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By Imam Ibn Taymiyyah
If you ask what is the best method of  Tafseer, the answer is
that the best way is to explain the Qur’aan through the Qur’aan. For, what the
Qur’aan alludes to at one place is explained at the other, and what it says in
brief on one occasion is elaborated upon at the other. But if this does not help
you, you should turn to the Sunnah, because the sunnah explains and elucidates
the Qur’aan. Imaam Abu `Abd Allaah Muhammad ibn Idrees al-Shaafi`ee has said:
"All that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has said is what he has derived from
the Qur’aan." Allaah has said:
"We have sent down to you the book in truth that you may judge between men,
as Allaah guides you; so don’t be an advocate for those who betray their trust."
[al-Qur’aan, 4:105]
"We have sent down to you the message that you may explain clearly to people
what has been sent to them, and that they think over it." [16:44]
"We sent down the Book to you for the express purpose that you should make
clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide
and a mercy to those who believe." [16:64]
This is why the Prophet (Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"Know that I have been given the Qur’aan and something like it" [Ahmad, Musnad,
Vol. IV 131; Abu Dawood, Sunan, Sunnah, 5], namely the Sunnah. In fact, the
Sunnah, too has been given to him through wahy as the Qur’aan, except that it
has not been recited to him as the Qur’aan. Imaam al-Shaafi`ee and other
scholars have advanced a number of arguments in support of this point; but this
is not the place to quote them. [For discussion see al-Shaafi`ee, al-Risaalah]
In order to understand the Qur’aan, you should first look to the Qur’aan itself.
If that does not help, then turn to the Sunnah. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi
wa sallam) sent Mu`aadh (Radiyallaahu `anhu) to Yemen and asked him: "How will
you judge the cases (that come to you)?" He replied: "I will judge according to
the Book of Allaah". "But if you do not get anything there, what will you do?",
the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked. He said: "I will refer to the
sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam)". "But if you do not get
it even there, what will you do?", the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam)
asked again. He replied: "I will exercise my judgment." Hearing this the Prophet
(sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) patted Mu`aadh (radiyallaahu `anhu) on the
shoulder and said: "Praise be to Allaah who has guided the Messenger of His
Messenger to what pleases His Messenger." This hadeeth has been reported in the
Musnad and Sunan collections of hadeeth with a good isnaad. [Ahmad, Musnad
V:230, 236, 242; al-Daarimee, Sunan, Muqaddimah, 30; al-Tirmidhee, Sunan, Ahkaam,
3; Abu Dawood, Sunan, Adhiyah, 11.]
When you do not get any help from the Qur’aan or the Sunnah, turn to the words
of the companions. For they know the Qur'’an better: they have witnessed its
revelation, and passed through the situations in which it was revealed: and know
it and understand it fully. This is particularly true of the scholars and
leaders such as the four righteous caliphs and `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood. Imaam Abu
Ja`far Muhammad ibn Jareer al-Tabaree reports: Abu Kurayb narrated to us,
saying: Jaabir ibn Nooh informed us that: al-A`mash informed us from Abu Duhaa:
from Masrooq that `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood said: "By the one besides whom there
none having the right to be worshipped, there is no verse in the Qur’aan about
which I do not know in whose case and at what place was it revealed. If I were
aware that anyone knew the Qur’aan more than me, and I could reach him, I would
certainly have gone to see him." [Ibn al-Atheer, Jaami` al-Usool fee Ahaadeeth
ar-Rasool, 1392/1972, Vol. IX p. 48.] Al-A`mash has also reported through Abu
Waa`il that ibn Mas`ood said: "When anyone of us learned ten verses of the
Qur’aan, he did not proceed further unless he had known what they meant and what
action they demanded."
Another great scholar is `Abdullaah ibn `Abbaas (radiyallaahu `anhumaa), the
nephew of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) and the commentator of the
Qur’aan. He attained that stature in virtue of the Prophet’s prayer: "O Allaah!
Give him knowledge of Islaam and teach him the meaning of the Qur’aan." [Ahmad,
Musnad, Vol. 1: 266, 314, 328, 335]. Muhammad ibn Bashshaar narrated to us, that
Wakee` informed us, that Sufyaan informed us from al-A`mash: from Musim (ibn
Sabeeh Abee Duhaa) from Masrooq: that `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood (radiyallaahu `anhumaa)
said: "What a good interpreter of the Qur’aan Ibn `Abbaas is!" Ibn Jareer has
also reported this hadeeth through Yahyaa ibn Dawood, from Ishaaq al-Azraq, from
Sufyaan, from al-A`mash, from Muslim ibn Sabeeh Abee Duhaa, from al-Masrooq with
slightly different words: "What a good interpreter Ibn `Abbaas is of the
Qur’aan!" He has also reported the same words through Bundar, from Ja`far ibn
`Awn from al-A`mash. These words are, therefore, the actual words of Ibn Mas`ood
(radiyallahau `anhumaa) which he said about Ibn `Abbaas (radiyallaahu `anhumaa).
Ibn Mas`ood (radiyallaahu `anhumaa) died, most probably, in 33 A.H. Ibn `Abbaas
(radiyallaahu `anhumaa) lived for thirty six years after him, and added a lot to
the treasury of Islaamic knowledge.
Al-A`mash quotes from Abu Waa`il that Ibn `Abbaas (radiyallaahu `anhumaa) was
appointed leader of the Hajj by `Alee (radiyallaahu `anhu); he delivered a
sermon and read from Soorah al-Baqarah, or Soorah al-Noor according to another
report, and explained it in such a way that had the Romans, Turks and the
Dalamites heard it, they would have embraced Islaam. This is the reason why most
of what Ismaa`eel ibn `Abd al-Rahmaan Suddee has written in tafseer consists of
the explanations of these two scholars: Ibn Mas`ood and Ibn `Abbaas (radiyallaahu
`anhum).
An Introduction to the Principles of Tafseer
© 1993 al-Hidaayah
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