Principles of Tafseer

Principles of Tafseer

مأخوذ من أصول في التفسير
للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين

Taken from The foundations in Tafseer by sheikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen

"Certainly from what is important is that in every science/profession a person learns the foundation or principles (of that science) that which will be an assistance for him in regards to his understanding of them and excelling in those principles, so that his knowledge will be establish upon أسس قوية strong fundamentals and دعائم راسخة firm support. As it is said "whoever is deprived of the foundations/principles then he will be deprived of (reaching) the aim."

"And from the most loftiest branches of knowledge, rather the most noblest of them is the knowledge of Tasfeer (explanation of Quran). The knowledge of Tafseer is making clear the meaning of the Words of Allaah Azza wa jalla. The people of knowledge have placed principles for it just as they have placed principles for knowledge of hadeeth (saying and actions of the prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم ) and knowledge of fiqh (jurisprudence)."

How the Quran is Explained

Sheikh Saalih bin Fawzaan al-Fawzaan mentioned, "The people of knowledge have mentioned that the Quran is explained by one of (the following four ways or methods اربعة اوجه )


Firstly, the Quran is explained by the Quran itself (meaning verses are explained in the Quran by other verses)

Secondly, the Quran explained by the sunnah of the prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم )because Allaah ordered the Messenger to clarify (the meaning of the Quran) to the people, so the sunnah of the prophet explains the Quran.

Thirdly, explaining the Quran by the statements of the Companions of the Prophet as they took directly from him and learned from him (the meaning of the Quran).

Fourthly, explanation of the Quran by the statements of the followers التابعون (students) of the Companions, as they took (knowledge of the Quran) from the Companions of the Prophet and they learned from them.

Fifthly, explanation of the Quran by the Arabic language in which the Quran was sent down in, As Allaah sent down the Quran in a clear arabic tongue (speech لسانا عربيا مبينا ) So if the explanations are not found in the Quran, Sunnah, statements of the Companion or their followers then we return to the Arabic language in which the Quran was revealed.

This is the method in which the Quran is explained and not in any other way, like from (making something up/guessing تخرص )and speaking about Allaah without knowledge, as the prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said "whoever speaks from his opinion regarding the Quran and with what he does not know then let him take his seat in the fire." Even if he is correct or incorrect, because he did not take the proper method of explaining the Quran."