Jawahir-i tafsir

The Qur?an is a complex text, and it has been regarded as such since the very beginning. Qur?an interpretation or tafsir was already practiced by the Prophet's nephew ?Abdallah b. al-?Abbas, who used folklore and poetry to interpret his uncle's revelations. With the passing of time, Qur?anic exegesis developed from a mere branch of tradition (hadith) into a full-fledged, independent discipline. The earliest Persian Qur?an commentary was a translation of Abu Ja?far al-Tabari's (d. 311/923) Jami? al-bayan ?an ta?wil ay al-Qur?an, made in 345/956. The Persian commentary contained in the present volume was composed in 890/1485 in Herat by Wa?iz Kashifi (d. 910/1504-05), a prolific author, preacher and mystic of the Timurid era. Originally meant to comprise four volumes, it was discontinued halfway the fourth sura, and is only partially reproduced in the present edition. Kashifi's detailed, literary commentary stands out by his unique use of the esoteric properties of letters and numbers.