One of the greatest contemporary Tafsir’s (exegesis) of the Quran, written was by the noble scholar Sheikh Muhammad Ibn Saleh Ibn Muhammad Ibn Al-Uthaymeen
He was, رحمه الله, Al-‘Allaamah Al-Faqeeh Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Saleh Ibn Muhammad Ibn Al-Uthaymeen At-Tamimi An-Najdi. Shaykh Uthaymeen, as he was most known, was born in the city of Unayzah, Qaseem Region, Saudi Arabia, on 27th Ramadhan 1347H in a famous religious family.
His Education / Career:
He received his education from many prominent scholars like:
- Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Naasir As-Sa’di (1307H – 1376H), رحمه الله
- Shaykh Muhammad Ameen Ash-Shanqeeti (1325H – 1393H), رحمه الله
- Shaykh Abdul-Azeez Ibn Baz (1330H – 1420H), رحمه الله along with many more.
When he entered into teaching, a great number of students from inside and outside Saudi Arabia benefited from him. He had his own unique style of interpretation and explanation of religious points. He was from among those scholars who served Islaam without any type of religious prejudice and kept themselves away from the limitations of blind-following. He was distinguished in his great exertion of effort in religious matters and analogical deductions which clearly prove the religious understanding he possessed, and the correct usage of the principles of religion, he adopted.
In giving religious verdicts, like Shaykh Ibn Baaz, Shaykh Uthaymeen Fataawa (i.e, rulings/verdicts) are based on the Manhaj of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah which is evidenced from Qur’aan and Sunnah. He has about fifty compilations to his credit. Recently before his death, he was teaching religious Fundamentals at the Sharee’ah Faculty of Imam Muhammad Ibn Sa’ud Islamic University, Qaseem Branch. He was also a member of the Senior Scholars Committee of the Kingdom, and was the Imaam and Khateeb of the big Mosque of Unayzah city.
His Positions:
- Former member of the Council of Senior Scholars of Saudi Arabia from 1407 until his death.
- Former member of the Scholastic Council of the Muhammad Ibn Sa’ood Islaamic University.
- Former member of the council of the Sharee’ah and Usool ad Deen faculty as well as president of the ‘Aqeedah branch of the Muhammad Ibn Sa’ood Islaamic University branch in Qaseem.
- Former member of the Council of Education and Enlightenment during the Hajj season from 1392 until his death.
- Former president of the non-profit Memorization of the Noble Quraan Society in ‘Unayzah from 1405 until his death.
Umar رضي الله عنه said: It is as your Prophet, ﷺ, said, “Verily, Allah عزوجل raises the status of people with this book and by it he humbles others.”
يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ
[Sahih Muslim 817]
To give a brief glimpse of the genius of the Tafsir by Sheikh, below is the translation of the Tafsir of the first 3 verses in Surah Al Kahf by the noble Sheikh.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا ۜ
All the praises and thanks be to Allah عزوجل, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad ﷺ) the Book (the Quran), and has not placed therein any crookedness. [18:1]
قَيِّمًا لِيُنْذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِنْ لَدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا
(He has made it) Straight to give warning (to the disbelievers) of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah عزوجل Islamic Monotheism), who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a fair reward (i.e. Paradise). [18:2]
مَاكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا
They shall abide therein forever. [18:3]
Tafsir
The statement of the exalted
الْحَمْدُ
is a description of praise with perfection, love and glorification. And by our statement “love and glorification”, we exclude the word “complementing” (al-madh, المدح). This is because complementing does not necessitate love and glorification; rather, a person may complement an individual he does not think is work a penny, but he does so hoping for a benefit or to repel a harm. As for praise, it is a description of perfection with love and glorification.
“Allah” – This is the personal name of Allah عزوجل by which He is specified. None of the then Him is described with it, and it is a name of His Holy Essence, Blessed and Exalted.
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ
“All the praises and thanks be to Allah عزوجل, Who has sent down…” – Is this information? Did Allah عزوجل want to inform His slaves that He is praised, or is it a foundation and establishment for us to praise Allah for this or is it both? The answer: [it is] both. Thus, it is information from Allah about Himself, and it is guidance for us to praise Allah upon that.
“His slave” – Meaning Muhammad ﷺ. The Exalted described him with servitude, because he is the most subservient of mankind to Allah عزوجل ; and the Exalted described him with servitude in three situations:
- When the Quran was being sent down, as it appears in the first verse
- [When] the Exalted said in defense of him
وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِنْ مِثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا شُهَدَاءَكُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Quran) to Our slave (Muhammad ﷺ), then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah عزوجل, if you are truthful. [2:23]
- When the Exalted said, during his ascension tot he heavens:
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah عزوجل) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him] [Tafsir Qurtubi, Vol. 10, Page 204] Who took His slave (Muhammad ﷺ) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem), the neighborhood whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him (Muhammad ﷺ) of Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, etc.). Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. [17:1]
This means that, during the noblest situations of the Prophetﷺ [life], Allah عزوجل described him as being a slave, and it is a blessed attribute for a person to be a slave of Allah عزوجل. [This is] such that the lover said concerning his love:
لا تدعني إلا بيا عبدها فإنه أشرف أسمائي
“She only addresses me by calling me her slave, for verily, it is the most honorable of names.”
“The book” – Meaning the Quran. It is called a because it is written or because it is collected, because the meaning of books is collection. For this reason, “Al-kitabah” is a battalion, meaning a group of horses. And this is valid for the Quran, as it is written and it is also a collection.
وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا ۜ
He did not place in this Quran any crookedness; rather, it is upright. For this reason He said:
قَيِّمًا
And “straight” is the circumstantial adverb (hal) from His statement, “All praises and thinks to be Allah عزوجل, Who has sent down to His slave the book (the Quran).”. Meaning, its condition is that it is upright. And if someone says, “Why do we not consider it to be an attribute, because the word ‘book’ is accusative and the word ‘upright’ is accusative?”
The answer [is that] the word “upright” is indefinite and the word “book” is definite, and it is not possible for a definite noun to be described by an indefinite adjective. And the meaning of “upright” is “upright to the highest possible extent.” And here, the negation of any defects is mentioned first, and the affirmation of completeness is mentioned second. Similarly, it is befitting to first remove any harms from an area and then place therein that which completes it. For this reason, it is said, “Clean before you decorate”, meaning, before you adorn something, clear out anything from the place that would negate the adornment, and then adorn it.
And in the statement of the Exalted, “upright”, there is something to which attention must be drawn, which is that it is obligatory to stop at the statement of the Exalted:
وَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ عِوَجًا ۜ
Because if you connected this verse with the word that comes after it (upright), the speech would be contradictory; thus, one would suppose the meaning to be “He did not place therein any upright crookedness.”
Then the Exalted explained the wisdom for sending down the Quran, in his statement;
لِيُنْذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِنْ لَدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ
أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا
The pronoun in His statement , “To warn” perhaps refers to “His slave” and it is possible that it refers to “The book (the Quran)” [from the first verse]; both of these are correct. Thus, the book was sent down upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for the purpose of warning by it, and the book itself is a warner that warns the people.
“Severe punishment from him” – Meaning a severe punishment from the direction of Allah عزوجل . And the word ba’s بَأْسً means “punishment” as it comes in the statement of the Exalted:
..فَجَاءَهَا بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا
…Our punishment came upon them (suddenly) by night or while they were sleeping for their afternoon rest.
This (بأسنا) means “Our punishment”.
“Warn” – it is information the frightens.
“To give glad tidings” – This information that brings joy. And here we find that the object (those who are warned) has been removed in His statement, “To warn of severe punishment from Him, ” while the object (those given glad tidings) is mentioned in His statement, “And to give glad tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a good reward”. So how do we know the object of the warning?
The answer [is that] we understand it from the contrast of those given glad tidings, the believers. Thus, “the disbelievers” is implied. This is a benefit from the knowledge of Tafsir: something is known by mentioning its opposite before it. An example of this is the statement of the Exalted:
فَانْفِرُوا ثُبَاتٍ أَوِ انْفِرُوا جَمِيعًا
..go forth (on an expedition) in parties, or go forth all together.
[4:71]
“In parties” means separately, and the proof is the mentioning of its opposite (“or go forth all together”).
And the statement of the Exalted, “The believers who do righteous deeds,” shows that it is is must that righteous actions are accompanied by iman. Iman alone is not sufficient; rather there must [also] be righteous actions. For this reason, it was said to some of the Salaf, “Is it not the key to Paradise ‘nothing has the right to be worshiped except Allah عزوجل?” Meaning, Paradise will open for whoever comes with [this statement]. [The Salaf] responded, “Certainly, but will the key open without teeth?”
“The believers” – Those who believe in what is obligatory to believe. The Prophet ﷺ clarified what is obligatory when Jibril asked him concerning iman. He said:
أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله واليوم الآخر وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره
To believe in Allah عزوجل, His angels, His Books, His messengers, the Day of Judgement, and the divine decree, the good of it and the bad of it [Sahih Muslim]
“The believers who do righteous deeds” – Meaning [they] perform righteous actions. When is an action considered righteous? The answer [is that] is it not possible for it to be righteous except if it is contains two things:
- Sincerity to Allah عزوجل, by the person only intending by his actions the Face of Allah عزوجل and the above in the hereafter.
- Following the legislation of Allah عزوجل, such that he does not exit from the legislation of Allah
And it is known that all legislation after the advent of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ have been abrogated by his legislation ﷺ
The opposite of sincerity is shirk, and the opposite of following the legislation, is innovation. Neither of these will be accepted regardless of how much they adorn the individual’s heart and regardless of the humility and softness they bring tot he heart, because they do not agree with the legislation. For this reason, we say that every innovation – regardless of how it is beautified – is not accepted; rather it is misguidance, as it appears in the statement of the Prophet ﷺ. Thus whoever does an action that agrees with the pure legislation while his heart contains showing off, then [the action] is not accepted due to its lack of sincerity. And whoever performs actions sincerely but in opposition to the legislation, then they are not accepted. Thus, two affairs must be present; sincerity for Allah عزوجل and following His messenger ﷺ ; if not, the deed is not righteous.
Then the exalted explained what the believers are given glad tidings of. He said:
أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا
مَاكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا
أَجْرًا “Reward” – Meaning thawab ثواب, recompense. Allah عزوجل called the recompense for actions “reward” because it is in response to the action. This is from justice of the Exalted, that He called the recompense that the obedient person is given “a reward,” such that the person will long for what is contains in it. This is because it is known that if the reward-seeker performs his job, he is deserving of the reward.
And His statement, حَسَنًا “good. ” A higher description comes in another verse, and it is the statement of the Exalted:
۞ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا الْحُسْنَىٰ وَزِيَادَةٌ ۖ
For those who have done good is the best (reward, i.e. Paradise) and even more (i.e. having the honour of glancing at the Countenance of Allah عزوجل)….
[10:26]
And it comes in another verse:
هَلْ جَزَاءُ الْإِحْسَانِ إِلَّا الْإِحْسَانُ
Is there any reward for good other than good?
[55:60]
So, do we take from this that it necessitates equality, or does this necessitate completeness?
The answer: It necessitates completeness. This, we say “good” meaning it is the best, and there is no doubt about this. There is no reward equal to the reward of Paradise.
Pearls of knowledge 