The books of tafseer are generally divided into two. One is tafseer bir-riwayah or tafseer bil-ma’thoor and the other one is tafseer bid-dirayah or tafseer bir-ra’y.
Tafseers by those that restrict their explanations to transmitting what was explained in the Quran or statements of Prophet (PBUH), his Companions and their students are tafseer bir-riwayah. While accepting authentic narrations unfounded interpretations, unnecessary explanations were avoided by the authors of these tafseers. They are not totally free of personal judgment and or opinion, but they were kept to a minimum.
Tafseers by authors who mostly rely on their personal opinions for explanations, interpretations and deductions are called tafseer bid-dirayah.
Besides the above two there are deviant tafseers from various movements, sects, and philosophical schools. For instance, Mu’tazili scholars interpreted the Qur’an in such a way as to support and defend their unique and unorthodox ideas which had never before been expressed by the early scholars among the Sahabah, the tabi’oon, or their students.
List of tafseers in a nutshell are listed below.
| Tafseer bir-Riwayah | ||
| Title | Author | Period |
| Tafseer Ibn ‘Ateeyah, al-Muharrar al-Wajeez | Abdul-Haqq ibn Ateeyah al-Andaloosi | 1089-1146 CE / 481-540 AH |
| Tafseer Abil-Layth as-Samarqandi, Bahr al-‘Uloom | Abul-Layth ibn Ibraheem as-Samarqandi | d. 983 CE / 372 AH |
| Tafseer Abi Ishaq, al-Kashf wa al-Bayan ‘an Tafseer al-Qur’an | Abu Ishaq, Ahmad ibn Ibraheem ath-Tha’labi | d. 1036 CE / 427 AH |
| Tafseer Ibn Jareer at-Tabari, Jami’ al-Bayan fee Tafseer al-Qur’an | Muhammad ibn Jareer at-Tabari | 839-923 CE / 225-310 AH |
| Tafseer al-Baghawi, Ma’alim at-Tanzeel | Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Baghawi | d. 1117 CE / 510 AH |
| Tafseer Ibn Katheer, tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Adheem | Abul-Fida Ismaeel ibn Katheer ad-Dimishqi | 1300-1373 CE / 699-774 AH |
| Tafseer Ath-Tha’labi, al-Jawahir al-Hisan fee tafseer al-Qur’an | Abdur-Rahman ibn Makhloof ath-Tha’labi al-Jazairi | d. 142 CE / 877 AH |
| Tafseer Jalalud-Deen as-Suyooti, ad-Durr al-Manthoor fee at-Tafseer bi al-Ma’thoor | Jalalud-Deen ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Muhammad as-Suyooti | 1445-1505 CE / 849-910 AH |
| Tafseer Ash-Shawkani, Fath al-Qadeer | Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ash-Shawkani | d. 1839 CE / 1255 AH |
| Tafseer Ibn ‘Abbas, Tanweer al-Miqbas min Tafseer Ibn ‘Abbas | Muhammad ibn Ya’qoob al-Fayroozabadi | d. 1414 CE / 817 AH |
| Tafseer bid-Dirayah | ||
| Title | Author | Period |
| Tafseer Fakhrud-Deen ar-Razi, Mafateeh al-Ghayb | Fakhrud-Deen ibn ‘Ali ar-Razi | 1150-1210 CE / 544-606 AH |
| Tafseer al-Qurtubi, Jami Ahkam al-Qur’an wa al-Mubayyin li Ma tadammana min as-Sunnah wa Ay al-Furqan | Abu ‘Abdillah Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Ansari al-Qurtubi | d. 1273 CE / 671 AH |
| Tafseer al-Baydawi, Anwar at-Tanzeel wa Asrar at-Ta’weel | Nasirud-Deen, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali al-Baydawi | d. 1291 CE / 691 AH |
| Tafseer an-Nasafi, Madarik at-Tanzeel was Haqa’iq at-Ta’weel | Abdullah ibn Mahmood an-Nasafi | d. 1302 CE / 701 AH |
| Tafseer al-Khazin, Lubab at-Ta’weel fee Ma’ani at-Tanzeel | Ali ibn Khaleel ash-Shayhi | 1279-1340 CE / 678-740 AH |
| Tafseer Abi Hayyan, al-Bahr al-Muheet | Muhammad ibn Yoosuf ibn Hayyan al-Andaloosi | 1256-1344 CE / 654-745 AH |
| Tafseer an-Naysaboori, Ghara’ib al-Qur’an wa Ragha’ib al-Furqan | Nidhamud-Deen ibn al-Hasan an-Naysaboori | d. 1328 CE / 728 AH |
| Tafseer al-Jalalayn | Jalalud-Deen as-Suyooti
Jalaud-Deen al-Mahalli |
1445-1505 CE
1389-1460 CE / 791-864 AH |
| Tafseer al-Khateeb ash-Shirbeeni, as-Siraj al-Muneer | Muhammad ibn Muhammad ash-Shirbeeni | d. 1569 CE |
| Tafseer Abis-Sa’ood, Irshad al-Aql as-Saleem ila mazaya al-Kitab al-Kareem | Abu as-Sa’ood Muhammad ibn Mustafa al-Imadi | 1489-1574 CE / 894-982 AH |
| Tafseer al-Aloosi, Rooh al-Ma’ani fee Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Adheem wa as-Sab’ al-Mathani | As-Sayyid Mahmood Afandi al-Aloosi | 1802-1853 CE / 1217-1269 AH |
| Tafseers of Mu’tazilis | ||
| Title | Author | Period |
| Tafseer Abdul-Jabbar al-Hamdani, Tanzeeh al-Qur’an ‘an al-Mata’in | Abdul-Jabbar ibn Ahmad al-Hamdani | d. 1024 CE / 415 AH |
| Tafseer ash-Shareef al-Murtada, gharar al-Fawa’id wa Durar al-Qaba’id | Ali ibn at-Tahir, Abu Ahmad al-Husayn | 966-1048 CE / 355-439 AH |
| Tafseer az-Zamakshshari, al-Kash-shaf’an Haqa’iq at-Tanzeel | Mahmood ibn ‘Umar az-Zamakhshari al-Khwarazmi | 1075-1144 CE / 467-538 AH |
Compiled from Usool at-Tafseer by Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, published by International Islamic Publishing House, Riyadh
