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Tuesday 19 January 2016

Arabic Grammer is essential for studying Usool Fiqh

One brother who teaches Usool Fiqh I want to share his comment on a discussion on why learning Arabic Grammer is vital in grasping Usool Fiqh.

He said: "I just wanted to share my personal experience teaching Usul Fiqh I've taught "Al-Waraqat" in English in America and I had announced that everyone could take the class. I realized quickly that this was a mistake because those who did not know Arabic grammar had a difficult time with many of the concepts. I recommend that beginning students strengthen their Arabic first."

Friday 1 January 2016

How a Student should study the subject of Tafsir by DR Abdur-Rahman Ash-Shahri










I’d like to share with you guys the notes I took while listening to the lecture entitled Students of knowledge and the books of Tafsir by Dr Abdur-Rahman Ash-Shahri who is a Ustaadh in Uloom Al-Quran and a teacher in Al-Masjid Al-Haram in Makkah.
When we go to the books of Tafsir we find they are Ayaat that prophet explained to the Sahabah are limited and not many roughly its about 300 odd Ahadith.
Imam Suyooti authored a book on this issue called Tarjaman Al-Quran mentioning the Marfoo narrations of the Tafsir.
These Tafsir from the prophet was only as a result of Sahabah asking him a question.
The Salaf didn’t leave a word or a Ayah from the Quran except that they explain it, clarified it.
It must for every student of knowledge which ever field he wants to specialize in wheather its Fiqh, Hadith etc that he reads a book in the history of that science.
In regards to Tafsir history A book in this regard is Tafsir Wal-Mufasiroon if a person reads it it will suffice him.
This book is a (umdah) pillar major work in the field.
Likewise in regards to studying Fiqh read about the history of Fiqh likewise the same in the field of Hadith studies and likewise in Balagha (arabic rhetorics).
Also its important for the students of knowledge to read the books of the biographies of the scholars of Tafsir.
Today its important that you don't take your knowledge from people except those who are trust worthy as stated by Imam Ibn Sireen in his famous saying on look who you take your knowledge from.
I advise you with 2 books with regards to the biographies of the scholars of Tafsir:
1. Tabaqaat al-Mufasireen by Dawoodi Hes from the students of Imam Suyooti.
2. Mu'jam Al-Mufasireen by Aadil Nuwahath in 2 volumes it contains 2000 biographies of those who authored in the Tafsir of the Quran.
Another important point is there going to be a certain Tafsir that will be most suitable to the student depending on his level of knowledge this will differ from student to student.
Like the Tafsir of Imam Tabari is considered a major reference book in Tafsir but some will find it difficult to read from and perhaps even leave studying Tafsir (as a result of his bad experience).
The knowledge of Tafsir isn't like other islamic sciences that you memorise mutoons (text book) because it a very expansive field.
Also the ulama only composed a poem on Ghareeb Al-Quran (ambigious words of the quran) only.
Our aim in Tafsir in the beginner phase (stage) is :
1. Knowing the meanings of the Ayaat in a nut shell (Ijmaali) Have a brief overview of there meanings.
2. Knowing the meanings of those words that are ambigious (Al-faadh Al-Ghareeb)
If we said Al-Wajeez by Al-Wahidi this book isn't suitable to be studied today it was suitable for the beginner students in his time but not in our times.
Even the high advanced students of Tafsir are in need of the concise summary Tafsir of the Quran if they want to look up a meaning of the particular word in the Tafsir context.
So in the first phase of your studies in Tafsir is:
1 . Concise summary of Tafsir
2. Book clarifying the meanings of ambigious Quranic words like books of Ghareeb Al-Quran
 
I advise the book As-Siraaj fi Ghareeb Al-Quran by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Khudayri.
In the 2nd phase of your studies in Tafsir you could delve into books related to Asbaab Nuzool (reason for revelation).
In this phase its imperative that the student of knowledge studies Usool Tafsir which are basically the principles of understanding the Quran correctly.
Also in this phase the student needs to know the various ways of Tafsir like Tafsir of Quran with the Quran or with the Sunnah or by the arabic language.
Most of the ikhtilaaf in tafsir is in expressions and wordings.
Which is known as Ikhtilaaf Tanawu which is as follows:
 Ikhtilaaf Tanawu: This type is what is predominently existed in the books of Tafsir
Like Siraat Al-Mutaqeem some say it means Islam others say Quran other says La ilaha illah others say Remaining steadfast on the deen all these different expressions all return to 1 thing but been expressed differently.
This is because the Straight Path is what leads to Jannah.
From amongst the most important principles of Tafsir when studying Tafsir is judging the context in terms of understanding a particular Ayah.
Like the Ayah that was interpretated by the prophet to means shirk when he explained (those who believe and don't mix there faith with any dhulm....) its context in with regards to shirk.
If the prophet never told us that the meaning of Dhulm is shirk we could have extracted that meaning from the context of the Ayah.
Tafsir of the prophet and the Sahabah that it is a relied upon source in extracting the principles and the fundamentals which will enable us to understand the Quran.
This will protect the student of knowledge from deviation in ones understanding and interpretations of the book of Allah.
If the student of Tafsir doesn’t take these principles which were coined by the ulama of Tafsir from the Sahabah and there students and those who follow them they will fall into grave misunderstandings of interpretating the Quran.
If you were to look at the Tafsir of the Mu'tazila or the Shia or the Batiniyah or the Khawarij you find they adhere to the Quran (according to there own understanding).
I advise to read Fusool Fi Usool Tafisr by Dr Musaaid Tayaar and Tahreer Fi Usool At-Tafsir.
In this 2nd phase the student is able to read Tafsir Ibn Kathir and this tafsir is from amongst the best Tafsirs.
This is because when Imam Ibn Taymiyah wrote his Muqadimah Fi Usool Tafsir but didnt show the applications of these principles in a actual tafsir however Imam Ibn Kathir took these principles of his and based his Tafsir on it (showing the application of those principles in his tafsir).
Amongst the distinguish features of Tafsir Ibn Kathir is doing Tafsir of the Quran by the Sunnah.
Tafsir with the Sunnah means Ijtihaad of a Mufassir while connecting a particular Ayah with a particular hadith and Imam Ibn kathir did well in this throught his Tafsir.
His tafsir is known to be amongst the most distinguished Tafsirs which gives importance to this type of Tafsir.
After Ibn Kathir came Ibn Aqeel Al-Makki Az-Ziyadah Al-Ihsan Fi Uloom Al-Quran he compiled entire tafsir of the whole quran by Tafsir by the Sunnah.
Some people think you read the book of Tafsir just once and thats it but we say these books of Tafsir are for you until Allah takes your soul continue make revision from these Tafsir books.
Even Tafsir Ibn Kathir it is deserved of being read 10 odd times.
A student will gain from Tafsir ibn kathir the following:
1. Usool At-Tafsir
2. The correct approach to Tafsir
3. The correct Tafsir
4. The hadith which explain the Ayaat of the Quran 
Now in the 3rd phase of this study now a person is at the level of specialization.
Upon him is the following books:
 1. Jaami Al-Bayan by Imam Ibn Jareer At-Tabari
 2. Al-Muharrar Al-Wajeez Fi Tafsir Al-Kitab Al-Azeez by Imam Ibn Attiyah 
 3. Tahreer Wa At-Tanweer by Imam Ibn Aashoor 
 4. Adwa Al-Bayan by Imam Muhammad Ameen Ash-Shinqeeti.
Imam Shinqeeti in his Tafsir he focused on doing Tafsir of the Quran with the Quran.
Other works surounding Tafsir:
1. Books relating to the meanings of the Quran (Ma'aani Al-Quran)
2. Books related to I'raab Al-Quran the grammatical analysis of the Quran
3. Books related to Asbaab Nuzool reasons for revelation
4. Books related to Usool Tafsir
5. Books related to Uloom Al-Quran
The library of Uloom Al-Quran is very expansive wide library.
Book by Imam Raghib Al-Asfahaani Mufradaat Fi Uloom Al-Quran which explains the meanings of the individual words that comes in the Quran.
Imam Qurtubi Tafsir was considered a madrasah (school)
In our studies we require patience sometimes a person buys a book and reads the preface and then leaves it and doesn't end up reading it.
Some students say o ustaadh i want a book of Tafsir that combines and summarises the various works of Tafsir in there Tafsir books like this are many like:
1. Tafsir Al-Kabeer of Imam Fakhrud-Din Ar-Raazi is from the most expansive of those kind of books.
2. Tafsir of Imam Tabari
3. Tafsir of Ibn Aashoor
As for books of Tafsir that are designed for Fuqaha i.e. those Tafsir dealing more with the Fiqhi side of Tafsir they are books of Ahkaam Al-Quran like:
1. Ahkaam Al-Quran by Imam Ibn Al-Arabi
2. Ahkaam Al-Quran by Imam Jasaas
Tafsir Baghawi and Tafisr Baydaawi they are from the books of Tafsir which are Mutawasit i.e intermediate level which conveys and summarises the meanings of the Ayaat while mentioning the reason of revelation breifly. These 2 Tafsirs are very wide spread which has many commentaries to them.
Not everyone who explains the Quran we accept there sayings only those who explain the Quran in accordances with its principles and fundamentals of Tafsir which was taken from the first 3 genarations known as the best of generations and whoever goes out of that we don’t take (accept) his saying.
Even some Sahabh had certain views in Tafsir that were rejected and even the Tabieen had certain Tafsir views which conflicted with the mainstream of the Tabieen of there time. So we reject there sayings.
Ilmaaiyoon Wal-Quran Al-Kareem by Dr Ahmad Ta'aan nice with regards to clarifying the false way of doing tafsir.

For the full lecture click here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7W...