Quranic sciences

Everything studied around the Quranic text: tafsir, from the single volume to the encyclopaedic commentary, the foundations of exegesis and the ulum al-Quran, tajwid and its matns, the qira'at and their routes, Uthmanic orthography, the lexicons of rare vocabulary, and memorisation methods. Ten shelves, from beginner to specialist.

Complete and encyclopaedic tafsir Concise tafsir Partial tafsir Foundations of tafsir and Quranic sciences Quran memorisation methods Quran lexicon Tajwid and qira'at matns Tajwid rules Science of qira'at Quranic orthography

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How this section is organised

The Quranic sciences are not one subject but a series of disciplines held together by an order of study. You begin with the meaning of the text, which is tafsir. You then go back to the rules governing that work, the usul at-tafsir and the ulum al-Quran. Alongside comes recitation: tajwid first, then the qira'at. And beside them, two technical shelves, the rasm and the lexicons. The ten sub-sections follow that order.

The ten sub-sections

Concise tafsir: the single-volume tafsirs, readable from end to end.
Complete and encyclopaedic tafsir: At-Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Al-Qurtubi, in volume sets.
Partial tafsir: one sura, one juz', a group of verses.
Foundations of tafsir and Quranic sciences: the rules before the commentaries.
Quran memorisation methods: hifz plans, revision workbooks, memorisation mushafs.
Quran lexicon: Al-Mufradat, gharib al-Quran, word indexes.
Tajwid and qira'at matns: the versified texts that are memorised.
Tajwid rules: the books of rules and their commentaries.
Science of qira'at: the ten readings, their routes, their differences.
Quranic orthography: Uthmanic rasm, dabt, waqf marks.

Where to start, by level

If you read Arabic without full ease, take a single-volume tafsir and a manual of tajwid rules: the two are worked on in parallel. If you are at home in the language, the foundations change the way every commentary reads, and they are the best investment on this shelf. The qira'at and the rasm come last: those are specialist shelves.

What separates two editions

The editor and the volume count, which account for almost every price gap on the major tafsirs. The vowelling, essential on the matns since they are memorised aloud. The paper and binding, which matter on a book opened daily. And for the lexicons, the arrangement, by root or by order of the suras, which changes the use entirely. These points are stated on every product page.

Related shelves

For the text itself and its riwayat, Quran. For the language without which these works stay shut, Arabic. For the hadith collections the tafsirs cite constantly, Hadith.

Order and shipping

Real stock displayed, dispatch within 24 to 48 working hours, delivery to France, Europe and the rest of the world. Tell us your level of Arabic and what you are trying to do, and we will point to the useful sub-section rather than the best-selling title.

In what order should the Quranic sciences be approached?

A single-volume tafsir and a manual of tajwid rules are worked on together, from the start. The foundations of tafsir come just after: a few dozen pages that change how every commentary reads. The qira'at and the orthography of the mushaf are kept for last, as specialist shelves.

What is the difference between tafsir and ulum al-Quran?

Tafsir explains the meaning of the verses. The ulum al-Quran study the text as an object: its order of revelation, its occasions of revelation, abrogation, the muhkam and the mutashabih, its transmission, its orthography. In other words tafsir works inside the text, the ulum al-Quran work on the text.

Can tajwid be studied from a book alone?

A book gives the rule, the vocabulary and the map of the syllabus, but tajwid is corrected by ear: nobody has ever fixed a point of articulation by reading a definition. So we highlight the editions with exercises and the illustrated works, which serve alongside recitation followed by a teacher.

Why do two editions of the same tafsir cost different amounts?

Three reasons, in that order. The editor, whose work can represent years on a text like At-Tabari. The volume count, since the abridgement and the original often bear the same title. And the manufacture, paper and binding, which matters on a set opened over twenty years.

Do I need Arabic to use this section?

Yes, all the works are in Arabic, without translation. But the level required varies widely: At-Tafsir al-muyassar is readable with a solid basis, whereas An-Nashr by Ibn al-Jazari assumes command of the technical vocabulary of the readings. The level is stated on every product page.

What is a matn, and why sell it separately?

A matn is a short versified text condensing a discipline: Tuhfat al-atfal runs to 61 lines. You memorise it first and read its commentary afterwards. For memorising, the bare text is better, since the page stays short and the visual marker stable. The commentary is bought separately, on the shelf of rules.