Tafseer-e-Kabeer

For other uses, see Tafsir al-Kabir.

Tafseer-e-Kabeer (Urdu: تفسير کبير, tafsīr-e-kabīr, "The Extensive Commentary") is a 10 volume exegesis of the Quran containing the lectures, writings and notes on Quranic verses by Mirza Mahmood Ahmad, the second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, and took over 20 years to compile. It is often seen as his Magnum opus.

Background

Mirza Mahmood Ahmad was the second Head of the modern Islamic revivalist movement known as the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. The first of the 10 volumes were published in 1940 by Zia ul Islam Press, Qadian. The commentary was considered to be the next step ahead in Quranic studies. In the preface to the first volume, Mahmood Ahmad acknowledged the importance of the classical commentators like Ibn Kathir, Zamakhshari, Abu Hayyan etc. and the great service they did for the Quran, but stated that they made two fundamental mistakes: Namely, they included unreliable narrations from unsound sources in their comments and they relied heavily on Jewish literature.

Previous commentators had, according to the needs of their times, rendered a great service for the Quran. This is undeniable. Had they not committed two mistakes, their commentaries would have contained eternal excellences: (1) ideas of the hypocrites, which they had circulated among the Muslims, having joined them, have been [uncritically] included within these commentaries and for this reason, some subjects have became a source of insult for Islam and the person of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. (2) They have put too much trust in Jewish scriptures, and that too, not upon the canonical Bible, but upon the narrations of the Jews and have thereby given the enemies an opportunity for objection. Had they kept in mind what the the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had said: do not believe them to be true nor reject them as false.,[n 1] then this difficulty would not have been faced. Nevertheless, leaving aside these two mistakes, only Allah the Most High can be the reward for the effort and service these people have rendered.[1]

Features and Themes

A peculiar feature of this work is that the author claimed to have been divinely taught the meanings and purport of Quranic chapters and verses.[2] Throughout the commentary he suggests the vital importance of the order in which chapters were arranged in the present form. The commentary stresses the importance of a number of aspects in Quranic commentary which were thought a novel approach at the time of its publication such as the inter-relationship of the text of the entire Quran and of each Sura to the preceding, the themes of the Qur'an are connected and all chapters, verses and words are perfectly arranged according to a coherent and logical system. It also presents a distinctive eschatological reading of the Qur'an, applying many of its prophecies to the present times, as per Ahmadiyya beliefs, such as with reference to Sura 18 (al-Kahf) and the latter chapters of the Quran.[3]

The commentary is written in the style of an argument for Islam. Repeated references and comments are made on the works of famous orientalists like Theodor Nöldeke, William Muir and William Montgomery Watt as well as numerous Muslim theologians and commentators. The author has frequently dismissed the views of these writers in favour of a more linguistic approach towards understanding the meanings of the Quran. As compared to other classical texts, this commentary seems to rely less on "Asbab al-nuzul" or reasons of revelation of verses. This approach greatly reduces the impact and validity of negative remarks and objections made on the Quran by non-Muslim critics.

Each verse is explained separately in two sections. The first section gives different translations of the words in the verse according to major classical Arabic lexicons along with their different uses derived from classical Arabic prose and poetry. The second section contains detailed commentary.

A detailed bibliography of references and indices are provided at the end of each volume.

Contents of the Commentary

Urdu

In 10 volumes:

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ A reference to a hadith in which Muhammad is reported to have said: "Whatever the People of the Book tell you, do not believe them to be true (la tusaddiquhum) nor reject them as false (wa la tukadhibuhum) but say: We believe in Allah and his Messenger. If it is false, do not accept it as true and if it is true, do not reject it" Sunan Abī Dāwūd, kitab al-'ilm, book 26, No.4

External links

  1. ↑ cited in: Abdul Basit Shahid. Swaneh Fazl-i-Umar vol III, Fazl-i-Umar Foundation, 2006, p.155-6
  2. ↑ Abdul Basit Shahid. Swaneh Fazl-i-Umar vol III, Fazl-i-Umar Foundation, 2006, p.138-9, 155-6
  3. ↑ Abdul Basit Shahid. Swaneh Fazl-i-Umar vol III, Fazl-i-Umar Foundation, 2006, p.155-6
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