Introduction before the lesson on the importance of the science of tafsir and the best methods of tafsir.

The Shaykh : I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: This is the lesson on tafsir, meaning: the interpretation of the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. It should be known that the first thing to be attended to in understanding its meaning is the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, because it is the most truthful of books, the most wise, and the most beneficial for the heart and limbs. This was the practice of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them); they did not move past ten verses until they learned them, along with the knowledge and action contained in them, so they learned the Qur'an, the knowledge, and the action all together. The best method for tafsir is to interpret the Qur'an with the Qur'an, because interpreting the Qur'an with the Qur'an is interpretation from the One who revealed it, Blessed and Exalted is He, and He is most knowledgeable of His intent. So interpret the Qur'an with the Qur'an. If that is not possible, then by the Sunnah. If that is not possible, then by the statements of the Companions, especially those famous for tafsir, such as Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) and Ibn Mas'ud. If that is not possible, do we refer to the statements of the Tabi'un in this matter or not? As for one who is known for taking knowledge from the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), there is no doubt that his statement is the stronger position over others, but it is not binding. After this, the interpretation of the Qur'an is taken from the tafsir of the Imams who are attested to for their knowledge and faith. People have dealt with the interpretation of the Qur'an; some interpreted it as we mentioned, while others interpreted it with their own opinion and applied the verses to what they believed of a misguided school of thought, thus deserving the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Therefore, it is obligatory for you to reflect on the meaning of the Qur'an before you judge, so that the Qur'an does not become a follower of your judgment. Then, a person should first think about the meaning of the verse himself, reflect, and contemplate. If a meaning arises in his mind, let him refer to the words of the scholars so that he does not err. He should not be a follower who consults and says what people said, no. Rather, he should first reflect, and if a meaning arises in his mind, let him refer to the words of the scholars so that he does not go astray in this understanding. As for one whose only concern is to consult books of tafsir, his knowledge of the Qur'an must be deficient. We spoke about what we spoke about from the previous tafsir of the Qur'an until we reached the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: