Tafsir Recommendations

[Isa al-Asiri]

Al-salamu 'alaykum.

There are many tafasir masha'Allah and everyone has their preferences. Among the most notable that have come to us are:


Tafsir bi’l ma’thur wa riwayah:
• Al-Tabari
• Ibn Kathir
• Al-Suyuti – Al Durr al Manthur fi al Tafsir bil Mathur

Tafsir ahkam al-Qur’an:
• Tafsir al-Qurtubi
• Al-Sabuni – Rawa'i al-Bayan
• Al-Jassas
• Ibn al-`Arabi - Ahkam al-Qur’an

Tafsir fi’l-lugha wa’l-i’rab:
• Ibn Ashur – al-Tahrir al-Tanwir
• Baydawi
• Tafsir Abi Sa`ud al-Imadi

Modern Tafsir:

• Al-Shanqiti - Adwa al-Bayan
• Al-Sabuni - Safwat al-Tafasir

Please feel free to add your own recommendations. I recall A'idh al-Qarni saying that one should focus on one tafsir and read it extensively. If I were to choose one from the above then it would have to be Safwat al-Tafasir.

[suleimanibnsalim]

Al-salamu 'alaykum.

There are many tafasir masha'Allah and everyone has their preferences. Among the most notable that have come to us are:


Tafsir bi’l ma’thur wa riwayah:
• Al-Tabari
• Ibn Kathir
• Al-Suyuti – Al Durr al Manthur fi al Tafsir bil Mathur

Tafsir ahkam al-Qur’an:
• Tafsir al-Qurtubi
• Al-Sabuni – Rawa'i al-Bayan
• Al-Jassas
• Ibn al-`Arabi - Ahkam al-Qur’an

Tafsir fi’l-lugha wa’l-i’rab:
• Ibn Ashur – al-Tahrir al-Tanwir
• Baydawi
• Tafsir Abi Sa`ud al-Imadi

Modern Tafsir:

• Al-Shanqiti - Adwa al-Bayan
• Al-Sabuni - Safwat al-Tafasir

Please feel free to add your own recommendations. I recall A'idh al-Qarni saying that one should focus on one tafsir and read it extensively. If I were to choose one from the above then it would have to be Safwat al-Tafasir.

Yeah, many have a personal liking for Sabuni's one, ma sha' Allah. The same goes for Sha'rawi's (though that was just a transcription of his lectures).

As you allude to with your headings, each tafsir has its own distinguishing qualities.

As for general tafasir to read while starting off in the field, the Ba 'Alawis recommend Ma'alim at-Tanzil of al-Baghawi.

was-salam

[suleimanibnsalim]

oh, and don't forget al-Zamakhshari's Kashshaaf under lughah!

[Isa al-Asiri]

Jazak Allahu khayran for the additions.

Al-Sha'rawi's are great to listen to masha'Allah and he is loved by everyone, may Allah have mercy on him.

The essence of al-Zamakhshari is contained within al-Baydawi, without the Mu'tazali explanations. Al-Baghawi has a somewhat abridged tafsir bi'l-ma'thur but I felt that Tabari, al-Suyuti, and Ibn Kathir were more comprehensive. I once did a comparison of them and found that al-Baghawi essentially sums up the discussions of al-Tabari. So, as a beginning book in the field I think it would be great, though al-Jalalayn is more concise.

Ibn al-Jawzi also has a great tafsir but again I felt that, although he does have some discussions not found elsewhere, the essence of what he says can be found in the ones listed above.

Al-Sabuni's Safwat al-Tafasir really is great and sums up the essentials of all the major tafasir. It doesn't seem to command as much authority among the Muslims in the West, probably because it is not yet deemed 'Classical' or 'Traditional,' which seems to be the trend here. But if one were to stick to it, one would have the essence of all the major tafasir. If also serves as a great bridge to some of the others. As you may know, some of the tafasir are extremely complex and difficult to understand, which is quite ironic when you think about it.

[godilali]

My favorite is Safwat al-Tafasir as well.

[omar2006]

Would you guys also happen to know which madhab each of the above listed mufassir followed? I have a hunch that majority of tafasir were written by people who followed a madhab.

[Quandary]

Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari had his own mad'hab.
Imam Ibn Kathir was a Shafi'i.
al-Suyuti was a Shafi'i and claimed ijtihad.
al-Qurtubi was a Maliki.
Ibn al-'Arabi was also a Maliki.
Shaykh Muhammad al-Amin ash-Shanqiti had grounding in the Maliki and Hanbali mad'habs.

Whether any of these mufassir were Mutjahid fil-Mad'hab is unknown to myself.

[faqir]

To add to what was mentioned by the poster above,

Shaykh Muhammad `Ali al-Sabuni the author of Safwat al -Tafasir is Hanafi I believe.

Al-Sabuni's Safwat al-Tafasir really is great and sums up the essentials of all the major tafasir. It doesn't seem to command as much authority among the Muslims in the West, probably because it is not yet deemed 'Classical' or 'Traditional,' which seems to be the trend here. But if one were to stick to it, one would have the essence of all the major tafasir. If also serves as a great bridge to some of the others. As you may know, some of the tafasir are extremely complex and difficult to understand, which is quite ironic when you think about it.

Unfortunately the main issue is that it is not easily accessible to most muslims in the West....

[suleimanibnsalim]

I guess certain people may be a bit iffy about it, but I think Tafsir al-Kabir of ar-Razi encompasses so much that it shouldn't be overlooked.

was-salam

[faqir]

if you mean salafis then yes i agree