The Emergence of Qur’anic Interpretation through Opinion: An Evaluative Study

Abstract

The present research tackles the emergence of [Qur’anic] interpretation through opinion by the Companions of the Prophet (May Allah be pleased with them, during the Age of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). As the studies that dealt with the approaches of the interpreters divided the interpretation to the two schools: of interpretation through impact, and interpretation trough opinions. They pointed out that the beginning of the advent of interpretation was limited to the interpretation by impact through narration, and that the Companions (May Allah be pleased with them) avoided the interpretation of the Qur'an by their opinion. But it's worth noting that this issue needs to be reviewed.

This research is an attempt to prove and reveal that the signs of interpretation were not limited to the interpretation by impact through narration. Rather, the interpretation was handed down to the Prophet's Companions, as they sometimes interpreted the Qur'an according to their understanding of the verse and the Prophet, peace be upon him did not object to that. Accordingly, I deemed it necessary to examine the emergence of such Qur’anic interpretation, that is, interpretation by opinion; and also to scrutinize and analyze the issue of interpretation; hoping to reach at the conclusion that interpretation by opinion emerged side by side with the interpretation by impact at the age of the Prophet, Peace be upon him. Later, the Qur’anic scholars and interpreters narrated that interpretation and was named ‘interpretation through narration’.  But, originally, what was quoted and narrated from our Prophet, peace be upon him, only that is called ‘interpretation through narration’, because everything said by the Prophet, peace be upon him was Revelation [from Allah the Almighty], as the Almighty recites: (Nor does he speak out of desire. (3). Indeed, it is not except a Revelation which is revealed, (4). [Sura 53: AN-NAJM (THE STAR)].