Katika kipindi hiki, tafsiri ya Qur'ani ilifundishwa kwa njia ya riwaya (usimulizi). Yaani, masahaba waliokuwa wakiongoza shule za tafsiri walinukuu kauli za Mtume ﷺ zilizofafanua maana za aya, au walieleza muktadha wa kihistoria ambamo aya zilishuka, au walinukuu mashairi ya kabla ya Uislamu yaliyofafanua maana ya baadhi ya maneno ambayo hayakuwa tena yakitumika kwa kawaida. Baada ya zama za masahaba, wanafunzi wao, watabi‘ina, waliendelea kufundisha kwa njia ya riwaya kwa namna ile ile waliyojifunza. Hata hivyo, baadhi yao pia walianza kusimulia pamoja na tafsiri zao hadithi zilizotokana na vyanzo vya Kiyahudi na Kikristo ili kufafanua zaidi baadhi ya sehemu za Qur'ani.

During this period, tafseer was taught by narration. That is, the sahaabah who headed schools of tafseer would quote the sayings of the Prophet ( ﷺ) which explained the meanings of verses, or explain the historical context in which the verses were revealed, or they would quote verses of pre-Islaamic poetry which explained the meaning of some words that were no longer in common use. After the era of the sahaabah, their students, the taabi‘oon, continued to teach by narration in much the same way that they had learned. However, some of them also began narrating along with their tafseers tales from Jewish and Christian sources to further explain certain passages of the Qur’aan.

Inapaswa kufahamika kwamba kulifanyika ukusanyaji wa tafsiri (tafsiir) wakati wa zama za Taabi‘uun. Mfano unaojulikana zaidi ni ule wa Mujaahid ibn Jabr (642-722 BK/40-103 AH), mwanafunzi wa Ibn ‘Abbaas. Mujaahid ndiye aliyeandika tafsiri ya kwanza inayojulikana; hata hivyo, hakuna nakala ya kazi yake iliyotufikia. Umuhimu wa tafsiri ya Mujaahid unaweza kueleweka kutokana na kauli yake ifuatayo: “Nilimsomea Ibn ‘Abbaas Qur’aan yote mara tatu. Katika kila usomaji, nilisimama mwishoni mwa kila aya na kumuuliza ni nani na kwa sababu gani ilishushwa.”39

It should be noted that some compilation of tafseer took place during the era of the taabi‘oon. The most noteworthy example is that of Mujaahid ibn Jabr (642- 722 CE/40-103 AH), a student of Ibn ‘Abbaas. Mujaahid compiled the earliest known tafseer; however, no copy of his work has reached us. The significance of Mujaahid’s tafseer can be appreciated from his following statement, “I read the whole Qur’aan to Ibn ‘Abbaas three times. During each reading, I stopped at the end of every verse and asked him about whom and why it was revealed.”39

Mwishoni mwa utawala wa Bani Umayya, 40 ukusanyaji wa tafsiri ya Qur'ani kwa utaratibu ulianza. Wanazuoni wa hadithi walianza kukusanya maneno na matendo ya Nabii (ﷺ) katika sura kulingana na mada zake, na sura ya tafsiri ilikuwa mojawapo yake. Baadhi ya wanazuoni hawa walitilia maanani hasa usimulizi wa tafsiri unaohusishwa na Nabii (r), masahaba na tabi'ina. Miongoni mwa mashuhuri zaidi walikuwa Yazeed ibn Haaroon as-Salamee (d. 737 CE/118AH), Shu‘bah ibn al-Hajjaaj (d. 777 CE/160 AH), Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah (d. 814CE/198AH), ‘Abdur-Razzaaq ibn Hammaam (d. 827 CE/211 AH), na ‘Abd ibn Humayd (d. 864 CE/250 AH).41 Hata hivyo, tafsiri ya Qur'ani yote haikufanyika wakati huu.42

Towards the end of the Umayyad dynasty, 40 the systematic compilation of tafseer began. The scholars of hadeeth began compiling the sayings and actions of the Prophet (ﷺ) in chapters according to their subject matter, and the chapter on tafseer was one of them. Some of these scholars paid special attention to the narration of tafseer attributed to the Prophet (r), the sahaabah and the taabi‘oon. The foremost among them were Yazeed ibn Haaroon as-Salamee (d. 737 CE/118AH), Shu‘bah ibn al-Hajjaaj (d. 777 CE/160 AH), Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah (d. 814CE/198AH), ‘Abdur-Razzaaq ibn Hammaam (d. 827 CE/211 AH), and ‘Abd ibn Humayd (d. 864 CE/250 AH).41 However, no tafseer of the complete Qur’aan took place at this time.42

Mwishoni mwa karne ya tisa Milaadia, fani ya tafsiri ilikua na kuwa sayansi huru ya Kiislamu. Kizazi hiki cha wanazuoni kilikuwa cha kwanza kukusanya tafsiri za Qur'aan kufuatana na mpangilio wa maandishi. Tafsiri ya mwanzo kabisa kufika kwetu iliandikwa na Ibn Jareer at-Tabaree (839-923 CE/225-310 AH), ambaye anatokana na zama hizi. Tafsiri nyingine ziliandikwa na Ibn Maajah (d. 886 CE/272 AH), Ibn Abee Haatim (d. 939 CE/327 AH), Ibn Hibbaan (d. 980 CE/369AH), al-Haakim (d. 1014 CE/404 AH), na Ibn Mardawayh (d. 1020 CE/410 AH).

Zaidi, mlango wa tafsiri kwa maoni binafsi ulifunguliwa. Kazi za tafsiri zilianza hivi karibuni kuakisi mielekeo mbalimbali ya fikra katika jamii ya Waislamu. Kufikia karne ya kumi na moja na kumi na mbili, kazi kuu za falsafa na sayansi ya Kigiriki zilizotafsiriwa katika karne zilizotangulia zilianza kuathiri nyanja zote mbalimbali za elimu ya Kiislamu. Madhehebu ya kifalsafa kama ya Mu‘tazilah (Wanaakili) yalikuwa yameibuka, yakitishia kwa ujasiri fikra safi za Kiislamu. Tafsiri zilizojaa istilahi za kifalsafa na kisayansi, kama al-Kash-shaaf ya az-Zamakhsharee (1075-1144 CE/467-538 AH) au Mafaateeh al-Ghayb ya Fakhrud-Deen ar-Raazee (1149-1210 CE/544-606 AH), pamoja na tafsiri zinazoeleza fikra za madhehebu mbalimbali ya kipotofu, pia zilijitokeza katika kipindi hiki. Kwa mfano, tafsiri ya Shi‘ah Ithnaa ‘Ashariyyah ya Mullah Muhsin al-Kaash iliifanya aya za Qur’aan kuzungumzia maimamu kumi na wawili wasio na dosari, uongozi wa kubuni (walaayah) wa mkwewe Nabii ‘Alee, na madai ya kuritadi kwa masahaba wote wa Nabii isipokuwa wachache; na tafsiri ya Sufi ya Ibn al-‘Arabee (d. 1240 CE/638 AH) iliifanya aya za Qur’aan kuitangaza itikadi yake ya kipantheisti kwamba Allaah ni kila kitu na kila kitu ni Allaah.44

In addition, the door of tafseer according to personal opinion was opened. Works of tafseer soon began to reflect various trends of thought in Muslim society. By the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the major works of Greek philosophy and science that had been translated in the previous centuries began to have an effect on all of the various Islaamic fields of study. Philosophical schools of thought like that of the Mu‘tazilees (Rationalists) had evolved which boldly threatened pure Islaamic thought. Tafseers full of philosophical and scientific terminology, like al-Kash-shaaf of az-Zamakhsharee (1075-1144 CE/467-538 AH) or Mafaateeh al-Ghayb of Fakhrud-Deen ar-Raazee (1149-1210 CE/544-606 AH), and tafseers expressing the thoughts of various heretical sects also appeared during this period. For example, the Twelver Shee‘ah tafseer of Mullah Muhsin al-Kaash made the verses of the Qur’aan speak of twelve infallible imaams, the imaginary walaayah (governorship) of the Prophet’s son-in-law ‘Alee and the claimed apostasy of all of the Prophet’s companions except a handful; and the Soofee tafseer of Ibn al-‘Arabee (d. 1240 CE/638 AH) made Qur’aanic verses voice his pantheistic ideology of Allaah being all and all being Allaah.44

Kulikuwa pia na mwelekeo wa utaalamu miongoni mwa wanazuoni wa Kiislamu, uliotokana na mageuzi ya elimu ya Kiislamu kuwa taaluma nyingi. Kwa hiyo, tafsiri kama za al-Jassaas (917-980 CE/304-369 AH) na al-Qurtubee (d. 1273 CE/671 AH) zilijikita katika kutoa fiqh (sheria ya Kiislamu) kutoka katika aya za Qur'ani kulingana na madhehebu (shule za fiqh) zao husika. Vilevile, ath-Tha‘labee, aliyebobea katika hadithi za historia ya kale, aliandika al-Jawaahir al-Hisaan fee Tafseer al-Qur’aan, ambamo alikusanya simulizi zote kuhusu wa zamani, bila kujali uhalisia wake.45

Nimeona takriban maoni kumi tofauti kuhusu tafsiri ya aya hiyo:

I have seen approximately ten different opinions concerning the tafseer of the verse:

licha ya ukweli kwamba Mtume ﷺ, maswahaba zake (sahaabah) na wanafunzi wao (taabi‘oon) wote walisimulia kwamba aya hiyo inamrejelea hakuna mwingine ila Mayahudi na Wakristo. Na (mmoja wa wanazuoni wa mwanzo) Ibn Abee Haatim alisema kuhusu aya hii: "Sijui kuwa kuna tofauti yoyote kati ya wanazuoni wa tafsiri kuhusu hilo." 47

in spite of the fact that the Prophet (r) and his companions (sahaabah) and their students (taabi‘oon) all related that the verse referred to none other than the Jews and the Christians. And (one of the early scholars) Ibn Abee Haatim said concerning this verse, “I know of no disagreement among the scholars of tafseer about it.” 47

Baadhi ya wanazuoni wa kipindi hiki na vipindi vya baadaye walijizuia kufanya muhtasari wa kazi za waliotangulia, huku wengine wakaridhika kuandika maelezo ya pembeni (footnotes) kwa kazi za waliotangulia. Inapaswa pia kufahamika kwamba, licha ya upotovu na kudumaa kulikoliathiri fani ya tafsiri (tafseer), pamoja na elimu zote za Kiislamu, kulikuwepo wanazuoni wengi wakubwa waliolishikilia juu bendera ya fikra safi ya Kiislamu. Kwa hiyo, haipaswi kushangaza kukuta kwamba tafsiri iliyosifiwa zaidi kuliko zote katika zama zote ilitungwa na mwanazuoni wa kipindi hiki, yaani Tafsiri ya Qur'aan al-'Atheem ya al-Haafith ibn Katheer (aliyefariki mwaka 1373 CE sawa na 774 AH).

Some of the scholars of this and later periods confined themselves to making abridgements of earlier works while others were satisfied to write footnotes for earlier works. It should also be noted that in spite of the deviation and stagnation which afflicted the field of tafseer, as well as all of the Islaamic sciences, there were a number of great scholars who held high the banner of pure Islaamic thought. Thus, it should not be surprising to find that the most highly acclaimed tafseer of all times was produced by a scholar of this time, Tafseer al-Qur’aan al- ‘Atheem by al-Haafith ibn Katheer (d. 1373 CE/774 AH).

Katika karne hii, aina mpya ya tafsiri (tafseer) imeibuka ambapo waandishi wamejaribu kuzitumia aya za Qur'aan kukidhi mahitaji ya karne ya ishirini. Kwa mfano, tafsiri kama Tafseer al-Manaar, iliyoanzishwa na Muhammad 'Abduh (d. 1905 CE) na kukamilishwa hadi Suratu Yoosuf na mwanafunzi wake Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa,48 au Fee Thilaal al-Qur'aan cha Syed Qutb, zinaonyesha misingi ya Qur'aan kwa jamii ya binadamu, sheria, na nadharia za kisayansi. Tafsiri hizi zote mbili zina wakosoaji wake. 'Abduh alikuwa na nia ya kurekebisha jamii za Kiislamu ili kukabiliana na changamoto ya Magharibi, na alitoa wito wa kuachana na taqleed kama msingi wa urekebishaji huo. Alisisitiza haja ya kuisoma Qur'aan upya, bila kufungwa na tafsiri za zamani. Yeye wala Ridaa hawakuwa tayari kuangalia tafsiri ya mtu mwingine yoyote hadi walipomaliza kuandika tafsiri yao wenyewe ya aya fulani.49 Katika bidii yake ya kuendana na nadharia za kisayansi, 'Abduh alifasiri malaika kuwa sawa na nguvu za kimaumbile, jambo lililomfanya kutafsiri kwa ishara hadithi ya Aadam na Iblees.50 Mwanafunzi wake alikanusha kwamba Nabii (ﷺ) alifanya miujiza yoyote isipokuwa kufikisha Qur'aan. Yeye na mwanafunzi wake walikataa hadithi kadhaa zilizopokewa na al-Bukhaaree na Muslim, wakidai kuwa ni dhaifu.51

In this century, a new form of tafseer has evolved in which the authors have tried to apply the passages of the Qur’aan to the needs of the twentieth century. For example, tafseers like Tafseer al-Manaar, started by Muhammad ‘Abduh (d. 1905 CE) and completed up to Soorah Yoosuf by his student Muhammad Rasheed Ridaa,48 or Fee Thilaal al-Qur’aan by Syed Qutb point out the Qur’aanic foundations for human society, legislation, and scientific theories. Both these tafseers have their critics. ‘Abduh was interested in reforming Muslim societies to meet the challenge of the west, and he called for the abandonment of taqleed as the starting point for that reform. He stressed the need for approaching the Qur’aan fresh, unencumbered by past inter-pretations of it. Neither he nor Ridaa would look at anyone else’s tafseer until they had finished writing their own tafseers of a particular passage.49 In his zeal to accommodate scientific theories, ‘Abduh interpreted angels as being synonymous with natural forces, which led him to a symbolic interpretation of the story of Aadam and Iblees.50 His student denied that the Prophet (r) performed any miracles other than conveying the Qur’aan. Both he and his student rejected a number of hadeeths reported by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim, claiming that they were weak.51

Hata hivyo, Ridaa alikuwa na elimu zaidi ya ‘Abduh katika hadithi na alitegemea hadithi zaidi kuliko yeye. Wote wawili waliupa akili zao uhuru mkubwa wa kufasiri kama walivyoona inafaa.

Sayyid Qutb aliishi katika wakati ambapo khilafa ya Kiislamu ilikuwa imevunjwa hivi karibuni. Ulimwengu wa Kiislamu ulikuwa umegawanywa katika nchi ndogo ndogo zenye mifumo ya kisheria iliyotokana na ukoloni wa Ulaya. Aliona hasira kubwa kwa jamii za Kiislamu kuiacha Sharia katika kuendesha mambo yao. Tafsiri zake za maana ya tawhiid zililenga haki pekee ya Allaah ya kutunga sheria za kuongoza jamii ya binadamu. Msisitizo wake juu ya jambo hili ulisababisha kupuuzwa kwa vipengele vingine vya tawhiid na hatari zinazotokana na aina nyingine za shirki isipokuwa shirki katika kutunga sheria. Inaonekana kweli alichanganyikiwa kuhusu tofauti kati ya tawhiid al-uluuhiyyah na tawhiid ar-ruubuubiyyah.53 Wakosoaji wake pia wanasema kwamba aliweka misingi ya harakati za leo za takfiri kwa kuzilaani kwa ujumla jamii za Kiislamu za sasa kuwa hazina uhusiano wowote na Uislamu, na kwa kuzisifu harakati za mapinduzi katika historia ya Kiislamu.54 Licha ya mapungufu haya, aliwasilisha uhakiki mkali wa Kiislamu juu ya kasoro za usekula na ustaarabu wa Ulaya uliozaa, wakati ambapo Waislamu wengi walikuwa wakijitetea kuhusu Uislamu.

Syed Qutb lived at a time when the Islaamic caliphate had just been abolished. The Islaamic world had been divided into small countries with legal systems that were the product of European colonialism. He felt a deep outrage at Islaamic societies’ abandonment of the Sharee‘ah in ruling their affairs. His interpretations of the meaning of tawheed focused on Allaah’s sole right to formulate the laws for the rule of human society. His stress of this point led to the neglect of other aspects of tawheed and of the dangers posed by forms of shirk other than shirk in legislation. He seems to have actually been confused about the difference between tawheed al-ulooheeyah and tawheed ar-ruboobeeyah.53 His critics also say that he laid the seeds for today’s modern takfeer movements with his blanket condemnation of contemporary Islaamic societies as having nothing to do with Islaam, and with his praise of revolutionary movements in Islaamic history.54 Despite these shortcomings, he presented a vigorous Islaamic critique of the flaws of secularism and the European civilization that spawned it at a time when most Muslims were apologetic about Islaam.