Al-Quran: Tafsir and 'Ulum al-Quran
What this domain tests
Tafsir and 'Ulum al-Quran test your ability to explain meaning with sound method: context, language, and transmitted authority. You need to know the major genres and avoid personal opinion without evidence.
Core concepts
- Tafsir explains the Quran; ta'wil returns a word to its intended meaning. The mufassir needs Arabic, Qur'anic usage, Sunnah, and knowledge of the Companions.
- Order of tafsir: Quran by Quran, then Sunnah, then sahabah, then tabi'in, then Arabic language.
- Tafsir bi al-ma'thur uses transmitted reports; tafsir bi al-ra'y uses reasoning and must not contradict the transmitted meaning.
- 'Ulum topics: asbab al-nuzul, makki/madani, nasikh/mansukh, muhkam/mutashabih, qasas, amthal, i'jaz.
Worked example
Surah al-Fatihah 5: iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in. The object iyyaka is placed before the verb, which Arabic rhetoric uses for hasr, exclusivity. The reasoning: worship and seeking help are restricted to Allah alone, matching tawhid. Reading it as we worship You and also seek help elsewhere reverses the verse's point. The verse also moves from worship to dependence, showing that tawhid is both action and trust.
Traps
- Explaining a verse without its siyaq (context) and asbab al-nuzul.
- Quoting isra'iliyyat as if it were tafsir.
- Claiming naskh without a clear earlier and later ruling.
- Treating every mutashabih verse as allegory without authority.
- Confusing Makki and Madani by place of revelation only, when style and audience also matter.