Surabadi Quran Exegesis; One of Earliest Quran Interpretations in Persian
Written in the fifth century Hijri (11th century CE) in the Persian language, the work is also known as Tafsir al-Tafasir (interpretation of interpretations).
There is not much credible information about Surabadi, although some have described him as a pious, scholarly and erudite person.
The Tafsir of Surabadi cab be described as one of the oldest and most complete interpretations of the Quran. It has a simple and simple style. There are many copies and summaries of the Tafsir, which shows its importance among scholars at the time.
The work includes Persian words that the author has coined as equivalents for Quranic words. Employing the capacities of the Persian language in benefiting from prefixes to make new verbs and convey meanings with them is among the features of the Tafsir of Surabadi. It also helps us learn more about the tradition of writing Quran interpretations in Persian in that era.
The Tafsir includes some scientific information of the time as well as some mystic thoughts and the author sometimes uses examples to better convey meanings.
Based on the remaining manuscript copies, the Tafsir of Surabadi is a large copy that has been divided into seven sections. It begins with praise for God and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and then a preface in which the author elaborates one why the work is in Persian and what narrations have been trusted by him.
Surabadi says he wrote the Tafsir in Persian in order that it can benefit all people, adding that if he had written it in Arabic, there would be a teacher needed to teach it (to ordinary people).
Then he presents the translation and interpretation of the Quran from Surah Al-Fatihah to Surah An-Nas.
At the beginning of every Surah, he mentions the name, number of verses, words and letters, place of revelation and virtue of the Surah. In interpreting the verses, he sometimes translates and interprets the entire verse and sometimes in parts.
He also refers to the views of previous interpreters and those who have narrated Arabic poems.
In some cases, he has cited poems and statements by Imam Ali (AS), Imam Hussein (AS), Imam Sadiq (AS) and Imam Reza (AS) and offered Hadiths from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) about the virtues of Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS), the love for Imam Ali (AS) and prohibiting enmity with him.
In the interpretation of Al-Tathir Verse, he mentions a Hadith based on which Ahl-ul-Bayt (AS) are Imam Ali (AS), Hazrat Zahra (SA), Imam Hassan (AS) and Imam Hussein (AS). In part of the Tafsir, he also discusses the virtues of Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman and Hazrat Ali (AS).
The interpretations and translations of verses in the Tafsir of Surabadi are among the very good and eloquent examples of Persian prose and include many Persian words and terms chosen by Surabadi as equivalent for Quranic words and terms.
The Quran exegesis was edited and published in Iran in 1992 by Ali Akbar Saeedi Sirjani.
