''Bayan Ul Quran'' (

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

tafsir Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...

'' (

exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (logic), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern usage, ...

) of the

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

written by

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Islamic scholar In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of reli ...

Ashraf Ali Thanwi Ashraf Ali Thanwi (often referred as Hakim al-Ummat and Mujaddid e Millet; 19 September 1863 – 20 July 1943) was a late-nineteenth and twentieth-century Sunni Islam, Sunni scholar, jurist, thinker, Mujaddid, reformist and the revival of classic ...

(d.1943). Originally written in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
''

AH. Thanwi completed this in 1905 (1323 AH). It was published in twelve volumes from Matb'a Mujtabai,

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

in 1908 (1326 AH). The prominent ''Khutba-i-Tafsir-i-Bayan al Quran'' by the author occupies a very pivotal place in all editions, because in this ‘Khutba’ Thanwi has discussed the causes for compiling this Tafsir. He Says: "I used to ponder about the compilation of a precise exegesis of Quran which can touch the important aspects and dimensions of society without any innovation, but I was aware about the inferable exegesis of Quran compiled before and this is why I counted any other exegesis of Quran an addition to the number not something cut of box. This was the time when people used to translate the Quran for market gains which was contradicting the rulings of

Sharia Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...

, and common Muslims went astray due to its misinterpretations. However these misinterpretations of Quran were countered by many pamphlets but were inadequate to counter this tide…..In this background on 12th Rabi al-Awal 1320 A.H I began to compile this Tafsir with the hope of after worldly gains from

Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", an ...

, and it may prove beneficial for the masses."

Methodology

The seven most important characteristic feature of this Tafsir according to Thanwi are: # Use of simple words in translating the Quranic verses to make it easy to be comprehended. # No use of phrases in translation, because phrases have many connotations. The translation has to be in prose so that it maintains clarity of the text and lucidity. # Efforts have been made to prevent the readers from doubts and misconceptions. The most difficult topics are supported with explanatory notes. # If a verse has diverse narrations for its exegesis, the most authentic narration has been taken into consideration. # The commentary of verses is made to display in itself a sound connection. # Out of four schools of Jurisprudence,

Hanafi The Hanafi school ( ar, حَنَفِية, translit=Ḥanafiyah; also called Hanafite in English), Hanafism, or the Hanafi fiqh, is the oldest and one of the four traditional major Sunni schools ( maddhab) of Islamic Law (Fiqh). It is named aft ...

school of thought is taken into consideration, and if needed other schools are textualised on the margins. # For specific purpose Arabic margin is added, in which Makki and Madani, obscure words are explained, context and background of verses is also given. The Arabic margin is basically Arabic exegesis of Quran which is very beneficial for students and scholars. Thanwi was the staunch follower of

school of thought, which reflects quite clearly in his Tafsir. According to Rihana Sidiqi: "Maulana Thanwi was a conformer of Hanafi school of thought. He considers the conformation of school of thought obligatory, hence we find him critical to those people who try to unjustify the conformation by misinterpreting the Quranic verses." Though, Thanwi was a hanafi jurisprudence scholar, he had spiritual inclination as well. This is why while deducing the legal injunctions from the Quranic verses; he had also deduced mystical dimensions from Quran. This is the first Urdu exegesis of Quran in which mystical dimensions have been extracted from Quranic verses. The main purpose behind the deduction was to clear the confusion regarding Tasawwuf. According to Thanwi in this exegesis of Quran following twenty necessary measures have been taken into consideration. # While compiling this exegesis, ''

Tafsir al-Baydawi ''Anwar al-Tanzil wa-Asrar al-Ta'wil'' ( ar, أنوار التنزيل وأسرار التأويل, lit=The Lights of Revelation and the Secrets of Interpretation), better known as ''Tafsir al-Baydawi'' ( ar, تفسير البيضاوي), is o ...

Tafsir al-Jalalayn ''Tafsīr al-Jalālayn'' ( ar, تفسير الجلالين, lit=Tafsir of the two Jalals) is a classical Sunni interpretation (tafsir) of the Qur'an, composed first by Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli in 1459 and then completed after his passing by Jala ...

, Tafsir-i-Rehmani, Al-itqan, Tafsir-i-Malim Al-Tanzil,

Tafsir al-Alusi ''Rūh al-Ma'ānī fī Tafsīri-l-Qur'āni-l-'Aẓīm wa Sab'u-l-Mathānī'' ( ar, روح المعاني في تفسير القرآن العظيم والسبع المثاني) is a 30-volume tafsir of the Qur'an, authored by the 19th-century Iraqi ...

, Tafsir-i-Madarik, Tafsir-i-Khazin, Tafsir-i-Ibn-e-Kathir,

Al-Dur al-Manthur ''Al-Durr Al-Manthur Fi Tafsir Bil-Ma'thur'' ( ar, الدر المنثور في التفسير بالماثور, lit=The Scattered Pearls: Intertextual Exegesis) is a Sunni tafsir (exegesis or commentary of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam) reco ...

'' and ''

Al-Kashshaaf ''Al-Kashshaaf 'an Haqa'iq at-Tanzil'', popularly known as ''Al-Kashshaaf'' ( ar, ٱلْكَشَّاف, al-Kaššāf, lit=the Revealer) is a seminal tafsir (commentary on the Qur'an) by Al-Zamakhshari written in the 12th century. Considered a pri ...

'' etc. have been consulted. Besides these Tafasir some books of Jurisprudence and Hadith were also consulted. # The connection between the chapters and verses; and the abstract of chapters is also recorded. # The citation of the verses is provided in order to avoid the repetition of exegesis of verses. # The narrations about Tafsir have been scrutinized and analyzed before considering them as substantial base for the exegesis. # While clarifying doubts, the intention was to clarify those doubts which produced sound arguments. # Superfluous contents are not used in this exegesis. # Phrases have been avoided in order to develop a comprehensive exegesis. # All the information about the old scriptures has been taken from ''Tafsir-i-Haqani''. # At some places the exegesis should have been further explored. It is better to prefer other authentic exegesis in this regard. # Those

Fiqh ''Fiqh'' (; ar, فقه ) is Islamic jurisprudence. Muhammad-> Companions-> Followers-> Fiqh. The commands and prohibitions chosen by God were revealed through the agency of the Prophet in both the Quran and the Sunnah (words, deeds, and ...

issues are discussed which fall within the paradigm. # The citation of contents is provided that makes the Tafsir easy for the readers. # Predecessors have been attested and followed in this exegesis. # Amongst the numerous opinions of exegesis only the authentic narration is accepted. # Some verses are explained in such a manner that only scholars and God conscious men can take benefits from them. # Some verses are not explored at length, but still they are sufficient to be comprehended. # Some important matters are not mentioned in exegesis, but they can be felt with intensive comprehension of the text. # The matters out of the content have been skipped accordingly. # The verses explained by Marfu Ahadith of Prophet

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...

have been preferred over any other tradition. # The above mentioned necessity measures are not found in the beginning of the exegesis, but the author confronted them in the long run of exegesis. # The Arabic marginalized exegesis is particularly for the men of understanding, and therefore need not such necessities to be followed.

Structure

The work consists of three volumes. A detailed introduction, included at the beginning of the first volume, focuses on some of the basic issues of the

. Below is the list of volumes and their contents: * The first volume —

Al-Fatiha Al-Fatiha (alternatively transliterated Al-Fātiḥa or Al-Fātiḥah; ar, ألْفَاتِحَة, ; ), is the first ''surah'' (chapter) of the Quran. It consists of 7 '' ayah'' (verses) which are a prayer for guidance and mercy. Al-Fatiha i ...

Al-An'am Al-An'am ( ar, ٱلأنعام, ; The Cattle) is the sixth chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, with 165 verses ( āyāt). Coming in order in the Quran after al-Baqarah, Al 'Imran, an-Nisa', and al-Ma'idah, this surah dwells on such themes as the ...

* The second volume —

Al-A'raf Al-Araf ( ar, ٱلأعراف, ; The Heights) is the 7th chapter (''sūrah'') of the Qur'an, with 206 verses ( āyāt). Regarding the timing and contextual background of the revelation (''Asbāb al-nuzūl''), it is a "Meccan surah", which means ...

An-Nur Light ( ar, النور, ; The Light) is the 24th chapter of the Quran with 64 verses. The surah takes its name, An Nur, from verse 35. Summary *1 This chapter revealed from heaven *2-3 Law relating to fornication *4-5 Punishment for defa ...

* The third volume —

Al-Furqan Al-Furqan ( ar, الفرقان, ; The Criterion) is the 25th chapter (sūrah) of the Qur'an with 77 verses ( āyāt). The name Al-Furqan, or "The Criterion" refers to the Qur'an itself as the decisive factor between good and evil. This Surah is ...

Al-Nas Al-Nās or Mankind ( ar, الناس, ''an-nās'') is the 114th and last chapter (''sūrah'') of the Qur'an. It is a short six-verse invocation. : ۝ Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, :۝ The Sovereign of mankind. :۝ The God of mankin ...

Translations

Bangla

The first

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

translation of this book was published in 1972 from Emdadia Library under the title '''Tafsire Ashrafi.

English

abridged An abridgement (or abridgment) is a condensing or reduction of a book or other creative work into a shorter form while maintaining the unity of the source. The abridgement can be true to the original work in terms of mood and tone, capturing the ...

English translation published from Zam-Zam Publishers in 2003 for those treading the path of suluk, discusses spiritual issues from the standpoint of

tasawwuf Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

. Its covered

Ad-Dhuha Al-Ḍuḥā ( ar, الضحى, “The Morning Hours”, “Morning Bright” ,"The Early Hours") is the ninety-third chapter (''surah'') of the Qur'an, with 11 '' āyat'' or verses. Qur'an 93 takes its name from Arabic its opening word, ''al-� ...

Reception

The monumental qualities of this Tafsir are reflected in

Anwar Shah Kashmiri Anwar Shah Kashmiri (known with honorifics as ''Sayyid Muḥammad Anwar Shāh ibn Mu‘aẓẓam Shāh al-Kashmīrī''; 16 November 1875 – 28 May 1933) was a Kashmiri Muslim scholar and jurist who served as the first principal of Madrasa Ami ...

’s saying: "I first thought about this exegesis as been done for common man, but after going through it I recognized its importance for scholars as well." Bilal Ahmad Wani, a researcher of

University of Kashmir The University of Kashmir (U-K, UoK), informally known as Kashmir University (KU), is a collegiate public state university located on the western side of Dal Lake in the city of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, India which was established in 194 ...

wrote, "The exegesis is graced with wisdom in such a way that everyone can take benefit from it according to their mental capabilities. Besides providing a detailed explanation of fundamental principles of Islam, most importantly the mystical dimensions are deduced from the Quranic verses in order to purify the mysticism from un-Islamic thoughts like

Wahdat al-Wajud Tawhid ( ar, , ', meaning "unification of God in Islam (Allāh)"; also romanization of Arabic, romanized as ''Tawheed'', ''Tawhid'', ''Tauheed'' or ''Tevhid'') is the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam. Tawhid is the religion ...

(Unity of Being) and Nazriah-i Hulul (Transmigration) etc."

References

External links

* ''Bayan Ul Quran'' at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

{{Authority control Books by Ashraf Ali Thanwi 1908 books Sunni tafsir Urdu-language books Deobandi literature Hanafi literature Maturidi literature Quran translations Tafsir works Sufi tafsir