Tafsir al-Qummi — the earliest written Shia Tafsir: Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi (d. ~919 CE) of Qum wrote the first systematic written Tafsir of the whole Quran in the Shia tradition. It is pure narration-based (Riwa'i): every verse is explained only through the narrations of the Imams (as), with no personal opinion added. Al-Qummi was the teacher of Al-Kulayni, the compiler of Al-Kafi. His work is one of the four canonical Shia Tafsir works, alongside al-Ayyashi, Majma al-Bayan, and Al-Mizan.
Tafsir al-Ayyashi — the narration-rich pillar: Muhammad ibn Mas'ud al-Ayyashi (d. ~932 CE) of Samarqand also wrote a pure narration-based Tafsir. It is the most narration-rich of the early Shia works, often holding narrations for verses where al-Qummi has none. One caution: the version we have today has the chains (isnads) removed, so scholars cross-check its narrations with Al-Kafi and Bihar al-Anwar.
Majma al-Bayan — the great synthesis: Shaykh Abu Ali al-Fadhl ibn al-Hasan al-Tabarsi (d. 1153 CE) wrote Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran in ten volumes. Unlike the narration-only works, it is comprehensive (Jami'): it uses both Sunni and Shia narrations, Arabic language sciences, Qira'at (variant readings), Asbab, Nasikh-Mansukh, Fiqh, and theology. Allamah Tabataba'i himself said he consulted Majma al-Bayan extensively while writing Al-Mizan. It is the bridge between classical narration-based Tafsir and modern analytical Tafsir.
The three tiers of reading: Knowing the books is not enough — a student must know WHICH book to open for WHICH question. Tier 1 is for narrations — "What did the Imam (as) say?" — open Tafsir al-Burhan first, then al-Qummi, then al-Ayyashi, then Bihar al-Anwar (Vols. 89–92). Tier 2 is for language and context — "What does the verse mean linguistically?" — open Majma al-Bayan first. Tier 3 is for depth — "What is the deepest meaning of this verse?" — open Al-Mizan last, as the final destination.
Allamah Tabataba'i's own advice: Begin with the Quran itself. Read the verse in its full Surah context. Ask: what is the Quran saying? Then check the Imam's (as) narration. Then — if needed — the philosopher's tools. Never begin with philosophy and find a verse to fit it.
Example
Imagine you want to know what a medicine does. First you read the label on the box (the Quran itself). Then you ask the doctor who prescribed it (the Imams (as)). Then, if you want to understand the chemistry deeply, you read a medical textbook (Al-Mizan). Each step adds understanding — but you would never start with the chemistry book and guess the dose.
Key Terms
- Tafsir al-Qummi (تفسیر القمی) — the earliest written Shia Tafsir, by Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi (d. ~919 CE)
- Majma al-Bayan (مجمع البیان) — the great comprehensive Shia Tafsir by Shaykh al-Tabarsi (d. 1153 CE)
- Riwa'i (روائی) — narration-based Tafsir: explaining verses only through narrations
- Tafsir al-Burhan (تفسیر البرہان) — the most comprehensive Shia collection of Tafsir narrations
Quran or Hadith
None used in this topic.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: Three stacked shelves labelled Tier 1 (Narrations: al-Burhan, al-Qummi, al-Ayyashi), Tier 2 (Language: Majma al-Bayan), Tier 3 (Depth: Al-Mizan) — a small library a beginner can climb.
- Tafsir al-Qummi is the earliest written Shia Tafsir; al-Ayyashi is the most narration-rich.
- Majma al-Bayan of Tabarsi is the great synthesis — language, narrations, Fiqh, and theology together.
- Read in tiers: narrations first, language second, Al-Mizan last for depth.