The Quran is the revelation of Allah's own words for the guidance of His creatures. Since it is the primary source of Islamic teachings, a correct understanding of it is necessary for every Muslim.
Translated and abridged by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, author of Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum — whose judgment on what to keep and what to set aside carries real weight in an abridgement.
Ibn Kathir's Method
He explains the Quran by the Quran — a verse clarified by another verse elsewhere. Where that does not settle the meaning, he turns to the authentic Sunnah; where that does not, to the words of the Companions and the Tabi'un.
Only then does interpretive judgment enter, and when it does he distinguishes sound narrations from weak ones and weighs between the opinions of the earlier exegetes rather than reporting them all as equivalent. That discipline is why the work has remained authoritative for seven centuries.
What Is Included Alongside the Commentary
The circumstances of revelation (asbab an-nuzul), the variant recitations, the legal rulings derived from a passage, and the lessons in creed and faith that follow from it.
Who Should Own It
Any serious student of the Quran, every imam, and any household building a permanent Islamic library in English. Ten volumes is a commitment, and it is the reference you will still be using in twenty years.
If the full set is more than you need at once, the individual volumes are available separately.
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