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A tafsir ( (Arabic: تفسير) tafsīr, Arabic "explanation") is Qur'anic exegesis or commentary. Someone who writes tafsir is a mufassir ( (Arabic: مفسر) mufassir, plural (Arabic: مفسرون) mufassirūn).
The five traditional sources for commentary of the Qur'an are:
1. The Qur'an. This is regarded as the highest form of tafsir, on the belief that the Qu'ran is the word of Almighty God and authoritative when it explains itself. A related Muslim belief is that the Qur'an is c) free of contradiction, and that apparent inconsistencies in its message are inevitably resolved through closer study of the Qur'anic text. 2. The hadith. Muslims believe that Muhammad was sent, among other reasons, to explain and clarify the Qur'an to people. The accounts of Muhammad's teaching recorded in the hadith collections thus contain much tafsir of the Qur'an, under titles such as "Meaning of Qur'anic verses." An authenticated hadith is regarded the second highest form of tafsir, because the Islamic prophet is explaining it -- 3. The reports of the Sahaba. The Sahaba, or companions of Muhammad, also interpreted and taught the Qur'an. If Qur'anic explication is absent, and there is no authentic tradition deriving from Muhammad, then a consensus of the companions may be helpful in interpreting a certain verse. Scholars have an obligation to follow that consensus. 4. The reports of those who learned from the companions. These people grew up in an environment with people who had known the Prophet, so their insight is the next in line of the sources of tafsir. (In addition, the recorded practice of those who lived in the Prophet's city of Medina carry special weight in the Maliki school.) 5. Reason. A qualified scholar's personal reasoning (deductive logic and personal evaluation of arguments) is the final method of understanding the Qur'an; it exists in conjunction with the other four. See Ijtihad. Early caliphs are strongly associated with this method of tafsir.
The approaches of tafsir There are various approaches to interpret the Qur'an--
* Interpretation of the Qur'an by the Qur'an: Because of the close interrelatedness of the verses of the Qur'an with one another, the Qur'anic verses explain and interpret one another.[1] Many verses or words in the Qur'an are explained or further clarified in other verses of the Qur'an. [2] Tafsir al-Mizan is an example of this kind. * Interpretation of the Qur'an by the Hadith: In this approach the most important external aids used in interpreting the meanings of the Qur'an are the hadith — the collected oral traditions upon which Muslim scholars (the ulema) based Islamic history and law. While certain hadith — the hadith qudsi — are thought to reflect noncanonical words spoken by God to Muhammad, Muslims do not consider these to form any part of the Qur'an. * Interpretation of the Qur'an by the History: Most commentators considered it extremely important for commentators to explain how the Qur'an was revealed -- when and under which circumstances. Much commentary, or tafsir, was dedicated to history. The early tafsir are considered to be some of the best sources for Islamic history. Famous early commentators include at-Tabari and Ibn Kathir.
Prohibited Tafsir
Muslims believe that it is prohibited to perform Qur'anic interpretation using solely one's own opinion. This, they base on an authenticated hadith of Muhammad which states that it is prohibited.
The Qur'an, the utmost authority on Islam asserts that the word was sent to all of mankind and it is up to the whole of mankind to receive it and sincerely ponder upon its meaning. Islam acknowledges no "clergy" nor monopolisation of "The Word of God", Islam only acknowledges the "knowledgeable" ones from among a community of people, the "Ulama" or scholars. In the Qur'an, God exhorts mankind to "think" and "ponder" and "realise" for themselves, thereby awakening true belief inside each and every human being.
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