al-Taysir fi Ahadith al-Tafsir
- Author died
- 1414 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī
al-Taysir fi Ahadith al-Tafsir (Facilitation in Commentary Discourses) is a modern Quranic commentary by the Moroccan scholar Muhammad al-Makki al-Nasiri (1324–1414 AH / 1906–1994 CE), originally prepared and delivered as daily radio lectures .
Background and Purpose
Before composing the work, al-Nasiri had delivered Quranic lessons in the 1920s and 1930s across mosques in Rabat and Tetouan, followed in the 1940s by daily commentary between the sunset and night prayers at the Great Mosque of Tangier for two consecutive years, and for a third year at the Muhammadi Mosque and the Ancient Mosque in Casablanca . These public teaching experiences led him to prepare a specialized daily radio series to make the Quran's guidance accessible to a broad audience, presenting the scripture not as remote historical lore but as an active, daily moral guide . Al-Nasiri described the work as the first complete radio commentary on the Quran produced in Arab and Islamic broadcasting, and noted an alternative title for it: al-Nahj al-Qawim fi Tafsir al-Dhikr al-Hakim (The Straightforward Path in Interpreting the Wise Remembrance) .
Method and Structure
al-Taysir fi Ahadith al-Tafsir is classified among holistic commentaries (al-tafsir al-ijmali) that convey the general meaning and practical intent of passages without excessive technical detail . In compiling and dictating the lectures, the author followed several distinct methodological principles:
- Intended Audience and Linguistic Style: Al-Nasiri adopted a simplified, middle style of Arabic that avoided rare or archaic vocabulary, convoluted expressions, and technical terminological debates, aiming to be accessible to general listeners while remaining engaging for educated readers .
- Thematic Integration and Cross-Referencing: He structured each session with an introductory overview of the selected verses along with preliminary explanations of less common words . When radio broadcast limits prevented full exposition of a passage, he deferred related themes until corresponding verses appeared later in the text, gathering thematic parallels to interpret the Quran through the Quran .
- Qira'ah: In accordance with prevailing North African scholarly tradition, al-Nasiri based his commentary on the reading of Nafi' .
- Avoidance of Sectarian Polemics: He intentionally steered clear of sectarian and juridical disagreements, focusing instead on religious literacy, moral guidance, and addressing contemporary societal concerns using modern phrasing .
Publication and Broadcast
The commentary was broadcast in episodic segments on Moroccan radio and was later aired on the Holy Quran Radio station in Saudi Arabia . It was published in full in a six-volume first edition by Dar al-Gharb al-Islami in Beirut in 1405 AH / 1985 CE .
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