Tafsir al-Maraghi

Tafsir al-Maraghi is a twentieth-century commentary on the Quran written by the Egyptian scholar and educator Ahmad ibn Mustafa al-Maraghi (1300–1371 AH / 1883–1952 CE) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. It is the author's most famous work, designed to present the meanings of the Quran in an accessible, modern style suitable for contemporary readers al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1.

Purpose and Methodology

Al-Maraghi stated in his introduction that earlier commentaries were composed in styles adapted to their respective eras, necessitating a new commentary aligned with contemporary needs that avoids burdensome technical terminology while grounding explanations in sound proofs, reasoned inquiry, and modern scientific insights al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…+1.

The work follows a systematic arrangement for each passage:

• Quoting the verses under discussion at the beginning al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…+1.
• Explaining individual vocabulary items (sharh al-mufradat) al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…+1.
• Outlining the overall thematic meaning of the passage (al-ma‘na al-jumli) to give the reader an integrated overview al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…+1.
• Providing verified occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul) when authentic reports exist al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…+1.

Al-Maraghi intentionally avoided technical digressions into grammar, morphology, and rhetoric, which he viewed as barriers separating general audiences from the text al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…+1. The commentary is largely free of unverified Judeo-Christian lore (Isra'iliyyat); when discussing prophetic stories of past nations, it concentrates on extracting moral lessons rather than narrating superfluous details al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…. Natural and cosmic phenomena mentioned in the Quran are treated in a style intended to evoke faith without excessive theoretical complexity al-Taysir fi Usul wa Itti…. Throughout the commentary, al-Maraghi also incorporated warnings against the political, cultural, and social dangers of foreign colonialism, as well as religious innovations (bida‘) al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. In theological passages dealing with divine attributes, he employed various contextual interpretations; for example, interpreting divine establishment (al-istiwa') differently across chapters as divine intendance (al-qasd), supreme dominion (al-istila'), or an ascension befitting divine majesty al-Mawsua al-Muyassara fi….

Reception and Critique

Modern scholars place Tafsir al-Maraghi within the reformist socio-literary school influenced by Muhammad Abduh al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…+1. Commentators have noted that large parts of the text—particularly across the early volumes—draw heavily from, and sometimes literally abridge, Rashid Rida's Tafsir al-Manar without consistently citing differing opinions or source authorities al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….

The Palestinian scholar Muhammad Izzat Darwazah evaluated the work as accessible to general readers but criticized it for adopting certain weak narrations as accepted facts, lacking vitality, and including unnecessary elaborations that increased its overall size al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru…. In response, modern researchers such as Fadl Hasan Abbas disputed Darwazah's characterization of its length, noting that while the work relied heavily on prior authors' phrasing and occasionally stretched metaphorical interpretations (ta'wil), it remains a beneficial reference work, particularly for non-specialists seeking a direct and clear explanation of the Quran al-Tafsir wa al-Mufassiru….

The commentary has been published in multiple printings, including an eight-volume edition Mujam al-Mufassirin "min ….