Page-40-What is the best way to interpret the Quran? What is Surah? (سورة):Number of Surah: Meaning of Al- Fatiha (الفاتحة):Meaning of Ayat:The lowest number of Ayats in a Surah:Use of the word Surah (السورة) in the Quran::

What is the best way to interpret the Quran? Abul Fida Imaduddin Ismail Ibn Umar Ibn Kathir Al –Qurashi Ad-Damashqi, known as Ibn Kathir described in in his Tafsir-

أن أصح الطرق فى ذالك أن يفسر القرأن بالقران فما أجمل فى مكان فأنه قد فسر  فى موضع أخر فأن أعياك ذالك فعليك بالسنة فأنهاشارحة للقران وموضحة له بل قال أبو عبدالله محمد أبن إدريس الشافعى (رحمه الله) كل ما حكم به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فهو مما فهمه من القران –قال الله تعالى " أنا أنزلنا إليك الكتلب بالحق لتحكم بين الناس بما أراك الله ولاتكن للخاءنين خصيما (ألنساء - ١٠٥)وقال تعالى "وما أنزلنا عليك الكتاب إلا لتبين لهم الذى إختلفوا فيه وهدا ورحمة لقوم يومنون (ألنحل- ٦٤) وقال تعالى وأنزلنا إليك الذكر لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهم ولعلهم يتفكرون (ألنحل - ٤٤) ولهذا قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " ألا إنى أوتيت القرأن ومثله معه" (أبو داود ٤٦٠٤) يعنى السنةوالسنة أيضا تنزل عليه بالوحى كما ينزل القرأن إلا أنها لاتتلى كما يتلى القران( قال الله تعالى فى القران –" وما ينطق عن الهوى إن هو إلا وحى يوحىى")                 

“Surely the most correct way to interpret the Quran is to interpret the Qur’an by the Qur’an, so what is discussed in more briefly one place, is interpreted in another place. If it (Any Ayat of the Quran) makes you unable to understand that, then you follow Sunnah. Because Sunnah is the explanatory and interpreter of the Quran. Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Idris Ash-Shafei said in this regard- “Everything that Rasul (Sm.) ordered is what he understood from the Quran”. Allah the   Almighty said: “I have revealed the Quran to you with the truth so that you can judge among the people by what Allah has shown you and do not be an adversary for the traitors” (Al-Nisa -105) Allah the Almighty said, “And I have revealed to you the Quran to make clear to them what they differ about and as guidance and mercy for the Muminas”. (An-Nahal-64) Allah the Almighty said: “And I have revealed to you the Quran so that you explain to them what is revealed to them and they may ponder over it. (An-Nahal-44) For that reason, Allah’s Rasul (Sm.) said: “Beware! I have been given the Qur'an and something like it.” It means the Sunnah. (Abu Dawud 4604, باب فى لزوم السنة - كتاب السنة) Sunnah also reveals to Nabi (Sm.) as the Quran reveals, but Sunnah is not recited as the Quran is recited”.  (Allah the Almighty said in the Quran-“He (Sm.) doesn’t speak of his whims, it is only a revelation sent down to him.” Sura An-Najm, 3 &4) (Ref.1)

What is Surah? (سورة):

It is described in the Arabic dictionary written by جبران مسعود:

The lexical meaning of سورة (Surah) is- الفصل أو القطعة المستقلة من القرأن“A chapter or a separate piece of the Qur'an, its plural is- سور” (السين with Dammah and الواو with Fathah). (Ref.2)

Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Muhammad Ash-Shawkani said: والسورة الطائفة من القران المسماة بإسم خاص “And Surah is a group of Ayats of the Qur’an with a particular name” (Ref.3)

Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Ibn Abi Bakr Al-Qurtubi said- معنى السورة فى كلام العرب: ألإبانة لها من سورة أخرى وإنفصالها عنها” “The meaning of Surah in the speech of the Arabs: To make it clear from another Surah and to make it separated from that.” (Ref.4)

 Jalaluddin As- Soyuti described in his book- وقال الجعبرى: حد السورة: قرأن يشتمل على أى ذى فاتحة وخاتمة وأقلها ثلاث ايات

“Ja’bari said in the definition of Surah: "Surah is a Quran that includes some Ayats which have beginning and ending and its lowest number is three Ayats".

Number of Surah: Jalaluddin As- Soyuti also  described in his book: أما سورة: فمأة وأربع عشر سورة بإجماع

“The number of Surahs: With the Consensus (Of Muslim Scholars) - one hundred and fourteen”. (Ref.5)

Meaning of Al- Fatiha (الفاتحة)

Ar- Ragib Al-Ispehani said: وفاتحة كل شيئ مبدؤه الذى يفتح به ما بعده وبه سمى فاتحة الكتاب

“The opening of everything is its beginning, and with that opens what comes after that, and with that (The Surah) is named فاتحة الكتاب or the opening of the book”. (Because the Quran begins with this Surah.) (Ref.6)

Meaning of Ayat:

Jibran Masud( جبران مسعود) said in his book: ألأية من القرأن كل جملة أو كلام منفصل عن غيره  “Every sentence or separate speech of the Qur'an is called an Ayah”.(Ref.7)

The lowest number of Ayats in a Surah:

Abul Qasem Mahmud Ibn Umar Az-Zamakhshari Al-Hanafi said –والسورة: الطائفة من القرأن المترجمة التى أقلها ثلاث أيات “And Surah is the group of Ayats with a sub-title. Its lowest number is three Ayats” (Ref.8)

“One word also can be Ayat in the Quran. As Allah the almighty said in Sura Ar- Rahman مدهمتان (Both will be dark green)”. (Ar-Rahman-64) (Ref.9)

Use of the word Surah (السورة) in the Quran:

According to the book named ألمعجم المفهرس لألفاظ القرأن Compiler محمد فؤاد عبد الباقى – باب السين - page no-370, the word “Surah” is used 09 times and once the word سور (Plural of Surah) in the Quran in different Ayats, as Allah the almighty said:

1. وإن كنتم فى ريب مما نزلنا على عبدنا فأتوا بسورة من مثله “And if you are in doubt about what I have revealed to my servant, (Muhammad Sm.) then you   come with a surah like it.”(Al-Baqara -23)  It means to compose a Sura like any surah of the Qur'an. 2.يحذر المنافقون أن تنزل عليهم سورة تنبئهم بما فى قلوبهم قل إستهزئواإن الله مخرج ماتحذرون  

“The Munafiqs fear that a Sura reveals about them exposing what is in their hearts. Say (O prophet), keep mocking, Surely Allah will bring out what you fear.” (It means Allah will reveal your affairs) (At-Tawbah-64)

References :( المراجع)

1.Tafsir Ibn Kathir , Named “Tafsirul Quranil Azeem” Volume-1, ألمقدمه , Page-5 & 6

2. رائد الطلاب, Page-525, 1st edition-1967, Beirut.

3. Fathul Qadir, Volume-1, page-52, Author-Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn  Muhammad  Ash-Shawkani, Publisher- Darul Marefah for Printing and Publishing, Beirut, Lebanon

4. Tafsir-i-Qurtubi with Tahqiq (Verification) by Dr.Abdullah Ibn Abdul Muhsin At-Turki, 1st volume, page-106, printed in Beirut, Lebanon 1st edition -2006 by Al-Resalah Publishers.

5. Al-Itqan Fi Ulumil Quran, Pages- 118 & 143, Author –Jalaluddun As- Souiti.

6. Mufradatu Alfazil Quran, كتاب الفاء, Page-621, Author- Ar- Ragib Al-Ispehani

7. رائد الطلاب, Page-176, 1st edition-1967, Beirut.

8. ألكشاف عن حقائق غوامض التنزيل وعيون الأقاويلPage-218, Volume-1 Author-Abul Qasem Mahmud Ibn Umar Az- Zamakhshari, 1st edition.

9. Al-Itqan Fi Ulumil Quran, Pages- 147, Author –Jalaluddun As- Soyuiti.

 

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