Why should the Qur'an first be explained by the Qur'an, Sunnah and statements of the early generations?
2026-09-21
T86 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Selected explanation · Selected source passage(s) — fully translated
Selected continuous passage; light punctuation normalization has been applied for reading. The English translates every displayed Arabic paragraph; this selection is not the complete surrounding work. Square brackets identify translator-supplied clarification.
النص العربي
المقتطف
وَيَجُوزُ بِاتِّفَاقِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنْ تُفَسَّرَ إحْدَى الْآيَتَيْنِ بِظَاهِرِ الْأُخْرَى وَيُصْرَفَ الْكَلَامُ عَنْ ظَاهِرِهِ؛ إذْ لَا مَحْذُورَ فِي ذَلِكَ عِنْدَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ السُّنَّةِ وَإِنْ سُمِّيَ تَأْوِيلًا وَصَرْفًا عَنْ الظَّاهِرِ فَذَلِكَ لِدَلَالَةِ الْقُرْآنِ عَلَيْهِ وَلِمُوَافَقَةِ السُّنَّةِ وَالسَّلَفِ عَلَيْهِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ تَفْسِيرُ الْقُرْآنِ بِالْقُرْآنِ؛ لَيْسَ تَفْسِيرًا لَهُ بِالرَّأْيِ.
English translation
English translation reviewed against the displayed Arabic by SalafAlSalih editorial preparation (AI-assisted); explanatory additions appear in square brackets or separate notes.
Selected explanation
By agreement of the Muslims, it is permissible to explain one of two verses through the apparent meaning of the other, and to turn the wording away from its apparent meaning [on that basis]. None of Ahl al-Sunnah considers there to be anything objectionable in this, even if it is called interpretation and departure from the apparent meaning, because the Qur’an indicates it and the Sunnah and early generations agree with it. It is explaining the Qur’an by the Qur’an, not explaining it through personal opinion.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 6/21
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic passage checked against the cited volume and printed page. English reviewed against every displayed Arabic paragraph on 14 October 2026.