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15. New Interpretation is Not Misguidance

This view is being preached at a wide scale in our society, but, is completely wrong. Geo TV is also very active in spreading this view. Here is one of their advertisements being shown for preaching this view:

 

What do they want to say if not that Tafseer bil Ra‘y is permissible and blessing? Let us discuss this issue in a little detail.

The Holy Qur'an says:-

“Then, it is on Us (Allah) to explain it (i.e. Tafseer of the Qur'an).” (Surah Qiyamah 75:1)

This explanation is not given to us directly, but, to the Prophet who described the actual Tafseer of the Holy Qur'an. The Qur'an says:

And We have sent down unto you () the reminder and the advice (the Qur'an), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought. (Surah An-Nahl 16:44)

From this ayah, two things are clear:

(1) The Holy Prophet knows and describes the correct explanation of the Qur'an;

(2) Giving thought and using one’s own intellect, in Tafseer, comes after the Prophet’s sayings.

That’s why anyone, without having knowledge of Usul-e-Tafseer (i.e. the Science of Interpretation of the Holy Qur'an), if starts interpreting the Qur'an, will end up astray. Specifically, these ahadith should be kept in mind:

Whoever says anything about the Qur'an without knowledge then he should make his abode in Hell. [Al-ltqan fil Ulum al-Qur'an 2/179]

Narrated Jundub that the Prophet said: If anyone interprets the Book of Allah in the light of his own opinion, even if he is right, he has erred. [Sunan Abu Daw‘ud, Mishkat-ul-Masabih]

After the Prophet, the sayings and actions of the Companions (RAA), Tabi'een and Tabi' Tabi'een are also a source of interpretation. Thus if I enumerate the sources of interpretation of the Holy Qur’an, these are:

            (a) The Holy Qur’an itself

            (b) The Sayings of the Prophet

            (c) The Reports of the Companions (RAA)

            (d) The Reports of the Successors (Tabi'een)

            (e) The Arabic Language

            (f) Deliberation and Deduction

Late Grand Mufti of Pakistan, Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani (R.A.) wrote in one of his articles[51] that:

So, should a person, while explaining the Qur'an, come out with a subtle point or independent judgment which is contrary to the Qur'an and Sunnah, Consensus (Ijma'), Language, or the statements of Companions (RAA) and Successors, or stands in conflict with another principle of Shari'ah, that will then have no credence.

From the above explanation, it is clear that if a person is doing a “new” interpretation of the Qur’an which is repugnant to that of the Prophet, Companions (RAA) and Tabi’een and Tabi’ Tabi’een, then he is completely deviant.

NOTE: The above explanation only applies to Ayat-ul-Ahkamaata & ‘Aqaid i.e. the verses dealing with commandments of Shari’ah and fundamental beliefs. Verses which deal with, for example, scientific knowledge, may be interpreted in a manner which is different from that of the previous scholars.

It is forbidden to even listen to a person who is doing Tafseer bil Ra’y. It is useful to quote here an extract from Ma’ariful Qur’an:[52]

From the saying of Ibn Abbas (RAA), it is abundantly clear that coining a new interpretation of any verse of the Qur’an—which deals with the commandments of the Shari’ah—and which stands in conflict with the interpretation of the Prophet, Companions (RAA), Tabi’een, Tabi’ Tabi’een, Consensus of Ummah or any other well-settled principle of Shari’ah, “then it will have no credence” and it will be open deviance.

It is noteworthy here that one of the reasons why the previous nations earned the torment of Allah was that they did scripture twisting i.e. Tehreef.

We would also like to point out here that Ijtihad is not done to change the Shari’ah according to one’s carnal desires. The objective of Ijtihad is to find the commandment of Allah and not to change the commandments of Allah to fit our needs. The slogan of “re-interpretation of the Islamic Shari’ah, according to the space-time forces” is nothing more than a sugar coating for a bitter toffee of Tehreef. The previous Ummah viz. the Jews or Children of Israel, used to do scripture-twisting, as the Qur’an points out:-

They (Jews) change the words from their (right) places. [Surah al-Maida 5:13]

AND

 

And their (Jews’) taking of Riba (interest) though they were forbidden from taking it… [Surah an-Nisa 4:161]

We are doing the same, as the Prophet had prophesized; we do scripture-twisting, but, label it as reinterpreting the text according to the space-time conditions prevailing. As our Prophet has taught, we should not be driven away by space-time forces; rather we should stand like a rock and control the space-time forces, according to our will!’

Changing the Shari‘ah as one deems fit also comes under following the desires of one’s Nafs and is strictly prohibited by the Shari‘ah. There are many verses and sayings which can be found in this regard.