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The one to start with is Ibn Kathir's tafsir. IslamWeb recommends it to questioners because of the order it follows: the Qur'an explained by the Qur'an, then by the Sunnah, then by the reports of the Companions and Successors — and Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin named it among the tafsirs of trustworthy scholars. If you want something lighter to begin with, Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Baghawi and al-Qasimi's Mahasin al-Ta'wil are named as simplified works you can benefit from.
Why Ibn Kathir first
The recommendation is not arbitrary. It rests on a method, and the method is what makes a tafsir reliable or unreliable.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin sets out in Usul fi al-Tafsir the order a Muslim returns to when explaining the Qur'an:
- The Qur'an itself: Allah revealed it and He knows best what He intended by it. He gives the example of al-Tariq: "And what can make you know what is the night comer?" is answered two verses later with "the piercing star."
- The Sunnah: the Prophet ﷺ conveyed from Allah and is the most knowledgeable of people about His intent. He gives the example of "for those who do good is the best and more" — the Prophet ﷺ explained "more" as looking upon the face of Allah, in what Muslim narrated from Suhayb ibn Sinan.
- The words of the Companions: the Qur'an was revealed in their language and in their era, and after the prophets they are the most truthful in seeking the truth and the furthest from whims.
- The words of the Successors: they took tafsir from the Companions, were the best of people after them, and Arabic had not yet changed much in their time.
Ibn Kathir's tafsir is built on exactly this sequence, which is why IslamWeb singles it out: it explains the Qur'an by the Qur'an, then by the Sunnah, then by the reports from the Companions and Successors and what is derived from them. IslamWeb calls this the most beneficial method in explaining the Book of Allah.
The other tafsirs, by what they do
Tafsir works are not all doing the same job. IslamWeb divides them by emphasis, and knowing which kind you are holding tells you what to consult it for:
| Emphasis | Works named |
|---|---|
| Reports and transmitted tafsir | al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir |
| Legal rulings derived from the verses | al-Qurtubi, Ibn al-'Arabi, al-Jassas |
| Language and its sciences | Abu al-Su'ud, Abu Hayyan |
| Simplified, for a beginner | Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Baghawi, al-Qasimi (Mahasin al-Ta'wil) |
So al-Qurtubi is where you go for a fiqh question arising from a verse; Abu Hayyan for a grammatical one. Ibn Kathir is the general foundation.
What Ibn 'Uthaymin and Ibn Baz advise
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin's counsel is to review the tafsirs of scholars who are trusted for their knowledge and their trustworthiness, and he names Ibn Kathir, Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa'di, and Shaykh Abu Bakr al-Jaza'iri among them. He adds a second route that is easy to forget: taking the meanings of the Qur'an from the mouths of trustworthy teachers, directly or by listening to their recorded lessons.
Shaykh Ibn Baz's advice is to turn to the Book itself — reciting it, pondering it, returning to it in everything — and to review the words of the people of tafsir wherever something is unclear, calling this the best help towards understanding the Book of Allah.
The line you must not cross
There is a warning attached to all of this, and it is the reason the method matters. Explaining the Qur'an by mere opinion — without sound evidence and a recognised scholarly approach — is tafsir bi al-ra'y al-madhmun, blameworthy opinion, and it is haram.
The reasoning is that tafsir is a statement about Allah. The verse in Surah al-A'raf lists among the forbidden things:
"and that you say about Allah that which you do not know"— Qur'an 7:33
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymin draws the consequence: whoever explains the Qur'an should feel that he is translating on behalf of Allah and bearing witness to what He intended by His speech — so he magnifies that testimony and fears saying about Allah what he does not know. The reports from the Salaf forbidding opinion in tafsir are understood to be about this kind of opinion, not about tafsir itself.
Key takeaways
- Start with Ibn Kathir. It follows the soundest order — Qur'an by Qur'an, then Sunnah, then the Companions and Successors — and IslamWeb recommends it for that reason.
- Match the tafsir to your need. al-Qurtubi and Ibn al-'Arabi for legal rulings, Abu Hayyan and Abu al-Su'ud for language, al-Tabari for transmitted reports.
- Beginners can begin lighter. Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Baghawi and al-Qasimi's Mahasin al-Ta'wil are named as simplified works.
- Ibn 'Uthaymin also names Ibn Sa'di and al-Jaza'iri, and advises learning from trustworthy teachers or their recordings alongside reading.
- Never explain a verse by bare opinion. Tafsir is a statement about Allah, and saying about Him what you do not know is among the things He has forbidden.
Further reading
- Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim
- Ibn 'Uthaymin, Usul fi al-Tafsir
- al-Sa'di, Taysir al-Karim al-Rahman
And Allah knows best.
This is a guide to what the scholars have said, not a fatwa. For your own situation, ask a qualified scholar who can hear the details.