《古兰经》是真主降示给人类的最后一部启示经典,真主已应许保护它不受任何篡改或遗失。祂在《古兰经》中说:

The Qur’aan is the last book of divine revelation sent to man, and Allaah has promised to protect it from any distortion or loss. He said in the Qur’aan:

其书面与诵读形式已逾一千四百年未有丝毫改变，这一点前文已有提及。福音书所承载的先知耶稣（愿主赐他平安）的经典、旧约中归于早先众先知名下的各卷，以及真主所降示的任何其他经典，都无法做到这一点。然而，真主对《古兰经》的护佑并不止于此，祂还保全了它的原义。若《古兰经》的意义未得保全，异端之徒必会将真主的经典变成一堆符号、谜语和密码，任人作出多种解释，其本义也就湮没无闻了。真主保全《古兰经》的意义，一方面在经文之内阐明了其中的一些概括性内容，另一方面则将其余部分的注释托付给了祂的使者穆罕默德·本·阿卜杜拉（ﷺ）（公元570—632年）。

Its written and recited forms have been preserved without even the slightest change for over fourteen hundred years, as has been mentioned in previous chapters. This cannot be said about the Gospel of Prophet Jesus (r), nor the books of the Old Testament attributed to earlier prophets, nor any other scripture revealed by Allaah. However, Allaah’s protection of the Qur’aan did not stop there; He also safeguarded the original meaning. If the protection of the Qur’aan’s meaning had not taken place, deviants would have turned the Book of Allaah into a jumble of symbols, riddles and codes open to a multiplicity of interpretations, and its original meaning would have been lost. Allaah preserved the meaning of the Qur’aan by explaining some of its generalities within the Qur’aan itself and by entrusting the tafseer of the remainder to His Messenger, Muhammad ibn Abdillaah (r) (570-632 CE).

圣门弟子被教导，理解《古兰经》时，首先应从《古兰经》本身寻求理解，其次从先知的解释和实践中寻求，最后则依靠自己对《古兰经》语言的深入理解。先知去世后，那些新近皈依伊斯兰教的人，首先依靠《古兰经》自身来解释自身，然后依靠圣门弟子为他们讲解《古兰经》。圣门弟子会向他们的再传弟子（即塔比along 'īn）讲述经文降示的背景情况、先知的言语和行为所给出的解释，最后还会讲解一些可能不熟悉的词语，或在阿拉伯半岛以外的阿拉伯人中可能含义不同的词语。随着圣门弟子时代的过去，再传弟子中的学者肩负起沉重的责任，将《古兰经》的原始含义原原本本地传授给下一代穆斯林，正如他们自己所接受的那样。先知（愿主赐福并使其平安）之后的第三代，开始了收集和记录再传弟子所传各种经注（tafseer）的工作。

The sahaabah (companions) were taught to seek their understanding of the Qur’aan first from the Qur’aan itself, then from the explanations and applications of the Prophet (r) and from their own intimate understanding of the language of the Qur’aan. After the Prophet’s death, those who entered Islaam as new converts depended first upon the Qur’aan to explain itself, then they depended on the sahaabah to explain the Qur’aan to them. The sahaabah would inform their students among the taabi‘oon of the circumstances in which the verses were revealed, the interpretation given by the Prophet’s statements and his actions, and finally they would explain the meanings of some words which may not have been familiar or which may have had a different meaning to Arabs outside of the Arabian Peninsula. With the passing of the era of the sahaabah, the scholars among the taabi‘oon shouldered the grave respon-sibility of conveying the original meanings of the Qur’aan to the next generation of Muslims exactly as they had received them. It was the third generation after the Prophet (r) which began the process of gathering and recording the various narrations of tafseer from the taabi‘oon.

根据先知（愿主赐福他并使他平安）及其门徒以及追随他们的早期穆斯林学者所遵循的上述方法，正统学者推导出以下步骤，作为正确注释《古兰经》的必要条件：

From the above-mentioned methodology of the Prophet (r) and his companions and that of the early generations of Muslim scholars which followed them, the following steps have been deduced by orthodox scholars as being the necessary conditions for making correct tafseer of the Qur’aan:

《古兰经》中有许多地方，经文以提问的方式吸引读者的注意，随后再予以解答，以增强所论概念的感染力。在另一些地方，经文先作概括性的陈述，随后再加以阐释，以变换表达方式，鼓励读者和听众更多地思考。这种自我阐释的过程，被称为以《古兰经》注解《古兰经》。安拉选择通过降示其他解释性的经文来阐明祂的本意。例如，安拉问道：

There are many places in the Qur’aan where questions are asked in order to catch the mind of the reader and subsequently answered to increase the impact of the concept in question. In other places, general statements are made and then later explained in order to vary the modes of presentation and encourage readers and listeners to reflect more. This self-explanatory process is referred to as tafseer of the Qur’aan by Qur’aan. Allaah chose to clarify what He intended by revealing other explanatory verses. For example, Allaah asks,

然后他在下一节经文中回答了自己的问题：

He then answers His question in the next verse:

安拉在《古兰经》中也说：

Allaah also states in the Qur’aan:

随后两节经文中，他详细说明了这一普遍规则的例外情况：

Two verses later He details the exceptions to the general rule:

正如安拉在经文中描述祂自己所说：

Another example can be seen in the verse in which Allaah describes Himself, saying:

这节经文暗示，真主无论在今世还是后世都不会被看见。

This verse implies that Allaah will not be seen in either this world or the next.

然而，安拉随后在来世描述信士时说：

However, Allaah later describes the believers in the next life as:

他还谈到不信者说：

and he says about the disbelievers:

因此,在去别处寻求解释或诠释之前,必须依靠《古兰经》自身来解释自己,因为安拉最知道祂的本意。

Therefore, before seeking an explanation or interpretation elsewhere, the Qur’aan must be relied upon to explain itself, for Allaah knows best what He intended.

在许多场合，先知（ﷺ）对《古兰经》的各节经文作了进一步的阐明。安拉曾将解释《古兰经》的责任托付给先知（ﷺ）。这一托付在《古兰经》中有明确的表述，毫不含糊，

On many occasions, the Prophet (r) added further clarification to various verses of the Qur’aan. Allaah had entrusted the job of explaining the Qur’aan to the Prophet (r). This trust was expressed in the Qur’aan in no uncertain terms,

圣门弟子清楚地理解这一点,每当对《古兰经》某段经文的含义有所疑惑时,总是向先知ﷺ请教以求明确。事实上,拜功、天课、斋戒、朝觐、继承法等许多细节,大多是通过先知ﷺ的言语或实际示范与运用(圣行)来阐明的。因此,先知ﷺ对《古兰经》经文的解释,被称为圣行对《古兰经》的注释。例如,在《开端章》中,先知ﷺ解释说,“al-maghdoobi ‘alayhim”(受真主震怒者)指犹太人,“ad-daalleen”(迷误者)指基督教徒。74 有一次,他诵读了这节经文:

The sahaabah understood this clearly and always turned to the Prophet (r) for clarification whenever they were in doubt about the meaning of any of the Qur’aanic passages. In fact, most of the fine details of salaah, zakaah, sawm, hajj, inheritance laws, etc. were explained either by the Prophet’s statements or practical demonstrations and applications (the Sunnah). Thus, the Prophet’s explanations of Qur’aanic passages are referred to as the tafseer of the Qur’aan by the Sunnah. For example, in Soorah al-Faatihah, the Prophet (r) explained that “al-maghdoobi ‘alayhim” (those on whom is Allaah’s anger) are the Jews, and “ad-daalleen” (those astray) are the Christians.74 On one occasion he recited the verse:

他接着说道,

He then said,

在另一则圣训中，他解释了这节经文：

In another narration, he explained that the verse:

他提到了真主赐予他的天堂中的一条河流。78

referred to a river in Paradise which Allaah has given him.78

因为圣训（Sunnah）以真主的指引为基础，它体现了真主许诺阐明《古兰经》的第二部分。

Because the Sunnah was based on guidance from Allaah, it represents the second part of God’s promise to explain the Qur’aan:

伊本·阿拔斯解释说，经文“然后，由我来阐明它”的意思是“在你的舌头上 [穆罕默德啊]”。因此，任何其他人的解释都不能优先于先知（ﷺ）的解释。

Ibn ’Abbaas explained that the statement, “Then it is for Me to explain it,” means, “upon your tongue [O Muhammad].” 80 Consequently, no other human interpretation can be given precedence over that of the Prophet (ﷺ).

每当圣门弟子在《古兰经》本身或《圣训》中找不到某段经文的注释时，他们便依据自己对经文降示背景的了解，以及《古兰经》所用阿拉伯语的精微之处，运用自己的理性进行推断。因此，最伟大的《古兰经》注释家之一伊本·凯西尔（Ibn Katheer）在其《古兰经注》的序言中写道：“如果我们在《古兰经》或《圣训》中找不到合适的注释，我们就求助于圣门弟子的见解。因为他们比任何人都更了解《古兰经》，这是由于他们熟知经文降示的情况，对经文有完整而准确的理解，并且行为端正。”圣门弟子的这些解释被称为“以圣门弟子的言论作注”（tafseer bi-l-aathaar）。例如，当伊本·阿拔斯被问及这节经文时：

Whenever the sahaabah could not find the tafseer of a passage in the Qur’aan itself or in the Sunnah, they would use their own reasoning based on their knowledge of the contexts of the verses and the intricacies of the Arabic language in which the Qur’aan was revealed. Consequently, one of the greatest commentators of the Qur’aan, Ibn Katheer, wrote in the preface of his tafseer, “If we are unable to find a suitable tafseer in the Qur’aan or in the Sunnah, we go to the opinions of the sahaabah. For verily, they knew the Qur’aan better than anyone else due to their knowledge of the circumstances of its revelation, their complete and accurate understanding of it, and their righteous deeds.” These explanations of the sahaabah are known as tafseer by aathaar (the sayings of the sahaabah). For example, when Ibn ‘Abbaas was questioned about the verse:

他回答说:“这指的是脸和手。”82 另一次,他在诵读这节经文后……

he replied, “It refers to the face and hands.” 82 On another occasion, after reciting the verse,

伊本·阿拔斯说："这是一种比真正的'kufr'（不信）程度较轻的kufr（不信）。" 84

Ibn ‘Abbaas said, “It is a form of kufr (disbelief) less than real kufr.” 84

然而，从先知（r）和圣门弟子那里流传下来的tafseer并未涵盖《古兰经》的所有经文。先知（r）只解释了对圣门弟子而言不明确的部分，而圣门弟子又只解释了对再传弟子而言不明确的部分。但随着每一代人的更替，由于语言的演变，越来越多的内容变得难以理解。因此，在圣门弟子的时代过后，再传弟子不得不作出进一步的解释。这些解释通过aathaar被视为tafseer的一部分，如果他们之间意见一致，则应优先于个人见解。若他们意见有分歧，则除非某一观点得到语言的支持，否则不应偏重其中任何一种意见。

However, the tafseer transmitted from the Prophet (r) and the sahaabah did not cover all of the verses of the Qur’aan. The Prophet (r) explained only what was unclear to the sahaabah, and they, in turn, only explained what was unclear to the taabi‘oon. But with each succeeding generation, more areas became unclear due to the evolution of the language. Hence, the taabi‘oon had to make further explanations after the passing of the sahaabah’s era. These explanations are considered a part of tafseer by aathaar and should be given precedence over personal opinions where there is unanimity among them. Where they differed, none of their opinions is given preference over the others unless it is supported by the language.

在tabi‘un（再传弟子）的时代，许多基督徒和犹太人皈依了伊斯兰教。

During the era of the taabi‘oon, many Christians and Jews became Muslim.

因此，一些塔比仪（tābi‘ūn）在解释《古兰经》时，转述了来自犹太教和基督教来源的故事。这类叙述后来被称为“以色列传说”（Isrā’īliyyāt）。在后世，解经著作中充斥着此类叙述，其中许多无法追溯到任何可靠的来源。

As a result, some of the taabi‘oon narrated tales from Jewish and Christian sources in their explanations of the Qur’aan. Such narrations became known as Israa’eeleeyaat. In later generations, the books of tafseer became filled with such narrations, many of which could not be traced to any reliable source.

随着时间的推移，词语获得了新的含义，旧的含义逐渐消失，外来词汇进入了语言，大量词汇也渐渐被废弃不用。这一自然的过程使得有必要根据字面意义和语法意义来解释《古兰经》中的一些词语。

With the passage of time, words took on new meanings and old meanings became lost, foreign words entered into the language, and vast sections of vocabulary fell into disuse. This natural process necessitated the explanation of some of the Qur’aanic words according to their literal and grammatical meanings.

因此，这一时期出现了专门用于解释《古兰经》阿拉伯语词汇和语文学的词典。当一个词具有多种含义时，这一做法引发了见解上的分歧，而这些分歧只能通过在圣训中寻找依据来解决。例如，“lams”（لمس）的字面意思是触摸，但在比喻义上指性交。

Consequently, this period witnessed the appearance of dictionaries written specifically to deal with Qur’aanic Arabic vocabulary and philology. In cases where words had more than one meaning, this step created differences of opinion which could only be solved by finding some support in the Sunnah. For example, “lams” literally means to touch, but figuratively it means sexual intercourse.

因此，后世学者对于下面这节经文的理解基本上有两种看法：

Thus, the later scholars were of two basic opinions concerning the following verse,

伊玛目沙斐仪和马利克认为，此处的“触”指手的触摸，尽管两位伊玛目各自对此附加了某些条件。另一方面，伊玛目艾布·哈尼法裁定，此处指的是性交。然而，先知的妻子们传述，先知在礼拜前会亲吻她们，这表明该经文所指的并非单纯的触摸。86

Imaams ash-Shaafi‘ee and Maalik held that it meant the touch of the hand, though each imaam added certain stipulations to it. On the other hand, Imaam Aboo Haneefah ruled that it meant sexual intercourse. However, the Prophet’s wives reported that he kissed them before performing salaah, which indicated that touching was not intended by this verse.86

上述四种方法都归入一般性的标题之下，即“以传闻为依据的释义”（tafseer bir-riwaayah 或 tafseer bil-ma’thoor），因此这类释义几乎没有争议余地。然而，尽管第四步常常以前代的传述为依据，它有时却带有很强的个人见解，并且富有争议。例如，尤素福·阿里（Yusuf Ali）把第85章中使用的“burooj”一词译为“黄道十二宫”（the Zodiacal signs），而皮克索尔（Pickthall）则译为“星座宫殿”（Mansions of the Stars），但他在该章的导言中说，这个词“适用于黄道十二宫的星座”。据此，按照他们的理解，安拉是以黄道十二宫起誓。一些讲英语的穆斯林便把这视为对占星术的间接支持。然而，“burooj”原本只表示“星座的位置排列”，直到后来才被用来指异教徒巴比伦人和希腊人强加于星辰之上的想象中的黄道图形。先知（ﷺ）明确禁止占星术，因为它属于禁止求问占卜者的一般性禁令之下。先知（ﷺ）说：

The four above-mentioned methods come under the general title of tafseer bir-riwaayah or tafseer bil-ma’thoor (tafseer based on narration) and, as such, leave little room for argument. Although the fourth step is oftentimes based on narrations from earlier generations, at other times it can be highly opinionated and controversial. For example, Yusuf Ali translates the word “burooj” used in the 85th soorah as “the Zodiacal signs,” while Pickthall translates it as “Mansions of the Stars,” but says in his introduction to the soorah that it “is applied to the signs of the zodiac.” Thus, according to them, Allaah is making an oath by the zodiacal signs. Some English-speaking Muslims have taken this to be indirect support for astrology. However, “burooj” originally only meant “star con-figuration,” and it was not until later times that it was used to refer to the imaginary figures of the zodiac that pagan Babylonians and Greeks superimposed on them. Astrology has been forbidden by the Prophet (r) in no uncertain terms, as it falls under the general prohibition on visiting fortunetellers. The Prophet (ﷺ) said,

基于对前四个步骤的仔细研究而形成的见解，只要不与这些步骤中的任何一项相矛盾，便可被视为有效。同样，将《古兰经》的明显含义应用于现实情况，并依据其相似之处得出结论，也是允许的，只要这类解释不与可靠的经典注释相冲突。但是，基于哲学、科学或宗派思想的自由解释则是绝对禁止的。先知ﷺ曾有圣训说道：

Opinions based on a careful study of the first four steps can be considered valid as long as they do not contradict any of those steps. Likewise, the application of obvious meanings of the Qur’aan to existing situations and the formation of conclusions based on their similarities are also allowed, as long as such interpretations do not clash with authentic classical explanations. But, free interpretation based on philosophical, scientific, or sectarian ideas is totally forbidden. The Prophet (r) was reported to have said,

从上述圣训可以看出,先知(r)严厉警告他的门徒以及后世穆斯林,不要依据臆测和无根据的意见来解释《古兰经》。原因在于,《古兰经》是伊斯兰教的根基,因此必须保持纯正,不被篡改。如果任何人都可以随意按自己的意愿来解释《古兰经》,它的价值就会被彻底毁掉,伊斯兰教本身也会从根基上被动摇。因此,唯一可接受的注释,是遵循以下次序的注释:先以《古兰经》注释《古兰经》,其次以圣训注释,再次以圣门弟子的言论注释,然后以语言学注释,最后是个人见解,但个人见解必须以前述四种方法为依据,且不与其中任何一种相矛盾。

We can see from the above-mentioned hadeeth that the Prophet (r) sternly warned his companions and later generations of Muslims about interpretations of the Qur’aan based on speculation and unsubstantiated opinions. The reason is that the Qur’aan is the foundation of Islaam and, as such, it had to remain pure and untampered with. If free rein was given to any and everyone to interpret the Qur’aan as they wished, its value would be totally destroyed, and Islaam itself would be undermined from its base. Thus, the only acceptable tafseer is that which adheres to the following sequence: tafseer of Qur’aan by the Qur’aan, then by the Sunnah, then by the sayings of the sahaabah, then by language, and finally by opinion, as long as it is based on the preceding four methods and does not contradict any of them.