List of tafsir works

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Tafsir is a body of commentary and explication, aimed at explaining the meanings of the Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam. The following is a list of books of tafsir, also known as Qur'anic commentaries.

Classic Arabic

Sunni

• Tafsir al-Tabari ("The Al-Tabari Interpretation") by Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (224–310 AH; 839–923 AD). Available online.^[1]
• Ahkam al-Qur'an ('The Commands of the Quran') by al-Jassas (d. 370 AH/981 CE). Based on the legal rulings of the Hanafi school of Islamic law. This was published in three volumes and remains popular amongst the Hanafis of India, the Middle East and Turkey.
• Tafsir al-Thalabi by Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha'labi (died 427 AH/1035 CE). Also known as al-Tafsir al-Kabir ('The Great Commentary').
• Ma'alim al-Tanzil by Hasan bin Mas'ud al-Baghawi (died 510 AH/1116 CE) also known widely as Tafsir al-Baghawi - A popular tafsir amongst Sunni Muslims, it relies heavily on the Tafsir of al-Tha'labi, whilst placing more emphasis on hadith.
• Al-Kashshaaf ('The Revealer') by Al-Zamakhshari (d. 539 AH/1144 CE). Al-Zamakhshari belonged to the Mu'tazili school of theology, but nevertheless this commentary has been popular among scholars down the years, and is usually printed along with Sunni commentaries, pointing out what they consider to be mistakes, made because of the author's Mu'tazili beliefs.
• Ahkam al-Qur'an by Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi (d.543 AH/1148 CE). The author is also known as 'Qadi ibn al-Arabi' (ibn Arabi, the judge) to distinguish him from the famous Sufi Ibn Arabi. He was a jurist from Andalusia (Muslim Spain) His interpretation has been published in three volumes and contains commentary on the legal rulings of the Qur'an according to the Maliki school.
• Al-Muharrar al-wajiz fī tafsir al-kitab al-aziz ('The Concise Record of the Exegesis of the Noble Book'), commonly known as Tafsir ibn 'Atiyyah after its author, Ibn Atiyyah (d. 541 or 546AH), a Maliki judge from al-Andalus. This Qur'anic commentary is popular in North Africa.
• Zad al-Masir fi Ilm al-Tafsir by the Hanbali polymath Abu'l-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597AH).
• Mafatih Al-Ghayb ("The Keys to Unseen") by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149-1209 CE/606 AH). also known as Tafsir al-Kabir ('The Great Exegesis')
• Al-Jami' li-Ahkam al-Qur'an ("The collection of Qur'anic Injunctions") by al-Qurtubi (1214-1273 CE/671 AH) by the famous Maliki jurist of Cordoba, in Andalusia. This ten-volume tafsir is a commentary on the Qur'anic verses dealing with legal issues. Although the author was a Maliki, he also presents the legal opinions of other major schools of Islamic jurisprudence; thus it is popular with jurists from all of the schools of Islamic law. One volume of this tafsir has been translated into English by Aisha Bewley. Available online.^[2]
• Anwar al-Tanzil' by Abdullah bin Umar al-Baidawi (d. 685 AH/1286 CE), also famous as Tafsir al-Baidawi - a shortened version of Al-Kashshaf, with Mu'tazili references altered; printed in two volumes.^[3] In Turkey it is often published with marginal notes by a Turkish scholar called 'al-Qunawi' in seven volumes.
• Al-Bahr al-Muhit by Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati (d. 745 AH/1344 CE) is a linguistic commentary on the Qur'an primarily from the standpoint of Arabic grammar and rhetoric.
• Tafsir ibn Kathir ("The Ibn Kathir Interpretation") by Ibn Kathir (1301-1373 CE/ 747 AH). A summary of the earlier interpretation by al-Tabari. Available online.^[4]
• Tafsir al-Jalalayn ('The Commentary of the Two Jalals') by Jalaluddin al-Mahalli (in 1459), and was subsequently completed, in the same style, by his student, the famous Shafi'i scholar Al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH/1505 CE), who completed it in 1505. This commentary is very popular with Muslims all over the world due to its simplicity. It has also been translated completely by Feras Hamza.^[5]
• Dur al-Manthur ('The Threaded Pearl Concerning Commentary Based on Traditions'), also by Al-Suyuti. This commentary, in Arabic, concentrates on the narratives that have been transmitted relating to each verse and subject in the Qur'an. It has been published in six volumes.
• Irshad al 'Aql as-Salim ila Mazaya al-Qur'an al-Karim by Abdul Su'sud Al-Imadi (d.951 AH/1505 CE). Also known as Tafsir Abi Sa'ud.
• Roohu-l-Ma'aanee fee Tafseer Al-Qur'aana-l-'Azeem wa Sabb'a-l-Mathaanee ('The Spirit of Meanings on the Exegesis of the Sublime Qur'an) by Mahmud Alusi al-Hanafi (d.1270 AH/1854 CE).
• Ruh al-Bayan by Ismail Hakki Bursevi (d.1725 CE).^[6] A ten-volume Arabic work by the founder of the Hakkiyye Jelveti Sufi Order from Turkey.
• Al-bahr al-Muhit ('The Encompassing Ocean') by Ahmad ibn Ajiba (d. 1809CE), generally known as Tafsir ibn Ajibah - a two-volume work by a Moroccan Sheikh of the Darqarwi branch of the Shadhili Order of Sufism.

Other Sects

• Tanwir al-Miqbas ("Tafsir Ibn Abbas") falsely attributed to Abd Allah ibn Abbas (d. 68/687)
• Tafsir Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq by Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S) (83-148AH).
• Tafsir al Kabir ("The Great Interpretation") by Muqatil ibn Sulayman (80-150AH). The first "full tafsir" attributed to Muqatil ibn Sulayman ibn Bashir al Balkhi.
• Tafsir Qomi by Ali ibn Ibrahim Qummi
• Ma'ani al-Qur'an ("The Meaning of The Qur'an") by Yahya ibn Ziyad al-Farra (207AH).
• Nukat al-Qur'an al-Dallah ala al-Bayan by Al-Qassab (d. 360AH/970CE)^[7][8] a commentary primarily from the viewpoint of applied Islamic law.
• Tafsir Furat Kufi (9th-10th Century CE) by Furat Ibn Furat Ibn Ibrahim al-Kufi.
• Bayan al-Sa‘ada (19th century) by Sufi Sultan Alishah.

Modern Tafsīrs

• Tafsir al-Mizan by Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei (1904-1981). By Allama Tabataba'I, explanation of Quranic verses with the help of other relevant verses. English version is available as well.
• Tibyan ul-Quran by Ghulam Rasul Sa'idi widely acknowledged as one of the leading scholars of the Muslim World, he has written a twelve volume commentary of the Qur'an that is written in a scholarly manner and includes references to many classical works of Islam (as well as some modern).
• Tafsir E Ashrafi by Shaykh al-Islām Sayad Muhammad Madani Ashrafi Jilani has written a 10 volume Tafsir and its received acclaim by all leading scholars to be the best Urdu Tafsir of this time. It has been specifically been praised for being easy to understand, simple yet effective at the same time.
• Tafhim-ul-Quran by Abul A'la Maududi; 06 volumes of tafsir written in 30 years. Available online.^[9]
• Fi Zilal al-Quran ('In the Shade of the Quran') by Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966). Many praise it as a modern commentary, but at the same time, many critics including some Sunni scholars say that Qutb had little Islamic knowledge, and wrote his commentary according to his own opinion. It has also been attacked for not following the style of classical commentaries.
• Tafsir ('A Thematic Commentary on the Qur'an') by Mohammed al-Ghazali (1917–1996), a contemporary Egyptian scholar not to be confused with Imam al-Ghazali. This commentary tries to explore the themes that weave through the entire Qur'an as well as the main theme of each chapter.
• Risale-i Nur by Said Nursî (1878-1960) written mainly in Turkish, is a large work, with four main volumes. It consists of extensive exegesis of certain verses and explanation of the fundamentals of how to approach the Qur'an. It especially explains the verses that 21st Century people need most. In other words, it studies the verses about the six articles of belief of Islam such as believing in God and the day of judgment. It also gives logical answers to the questions asked by Atheists. This work is written in a more accessible style to the general public and is translated into 52 languages.^[10][11][12]

• Tafsir Al-Jufrie Baina Tafwidh Wa Ta'wil by Al-Habib Muhammad Ridwan Al-Jufrie.
• Tafsir Al-shaarawi by Muhammad Metwali Alsharawi (1911–1998), a famous Egyptian scholar.
• Tafsir Shobar (19th century) by Seyyed Abdullah Alavi Hosseini Mosavi.
• Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahman fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan (1344AH/1926CE) by Abdul Rahman ibn Nasir as-Sa'dee (1889–1956) which is easy to understand, avoid of redundancies, and only contains opposing views when they are strong and necessary.^[13] Available online.^[14]

"Tafsir Ziya' al-Qur'an"Justice Diya al-'Ummah Hadhrat Shaykh Mawlana Mufti Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari (Arabic: شیخ محمد کرم شاہ الأزهري), Sitara-e-Imtiaz, (1918–1998) was an eminent Sheykh (Spiritual Master) of tariqa Chistiyya and an Islamic (Sunni) scholar from Pakistan.

Tafsirs written in languages other than Arabic

Sunni

• Tafsir-e Tabari: a 10th-century translation of the Tafsir al-Tabari in Persian
• Kashf al-Israr wa 'Eddat al-Abrar: an 11th-century tafsir in Persian by Abul Fazl Rasheeduddin Almaybodi (520 AH), one of the students of Abu Ismail Abdullah al-Ansari
• Tafsir Nasafi: a 12th-century tafsir in Persian by Najm al-Din Abu Hafs al-Nasafi
• Translation by Hazrat Shah Walliullah Muhadis Dehalvi

Other Sects

• Tafsir Nemooneh by Naser Makarem Shirazi
• Tasneem Tafsir by Abdollah Javadi-Amoli
• ' ' Quranul Hakim: tafsiri Tarjuma by Ghausul Haq Makhdoom Nooh Sarwar Halai Sindi (d. 998 AH, published by Sindhi Adabi Board Jamshoro 1401 AH
• Tafsir Noor by contemporary scholar Mohsen Qara'ati
• Tafsir Meshkat by contemporary scholar Mohammadali Ansari
• Tarjomane Foraghan by Mohammad Sadeqi Tehrani
• Tafsir al-Mizan by Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei. Translated from Arabic to Persian by Translated from Urdu to English
• Partoie Az Qur'an by Mahmoud Taleghani
• Tafsir Rahnama (1976–present) by Akbar H. Rafsanjani.

Deobandi

• Bayan ul Quran by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
• Sabbqu-l-Ghawyaat fee Nasqi-l-Aayaat by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
• Ashrafu-t-Tafaseer by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi and Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani.
• Maariful Quran by Allama Muhammad Idris Kandhlawi.
• Maariful Quran by Mufti Muhammad Shafi Uthmani.
• Anwarul Bayan by Mufti Muhammad Ashiq Ilahi Madani.
• Tafseer e Azeezi (Translation of Jawahir e Azizi)by Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddis Dehlvi
• Tafseer e Quran by Allam Ubaidullah Sindhi
• Tafseer i Mehmood by Imam-i-Inqilab Maulana Ubaidullah Sindhi
• Tafsir e Mazhari by Qazi Muhammad Sana ullah Usmani Mujadadi Panipathi
• Tafsir e Usmani by Shaikhu-l-Hind Mawlana Mahmud al-Hasan Deobandi and 'Allama Mawlana Shabbir Ahmad Usmani.
• Fathu-l-Mannaan Tafseer-e-Haqqani by Mawlana Abdul-Haqq Haaqani Dihlawi.

• Akram-ut Tafaseer by Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan
• Asrar-at Tanzil by Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan
• Quranic Translation by Noor Muhammad Naqshbandi

Other Sects

• Al Kauthar fi Tafsir Al Quran by Mohsin Ali Najafi
• Al Haqaqal Furqan by Hakim Molana Noor ud din Bhervi ( Ahmadi Tafseer )
• Fuyuooz-ul-Quran ('Benevolences of Quran')(two volumes), by Syed Hamid Hasan Bilgrami.
• Husn e Tafseer by Dr. Naseer Ahmad Nasir
• Kanzul Iman (Translation) by Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Barelvi
• Khazaain ul Irfan by Maulana Naeem-ud-Deen Muradabadi
• Mafhoom ul Quran by Ghulam Ahmad Parvez
• Matalib ul Furqan by Ghulam Ahmad Parvez
• Mutalaeh Quran by ABDULLAH, 2014, Download Link^[15]
• Nur al-'Irfan by Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na'imi. This is a short work, often printed in the margin of Kanzul Iman.
• Quranic Translation by Shah Rafi ud din Dehalvi
• Taddabur e Quran by Amin Ahsan Islahi
• Tafhim-ul-Quran by Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi
• Tafseer e Ashrafi by Syed Muhammad Madani Ashrafi (2012)
• Tafseer Jawahir ul Quran by Shaikhul Quran Maulana Ghulamullah Khan.
• Tafsir Ahsanul Bayan by Hafiz Saluhuddin Yusuf. The interpretation is not long but efficient, and stress is on monotheism.
• Tafsir e Fayuzur Rahman Ruhul Bayan Translated by Mufti Faiz Ahmed Owaisi
• Tafsir e Mazharul Quran by Mufti Azam Mazharullah Dehalwi
• Tafsir e Nurul Irfan by Mufti Ahmed Yar Khan Na'imi
• Tafsir e Rabbani Mukaddama by Allama Azad Subhani(1897-1964)
• Tafsir e Siddiqui by Maulvi Abdul Qadeer Siddiqui Qadri
• Tafsir e Nabawi by Maulana Nabi Baksh Halwai
• Tafsir Na'imi (30 volumes) by Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Na'imi.
• Tafsir Qasas-ul-Quran by Maulana Hifz-ul-Rehman Seoharvi
• Tafsir ul Hasanat by Allama Abul Hasnat Syed Ahmed Shah
• Tafsir Urwa-Tul-Wusqa 8 volumes. Also translated into English ("Towards Understanding the Qur'an"), and Malayalam.^[16]
• Tafsir Ya'ayyuhalladina Amanu( two Volumes) by Allamah Syed Sa'adat 'Ali Qadari.
• Tafsir Zia-ul-Quran by Pir Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari
• Taleem ul Quran Tafseer by Prof.Dr.S.M.Afzal Rahman (single volume)
• Tibyan ul Quran by Allama Ghulam Rasool Saeedi
• Tafseer by Maulana Sayed Farman Ali

Sindhi

• Tafsir Al-Maqam Al-Mahmud by Ubaidullah Sindhi.
• Tafsir Surah Saba by Ghulam Mustafa Qasmi.
• AHSAN UL BAYAN by Allama Muhammad Idrees Dahiri in 9 volumes.

• A commentary by Akhund Aziz Ullah Muaa'alawi.

• Badee Ut Tafaseer by Shaikh Arab Wal Ajam Allama Abu Muhammad Badee ud Din Shah Rashdi in 11 volumes up to chapter Ibrahim.
• Tafsir by Maulana Abdul Wahab Chachar
• Tafsir Miftah Rushd: Maulana Nizamani
• Tafsir Kausar: attributed to Shah Mardan Shah I, Pir Pagaro
• Tafsir Tanveerul Eemaan: Maulana Naurangzado

Bengali

• Ma'ariful Qur'an translated into Bengali by Maulana Muhiuddin Khan.^[17]
• Tafsir-e-Nooru-l-Qur'aan by Mawlana Muhammad Aminul Islam

• Tafheemul Quran by Abul A'la Maududi. Translated from Urdu by Abdul Mannan Talib. Available online.^[18]
• Tafsirul Quran by Hazrat Allamah Delwar Hossain Sayeedi. Available online
• Tafsirul Quran by Dr. Muhammad Asadullah Al-Ghalib

English

• Tafsir (Exegesis) of the Holy Quran - Tafsir Al-Nooruddin.^[19][20] Modern English Tafsir by Allamah Nooruddin, Abdul Mannan Omar, and Mrs. Amatul Rahman Omar, the first woman to translate the Quran into English.^[21]
• Tafhim-ul-Quran by Abul A'la Maududi. One of the popular modern exegeses translated from Urdu by Zafar Ishaq Ansari. Tafhim is a combination of orthodox and modernist interpretation and has influenced modern Islamic thought very deeply. Available online.^[9]
• Tafsir Ishraq Al-Ma'ani by Syed Iqbal Zaheer.
• Israr-ut-Tanzeel by Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan.^[22]
• Translation and Tafsir by Prof.Dr.S.M.Afzal Rahman
• Tafsir al-Mizan by Muhammad Husayn Tabatabaei (1904-1981). By Allama Tabataba'I, explaining Quranic verses with the help of other relevant verses. View in English.
• Translation by Molvi Sher Ali

English Translations of the Commentaries written by the Deobandi Scholars

• Tafseer-e-Usmani by Shaikhu-l-Hind Mahmud al-Hasan Deobandi and 'Allamah Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, Translated by Mawlana Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed.^[23]
• Maariful Quran by Muhammad Shafi Usmani. Translated from Urdu to English. Fully available online.^[24]
• Illuminating Discourses on the Noble Qur'an by Mufti Muhammad Ashiq Ilahi Madani
• Qur'an with English Translation by Maulana Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Bahasa Indonesia

• Tafsir Al Azhar by Hamka.
• tafsir al Misbah by Quraish Shihab,Prof

Malay

• Tafsir At Tibyan by Abdul Hadi Awang.

Gujarati

• Tafsir-e-Ashrafi ('Sayyid ut-Tafsir') has been completed by Syed Muhammad Madani Miya Ashrafi al-Jilani was originally handwritten in Urdu but due to the popularity of this commentary was translated into Gujarati to appeal to Gujarati people.

Turkish

• Risale-i Nur Külliyatı by Bediüzzaman Said Nursi. Published in 13 volumes, it remains one of the most popular commentaries in Turkish.^[25]
• Elmalılı Tefsir by Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır. Published in 10 volumes, it remains one of the most popular commentaries in Turkish.^[26]
• Büyük Kur'an Tefsiri by Konyalı M.Vehbi. A voluminous commentary written in simple Turkish. Its original title was Hulasatül Beyan fi Tefsiril Kuran.^[27]
• Kur'ân-ı Kerîm'in Türkçe Meâl-i Âlisi ve Tefsiri by Ömer Nasuhi Bilmen. An eight-volume commentary, written in the first half of the twentieth century. The language used is Ottoman Turkish, which might be difficult for modern Turks to understand.^[28]
• Ruhu’l-Furkan Tefsiri by Mahmut Ustaosmanoğlu. It is not completed yet and is expected to be finished with 57 volumes.^[29]

Uzbek

• Tafsir-i Hilal by Mufti Muhammad-Sadiq Muhammad Yusuf.Published in 2003 in 6 volumes.

Malayalam

• A commentary by Muhammad Amani Maulavi in four volumes.

• 'Parisudha Quran Malayala Paribashaby Cheriyamundam Abdul Hameed madani and Kunji Muhammad parappoor.

King Fahad quran printing press accepted this single volume translation as an authorized one for their distribution.

• Translation of thafheemul quraan by sayyid Abul aala maududi in six volumes. This is the translation of Urdu tafsir of Maududi.
• Translation of Tharjumanul quraan-quraan bhashyam- in single volume
• Quraan lalithasaram
• Amrithavani-in poetic form
• translation of fee dilalil quraan by shaheed sayyid qutub
• many other

vishudha quran vivarthanam by Dr. Bahauddeen Muhammad Nadwi (VC of Darul Huda Islamic University) published on 1 January 2015

Somali

• by Cumar Faruuq in Somali online in audio format.^[30]
• by Maxamed Cumar Dirir in Somali in audio format.^[31]

Pashto

• Kashaful Qur'an by Hafiz Mohmmad Idris Toru in Two Volumes. Volume 1 contains 15 parts which was published in 1959 and volume 2 published after his death in 1965.
• Tafseer Darmungwi translation is done by mulana of village darmung or Darbang situated near peshawer.
• Tafseer ul-Qur'an karim AHSAN UL KALAM, by Abu Zakariya Abdus Salam Rustami Sahhib from Peshawar.

Punjabi

• Rubb Deeyan Gullaan (Punjabi/Urdu) by Ameer Muhammad Akram Awan

See also

• Qur'an
• Tafsir
• List of Islamic texts

External Links

• "Classic Sunni Commentaries recommended by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani". 
• "More Classic Sunni Commentaries". 

Notes