The Fundamental and Devastating
Issue of Writing Tafaseer
(Quranic Exposition/Exegesis)
We start with the perennial question no scholar has ever paid attention to. The question goes like this:
Is playing with the Quran allowed on the pretext of writing a “tafseer” (exposition, interpretation, explanation)???
Here we do not question the eligibility or otherwise of a contender. We do not question his corresponding qualifications in the field. Our target is the basic principle that only the Author of the Quran holds the competence, the authority, the qualification and the capacity to explain it. The Quran is the product of His Exalted Mind alone. Only He knows in absolute essence and truth what He intended to impart and disseminate to humanity. And, finally, that HE PROCLAIMS REPEATEDLY IN HIS BOOK THAT HE HAS ALREADY EXPLAINED IT IN THE MINUTEST OF DETAILS!
So, according to His testimony, no more tafseer was ever needed, no human involvement in explaining the Quran was allowed or made eligible.
Some other subsidiary questions arise here. .
Who among human beings can dare to venture into writing an “Exposition” or “tafseer” of the Quran except the worst criminal gang of transgressors ,,,,,when,,,, Allah swt Himself proclaims with His resolute commandments that His book is already given to mankind with its fullest details and explanations ??? And the Almighty also proclaims that nobody can explain it better than Him.
Who dares to transcend the highest status of the Almighty as the Author and the Interpreter of the Quran, and to criminally assume a status over and above Him, and think he can “explain” God’s Word once again, in his own worthless words, in a more elaborate way than God???
It goes without saying that an endless and confusing assortment of Tafaseer (expositions) have descended upon us through the legacy of old timers. Most of those were cronies and lackeys of the ever present dictatorial regimes of the Muslim world. The contemporaries have not lagged behind in this profane venture and have also competed successfully to add a lot more crap to that formidable historical heap of nonsense.
Needless to mention here that the Islam manufactured by Umayyad dictators/authoritative rulers through Quranic tafaseer (expositions) has bequeathed a legacy of superstition, fallacy, shame and horror for Muslims.
It is the fallacy of those tafaseers inherited by us that we have intentionally incorporated into the Quran while translating it in our language (Urdu). We have NOT performed this most important translation work in concordance with the TEXT of the Quran, its magnificent vocabulary, its highly academic and literary style, and its pristine message and ideology.
All readers can go through the following Verses from God’s Word and then can easily decide conscientiously whether or not it is in any way proper and advisable to “further” expose or explain the already explained and detailed Book of God.
If you ask my opinion,,,,,I think, without any doubt that it is sacrilegious and profane to do that after the following clear injunctions.
16:89 وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ
“And we have descended upon you that Book which elaborately explains everything.”
6:97 قَدْ فَصَّلْنَا الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
“We have explained in detail all our Verses for those who possess knowledge.”
25:33 َ وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلَّا جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا
“And they won’t be able to bring to you the like of what we have given you laced with the truth and the best Exposition.”
17:12 وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ تَفْصِيلًا
“And we have explained therein everything in detail.”
6:114 أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّـهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا
“Would I take as authority other than Allah when He is the one Who has presented to you the Book which is fully detailed and explained.”
There are scores of other Verses admonishing man not to interfere and interpolate God’s Word which is already presented in the most beautifully explained form. But for the time being a few of the above divine injunctions should suffice .
So in pursuance of God’s clear injunctions, it becomes incumbent upon all Muslims to condemn all the existing Quranic exegesis whether authored by old scholars or the present ones.
What we are apparently allowed to do, and need to do, is only to translate it in our language without moving an inch away from His narration, and paying proper respect to its highly academic and literary style of language as well as adhering to its fundamental message and its quint-essentials.
It is of prime importance that all our eggheads in this field should get together and after a concerted and tireless effort arrive at a mutually agreed piece of translated Quran in our language; one that should be a harbinger of true divine values, lofty human character, peace, harmony, pluralism and diversity.
Highly academic comments from my learned Quranist brothers are invited on this crucial topic.