Fatwa ID: 79074
Title: What is the oldest book of tafseer that has reached us in tact?
Category: Qur'an
Scholar: AMJAonline Jurisprudence Section
Date: 06/02/2009

Question

Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

 

Have any books of tafseer reached us in tact from any of the Sahabah, like Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masoud, etc., or from the Tabi`een, like Mujahid, Qatadah, etc.? And what is the oldest book of tafseer that has reached us in tact?

 

May Allah bless you.


Answer

Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

 

All praise is due to Allah, and may peace and blessing be upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his household, his companions and those who have followed him. To proceed:

 

The first person to write an explanation (tafseer) of the entire Qur’an was Yahya ibn Salam al-Basri, who died in 200 AH. It contained most of the sayings of Al-Hasan al-Basri and Mujahid, the student of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). His tafseer is called: Al-Itqan fi Uloom al-Qur’an.

 

And Allah Almighty is the Most High, and He knows best.