Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2952
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَبَّانُ بْنُ هِلاَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُهَيْلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَزْمٍ أَخُو حَزْمٍ الْقُطَعِيِّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عِمْرَانَ الْجَوْنِيُّ، عَنْ جُنْدُبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ قَالَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ بِرَأْيِهِ فَأَصَابَ فَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ . وَقَدْ تَكَلَّمَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَزْمٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَكَذَا رُوِيَ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَغَيْرِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ شَدَّدُوا فِي هَذَا فِي أَنْ يُفَسَّرَ الْقُرْآنُ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ . وَأَمَّا الَّذِي رُوِيَ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ وَقَتَادَةَ وَغَيْرِهِمَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّهُمْ فَسَّرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَلَيْسَ الظَّنُّ بِهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا فِي الْقُرْآنِ أَوْ فَسَّرُوهُ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ أَوْ مِنْ قِبَلِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْهُمْ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا قُلْنَا أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَقُولُوا مِنْ قِبَلِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ . حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ الْبَصْرِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، قَالَ مَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ آيَةٌ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ فِيهَا بِشَيْءٍ . حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، قَالَ قَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ لَوْ كُنْتُ قَرَأْتُ قِرَاءَةَ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ لَمْ أَحْتَجْ إِلَى أَنْ أَسْأَلَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مِمَّا سَأَلْتُ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Jundab ibn ‘Abd Allah reported that the Messenger of Allah said, ‘Whoever speaks about the Qur’an based on his own opinion—even if he is right—has still erred.’ Abu ‘Isa said this is a gharib hadith and that some hadith scholars criticized Suhayl ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Hazm, the brother of Hazm al-Quta‘i. Abu ‘Isa explained: Scholars among the Prophet’s Companions and others were strict about interpreting the Qur’an without knowledge. As for reports that Mujahid, Qatadah, and other scholars interpreted the Qur’an, they should not be presumed to have spoken about or interpreted it without knowledge or from their own unsupported opinions. Reports from them show that they did not speak about it on their own without knowledge. Al-Husayn ibn Mahdi al-Basri related from ‘Abd al-Razzaq, from Ma‘mar, from Qatadah, who said, ‘There is no verse in the Qur’an about which I have not heard something.’ Ibn Abi ‘Umar related from Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, from al-A‘mash, that Mujahid said, ‘If I had learned the recitation of Ibn Mas‘ud, I would not have needed to ask Ibn ‘Abbas about much of the Qur’an that I asked him about.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The hadith warns against unsupported personal interpretation, even if the result happens to be correct. Abu ‘Isa distinguishes this from learned tafsir based on transmitted knowledge, defending early scholars such as Mujahid and Qatadah. He cites Qatadah’s statement that he had heard something about every verse and Mujahid’s reliance on Ibn ‘Abbas for Qur’anic explanations.