Tafsīr means ‘explanation and uncovering of something’. Taʾwīl is ‘to return’, as if one is returning to a verse to see what meaning is carried or interpreted.
Tafsir refers to the interpretation or explanation of the Qur’an, usually aiming to clarify its apparent and direct meanings based on the text itself, Hadith, sayings of the Sahabah (companions of the Prophet), linguistic analysis, and historical context.
Ta’wil is more concerned with uncovering the deeper, often allegorical or esoteric meanings of the Qur’anic text. It involves interpreting verses in a manner that may go beyond their apparent meanings, often seeking to reconcile text with theological or philosophical views.
Taʾwīl is the explanation of the deeper or inner meanings of a word; and it informs us of the actual purpose.
Some scholars consider Tafsir and Taʾwīl to be the same thing. Abū Ṭālib ath-Thaʿlabī defines tafsīr as ‘the clear explanation of a word, whether literal or metaphorical’.
There is scholarly consensus that tafsīr is a communal obligation and it is the most esteemed of the Islamic sciences.