Kalmomin tafsir da ta'wil sun kasance ma'anarsu ɗaya a wajen malaman farko na Musulunci; sai dai a ƙarnukan da suka biyo bayan zamanin tabi'ai da ɗalibansu (ƙarni na 9 da na 10 miladiyya/ƙarni na 3 da na 4 hijira), kalmar ta'wil ta ɗauki sabuwar ma'ana mai ɗauke da sababbin illoli masu haɗari. Saboda haka, wajibi ne mu duba waɗannan kalmomi a asalin ma'anarsu, da kuma yadda aka yi amfani da su daga baya.

The words tafseer and ta’weel were considered synonyms by the early generations of Muslims; however, in the centuries following the era of the taabi‘oon and their students (9th and 10th centuries CE/3rd and 4th centuries AH), the term ta’weel took on a new meaning with new and dangerous implications. Consequently, it is necessary for us to look at these terms in their original context, as well as their later usage.

Kalmar tafseer, wadda ta samo asali daga aikin fi'li fassara, a zahiri tana nufin bayani ko fassara, kamar yadda yake a cikin ayar,

The word tafseer, which comes from the verb fassara, literally means an explanation or an exposition, as in the verse,

Sai dai, a ilimin Alkur'ani, wannan kalma tana nufin wani reshe na ilimi wanda ta hanyarsa ake fahimtar Alkur'ani, ana bayyana ma'anoninsa, kuma ana fitar da hukunce-hukuncensa na shari'a da hikimominsa.56

However, in Qur’aanic sciences, this term is defined as a branch of knowledge by which the Qur’aan is understood, its meanings explained, and its points of law and wisdom derived.56

A gefe guda kuma, kalmar ta'weel, wacce ta fito daga aikin awwala, ma'anarta a zahiri ita ce fassara. Idan aka yi amfani da kalmar ta'weel a cikin mahallin umarni, tana nufin aiwatarwa ko tabbatar da shi, kamar yadda yake a cikin hadisin da 'A'isha ta ruwaito inda ta ce, "Manzon Allah (ﷺ) yana aiwatar da (yata'awwalu) Alkur'ani ta hanyar cewa a cikin ruku'i da sujada (a lokacin sallah)"

On the other hand, the word ta’weel, which comes from the verb awwala, literally means interpretation. When the word ta’weel is used in the context of a command, it means its execution or implementation, as in the hadeeth reported by ‘Aa’ishah in which she said, “Allaah’s Messenger (r) used to implement (yata’awwal) the Qur’aan by saying in rukoo‘ (bowing) and sujood (prostration) [during salaah],

Ta na nufin aiwatar da umarnin Allah na Annabi ﷺ a cikin ayar,

She was referring to the Prophet’s execution of Allaah’s command in the verse,

Idan aka yi amfani da kalmar ta'weel dangane da labari ko bayani, tana nufin faruwarsa, kamar yadda ayar take cewa:

When ta’weel is used in reference to news or information, it refers to its occurrence, as in the verse,

Wato, Allah yana yi wa waɗanda ba sa karɓar wahayi ba'a ta hanyar tambayar su ko suna jiran tashin Sa'a da alamominta, da Hukunci, da Aljannah, da Wuta cikin wauta, a lokacin da zai zama ya makara.

That is, Allaah ridicules those who do not accept revelation by asking them if they are foolishly awaiting the occurrence of the final hour and its signs, the Judgment, Paradise, and the Hellfire, when it will be too late.

Sai dai, idan aka yi amfani da kalmar ta'weel dangane da magana da aka rubuta ko aka ruwaito, tana nufin bayaninta ko fassararta, kamar a cikin aya:

However, when the word ta’weel is used in reference to recorded speech, it refers to its explanation or interpretation, as in the verse:

Saboda haka, malaman tafsiri na farko sun yi amfani da kalmomin tafseer da ta'weel a madadin juna. Misali, Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree, a cikin tafsirinsa, yakan fara kowane sashe da jumlar, "Ra'ayi game da ta'weel (bayanin) maganar Maɗaukaki."61

Hence, the early scholars of tafseer used the words tafseer and ta’weel interchangeably. For example, Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree, in his tafseer, commonly introduced each section with the phrase, “The opinion concerning the ta’weel (explanation) of the statement of the Exalted.”61

A cikin ƙarnoni na baya, lokacin da bayanai na karkata da na bidi'a suka yawaita, malamai na lokacin suka yi amfani da kalmar ta'weel domin tabbatar da su da ba su kamannin halascin. Sun bayyana ta'weel da cewa shi ne karkatar da magana daga ma'anarta ta fili zuwa daya daga cikin ma'anoninta masu yiwuwa saboda mahallin da take ciki; wato, fassara nassi ba da ma'anarsa ta fili ba saboda duk wani dalili da malamin ya ga ya dace. Misali, malamai na wannan zamani, karkashin tasirin Mu'tazilawa (masu ra'ayin hankali), sun karkatar da kalmar 'hannu' a cikin ayar nan, wadda ke magana game da rantsuwar da sahabbai suka yi:

In later centuries, when deviant and heretical explanations abounded, the term ta’weel was used by the scholars of that time to justify them and give them an air of legitimacy. They defined ta’weel as the shifting of an expression from its obvious meaning to one of its likely meanings due to its context;62 that is, the interpretation of a passage by other than its obvious meaning for whatever reason a scholar considered relevant. For example, scholars of this period under Mu‘tazilee (Rationalist) influence explained away the word ‘hand’ in the following verse, which refers to an oath taken by the sahaabah:

Sun fassara shi ta hanyar cewa taimako da goyon bayan Allah ne, saboda dalili guda mai sauƙi: a cewarsu, Allah ba zai yiwu ya zama yana da hannu ba. Wannan ta'weel ɗin ya dogara ne akan tushe marar gaskiya, wato cewa danganta hannu ga Allah yana nufin lallai a mayar da Shi a siffar mutum. Sai dai, kamar yadda kiran Allah da "al-Hayy" (Mai rai) ba ya sa Shi ya zama kamar halitta ta ko kaɗan, domin rayuwarsa ba ta kama da rayuwarmu ba, haka ma kiran hannun Allah hannu na gaske ba ya sa Shi ya zama kamar halitta, domin hannunsa ba ya kama da hannayenmu ko kaɗan. Ya kamata a lura, duk da haka, cewa tabbatarwar Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah cewa Allah yana da hannu na gaske ba ya nufin cewa sun fahimci hannunsa a matsayin wata gaɓa ta jiki.64

They interpreted it as being Allaah’s help and support for the simple reason that, as they put it, Allaah could not possibly have a hand. This ‘ta’weel’ was based on the false premise that the attribution of a hand to Allaah automatically implied concep-tualizing Him in human form. However, in the same way that referring to Allaah as a living being (al-Hayy) does not in any way make Him humanlike, because His life is in no way like our life, referring to Allaah’s hand as a real hand does not make Him humanlike, for his hand is in no way like our hands. It should be noted, however, that the affirmation by Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jamaa‘ah that Allaah has a real hand does not mean that they understand His hand to be a body part.64