25:33
And no question do they bring to thee but We reveal to thee the truth and the best explanation(thereof).
Some passages of the Qurʾān were revealed in response to particular circumstances or questions raised by individuals surrounding the Prophet Muhammad, including both his followers and his opponents. In this sense, the Qurʾān can be understood as an interactive form of revelation that not only conveys the divine will but also provides guidance for specific situations faced by the early Muslim community, similar to how the Gospel functioned within the context of Jesus’ teachings. The term tafsīr, derived from the Arabic root fassara, refers to explanation, interpretation, commentary, or clarification in response to an issue. This term has come to denote the scholarly discipline concerned with interpreting and explaining the meanings and contexts of Qurʾānic verses.
Throughout Islamic intellectual history, tafsīr has been produced by judges, scholars, government officials, and other individuals seeking to understand how Qurʾānic teachings apply to practical issues of daily life. Two primary methodological approaches to Qurʾānic exegesis developed: tafsīr bi al-raʾy, which relies on reasoned interpretation and scholarly opinion, and tafsīr bi al-maʾthūr, which is based on transmitted reports, including sayings of the Prophet, statements of his companions, and interpretations of the early generations of Muslims. The classical period of Qurʾānic exegesis is generally considered to have flourished between the ninth and fourteenth centuries. During this era, influential commentaries were produced by scholars such as al-Ṭabarī, al-Suyūṭī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Zamakhsharī, Ibn Rushd, al-Wāḥidī, al-Ālūsī, Abū al-Layth al-Samarqandī, al-Bayḍāwī, and al-Rāzī, whose works remain among the most recognized contributions to the classical tafsīr tradition.
Emerick, Yahiya. The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an in Today’s English (p. 829). Unknown. Kindle Edition.