Tanwir al-Aynayn Sharh Tafsir al-Jalalayn (4 Volume Set) تنوير العينين شرح تفسير الجلالين

Tanwir al-Aynayn Sharh Tafsir al-Jalalayn (تنوير العينين شرح تفسير الجلالين) is a highly esteemed, detailed contemporary commentary (sharh) on the classical and universally studied Quranic exegesis, Tafsir al-Jalalayn.

Authored by Abu Suhail Anwar Abdullah bin Abdul Rahman and published by the well-known Saudi publishing house Maktabah Dar al-Hijaz (in a 4-volume set), this work serves to unpack, clarify, and supplement the highly condensed text of Tafsir al-Jalalayn. The author spent three years in producing this work. 

Tafsir al-Jalalayn (written originally by Jalal al-Din al-Mahalli and completed by Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti) is famous for its extreme brevity, often matching the length of the Quranic text itself word-for-word. Because of its concise nature, beginners and intermediate students often struggle to understand the subtle linguistic shifts, grammatical structures, and theological underpinnings implicit in its brief phrasing.

Tanwir al-Aynayn (“The Enlightenment of the Two Eyes”) acts as an illuminating bridge. It provides a comprehensive explanation (sharh) that unpacks the condensed statements of the two “Jalals” (al-Mahalli and al-Suyuti), ensuring the reader fully grasps the intended meanings of the original commentary.

Key Features of this Edition

1.Unpacking Condensed Phrases: The author carefully analyzes the brief explanations of Tafsir al-Jalalayn, expanding on them where necessary to ensure clarity in meaning, grammatical structure, and contexts of revelation (Asbab al-Nuzul).

2.Theological Creed Clarifications (Aqidah): One of the primary reasons contemporary scholars write commentaries on Tafsir al-Jalalayn is to address theological points, particularly regarding the Divine Attributes (Sifat). Tafsir al-Jalalayn occasionally employs metaphorical interpretations (ta’wil) influenced by Asharite theology. In Tanwir al-Aynayn, Abu Suhail Anwar highlights these instances and provides the traditional Creed of the pious predecessors (Athari / Salafi Aqidah), affirming the Divine Attributes as they befit Allah’s Majesty without distortion (tahrif), denial (ta’til), or anthropomorphism (tashbih).

3. Hadith Verification and Grading: The author provides authentication and grading (Takhrij) for the prophetic traditions (Ahadith) and historical narrations (Athar) referenced throughout the original Tafsir, distinguishing between authentic (sahih), acceptable (hasan), and weak (da’if) narrations.

4. Linguistic and Grammatical Analysis: It offers linguistic breakdowns of difficult Arabic words and clarifies key grammatical (I’rab) points that the original authors of al-Jalalayn relied upon implicitly in their concise phrasing.

5. High-Quality Publication by Dar al-Hijaz: Presented in a beautiful 4-volume set, this edition by the Saudi-based publisher Maktabah Dar al-Hijaz is known for its high-quality yellow/cream paper, clear typography, and structured layout (typically featuring the Quranic text, the text of al-Jalalayn, and the commentary of Tanwir al-Aynayn clearly separated on the page for ease of reading).

Who Is This For?

This work is highly recommended for:

Students of Knowledge (Tullab al-Ilm) who are studying Tafsir al-Jalalayn as part of a formal Islamic studies curriculum.

Imams and Teachers looking for a structured, easily accessible reference to explain the Quran accurately.

Lay Readers seeking a middle ground between extremely brief translations and massive, multi-volume classical exegeses like Tafsir Ibn Kathir or Tafsir al-Baghawi.