{"id":3712,"date":"2014-01-31T05:36:10","date_gmt":"2014-01-31T05:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/?p=3712"},"modified":"2014-07-28T23:16:03","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T23:16:03","slug":"an-important-principle-of-tafseer-repels-misunderstandings-about-quranic-passages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/an-important-principle-of-tafseer-repels-misunderstandings-about-quranic-passages.htm","title":{"rendered":"An Important Principle of Tafseer Repels Misunderstandings About Quranic Passages"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the All-Merciful…<\/em><\/p>\n

One of our respected visitors sent in the following question:<\/p>\n

Could you give some insight into the origin of the Verse:<\/p>\n

\u0641\u0627\u0633\u0623\u0644\u0648\u0627 \u0623\u0647\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u0630\u0643\u0631 \u0625\u0646 \u0643\u0646\u062a\u0645 \u0644\u0627 \u062a\u0639\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0646<\/strong>
\n\u201cAnd ask the people of knowledge when you do not know.\u201d<\/strong> [16:43]<\/p>\n

This Verse is often\u00a0used to refer to\u00a0Muslim scholars, but Ibn Katheer explains this to mean the people of the books that came before, i.e. the previously revealed scriptures.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The\u00a0response:<\/strong> While it is true that Imaam Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have Mercy on him)\u00a0did in fact identify that the Verse was revealed about the scholars of the Jews and Christians who had knowledge of previously revealed scriptures, he\u00a0did not<\/strong> restrict the meaning of the Verse to them alone, in a way that excludes the Muslim scholars. This may sound a little confusing, but by the end of the article the matter should be very clear, in shaa’ Allaah<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What\u00a0has been mentioned about the Verse being revealed about the people of the earlier scriptures is true<\/strong>. However, reading a book of Tafseer without some basic principles could prove harmful, as you may reach conclusions that were not intended. Al-hamdulillaah for this question, and for what Allaah has opened up for us in understanding of His Book!<\/em><\/p>\n

When a scholar tries to single out the exact reason for a Verse\u2019s revelation, like in this case, it does not<\/strong> mean that the Verse is restricted to those whom it was revealed about exclusively, or that the scholar was trying to restrict its meaning to that.<\/p>\n

There is a principle in Tafseer the scholars work by:<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0628\u0631\u0629 \u0628\u0639\u0645\u0648\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0641\u0638 \u0644\u0627 \u0628\u062e\u0635\u0648\u0635 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0628\u0628<\/strong><\/p>\n

Meaning: The specific reason for a Verse\u2019s revelation, or the specific event or people it was revealed about, does not restrict its meaning, rather it is to be understood to be as general as the wording\u00a0allows.<\/p>\n

An example<\/strong> of this would be: Verses 5-7 of Soorah al-Layl<\/em>:<\/p>\n

\u0641\u0623\u0645\u0627 \u0645\u0646 \u0623\u0639\u0637\u0649 \u0648\u0627\u062a\u0642\u0649 \u0648\u0635\u062f\u0642 \u0628\u0627\u0644\u062d\u0633\u0646\u0649 \u0641\u0633\u0646\u064a\u0633\u0631\u0647 \u0644\u0644\u064a\u0633\u0631\u0649
\n\u201cAs for the one who gives and has piety, whilst he believes in the Recompense, then We shall grant him ease in following after al-Yusraa <\/strong>(the easy path to goodness).\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

These three Verses were understood to be revealed about Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq<\/strong> (may Allaah be pleased with him) specifically. However, to restrict\u00a0the\u00a0meanings of the Verses\u00a0to him alone would be baseless<\/strong>, since the wording includes him and everyone who behaves as he did. Restricting the Verse to one man would effectively remove the impact of this divine encouragement toward belief and upright actions in the lives of everyday Muslims! (May Allaah\u00a0enable us to live up to the Verses!)<\/em><\/p>\n

Another example<\/strong> of this principle would be the Verse in Soorah al-Anfaal<\/em> (8:27) which was revealed regarding Haatib ibn Abee Balta\u2019ah<\/strong> (may Allaah be pleased with him). Ibn Katheer identifies the specific event it was revealed about, and then goes on to say:<\/p>\n

\n

\u0648\u0627\u0644\u0635\u062d\u064a\u062d \u0623\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0622\u064a\u0629 \u0639\u0627\u0645\u0629\u060c \u0648\u0625\u0646 \u0635\u062d \u0623\u0646\u0647\u0627 \u0648\u0631\u062f\u062a \u0639\u0644\u0649 \u0633\u0628\u0628 \u062e\u0627\u0635\u060c \u0641\u0627\u0644\u0623\u062e\u0630 \u0628\u0639\u0645\u0648\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0641\u0638 \u0644\u0627 \u0628\u062e\u0635\u0648\u0635 \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0628\u0628 \u0639\u0646\u062f \u0627\u0644\u062c\u0645\u0627\u0647\u064a\u0631 \u0645\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0644\u0645\u0627\u0621
\n<\/strong>\u201cWhat is correct is that the Verse is generally worded, even\u00a0though it has been authentically narrated to have a specific reason of revelation, since the generality of the wording is taken over restricting it to its reason (for revelation), according the vast majority of scholars.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

With this in mind, now it should be easy to understand\u00a0why\u00a0Ibn Katheer used this Verse\u00a0to explain the status of the scholars and the obligation of following them, in his explanation of Soorah an-Nisaa<\/em> (4:59):<\/p>\n

What seems apparent -and Allaah knows best- is that the Verse refers to all authorities, both the rulers and the scholars, as has preceded.<\/p>\n

Allaah has said [what means]: \u201cWhy do the firmly-grounded scholars and priests not forbid them from their sinful statements and their devouring of evil things (immoral transactions, oppressive earnings).\u201d<\/strong> [5:63]<\/p>\n

And Allaah has said [what means]: \u201cThen ask the people of knowledge when you do not know.\u201d<\/strong> [16:43]<\/p>\n

And in the authentic hadeeth which is agreed upon, from the narration of Aboo Hurayrah, who related that the Messenger of Allaah -may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace- said [what means]: \u201cWhoever obeys me has obeyed Allaah, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed Allaah. Whoever obeys my ameer (appointed leader) has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys my ameer has disobeyed me.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

These are orders to obey both the scholars and the rulers.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Simply put, while the Verse was originally revealed about those with knowledge of previous scriptures, its general wording also encompasses the obligation for Muslims to ask their scholars about matters which they do not know.<\/p>\n

To summarize:<\/strong> The Quran is the Speech of Allaah, divinely miraculous in its meanings. To think that a Verse revealed about a specific event does not apply to anything other the original event itself would lead to the nullification of many, many intended applications of the Quran in our lives. And Allaah knows best.<\/p>\n

Written by: Moosaa Richardson<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the All-Merciful… One of our respected visitors sent in the following question: Could you give some insight into the origin of the Verse: \u0641\u0627\u0633\u0623\u0644\u0648\u0627 \u0623\u0647\u0644 \u0627\u0644\u0630\u0643\u0631 \u0625\u0646 \u0643\u0646\u062a\u0645 \u0644\u0627 \u062a\u0639\u0644\u0645\u0648\u0646 \u201cAnd ask … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,250,64,180],"tags":[1033,306,1035,429,1034,1001,999,1007,395,532,245,254,1002,692],"class_list":["post-3712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aqeedah-manhaj","category-knowing-the-scholars","category-original-articles","category-questions-answers","tag-aboo-bakr-as-siddeeq","tag-almaghrib-institute","tag-book-of-allaah","tag-council-of-senior-scholars","tag-haatib-ibn-abee-baltaah","tag-ibn-katheer","tag-obeying-the-scholars","tag-principles-of-tafseer","tag-quran","tag-respect-the-scholars","tag-scholars","tag-tafseer","tag-tafseer-benefits","tag-whats-wrong-with-almaghrib-institute"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3712"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3982,"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3712\/revisions\/3982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bakkah.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}