The Classical Foundations
Prophetic tafsir: The Quran itself says (75:19): “Indeed, upon Us is its explanation.” Many hadiths record the Prophet explaining specific verses — these explanations are the first tier of tafsir.
Companion tafsir: After the Prophet, the Companions possessed the context — the occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), the linguistic understanding of 7th century Arabic, and direct knowledge of what the Prophet meant. Ibn Abbas (the Prophet’s cousin) was the most celebrated interpreter; the Companions’ explanations form the core of the transmitted tafsir tradition.
The Classic Classifications
Tafsir bi’l-ma’thur (by transmission):
- Prophetic hadiths explaining verses
- Companion opinions
- Tabi’in explanations received from the Companions
- These are considered the most reliable
Tafsir bi’l-ra’y (by reasoning):
- Mahmud (praiseworthy): reasoning grounded in Arabic language, Islamic principles, and the context of revelation
- Madhmum (blameworthy): reasoning that imposes external frameworks (philosophy, personal desires) on the text
Tafsir by specialization: later traditions focused on legal verses (ahkam), scientific readings (tafsir ‘ilmi), Sufi readings (tafsir ishari), and literary-rhetorical analysis (tafsir balaghiy).
The Ismaili Fifth Level
Ismaili thought proposes that the Quran contains multiple levels (maratib) of meaning:
- Al-zahir (the outer/literal) — what the words say
- Al-batin (the inner) — the spiritual meaning that the zahir points toward
- Batin al-batin (the inner of the inner) — a further depth
- Hadd — a boundary/definitive meaning
- Matla’ — the rising point, the apex meaning accessible only through the Imam’s ta’wil
Classical Ismaili philosophers such as al-Nu’man ibn Muhammad (the jurist), Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani, and Nasir Khusraw produced tafsir works that demonstrate this layered approach.
See also: Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Ismaili Dawat Organization, Quran Sciences, Gharib Quran, Ilm Al Kalam