He was noble, abstinent and self-sufficient, distancing himself from people of rank and power and living on what he earned by teaching. Al-Suyuti devoted his life to learning, teaching and writing. He travelled extensively in his quest for knowledge – to Damascus, Hijaz, Yemen, India, Morocco, and the lands south of Morocco, as well as in Egypt. He memorized the Quran at the age of eight, and then went on to study with more than 150 scholars. He wrote more than 300 books, covering every aspect of the Islamic sciences. JALALU’D-DIN AS-SUYUTI (849-911/1445-1505), from Asyut in Egypt, was among the most renowned and prolific Muslim scholars of all time. Al-Mahalli’s other books include commentaries on Jam‘ al-Jawami‘, al-Burda, al-Manahij fi’l-fiqh, al-Waraqat fi’l-usul, and Kitab al-Jihad. Although he died before he could start the other half, the work was completed by his student, Jalalu’d-Din as-Suyuti. His most famous work is his Quranic commentary, Tafsr al-Jalalayn, which he began halfway through the text with Surat al-Kahf, ending with an-Nas and al-Fatiha. Abstinent and ascetic, he lived on what he earned by trade. He taught jurisprudence in the Mu’ayyadiyya and Barquqiyya madrasas. Al-Mahalli was offered the highest judicial positions but refused them. He was known for his scrupulousness, fear of Allah, and fearlessness in upholding the truth. JALALU’D-DIN AL-MAHALLI (791-864/1389-1459) of Cairo was a versatile, scholar who excelled in jurisprudence, theology, grammar, rhetoric, and Quranic commentary. It is hoped that it will prove a valuable aid to the correct understanding of the Quranic Revelation throughout the English-speaking world. This translation gives non-Arabic speakers access to one of the seminal works of classical tafsir literature. Although it is among the shortest and simplest of the complete commentaries, it is at the same time both wide-ranging and profound. Tafsir al-Jalalayn, meaning “The Commentary of the Two Jalals”, is named after its two authors: Jalalu’d-Din al-Mahalli (1389-1459), who wrote half of it, and his student, Jalalu’d-Din as-Suyuti (1445-1505), one of the greatest Muslim scholars of all, who completed it after al-Mahalli’s death.įor half a millennium Tafsir al-Jalalayn has been considered the essential first step in the study of the meanings of the Quran by teachers and students throughout the Islamic world. With this work, for the first time, a complete translation of one of the great classical commentaries on the Holy Quran becomes available to English-speaking readers.

The publication of this book is a landmark in the history of Islamic literature in English.

Tafsir jalalain arabic