Tafsir al Jalalayn: Why Starting is the Most Important Part of Every Blessed Journey.
Start, if it will be completed, with or without you, it will.
When Jalaludin al-Mahalli passed on in 864 Hijri in Cairo, Jalaludin as-Suyuti was only 15 years old. The former had celebrated works scattered in fiqh, usul, kalam and other sciences. The only work of tafsīr he was writing, he started without seeing its end. But the most important thing is that he started. The one to complete what he started was only a teenager born in 849 Hijri in Asyut, 320 km away.
Al-Mahalli started writing his exegesis from al-kahf and went all the way to an-nas. When he was done with those, he took a detour and added al-fatiha. Before he'd proceed from al-baqara downward to al-kahf, death laid its cold hands on him.
Decade(s) later, as-Suyuti picked up from where he left off. Writing with his style and methodology, he completed al-baqara to al-isra and a complete work of exegesis was born.
It became famously known as "Tafsir of the Two Jalals"—Tafsir al Jalalayn—due to its fascinating history and relation to two people [Jalals] years apart.
Today, it is arguably the most famous tafsir on the face of the earth and millions of people continue to pray for the authors. In West Africa, it’s the first work of tafsir taught to students of traditional circles of knowledge — Zaure. Its accessibility makes it a go-to for students and a work of revision for scholars.
What is the goal of relating this story?
It is to tell you that whatever huge—deen related— plan you have, start working on it. If it is to come to fruition, it will surely stand the test of time with or without you. Leave behind a legacy that will benefit others and yourself when you’re gone. Start something for whoever starts, reaches his destination.
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