Interpretation ( Tafsir) is the science of knowing the intents and purposes of divine verses to the extent of human capacity. Absolute comprehension of them is impossible . The ultimate goal of the science of interpretation is to reach the level of intellects in grasping the principles revealed to the Holy Prophet [1].
According to some commentators, interpretation consists of three stages: “Interpretation is the clarification of the meanings of Quranic verses, and the uncovering of their purposes and indications [2].”
- First stage: Clarifying the content of vocabulary and expressions (the meanings of the verses). This stage is understandable with the help of lexicon books, especially primary dictionaries and books dedicated to the vocabulary of the Holy Quran.
- Second stage: Unveiling the serious intent (murad jiddi) of the vocabulary and expressions of the Holy Quran (their indications). Therefore, the first stage deals with the usage-based intent (murad isti’mali), while the second stage deals with the serious intent.
- Third stage: Discovering the purposes of the verses (maqasid al-ayat). This means uncovering the goal and purpose that God intended behind these serious intents.
Consequently, to complete the cycle of interpretation, a commentator must go through these three stages, and without them, no one can claim to have interpreted the verses of the Holy Quran. Perhaps the most important part of interpretation is precisely these purposes of the noble verses: discovering the ultimate purpose of the divine verses and what purpose was intended behind these intents. Purposes can be considered for the verses of the Quran, but discovering the purposes of the divine verses is not that simple and can perhaps only be attributed to the verses as probabilities.
However, the method of interpretation refers to the path and approach that each commentator employs for their interpretation, which often depends on the tools they use in interpretation. The intended meaning of “method” is the utilization of a specific tool or source in interpreting the Holy Quran that clarifies the meanings and intents of the verses and yields specific results. In other words, “the manner of discovering and extracting the meanings and intents of the verses of the Holy Quran is called the method of Quranic interpretation [3].”
There are numerous methods of interpretation, such as the method of interpreting the Quran with the Quran, the narrative (riwa’i) method, the scientific method, the allusive (ishari) method, the rational and ijtihadi method, the method of interpretation based on personal opinion (tafsir bi al-ra’y), and other methods. Of course, interpretation based on personal opinion has been forbidden: “Whoever speaks about the Quran based on his own opinion and is correct has still erred [4].”
- [1] Sayyid Mustafa Khomeini, Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim, vol. 1, Introduction to Tafsir.
- [2] Allamah Tabatabai, Al-Mizan, Introduction to Al-Mizan.
- [3] Dr. Rezaei Isfahani, Dars-nameh-ye Rawish-ha wa Gerayesh-ha-ye Tafsiri-ye Quran [Textbook of Quranic Interpretive Methods and Tendencies], p. 22.
- [4] Allamah Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 20, p. 111.
