Interpretation
Quranic Interpretation/
Tafsir
Tafsir bil-mathur or bil-maqul
Classical scholars say interpretation only based on personal
reason (ray) is prohibited it must accord with and be backed
up by transmitted material
Tawil/Interpretation vs. Tafsir: It is He who revealed the
Book in it are strongly establishes ayat these are the
Mother of the Book and others that are ambiguous and
those who have misguidance in their hearts they follow
the ambiguous of it seeking to cause dissention and
seeking its tawil and none knows its tawil except God
and those firm in knowledge they say We believe in it,
all if it comes from our Lord and none remembers this
but those possessed of reason. (3:7)
Where does the comma go? Who can know?
Muhammad b. al-Saib al-Kalbi (d. 763) attributes
to Ibn Abbas (d. 688): The Quran was [revealed]
in four aspects: tafsir [the literal meaning?],
which scholars know; Arabic with which the
Arabs are acquainted; lawful and unlawful, of
which it is not permissible for people to be
unaware; and tawil [the deeper meaning?] that
only God knows. Ibn Abbas also says that tawil
is what will be (ma huwa kain).
Al-Maturidi: The tafsir belongs to the
Companions, the tawil to the scholars ( fuqaha),
because the companions saw the events and
knew the circumstances of the revelation of the
Quran
Early Tafsir Types