Understanding the Quran Majeed is as important as reading it. It is the final and last word of Allah for the mankind. It is the final book that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Quran determines everything that is needed for a human being to live his life in this world and the hereafter. Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad PBUH during his life over the span of 23 years, roughly. It was revealed to him on several occasions. Each chapter and verse of the Quran was revealed in front of the Prophets’ companions and the larger Muslim community who were witnesses to the revelation, the context, and the situation in which it was revealed. Therefore, they developed an understanding of the Quran under the direct guidance and supervision of Rasool Allah PBUH himself.

Over the years, not just the text and words of the Quran, but this understanding too, was transferred to generations of the Muslim community, consistently and with great care. The understanding and explanation of the intended meaning of Quran is called its exegesis. The word for exegesis used in Persian, Urdu, and Arabic is Tafseer. Tafseer or exegesis of the Quran is an attempt by a scholar to explain the Quran and its verses to the larger Muslim community according to their time and era.

Before setting off to know about Tafseer it is important to ask, why is it important to read and study Tafseer? The answer is that we, the people of the 21st century, have come roughly 1400 years after the Prophet. Centuries have gone by, but Alhamdulillah we call ourselves Muslims and we practice the Islamic faith. We study the exegesis because Quran is the final word of Allah and it requires an understanding so that it can be practiced in letter and spirit. We study exegesis because we want to know the exact context of Surrahs, verses and the intended meaning of the Quran with better clarity.

Today we can find Muslims........

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