al-Ghazali: On Interpretation according to Individual Opinion

The Prophet said: 'Whoever interprets the Qur'an according to his own opinion is to receive his place in the hell-fire.' The people who are acquainted with only the outer aspect of exegesis have for this reason discredited the mystics in so far as they have been involved with exegesis, because they explain the wording of the Qur'an other than according to the Tradition of Ibn Abbas and the other interpreters' They have thus advocated the view that what is involved here is unbelief. If the advocates of (the traditional) exegesis are correct, then the understanding of the Qur'an consists in nothing else than that one, knows its interpretation outwardly. But if. they are not, right, then what is the meaning of the Prophet's words: 'Whoever interprets the Qur'an according to his own opinion is to receive his place in the hell-fire'?

One should note: When someone maintains that the Qur'an has no other meaning than that expressed by the outer aspect of exegesis, then by doing so he manifests his own limitation. With this confession about himself he hits upon what is absolutely correct (for his own situation); however, he errs in his opinion that the entire creation is to be regarded as being on his level, that is, restricted to his limitation and situation. Rather, the commentaries and Traditions show that the meanings contained in the Qur'an exhibit a wide scope for experts in the field. Thus, Ali said (that a specific meaning can be grasped) only when God grants to one understanding for the Qur'an. (But) if nothing else is present than the interpretation which has-been handed down then this is not understanding. (Further) the Prophet said that the Qur'an had a literal. meaning, an inner meaning, a terminal point (of understanding), and a starting point (for understanding .... According to the opinion of some scholars, every verse can be understood in sixty thousand ways, and what then still remains unexhausted (in its meaning) is more numerous. Others have maintained that the Qur'an contains seventy-seven thousand and two hundred (kinds of knowledge, since every word constitutes one (kind of) knowledge. This then increases fourfold since every word has a literal meaning, an inner meaning, a terminal point (of understanding) and a starting point (for understanding)....

Ibn Mas'ud said: Whoever wishes to obtain knowledge about his ancestors and descendants, should meditate upon the Qur'an. This knowledge does not appear, however, if one restricts the interpretation of the Qur'an to the outer meaning. All in all, every kind of knowledge is included in the realm of actions and attributes of God, and the description of the nature of the actions and attributes of God is contained in the Qur'an. These kinds of knowledge are unending; yet, in the Qur'an is found (only) an indication' of their general aspects. Thereby, the (various) degrees of the deeper penetration into the particulars of knowledge are traced back to the (actual) understanding of the Qur'an. The mere outer aspect of interpretation yields no hint of this knowledge. Rather, the fact is that the Qur'an contains indications and hints, which certain select people with (correct) understanding can grasp, concerning all that remains obscure of the theoretical way of thinking and that about which the creatures disagree regarding the theoretical sciences and rational ideas. How is the interpretation and explanation of the outer meaning of the Qur'an to be sufficient for this? ...

Regarding the words of the Prophet 'Whoever interprets the Qur'an according to his own opinion', and the prohibition concerning this,... one can conclude as follows: Either, restriction to the Tradition and what can be learned (from other sources), and (thus) the renunciation of inference and independent understanding, is meant; or, something else is meant. For the following reasons, it has been decided that it is wrong to conclude that what is meant is that concerning the Qur'an one is allowed only the outer meaning, which he has heard:

1. One would then be restricted to what was stated (in the time of the Prophet) and can be traced back to him (through statements of suitable authorities). But this seldom occurs with (interpretations of the Qur'an....

2. The Companions of the Prophet and the exegetes are in disagreement concerning the interpretation of certain verses and advance differing statements about them which cannot be brought into harmony with one another. That all of these statements have been heard from the mouth of the Messenger of God is absurd. One was obliged to learn of one of these statements of the Messenger of God in order to refute the rest, and then it became clear that, concerning the meaning (of the passage of the Qur'an in question), every exegete expressed what appeared to him to be evident through his inference. This went so far that seven different kinds of interpretations, which cannot be brought into harmony with one another, have been advanced concerning the (mysterious) letters at the beginning of (some of) the suras....

3. The Messenger of God prayed for Ibn Abbas: 'God instruct him in the religion and teach him the interpretation!' But if one had heard the interpretation in the same way (that he heard the recitation of the Qur'an) and could preserve it in his memory just as it was revealed, then what could this statement (of Muhammad) mean, since it was intended especially for Ibn Abbas? ...

4. God has said: '. . . those of them whose task it is to investigate would have come to know the matter' (Sura 4:83). Thus he has granted a disclosure to people with knowledge, and it is certain that the disclosure surpasses what is heard (of the doctrines which have been handed down). All of the reports which we have mentioned concerning the understanding of the Qur'an stand in opposition to this notion (of a restriction of interpretation to what is heard from earlier sources), and consequently it is senseless to make hearing a condition for the interpretation. (Rather) it is permitted to everyone to draw conclusions from the Qur'an according to the measure of his understanding and according to the scope of his reason.

The prohibition (against interpreting the Qur'an according to individual opinion) involves the following two reasons for its having been sent down: The first is that someone may have an opinion about something, and through his nature as well as his inclination he may shelter a bias for it and then interpret the Qur'.5n in accordance with his opinion and bias, in order thereby to obtain arguments to prove his view to be correct. Moreover, the meaning (which he links with his view) could not at all appear to him from the Qur'an if he did not have (preconceived) opinion and bias. This sometimes happens consciously, as perchance in the case of those who use individual verses of the Qur'an as arguments for the correctness of a (heretical) innovation and thus know that this is not in accordance with what is meant by the verse. They want rather to deceive their opponents. Sometimes (however) it (also) happens unconsciously. For instance, when a verse allows various meanings, a man inclines in his understanding to that which corresponds with his own opinion. Then, he settles the issue according to his opinion and inclination and thus interprets according to 'individual opinion'. That is: It is 'individual opinion' which drives one to such an interpretation. If one did not have this opinion, then that possibility of interpretation (to which one is inclined) would not have gained predominance....

The second reason is that someone may come to an interpretation of the Qur'an prematurely on the basis of the outer meaning of the Arabic language, without receiving the assistance of hearing and the Tradition for what is involved with passages of the Qur'an which are difficult to understand, for the obscure and ambiguous expressions which are found in the Qur'an, and for abbreviations, omissions, implications, anticipations, and allusions which are contained in it. Whoever has not mastered the outer aspect of exegesis, but solely on the basis of his understanding of the Arabic language proceeds hastily to the conclusion of the meaning (of the Qur'an), commits many errors and aligns himself thereby to the group of those who interpret (the Qur'an) according to individual opinion. The Tradition and hearing are indispensable for the outer aspect of exegesis, first of all in order to make certain thereby against the opportunities for error, but then also in order to extend the endeavour to understand and to reach conclusions. The obscure passages which cannot be understood without hearing are in fact numerous....

 

 

Written by Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111); translation by Helmut Gatje in The Qur'an and Its Exegesis (Oxford: Oneworld, 1996)