Tafsir Al Quran or Tafseer Al Quran attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding and conviction of Allah’s will. The word Tafsir (Tafseer) is derived from the Arabic word fassara, which literally means to lift the curtain, to make clear, to show the objective, and hence by analogy tafsir is the body of knowledge which aims to make clear the true meaning of the Qur'an, its injunctions and the occasions of its revelation.
1- Tafsir bil-riwaya (also known as Tafsir bil-mathur)
Tafsir Bil-Riwaya includes the interpretation of the Qur'an by Quranic verses and use of the explanations of the prophet and his companions. Books of this class of Tafsir include those attributed to Ibn Abbas, Ibn Abi Khatim, Ibn Habban, and that of Imam Suyuti known as Al-Dur al-Mansu, tafsir by Khatir and al-Shukani may also be included in this group.
2- Tafsir Bil-Ray (or Tafsir Bil-Dirayah)
Tafsir Bil-Ray is not based directly on transmission of knowledge from the past, but on reason. Exegesis is derived through opinion based on reason and Ijtihad or Qiyas. In this area we find tafsirs like al-Kashaf by Zamakshari (d. 1144).
3- Tafsir bil-ishara
Tafsir bil-ishara goes into the detail of the concepts and ideas associated with the words and verses of the Qur'an. This kind of tafsir is often produced by mystically inclined authors. The most famous are those by al-Razi and al-Khazin.
1. The Quran
The first source of the knowledge of tafsir is the Quran itself. Accordingly, it happens very often that a certain point which is brief and requires explanation is invariably clarified by some other verse of the Quran. For instance, in the following verse of Surat al-Fatihah, “Guide us on the straight path, the path of those on whom You have blessed…”, it is not clear here as to who are those whom Allah Almighty has blessed. But, in another verse, they have been identified very clearly where it is said:
So, these are the people whom Allah Almighty has blessed, being the prophets, their true followers, the martyrs (in the way of Allah) and the righteous. (4:69)
Therefore, when commentators explain a Quranic verse, they first check to see if a tafsir of the verse is already existent elsewhere in the Quran itself. If such an explanatory verse exists, they elect to adhere to it as their first choice.
2- The Hadith
The words and the deeds of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are called Hadith, and as it has been stated earlier, Allah Almighty sent him with the Quran solely for the purpose of explaining, openly and explicitly, the correct meanings of the Quran to people. Consequently, he discharged this duty with grace and excellence both by word and deed. In fact, his whole blessed life is, after all, a practical tafseer of Quran. It is for this reason that respected commentators, in order to understand the Quran, have laid the greatest emphasis on the hadith as the second source of tafsir and it is in the light of hadiths that they have determined the meanings of the Book of Allah.
3- Narrations of Companions
The noble Sahabah, or Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all), had received their education directly from the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In addition, they were personally present on the scene when verses were revealed, and they had themselves witnessed the circumstances and backgrounds of the Quranic revelation. Therefore, naturally, the recorded statements of these blessed souls are far more authentic and trustworthy in explaining the Noble Quran. Hence, in the case of verses the explanation of which is not found in the Quran or Hadith, statements recorded from the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) are given the highest priority. Consequently, if there is a consensus of Companions on the explanation of a certain verse, the commentators follow just that and explaining it in any way otherwise is not considered permissible.
4- Narrations of the Successors
After the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) come the Successors (Tabi‘in). The latter learnt the tafsir of Quran directly from the former. Therefore, their statements too have great importance in the science of tafsir, although a difference of opinion among scholars exists on whether the statements of the Successors are considered decisive in tafsir. Their importance, nonetheless, cannot be denied. (al-Itqan, 2:179)
5- The Arabic Language
Since the Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, in order to accurately explain the Quran, it is necessary to learn Arabic language and master it. There are several verses of the Quran for which there happen to be neither any attending circumstance of revelation nor any related juristic or scholastic question. Therefore, in their explanation, neither the sayings of the Holy Prophet nor the statements of the Sahabah or Tabi‘in have been transmitted. Hence, the only means through which such verses can be explained is the Arabic language, and it is on the basis of language alone that they are elucidated. Additionally, should there be some difference in the tafseer of a certain verse, then also the science of linguistics is used to run a test of veracity between varying opinions.
6- Deliberation and Deduction
The last source of tafsir consists of deliberation and deduction. The subtleties and mysteries of the Quran are an ocean with no shore. Therefore, the more a person who has been blessed with insight into the Islamic sciences by Allah Almighty deliberates into it, the more he discovers ever-new mysteries and subtleties. As a result, commentators do present the outcomes of their respective deliberations as well, but the mysteries and subtleties so described are found acceptable only when they do not contradict the five sources mentioned above. So, should a person, while explaining the Quran, come up with a subtle point or independent judgment which is contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, Consensus (Ijma‘), language, or the statements of Companions and Successors, or stands in conflict with another principle of Shari‘ah, then it will have no credence. Some mystics in the past sought to describe such mysteries and subtleties in tafseer but investigative scholars of the Ummah did not consider them trustworthy because the personal opinion of any person that contravenes the basic principles of the Quran, Sunnah and Shariah have obviously no weight. (al-Itqan, 2:184)