Editing Tafsir (section)

== Sects ==
Islamic theology is divided into myriad of [[Islamic schools and branches|schools and branches]], and each of the schools' comments on the Quran with their own point of view.

=== Sunni ===
[[File:Mir Sayyid Ali - Portrait of a Young Indian Scholar.jpg|thumb|[[Mir Sayyid Ali]] writing a Tafsir on the [[Quran]], self-portrait 1555–1556]]
The time of [[Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari]] marks the classical period, which encompassed important Sunni ''tafsirs'', such as ''[[Tafsir al-Thalabi]]'' and ''[[Tafsir al-Tabari]]''. ''Tafsir al-Tabari'' is one of the most important ''tafsir'' works in Sunni Islam.<ref>C.E. Bosworth. ''Encyclopedia of Islam 2nd ed'' Brill. "Al-Tabari, Abu Djafar Muhammad b. Djarir b. Yazid", Vol. 10, p. 14.</ref> This work provides exegetical material for the whole Quran, also contains conflicting information, which Tabari tries either to harmonize or argues in support of the one he feels more correct. Further he includes different readings, which according to him, both might be correct and gives his own opinion after each argumentation. Both linguistical and theological subjects are discussed throughout his work.<ref>Herbert Berg ''The Development of Exegesis in Early Islam: The Authenticity of Muslim Literature from the Formative Period'' Routledge 03.04.2013 {{ISBN|9781136115226}} pp. 120-128</ref>

The period of [[Ibn Taimiyya]] is sometimes seen as a transition point between the Classical and post-Classical exegesis, due to his unique hermeneutic method.<ref>Farhad Daftary ''The Study of Shi'i Islam: History, Theology and Law'' Bloomsbury Publishing, 08.01.2014 {{ISBN|9780857723383}} pp. 104-105</ref> ''Tafsirs'' are geneaological, they rely on the core of previous ''tafsirs''. Ibn Taimiyya challenged this core tradition by asserting that the Quran should only be interpreted by the Quran alone or the ''sunnah''.<ref name=":4" /> [[Ibn Kathir]] was the first who tried to use the hermeneutic method of his teacher ibn Taimiyya.<ref>Karen Bauer Gender ''Hierarchy in the Qur'an: Medieval Interpretations, Modern Responses'' Cambridge University Press 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-316-24005-2}} page 115</ref><ref name=":4" /> By that, it is much more selective and critical compared to earlier Quranic exegesis and features only a few personal remarks.<ref name="ReferenceA">Oliver Leaman ''The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia'' Taylor & Francis 2006 {{ISBN|978-0-415-32639-1}} page 632</ref><ref>Teresa Bernheimer, Andrew Rippin ''Muslims: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'' Routledge, 01.03.2013 {{ISBN|9781136646515}} chapter 11</ref><ref name=":4">Burge, Stephan R. "Scattered Pearls: Exploring al-Suyī's Hermeneutics and Use of Sources in al-Durr al-manthūr fī’l-tafsīr bi’l-maʾthūr1." Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 24.2 (2014): 251-296.</ref> Unlike his teacher, he also engaged with an analysis of the exegetical material.<ref>Treasures of Knowledge: An Inventory of the Ottoman Palace Library (1502/3-1503/4) (2 Vols): Volume I: Essays / Volume II: Transliteration and Facsimile "Register of Books" (Kitāb Al-kutub), MS Török F. 59; Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Könyvtára Keleti Gyűjtemény (Oriental Collection of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences). (2019). Niederlande: Brill. p. 281</ref> However, the works of both Ibn Taimiyya and Ibn Kathir were not widespread in the premodern period.<ref>Treasures of Knowledge: An Inventory of the Ottoman Palace Library (1502/3-1503/4) (2 Vols): Volume I: Essays / Volume II: Transliteration and Facsimile "Register of Books" (Kitāb Al-kutub), MS Török F. 59; Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Könyvtára Keleti Gyűjtemény (Oriental Collection of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences). (2019). Niederlande: Brill. p. 281</ref>

[[al-Suyuti|Al-Suyuti's]] (1445–1505) [[Al-Dur al-Manthur|tafsir]] (''Al-Dur al-Manthur'') uses a similar hermeneutic. Unlike ibn Kathir, his work is one of a few completely devoid of any personal comments. Yet, following the approach of Ibn Taimiyya, he is selective about the inclusion of hadiths. However, in contrast to Ibn Taimiyya and Ibn Kathir, his tafsir is without any personal comment. Further, despite using a similar methodology to Ibn Taimiyya and Ibn Kathir, he includes a wider range of ''hadiths''.<ref name=":4" /> His commentary was well received and required for advanced imperial [[Madrasa|madrasas]].<ref>Treasures of Knowledge: An Inventory of the Ottoman Palace Library (1502/3-1503/4) (2 Vols): Volume I: Essays / Volume II: Transliteration and Facsimile "Register of Books" (Kitāb Al-kutub), MS Török F. 59; Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Könyvtára Keleti Gyűjtemény (Oriental Collection of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences). (2019). Niederlande: Brill. p. 281</ref>

Not earlier than the mid-nineteenth century, the modern period of ''tafsir'' started.<ref>Johanna Pink Sunnitischer Tafsir in der modernen islamischen Welt: Akademische Traditionen, Popularisierung und nationalstaatliche Interessen Brill, 11.11.2010 ISBN 9789004185920 p. 29 (German)</ref><ref name=":2">Görke, Andreas, and Johanna Pink. "Tafsır and Islamic Intellectual History." (2014).</ref> The modern approach is marked by a generally critical attitude towards much of the intellectual heritage of Islam, a declared intention to imitate the ''salaf'', and an emphasis on the unity of believers and a unified understanding of Islam.<ref name=":2" /> Other features may include, attempts to proof the rationality of the Quranic worldview, compatibility with modern sciences, liberalism, literary criticism, and making the message of the Quran emotional relevant for the believer.<ref name=":2" /> Although such modern approaches became a standard only late, their ideas were much earlier present in the Islamicate world.<ref name=":5">Sariyannis, Marinos. "The limits of going global: The case of “Ottoman Enlightenment (s)”." History Compass 18.9 (2020): e12623.</ref><ref name=":2" /> [[Kadizadeli]] (''Qādīzādali''), a seventeenth-century puritanical reformist religious movement in the [[Ottoman Empire]], shared a lot of ideas with modern Islamic interpretations.<ref name=":5" /> [[Al-Shawkani|Al-Shawkānī]] (1759–1834) has been understood retroperspective by many Muslim scholars as a ''salafi''.<ref name=":2" />

A rationalistic approach, as proposed by [[Syed Ahmad Khan]] and [[Muhammad Abduh]] attempts to prove that the Quran and modern sciences do not contradict each other.<ref>Görke, Andreas, and Johanna Pink. "Tafsır and Islamic Intellectual History." (2014). p. 32</ref> This is close to the ''tafsir 'ilmi'' (scientific interpretation of the Quran), which claims that the [[Islamic view of miracles#Scientific miracles|Quran miraculously predicted scientific discoveries]]. Although this trend has existed prior to the modern era, its popularity is new. Nontheless, this approach still faces a lot of opposition among Muslims.<ref name=":3">Görke, Andreas, and Johanna Pink. "Tafsır and Islamic Intellectual History." (2014). p. 33</ref> Yet another approach, represented by scholars such as [[Amin al-Khuli]], aims to decodifies the Quran to understand its impact on the first audience. Accordingly, the focus is not about historical or scientific truths, but about conveying a message through the means of the Quran.<ref name=":3" /> Similarly, according to yet another trend, the Quran should not only be understood as for the first Muslims, but also executed as the first Muslims did. Famous adherences to this approach include [[Sayyid Qutb]] and [[Abul A'la Maududi]]. This approach often goes in hand with an attempt to establish a state based on an idealized Muslim society.<ref name=":3" />

Among Salafis, the hermeneutics of ibn Taimiyya prevail. In the English language, an abridged version of ''[[Tafsir Ibn Kathir|Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿAẓīm]]'' (''Tafsir Ibn Kathir''), under the editorship of [[Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman]], gained widespread popularity, probably due to its salafistic approach but also a lack of alternative translations of traditional ''tafsirs''.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>Andreas Görke and Johanna Pink Tafsir and Islamic Intellectual History Exploring the Boundaries of a Genre Oxford University Press in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies London {{ISBN|978-0-19-870206-1}} p. 478</ref> Similarly, a translation of Tabari's exegetical work has been published only as an abridged version, by [[Pierre Godé]] appeared in 1983.<ref>Andreas Görke and Johanna Pink Tafsir and Islamic Intellectual History Exploring the Boundaries of a Genre Oxford University Press in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies London {{ISBN|978-0-19-870206-1}} p.479</ref>

=== Shi'ite ===
Tafsirs by Shia Muslims similarly deals with the issues concerned by Sunnis, and employs similar methodology as well, except for the adherence toward certain beliefs and creeds Shiism espouses. Distinctive features of Shia ''tafsirs'' include expounding of the concept of [[Imamah (Shia)|imamate]], the heavier weight put on verses that considered to be the foundation of successorship to Muhammad within the Prophet's family begins with [[Ali]], and the heavier authority put on interpretations attributed to [[The Twelve Imams]].{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} These characteristics result in distinction being made between the esoteric and the exoteric meaning of the Quran, and the esoteric meaning attributed to the imams preferred over the exoteric meaning. Certain Shia ''tafsirs'' are influenced by [[Mu'tazila|Mu'tazili]] thoughts as well, specifically on the theological issues. Some of the important examples of Shia ''mufassirs'' and their ''tafsir'' are ''[[Al-Tibbyan Fi Tafsir al-Quran]]'' by [[Shaykh Tusi]] (460/1067) and ''[[Majma' al-Bayan|Majma al-Bayan lif'ulum al-Quran]]'' by [[Shaykh Tabarsi]] (d. 548/1153).<ref name="Jo" />

On the other hand, ''tafsir'' by [[Zaydiyyah|Zaidi]] school of jurisprudence, which espouses the doctrine closest with Sunnis of all Shia sects, produces ''tafsir'' resembling Sunni ''tafsir'' in its quality. Some Zaidi ''tafsirs'' are considered popular among Sunnis as well as shia.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-17 |title=Quran Tafseer {{!}} Quran Tafseer in English {{!}}Tafsir ibn Kathir English |url=https://equranekareem.com/quran-tafseer/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Mu'tazila ===
The [[Mu'tazila]] tradition of tafsir has received little attention in modern scholarship, owing to several reasons{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}. First, several exegetical works by Mu'tazila scholars have been studied as books on theology rather than as works of ''tafsir''. Secondly, the large Mu'tazilite ''tafsir'' ''at-Tahdib fi tafsir al-Qur'an'' by [[al-Hakim al-Jishumi]] has not been edited, and there is no complete copy of it available at any single location, which limits its accessibility to scholars.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=The revealed text and the intended subtext|author=Suleiman A. Mourad|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EeoxAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA367|pages=367–373|title=Islamic Philosophy, Science, Culture, and Religion: Studies in Honor of Dimitri Gutas|editor1=Felicitas Opwis |editor2=David Reisman|publisher=Brill|year=2011|isbn=9789004217768}}</ref>

=== Sufi ===
It is an interpretation of the Quran which includes attribution of esoteric or mystic meanings to the text by the interpreter. In this respect, its method is different from the conventional exegesis. Esoteric interpretations do not usually contradict the conventional (in this context called exoteric) interpretations; instead, they discuss the inner levels of meaning of the Quran. A ''hadith'' from Muhammad which states that the Quran has an inner meaning, and that this inner meaning conceals a yet deeper inner meaning, and so on (up to seven levels of meaning), has sometimes been used in support of this view. Islamic opinion imposes strict limitations on esoteric interpretations especially when interior meaning is against exterior one. Esoteric interpretations are found mainly in [[Sufism]] and in the sayings (hadiths) of Shi'a Imams and the teachings of the [[Isma'ili]] sect. But Muhammad and the imams gave importance to its exterior as much as to its interior; they were as much concerned with its revelation as they were with its interpretation. These are generally not independently written, however, they are found in the books of Sufis.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Among the most significant Sunni Sufi tafsirs are:
* ''Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim'' by [[al-Tustari]] (d. 283/896)<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=TAFSIR|url=http://ismaili.net/heritage/node/12525|access-date=2022-02-11|website=ismaili.net|language=en}}</ref>
* ''Haqa'iq al-Tafsir'' by [[al-Sulami]] (d. 412/1021)<ref name=":1" />
* ''Lata'if al-Isharat'' by [[al-Qushayri]] (d. 465/1072)<ref name=":1" />
* ''{{'}}Ara'is al-Bayan fi Haqa'iq al-Qur'an'' by [[Ruzbihan al-Baqli]] (d. 606/1209)<ref name=":1" />
* ''Ruh al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an'' by [[Isma'il Haqqi al-Brusewi]] (d. 1137/1725)
* ''[[Al-Bahr al-Madid fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Majid]]'' by [[Ahmad ibn 'Ajiba]] (d. 1224/1809)
* ''[[Tafsir e Naeemi|Tafsir Naeemi]]'' by [[Ahmed Yaar Khan Naeemi|Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naeemi]] (d. 1391/1921)

=== Quranist ===
Quranists merely believe in the Qur'an and reject other oral traditions. Turkish Islamic theologian [[Yaşar Nuri Öztürk]] denounced contemporary Islamic practices as altered. He distinguished between what he defined as true Islam and what he saw as customs and traditions introduced in the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad period]]. In 1992, he published a 760-page, ''tafsir''-like exegetical work called ''Kur'an'daki Islam''. Each chapter, which deals with one surah, is structured around certain verses of the surah, or words occurring in the text, which need to be explained.<ref>Andreas Görke and Johanna Pink ''Tafsir and Islamic Intellectual History Exploring the Boundaries of a Genre'' Oxford University Press in association with The Institute of Ismaili Studies London {{ISBN|978-0-19-870206-1}} pp. 446–449</ref>

[[Edip Yüksel]], Layth Saleh al-Shaiban, and Martha Schulte-Nafeh wrote ''Quran: A Reformist Translation,'' an English translation and commentary of the Qur'an.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hashas|first=Mohammed|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VlJmDwAAQBAJ&dq=edip+yuksel&pg=PT226|title=The Idea of European Islam: Religion, Ethics, Politics and Perpetual Modernity|date=2018-07-24|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-351-60400-0|language=en}}</ref> Yüksel is a follower of [[Rashad Khalifa]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Musa|first=A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vdbGAAAAQBAJ&dq=edip+yuksel&pg=PA100|title=Hadith As Scripture: Discussions on the Authority of Prophetic Traditions in Islam|date=2008-05-12|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-0-230-61197-9|language=en}}</ref>

[[Ghulam Ahmed Perwez]] wrote ''Mafhoom-ul-Quran,'' translated into English as ''Exposition of the Holy Qur'an''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Lawrence|first=Bruce B.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lUXcDwAAQBAJ&dq=Ghulam+Ahmed+Pervez+exposition+of+the+holy+quran&pg=PA182|title=The Koran in English: A Biography|date=2020-10-06|publisher=Princeton University Press|isbn=978-0-691-20921-0|language=en}}</ref>