Tafsir
/tæfˈsɪər/noun
A detailed interpretation or commentary on the Qur’an, especially one explaining its language, context, and meaning.
Did you know?The Qur’an itself uses the related Arabic expression tafsīran, meaning an explanation or clarification, in 25:33—making the concept of interpretation part of the scripture’s own vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic (proposed)
Proto-Semitic
*p-s-r
“A proposed Semitic root associated with explaining or interpreting; the precise prehistoric reconstruction is debated.”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
تَفْسِير tafsīr
“Explanation or clarification; the Qur’an uses the related phrase tafsīran in the sense of an explanation.”
8th–9th Century
Classical Arabic
tafsīr
“Interpretation and commentary, increasingly referring to systematic explanation of the Qur’an.”
9th–14th Century
Arabic
tafsīr
“A recognized scholarly genre encompassing linguistic, legal, theological, and transmitted interpretations of scripture.”
19th–20th Century
English
tafsir
“An English loanword for Qur’anic exegesis or a work of Qur’anic commentary.”