Tafsir Al-Jalalayn : The Great Commentaries of the Holy Qur’an Series Volume I

Up until now, the fundamental texts of the Islamic faith, apart from the notable exception of the Hadith of the Prophet, have remained out of reach of many Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Among the most important sources for understanding the Qur'an are the tafsir works, commentaries on the Qur'an, which help to properly explain and contextualise the Revelation. Tafsir al-Jalalayn, presented here in complete English translation for the first time ever, is the first work in The Great Commentaries on the Holy Qur’an series. The series aims to make widely available the leading exegetical works in translation for study and research in unabridged form, which are faithful to the letter and meaning of the Arabic.

Tafsir Al-Jalalayn is one of the most significant tafsirs, or commentaries, for the study of the Quran. Composed by two "Jalals"- Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli (d. 1459CE) and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti (d. 1505CE), Tafsir Al-Jalalayn is generally regarded as one of the most easily accessible works of Quranic exegesis beacause of its simple style and one volume length. For the first time ever Tafsir al-Jalalayn is completely translated into an unabridged, highly accurate and readable annotated English translation by Feras Hamza.

This Qur'anic commentary is one of the most popular Tafasir in the Islamic world, perhaps even THE most popular Tafsir. Copies of it are available in almost every bookshop and library in the Arab and Muslim world. It is by far the shortest and easiest to understand. Consequently, it is invariably read as an introduction to Classical Tafsirs by millions of students and adults who never go further into the subject. It is thus an immensely successful and influential work not just as the classic introduction to Tafsir, but also as the standard reference work for the language of Qur'an.

Al-Jalalayn's two author's deliberately summarized, streamlined or simplified the material in order to stay focused on their one overriding aim: to make the literal meaning of the Holy Qur'an completely intelligible in the simplest possible way.



H.R.H. Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad is Personal Envoy and Special Advisor to H.M. King Abdullah II, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.