is prohibited. The Sahabah (Companions of
the Holy Prophet (sallallaho alaiahe wasallam) already had Arabic language
as their mother-tongue, and they reached the depth of the rest of the knowledge
by means of the illuminating contact that they had with Rasulullah (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam).
'Allamah Suyuti' says that those who think that it is beyond the
capacity of a man to acquire! Ilm-e-Wahbi, or gifted understanding, are
not right. To get this knowledge from Allah, one should adopt the means
to this end, e.g., acting upon the knowledge
that one has acquired, and disinclination towards the world.
It is stated in 'Kimia-e-Sa'adat' that three persons are not blessed
with complete understanding of the Qur'an. First, one who is not well versed
in Arabic, secondly, one who persists in committing a major sin or indulges
in act of religious innovation, because these actions blacken his heart,
which in turn prevents him from understanding the Qur'an. Thirdly, one
who is a rationalist, even in the matter of faith, and feels embarrassed
when he reads an 'ayat' of the Qur'an which he is not able to fully rationalise.
May Allah protect us from all such sins and evils.
As Sidq min Siddiq (The Truth from Siddiq) (Montreal Canada Since 1996)
http://www.as-sidq.org
info@as-sidq.org
Return to main page