Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Tawil wa al-Istinbat wa al-Tadabbur wa al-Mufassir

Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Tawil wa al-Istinbat wa al-Tadabbur wa al-Mufassir (The Concept of Exegesis, Interpretation, Deduction, Reflection, and the Exegete) is a specialized treatise on Quranic studies and the principles of exegesis (usul al-tafsir) by the contemporary Saudi scholar مساعد الطيار (b. 1384 AH / 1965 CE), published in 1423 AH (2002 CE) Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…+1. The book investigates and refines five fundamental terms frequently employed in Quranic studies: tafsir (exegesis), ta'wil (interpretation), istinbat (deduction), tadabbur (reflection), and mufassir (the exegete) Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…+1.

Background and Purpose

The author notes in the introduction that he undertook the work to address terminological imprecision and conceptual overlap in contemporary Quranic scholarship Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…+1. He identifies three primary benefits of refining scholarly terms: clarifying the precise definition of each concept, preventing extraneous matters from being erroneously included within a discipline, and distinguishing between terms often mistaken as synonyms Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…+1.

To illustrate how faulty definitions lead to flawed scholarly conclusions, al-Tayyar opens with a critique of the modern division between tradition-based exegesis (al-tafsir bi-al-ma'thur) and opinion-based exegesis (al-tafsir bi-al-ra'y) Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…+1. He argues that defining al-tafsir bi-al-ma'thur as the interpretation of the Quran by the Quran, the Sunnah, the companions, and the successors—a classification popularized by scholars such as محمد عبد العظيم الزرقاني and محمد حسين الذهبي—is a late conventional framing that conflates sources of interpretation with transmitted reports, and overlooks the role of scholarly reasoning in interpreting Quranic verses through other verses Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…+1.

Structure and Core Themes

The work is organized around five central concepts Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…:

• Tafsir (Exegesis): The author defines tafsir linguistically and technically as the direct explanation and clarification of the Quranic text Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…. He maintains that whatever falls outside direct textual explanation does not belong strictly to tafsir, even if found within comprehensive commentary works Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…. He includes a practical application on سورة الكوثر to demonstrate what falls inside and outside the scope of core exegesis Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta….
• Ta'wil (Interpretation): The book examines the linguistic and technical meanings of ta'wil, tracing how early scholars (al-mutaqaddimun) used it synonymously with tafsir or to denote the ultimate reality and fulfillment of an event, whereas later scholars (al-muta'akhkhirun) restricted it to diverting a word from its apparent meaning to an alternative possibility based on evidence Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta…. The author analyzes the relationship of ta'wil to the ambiguous verses (al-mutashabih) in light of سورة آل عمران Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta….
• Istinbat (Deduction) and Tadabbur (Reflection): The work explores istinbat as the intellectual derivation of legal rulings, theological points, and subtle benefits from Quranic passages, and tadabbur as the deliberate contemplation of the text intended for moral admonition, spiritual impact, and practical compliance Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta….
• Al-Mufassir (The Exegete): The treatise outlines the criteria, qualifications, and tools required for an author or scholar to be designated as an exegete Mafhum al-Tafsir wa al-Ta….

Publication

The work was first issued by Dar Ibn al-Jawzi in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in 1423 AH (2002 CE) as a single volume of 238 pages al-Tafsir al-Nabawi+1. A second edition was published by the same house in 1427 AH (2006 CE) Taammulat fi Ruya Yusuf+1.