Aspects of Interpreting the Noble Qur'an
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Question:
May Allah reward you with good. From the questions of this questioner, Honorable Shaykh, she says: I find in Ibn Kathir's tafsir (exegesis) multiple opinions regarding some meanings, and sometimes modern science in our time confirms the interpretation of a verse in a way different from what was transmitted. Which of the two is wrong and which is correct?
Answer:
It is not permissible to rely on modern science in interpreting the Qur'an, because modern science errs and hits the mark, and its errors are more than its correct findings, because it is a human endeavor. The Qur'an mentioned that the scholars of knowledge interpret it in one of four ways: first, interpreting the Qur'an by the Qur'an, because the Qur'an interprets some of it by other parts of it; second, interpreting the Qur'an by the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because Allah commanded the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to clarify the Qur'an for the people and interpret it for them, and the Sunnah is an interpretation of the Qur'an; third, interpreting the Qur'an by the statements of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), because they learned from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and studied under him; fourth, interpreting the Qur'an by the statements of the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions).
Because they learned from the Companions and studied from the Companions. Fifth, interpreting the Qur'an by the requirements of the Arabic language in which it was revealed, because Allah revealed it in a clear Arabic language and made it Arabic. So if its interpretation is not found in the Qur'an, nor in the Sunnah, nor in the statements of the Companions, nor in the statements of the Tabi'un, then one refers to the language in which it was revealed. These are the methods of interpreting the Qur'an, and it is not interpreted by anything else, for that involves attributing to Allah without knowledge. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: and he erred even if he hit the mark, because it came from a path that is not valid for interpreting the Qur'an. Yes.
May Allah reward you with good. From the questions of this questioner, Honorable Shaykh, she says: I find in Ibn Kathir's tafsir (exegesis) multiple opinions regarding some meanings, and sometimes modern science in our time confirms the interpretation of a verse in a way different from what was transmitted. Which of the two is wrong and which is correct?
Answer:
It is not permissible to rely on modern science in interpreting the Qur'an, because modern science errs and hits the mark, and its errors are more than its correct findings, because it is a human endeavor. The Qur'an mentioned that the scholars of knowledge interpret it in one of four ways: first, interpreting the Qur'an by the Qur'an, because the Qur'an interprets some of it by other parts of it; second, interpreting the Qur'an by the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), because Allah commanded the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to clarify the Qur'an for the people and interpret it for them, and the Sunnah is an interpretation of the Qur'an; third, interpreting the Qur'an by the statements of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), because they learned from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and studied under him; fourth, interpreting the Qur'an by the statements of the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions).
Because they learned from the Companions and studied from the Companions. Fifth, interpreting the Qur'an by the requirements of the Arabic language in which it was revealed, because Allah revealed it in a clear Arabic language and made it Arabic. So if its interpretation is not found in the Qur'an, nor in the Sunnah, nor in the statements of the Companions, nor in the statements of the Tabi'un, then one refers to the language in which it was revealed. These are the methods of interpreting the Qur'an, and it is not interpreted by anything else, for that involves attributing to Allah without knowledge. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Whoever speaks about the Qur'an based on his own opinion and without knowledge, let him take his seat from the Fire.
من قال في القرآن برأيه وبما لا يعلم فليتبوأ مقعده من النار
Source
الاعتماد على العلم الحديث في تفسير القرآن — alfawzan.live
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.