Tafsir al-Samani
- Author died
- 489 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Waṭan
Tafsir al-Samani (Arabic: تفسير السمعاني, also known as Tafsir al-Quran al-Aziz) is a classical Sunni commentary on the Quran composed by the jurist and traditionist Abu al-Muzaffar al-Samani (426–489 AH / 1035–1096 CE) .
Scope and Methodology
The work is primarily an exegesis based on transmitted traditions (tafsir bi-l-ma'thur), interpreting the Quranic text through other Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and the statements of the Companions and Successors . Al-Samani maintained an intermediate style between excessive brevity and distracting length, combining overall thematic explanations with detailed textual and comparative analysis .
The commentary covers a wide range of religious and linguistic sciences:
- Theology: It affirms the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah, refutes opposing theological factions—particularly the Qadariyyah and the Mu'tazilah—and avoids philosophical and scholastic (kalam) terminology .
- Jurisprudence and Legal Theory: It addresses legal rulings (fiqh) and principles of jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), deriving legal inferences and definitions for technical terms .
- Quranic Sciences: The text incorporates occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), variant readings—including the fourteen canonical traditions and non-canonical variants from early authorities—and the rules of pausing and starting (al-waqf wa-l-ibtida') .
- Linguistics: Al-Samani frequently relies on Arabic lexicography, grammar, etymology, and classical Arabic usage .
- Hadith Criticism and Narrations: He evaluates chains of transmission, noting weak or anomalous narrations, and occasionally includes biblical traditions (Isra'iliyyat) .
Sources
In his citations, al-Samani predominantly attributed quotations directly to the scholars themselves rather than citing the titles of their works . In exegesis and linguistic matters, he drew heavily upon early philologists and exegetes such as al-Zajjaj, al-Farra', and Abu Ubaydah . In grammar and lexicography, his main authorities included al-Kisa'i, al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi, Tha'lab, and Sibawayh .
Structure, Reception, and Publication
Early biographers, including Abd al-Karim al-Rafi'i and Ibn Kathir, recorded that al-Samani originally compiled the work in three volumes .
The work received praise across biographical literature. His grandson Abu Sa'd al-Samani commended it as a fine, elegant work admired by all who consulted it . Ibn Khallikan described it as a valuable treatise, and Ibn al-Imad al-Hanbali called it a sound and well-crafted commentary .
The book has been published in modern printed editions, including a six-volume edition edited by Abu Tamim Yasir ibn Ibrahim and Ghunaym ibn Abbas (Riyadh, 1418 AH / 1997 CE), and a four-volume edition edited by Mustafa Abd al-Qadir Ata (Beirut, 2010 CE) .
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