Tafsir al-Uthaymin: Saba
- Author died
- 1421 AH
- Editions
- Mu’assasat al-Shaykh Muḥammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-ʻUthaymīn al-Khayrīyah
Tafsir al-Uthaymin: Saba is a contemporary work of Quranic exegesis (tafsir) by the Saudi scholar Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH / 2001 CE), dedicated to the detailed interpretation and analysis of Surah Saba (the 34th chapter of the Quran) .
Origin and Publication
The text originated from transcriptions of recorded audio lectures delivered by al-Uthaymin during daily morning study circles held across summer vacations at his mosque in the city of Unayzah . These sessions formed part of an extensive commentary series covering consecutive chapters of the Quran, starting from Surah al-Nur and extending through verse 45 of Surah al-Zukhruf . The work was formally prepared and issued under the supervision of the Scientific Committee at the Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin Charitable Foundation, with editorial completion documented in Jumada al-Akhirah 1436 AH .
Structure and Exegetical Method
The commentary follows a verse-by-verse format structured around the base glosses of Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli (d. 864 AH) from Tafsir al-Jalalayn . Al-Uthaymin cites al-Mahalli's concise explanatory phrases before expanding upon them through detailed syntactic, lexical, theological, and legal elucidations .
In his methodological approach, al-Uthaymin:
- Evaluates introductory questions concerning the chapter, including discussions on its Makkan classification and whether specific verses represent Madinan exceptions, maintaining that exceptions to a chapter's general classification require explicit textual proof .
- Analyzes Arabic grammar and syntax (i‘rab), exploring grammatical dependencies, particle meanings, and the functional role of omission and word placement .
- Clarifies theological concepts rooted in the divine names and attributes, highlighting distinctions such as that between intrinsic divine perfection and relational perfection manifested in God's creative acts and benefaction .
- Systematically extracts thematic principles, doctrinal takeaways, and practical benefits (fawa'id) from each analyzed verse .
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