Introduction and Features of Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Sadiq's (RA) Tafsir "Faiz al-Farid fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Majid": A Research Review

Abstract

The Holy Qur'an is the final address from Allah Almighty to His servants through the Noble Messenger (PBUH). The Qur'an appears to be a book, but in reality, it is a blessing whose connection brings immense happiness in this world and the hereafter. Recitation of the Holy Qur'an, listening to it, learning it, teaching it, acting upon it, and propagating it all lead to success and prosperity in both worlds. Among these, the greatest service is Tafsir (exegesis). Indeed, Tafsir is a science through which the understanding of the Book of Allah, the comprehension of its meanings, the extraction of its rulings, and the knowledge of its wisdoms are acquired. ([1])

The tradition of writing commentaries (Tafasir) on the Holy Qur'an began in the early Islamic centuries and continues to this day. In every era, the most capable minds and leading intellectuals of this Ummah have dedicated their lives to this great service of Tafsir. Innumerable commentaries on the Holy Qur'an have been written in every language, and no exegete has ever claimed, nor can they in the future, to have fully done justice to the Qur'an. However, every new exegete has consistently found new pearls in this vast ocean of the Holy Qur'an. Along with Arabic, the tradition of Tafsir spread to other languages, to the extent that detailed explanation and commentary of the Holy Qur'an was also undertaken in the Pashto language.

In the context of serving the Qur'an in Pashto, scholars have rendered invaluable services that cannot be overlooked. One such link in this chain is the renowned religious scholar, Shaykh al-Qur'an wa al-Hadith, Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Sadiq (RA) from Charsadda 

District (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province), who wrote a commentary on the Holy Qur'an in Pashto. It is also an interesting fact that this service by the esteemed Maulana is the academic endeavour of a local Pashtun scholar who, besides being an expert in the Qur'an and Hadith, was also well-acquainted with Pashtun culture and customs. Therefore, it is necessary to bring his specific methodology in Tafsir before the academic world to foster the idea of interpretation and explanation while keeping 'Urf (local customs and traditions) in mind, as customs and traditions are also included among the secondary sources of Islamic Sharia according to Islamic jurists. ([ii]) 

Shaykh al-Qur'an wa al-Hadith Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Sadiq's (RA) Tafsir "Faiz al-Farid fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Majid" is a highly esteemed commentary that the Maulana authored with great effort and diligence. Renowned scholars of the country have further endorsed it with commendatory remarks. This academic and research work is a shining proof of the Maulana's exegetical greatness, which is a great blessing for those who understand and speak Pashto, as a student of Qur'anic exegesis can quickly browse through many parts of the Holy Qur'an with the help of this commentary, as it is a very simple and easy Tafsir. This commentary is an excellent academic endeavour written in clear Pashto, consisting of a total of nine (9) volumes.

[1]. al-Zarkashī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Bahādur ibn ʿAbd Allāh Badr al-Dīn. al-Burhān fī ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān. Beirut: Dār al-Maʿrifah, 1419H/1999, Vol. 1, p. 13.

[ii].  Khalāf, ʿAbd al-Wahhāb. ʿIlm Uṣūl al-Fiqh. al-Daʿwah al-Islāmiyyah, al-Azhar, 1376H/1956, p. 90.