ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Introduction to the Science of Tafsir of the Quran Part 1: A Correct Approach to the Exegesis of the Qur’an The Twentieth Century of the common era, corresponding to the fourteenth century of the Islamic calendar, started off with an awakening of the Eastern world, especially the Muslims. In this century, the magical spell of colonialism was, to an extent, broken.

Countries that had been under colonization emerged as independent or at least partially independent countries. The Muslims and their intellectual leaders began to contemplate upon a series of fundamental issues, and the reasons for the subjection and backwardness of their societies was studied and thereby, they sought to find reasons for their abject state.

Amongst the issues that drew their greater attention was the propagation of the teachings, truths, and sciences of the Qur`an, since in the previous centuries, it was only the scholars who were benefiting from the truths of this Heavenly Book while the rest of the people were limited to the mere recitation of the scripture.

The lay people expended all of their energy in the correct recitation of the Qur`an and in learning the rules of proper pronunciation, while the books of exegesis of the Qur`an written during those centuries were only of benefit to the scholars.

Very rarely could it be seen that a scholar would sit down and write a commentary of the Qur`an which would be for the guidance of the common people in understanding the meaning of the Qur`an and very rarely could it be seen that they would hold classes in which the Qur`an would be expounded upon. It can be said that pondering and thinking upon the verses of the Qur`an was something limited to the scholars, while the rest of the people were only to benefit from the recitation of the Qur`an!

In addition to this frame of thought being very detrimental which is something that the scholars found out later, this belief went directly against the clear verses of the Qur`an as the Qur`an has invited all of humanity to think and ponder deeply on its verses and to take it as their radiant lamp (giving off Divine Celestial light) and as the best guide and leader of the Allah-conscious (those with Taqwa).