al-Tafsir al-Mazhari
- Author died
- 1225 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Rushdīyah
al-Tafsir al-Mazhari (al-Tafsīr al-Maẓharī) is an Arabic commentary on the Quran written by the Indian Hanafi jurist and scholar Qadi Thana' Allah al-Panipati (d. 1225 AH / 1810 CE) .
Background and Composition
The author, a scholar from Panipat affiliated with the Hanafi school of law and the Naqshbandi Sufi order, composed the work as a tribute and memorial to his spiritual master, Mirza Mazhar Jan-i Janan, naming the commentary after him . The text begins with the praise: al-Ḥamdu lillāhi dhī al-ʿaẓamati wa-al-kibriyāʾ ("Praise be to God, Possessor of greatness and majesty") . The author worked on the book over several decades, completing the commentary on Surah Al Imran on Monday, 8 Dhu al-Qa'dah 1197 AH, and dating parts of Surah al-Hijr to 1202 AH .
Method and Scope
The work is a comprehensive commentary covering the entire Quran . It incorporates several distinct disciplines:
- Hadith and Legal Rulings: The author adduces Prophetic traditions and examines jurisprudence, detailing legal ordinances, commercial and family matters, and inheritance laws according to the Hanafi school .
- Theological Discussions: The commentary addresses doctrinal questions, including the divine attributes, the beatific vision of God in the Hereafter, and the refutation of theological sects such as the Jabriyya and the Qadariyya .
- Sufism: The text incorporates Sufi terminology and spiritual inquiries, examining the nature of sainthood (wilayah), spiritual states during Quranic recitation, and mystical concepts such as the imaginal world ('alam al-mithal) and immutable entities (al-a'yan al-thabitah) .
Printing and Publication
al-Tafsir al-Mazhari was historically printed in Delhi, India, and has been described in biographical compendiums as spanning seven large volumes . A later edition edited by Ghulam Nabi al-Tunisi was published in Pakistan by Maktabat al-Rushdiyyah in 1412 AH .
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