tafsiran

Tafsiran, in Indonesian usage, refers to the scholarly practice and body of work that interprets and explains the Qur’an. It encompasses commentaries, analyses of meaning, linguistic clarifications, and explanations of legal, theological, or historical implications found in the verses. Tafsiran draws on the Qur’an itself, prophetic traditions (hadith), early Islamic reports, Arabic philology, and the views of later jurists and theologians. The aim is to illuminate the text for readers and for deriving guidance in faith and practice.

Historically, systematic Qur’anic interpretation developed after the Prophet’s companions and the generation that followed, with significant early works in the Islamic scholarly tradition. Classical tafsirs include renowned compendia such as those by al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, al-Qurtubi, and the Jalalayn. Over time, exegetes incorporated linguistic analysis, historical context, and legal or theological considerations, resulting in a broad spectrum of approaches and emphases across Sunni and Shi’a traditions and other Islamic thought streams.

Approaches to tafsiran vary. Some scholars emphasize transmission and asbab al-nuzūl (the contexts of revelation) and rely largely on hadith and earlier authorities (tafsir al-ma’thur). Others emphasize reasoned interpretation (tafsir bi’l-ra’y), incorporating linguistics, rhetoric, philosophy, or modern knowledge. In contemporary scholarship, tafsiran ranges from traditional commentaries to modern, reformist, or interdisciplinary analyses addressing linguistic, social, and ethical questions.

Tafsiran remains central to Qur’anic study, shaping interpretation, legal opinions, and devotional understanding across Islamic communities.