Seadet-i Ebediyye - Endless Bliss Second Fascicle

At one place in your letter you write that Shawkânî [1]
has
said: “The tafsîr of Ibni ’Abbâs is not a tafsîr at all.” There is not
a book in the name of the tafsîr of Ibni ’Abbâs. ’Abdullah Ibni
’Abbâs did not write books. Having attended Rasûlullah’s ‘sall-
Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ valuable sohbats, having seen Hadrat
Jabrâîl, and having been known as one of the most deeply
learned of the Sahâba ‘alaihimurridwân’, he expounded upon
some âyats as well as on some hadîths. Making use of his exalted
explanations, our savants of Tafsîr enriched their tafsîrs. Islamic
savants admit with consensus that these tafsîrs are at a very high
level. Shawkânî’s statement needs to be corrected. And
correcting it requires knowing the subtle rules of the knowledge
of usûl-i hadîth, which is very high. However, it is not known
whether or not Shawkânî reached those grades. For, if he had
reached those grades he would not have said anything
incompatible with the methods of great savants.
Concerning the tafsîr of Sa’labî, that is, the tafsîr entitled
Kashf-u bayân, we should keep the abovementioned explanation
in view. So is the case with the Tafsîr-i Wâhidî.
Zemahsharî [2]
belonged to the Mu’tazila group. For this
reason, to understand the divine meanings in the tafsîr of
Kashshâf, the abovementioned explanation, again, should be
kept in consideration. However, because Zemahsharî occupied
the highest grade of the savants of the knowledge of balâghat,
which is an essential factor to prove that the Qur’ân al-kerîm is
mu’jiz, the Sunnî savants of Tafsîr quoted from his tafsîr in
describing the balâghat of the Qur’ân al-kerîm.
As for Qâdî Beydâwî [3]
‘bayyad-Allâhu wajhah’ [may Allâhu
ta’âlâ make his face luminous]; he is exalted enough to deserve his
name and the prayer (attached to his name). He is loved and
honoured above all by mufassirs. He reached the highest grade in
the knowledge of Tafsîr. He was an authority in every branch. He
was a leader in every Madhhab. He was a guide in every thought.
[1] Qâdî Muhammad bin Alî Shawkânî (1173 [1759], Shawkân, San’a -
1250 [1834], San’a, central Yemen).
[2] Allâma Abul-Qâsim Mahmûd Jârullah bin ’Umar, (467 [1074],
Zemahshar, Hâradhm - 538 [1144] Jurjâniyya.) He is said to have
made tawba (for his former heresy) as he was dying.
[3] Qâdî ’Abdullah bin ’Umar ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaih’, (d.685 [1286], Beydâ,
Shîrâz, Iran – Tabrîz.)
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