Prophetic Commentary on the Qur'an (Tafseer of the Prophet (pbuh))
كتاب التفسير
Chapter 2: What has been said about Fãtihat al-Kitab (i.e., the Opening of the Book)
While I was praying in the Mosque, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called me but I did not respond to him. Later I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I was praying." He said, "Didn't Allah say'--"Give your response to Allah (by obeying Him) and to His Apostle when he calls you." (8.24) He then said to me, "I will teach you a Sura which is the greatest Sura in the Qur'an, before you leave the Mosque." Then he got hold of my hand, and when he intended to leave (the Mosque), I said to him, "Didn't you say to me, 'I will teach you a Sura which is the greatest Sura in the Qur'an?' He said, "Al-Hamdu-Li l-lah Rabbi-l-`alamin (i.e. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds) which is Al-Sab'a Al-Mathani (i.e. seven repeatedly recited Verses) and the Grand Qur'an which has been given to me."
Chapter 3: "...Not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray." (V.1:7)
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "When the Imam says: 'Ghair-il-Maghdubi `alaihim Walad-Dallin (i.e. not the path of those who earn Your Anger, nor the path of those who went astray (1.7)), then you must say, 'Ameen', for if one's utterance of 'Ameen' coincides with that of the angels, then his past sins will be forgiven."
Chapter 5: The Statement of Allah: “And He taught Adam all the names (of everything)..." (V.2:31)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "On the Day of Resurrection the Believers will assemble and say, 'Let us ask somebody to intercede for us with our Lord.' So they will go to Adam and say, 'You are the father of all the people, and Allah created you with His Own Hands, and ordered the angels to prostrate to you, and taught you the names of all things; so please intercede for us with your Lord, so that He may relieve us from this place of ours.' Adam will say, 'I am not fit for this (i.e. intercession for you).' Then Adam will remember his sin and feel ashamed thereof. He will say, 'Go to Noah, for he was the first Apostle, Allah sent to the inhabitants of the earth.' They will go to him and Noah will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking.' He will remember his appeal to his Lord to do what he had no knowledge of, then he will feel ashamed thereof and will say, 'Go to the Khalil--r-Rahman (i.e. Abraham).' They will go to him and he will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking. Go to Moses, the slave to whom Allah spoke (directly) and gave him the Torah .' So they will go to him and he will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking.' and he will mention (his) killing a person who was not a killer, and so he will feel ashamed thereof before his Lord, and he will say, 'Go to Jesus, Allah's Slave, His Apostle and Allah's Word and a Spirit coming from Him. Jesus will say, 'I am not fit for this undertaking, go to Muhammad the Slave of Allah whose past and future sins were forgiven by Allah.' So they will come to me and I will proceed till I will ask my Lord's Permission and I will be given permission. When I see my Lord, I will fall down in Prostration and He will let me remain in that state as long as He wishes and then I will be addressed.' (Muhammad!) Raise your head. Ask, and your request will be granted; say, and your saying will be listened to; intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.' I will raise my head and praise Allah with a saying (i.e. invocation) He will teach me, and then I will intercede. He will fix a limit for me (to intercede for) whom I will admit into Paradise. Then I will come back again to Allah, and when I see my Lord, the same thing will happen to me. And then I will intercede and Allah will fix a limit for me to intercede whom I will let into Paradise, then I will come back for the third time; and then I will come back for the fourth time, and will say, 'None remains in Hell but those whom the Qur'an has imprisoned (in Hell) and who have been destined to an eternal stay in Hell.' " (The compiler) Abu `Abdullah said: 'But those whom the Qur'an has imprisoned in Hell,' refers to the Statement of Allah: "They will dwell therein forever." (16.29)
Chapter 6
Chapter 7: The Statement of Allah "...Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)..." (V.2:22)
I asked the Prophet, "What is the greatest sin in the Sight of Allah?" He said, "That you set up a rival unto Allah though He Alone created you." I said, "That is indeed a great sin." Then asked, "What is next?" He said, "To kill your son lest he should share your food with you." I asked, "What is next?" He said, "To commit illegal sexual intercourse with the wife of your neighbor."
Chapter 8: "And We shaded with clouds and sent down on you Al-Manna and the quail,... (up to) wronged themselves." (V.2:57)
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The Kam'a (i.e. a kind of edible fungus) is like the Manna (in that it is obtained without effort) and its water is a (medicine) cure for eye trouble."
Chapter 9: "And (remember) when We said: Enter this town (Jerusalem) and eat bountifully therein with pleasure and delight wherever you wish..." (V.2:58)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It was said to the children of Israel, 'Enter the gate (of the town), prostrate (in humility) and say: Hittatun (i.e. repentance) i.e. O Allah! Forgive our sins.' But they entered by dragging themselves on their buttocks, so they did something different (from what they had been ordered to do) and said, 'Hittatun,' but added, "A grain in a hair."
Chapter 10: "Whoever is an enemy to Jibril (Gabriel)..." (V.2:97)
`Abdullah bin Salam heard the news of the arrival of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (at Medina) while he was on a farm collecting its fruits. So he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "I will ask you about three things which nobody knows unless he be a prophet. Firstly, what is the first portent of the Hour? What is the first meal of the people of Paradise? And what makes a baby look like its father or mother?'. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Just now Gabriel has informed me about that." `Abdullah said, "Gabriel?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes." `Abdullah said, "He, among the angels is the enemy of the Jews." On that the Prophet (ﷺ) recited this Holy Verse:-- "Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel (let him die in his fury!) for he has brought it (i.e. Qur'an) down to your heart by Allah's permission." (2.97) Then he added, "As for the first portent of the Hour, it will be a fire that will collect the people from the East to West. And as for the first meal of the people of Paradise, it will be the caudite (i.e. extra) lobe of the fish liver. And if a man's discharge proceeded that of the woman, then the child resembles the father, and if the woman's discharge proceeded that of the man, then the child resembles the mother." On hearing that, `Abdullah said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that you are the Messenger of Allah, O, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ); the Jews are liars, and if they should come to know that I have embraced Islam, they would accuse me of being a liar." In the meantime some Jews came (to the Prophet) and he asked them, "What is `Abdullah's status amongst you?" They replied, "He is the best amongst us, and he is our chief and the son of our chief." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What would you think if `Abdullah bin Salam embraced Islam?" They replied, "May Allah protect him from this!" Then `Abdullah came out and said, "I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." The Jews then said, "Abdullah is the worst of us and the son of the worst of us," and disparaged him. On that `Abdullah said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! This is what I was afraid of!"
Chapter 11: His Statement: "Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it..." (V.2:106)
`Umar said, "Our best Qur'an reciter is Ubai and our best judge is `Ali; and in spite of this, we leave some of the statements of Ubai because Ubai says, 'I do not leave anything that I have heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) while Allah: "Whatever verse (Revelations) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We bring a better one or similar to it." (2.106)
Chapter 12: "And they (pagans, Jews and Christians) say: 'Allah has begotten a son (children or offspring).' Glory is to Him.. (V.2:116)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah said, 'The son of Adam tells a lie against me though he has no right to do so, and he abuses Me though he has no right to do so. As for his telling a lie against Me, it is that he claims that I cannot recreate him as I created him before; and as for his abusing Me, it is his statement that I have offspring. No! Glorified be Me! I am far from taking a wife or offspring.' "
Chapter 13: "...And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrähim (Abraham) (or the stone on which Ibrãhim LiI stood while he was building the Ka'bah) as a place of prayer (for some of your prayers, e.g. two Rak'at after the Tawaf of Ka'bah) . . ." (V.2:125)
`Umar said, "I agreed with Allah in three things," or said, "My Lord agreed with me in three things. I said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Would that you took the station of Abraham as a place of prayer.' I also said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Good and bad persons visit you! Would that you ordered the Mothers of the believers to cover themselves with veils.' So the Divine Verses of Al-Hijab (i.e. veiling of the women) were revealed. I came to know that the Prophet (ﷺ) had blamed some of his wives so I entered upon them and said, 'You should either stop (troubling the Prophet (ﷺ) ) or else Allah will give His Apostle better wives than you.' When I came to one of his wives, she said to me, 'O `Umar! Does Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) haven't what he could advise his wives with, that you try to advise them?' " Thereupon Allah revealed:-- "It may be, if he divorced you (all) his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you Muslims (who submit to Allah).." (66.5)
Chapter 14: "And (remember) when Ibrãhim (Abraham) and (his son) Isma'il (Ishmael) were raising the foundations of the House (Ka'bah at Makkah) (saying): 'Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knower'." (V.2:127)
(The wife of the Prophet) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Don't you see that when your people built the Ka`ba, they did not build it on all Abraham's foundations?" I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Why don't you rebuild it on Abraham's foundations?" He said, "Were your people not so close to (the period of Heathenism, i.e. the Period between their being Muslims and being infidels), I would do so." The sub-narrator, `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "Aisha had surely heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying that, for I do not think that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) left touching the two corners of the Ka`ba facing Al-Hijr except because the Ka`ba was not built on all Abraham's foundations."
Chapter 15: "Say (0 Muslims), We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us..." (V.2:136)
The people of the Scripture (Jews) used to recite the Torah in Hebrew and they used to explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. On that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Do not believe the people of the Scripture or disbelieve them, but say:-- "We believe in Allah and what is revealed to us." (2.136)
Chapter 16: The Statement of Allah "The fools (pagans, hypocrites and Jews) among the people will say, 'What has turned them (Muslims) from their Qiblah [Salat (prayer) direction (towards Jerusalem)]..." (V.2:142)
The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed facing Bait-ulMaqdis (i.e. Jerusalem) for sixteen or seventeen months but he wished that his Qibla would be the Ka`ba (at Mecca). (So Allah Revealed (2.144) and he offered `Asr prayers(in his Mosque facing Ka`ba at Mecca) and some people prayed with him. A man from among those who had prayed with him, went out and passed by some people offering prayer in another mosque, and they were in the state of bowing. He said, "I, (swearing by Allah,) testify that I have prayed with the Prophet (ﷺ) facing Mecca." Hearing that, they turned their faces to the Ka`ba while they were still bowing. Some men had died before the Qibla was changed towards the Ka`ba. They had been killed and we did not know what to say about them (i.e. whether their prayers towards Jerusalem were accepted or not). So Allah revealed:-- "And Allah would never make your faith (i.e. prayer) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered (towards Jerusalem). Truly Allah is Full of Pity, Most Merciful towards mankind." (2.143)
Chapter 17: The Statement of Allah Jt: "Thus We have made of you [true Muslims— real believers of Islamic Monotheism, true followers of Prophet Muhammad jR and his Sunna (legal ways)], a just (and the best) nation, that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger (Muhammad ) will be a witness over you..." (V.2:143)
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Noah will be called on the Day of Resurrection and he will say, 'Labbaik and Sa`daik, O my Lord!' Allah will say, 'Did you convey the Message?' Noah will say, 'Yes.' His nation will then be asked, 'Did he convey the Message to you?' They will say, 'No Warner came to us.' Then Allah will say (to Noah), 'Who will bear witness in your favor?' He will say, 'Muhammad and his followers. So they (i.e. Muslims) will testify that he conveyed the Message. And the Apostle (Muhammad) will be a witness over yourselves, and that is what is meant by the Statement of Allah "Thus We have made of you a just and the best nation that you may be witnesses over mankind and the Apostle (Muhammad) will be a witness over yourselves." (2.143)
Chapter 18: The Statement of Allah: "...And We made the Qiblah (prayer direction towards Jerusalem) which you used to face, only to test those who followed the Messenger (Muhammad ) . . ." (V.2:143)
While some people were offering Fajr prayer in the Quba' mosque, some-one came and said, "Allah has revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ) Qur'anic instructions that you should face the Ka`ba (while praying) so you too, should face it." Those people then turned towards the Ka`ba.
Chapter 19: The Statement of Allah "Verily! We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad's ) face towards the heaven..." (V.2:144)
None remains of those who prayed facing both Qiblas (that is, Jerusalem and Mecca) except myself.
Chapter 20: The Statement of Allah J: "And even if you were to bring to the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), all the Ayãt (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations,-etc.) they would not follow your Qiblah (prayer direction)..." (V.2:145)
While some people were offering morning prayer at Quba' a man came to them and said, "A Qur'anic Order has been revealed to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) tonight that he should face the Ka`ba at Mecca (in prayer), so you too should turn your faces towards it." At that moment their faces were towards Sham (i.e. Jerusalem) (and on hearing that) they turned towards the Ka`ba (at Mecca).