This book is written by Abul-Qāsim, Furāt son of Ibrāhim son of Furāt Kūfī, one of the dignitaries of Ghaybat-e Sughrā era (minor occultation of the Imām Mahdī, may Allah hasten his reappearance).
It is one of the first four hundred principles' of Shi'a (Usūl-e Arba'a-Mi'ah), and is accounted as one of the primary reference books of narrations (Rawāyat).
It is also one of the oldest exegeses on the holy Qur'ān, and its text is a collection of narrations, which the author has narrated from infallible Imāms (A'immah A.S.).
In this Tafsīr, the author has narrated many narrations from reliable and fundamental sources and other narration books concurrent with the era of the infallible Imāms (A.S.) along with different documentations from different Islamic groups of Shi'a as, Zaidiyyah, Wāqefiyyah, and different groups of Ahl-e Tasannun (Sunnites).
Whole sayings and narrations of A'immah (A.S.), which have been transcribed by their companions, are called principles' (Asl).
According to Ulamā and Fuqahā of Shi'a, more than four hundred principles' have reached the Fuqahā (Jurisprudents) of Shi'a, as: Sheikh-e Kuleini, Sheikh-e Sadūq, Sheikh-e Mufīd, and Sheikh-e Tūsī, and all of our books of narrations are compiled according to these principles; but unfortunately, at the present, most of these principles are not available. We have only received some parts of them, such as this Tafsīr, which is remaining for the time being.
After Ibn-e Bābiwayh and Sheikh-e Sadūq, up to the time of Allāmah Majlesi, this Tafsīr not so often was referred to by Shi'a interpreters. Allāmah used it as one of the main sources of Bihār-ul Anwār. This negligence towards this Tafsīr was perhaps because of the ideology, which the book follows, and caused Shi'a Ulamā not to pay so much attention to it.
There is a narration in this Tafsīr from Zaid, which cites that infallible Imāms are only five, and there is no narration in this book evidencing that they are twelve.
Allamah Majlesī, cites: "narrations of this book are compatible with the reliable narrations, which we have received from the great old companions of the holy prophet (S.A.). Considerable notice have been made in its narrations; this makes the book and its author more reliable". Author of the book Tanqīh-ul Maqāl',cites:
Since great figures as, Ibn-e Bābiwayh and Sheikh-e Sadūq frequently narrate from this book, it could be a good reason for the confidence those two dignitaries had on this Tafsīr.
Many great Ulamā of Shi'a had the utmost confidence on this book, and some of them are as follows:
1- Ibn-e Bābiwayh (Sheikh-e Sadūq's Father).
2- Sheikh-e Sadūq.
3- Sayyid Radhiuddīn Ali Ibn-e Tāwūs.
4- Allāmah Bahrāni.
5- Allāmah Abul-Hasan Sharīf, in his book (Mishkāt-ul-Anwār).
6- Allāmah Afandī (Author of Rīadh-ul Ulamā).
7- Allāmah Khānsārī (Author of Rawdhā-tul-jinān).
8- Sheikh Hurr-e Āmilī.
9- Allāmah Majlisī.
10- Muhaddith-e Nūrī and
1- There is a copy in the library of Borūjerdi Hawzah (seminary) in Najaf Ashraf. Date of transcription of this copy goes back to 1276 hegira. It is inscribed by knowledgeable man, Sheikh Ahmad son of Sheikh Hasan Qaftān Sa'dī Najafi.
2- A copy is available in Āstān-e Quds-e Radhawi (in Mash'had).
3- A copy is available in Malik Library in Tehran. Its date of transcription goes back to 909 Hegira. It is inscribed by Nabī Muhammad son of Ali son of Bahman