The Evolution of Tafsir in the Ottoman Caliphate

خلافتِ عثمانیہ میں علمِ تفسیر کا ارتقاء

Abstract

The Holy provides guidance to all mankind in their spiritual, social, individual, materialistic and national problems of life. It is only because that all human beings in the world availed themselves with Holy Quran. When the light of Holy Quran, with all its grandeur, reached in the reign of Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman scholars analyzed it in different aspects and rendered useful services in the field of Ilm-e-Tafseer. No doubt, the Ottoman Empire, which got ascendancy on three continents, consisted on six centuries, is matchless and magnificent in its quality, defense of Islamic nation and spreading the knowledge of Islam in the whole world. These people presented a highhanded support for the welfare of the knowledge of Holy Quran and made a straight and direct way for the promulgation of Islam. A splendid amount of Tafseer had been written in this historical era to enhance the importance of the knowledge of Holy Quran which was, truly, the excellent heritage of Ottoman Empire.The literary work of Tafseer in the reign of Ottoman entails validity, terseness and depth in it and it has a greatest importance till today.Here are some of those:Ghaiat-ul-Amani fi tafseer klam-ul-Rubani, Irshad-ul-Aqal-li-Saleem, Rooh-ul-Bian, Rouh-ul-Bian, Fatah-ul-Qadeer, Siraj-ul-Muneer..ete. A lot of people are still unaware about the importance and greatness of them. It is the need of the hour that the elaboration and importance of these tafaseer should be highlighted to impart the knowledge of Holy Quran so that the people who have the quest for this knowledge, may avail themselves and new ways may be paved for its analysis.