Is there a Companion who interpreted the entire Qur’an, and if so, why did later exegetes such as Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari undertake interpretation, even though the Companions were more knowledgeable and pious, knowing the time and reasons for the revelation of the verses?

The answer made clear the Companions’ eagerness to learn the Qur’an, understand its meanings, and act upon it. They were the closest people to knowing the intention of Allah Almighty due to their experience of the revelation’s descent and the Prophet’s informing them of what they needed, as well as their mastery of the Qur’an’s language. Among the most famous Companions in exegesis are: the Four Caliphs, Ibn Mas’ud, Ibn ‘Abbas, Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Zayd ibn Thabit, Abu Musa al-Ash’ari, and Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr.

Their methodology in exegesis was characterized by their witnessing the revelation, being native speakers of the language in which the Qur’an was revealed, their knowledge of the circumstances of those concerning whom the Qur’an was revealed, and the soundness of their intention and their excellent understanding. Scholars have summarized the logical reasons for the exegete to refer to the statements of the Companions, which make their sayings authoritative and a benchmark in the interpretation of the Holy Qur’an.

The science of exegesis evolved over time. During the era of the Companions, exegesis was limited to clarifying an ambiguous word or a problematic ruling, and to what people needed without elaboration. It was transmitted orally, and their exegesis did not encompass the entire Qur’an.

The Companions benefited from the Prophet’s clarifications regarding methods of exegesis, including that the interpretation of the words of Allah should be according to what is well-known and readily understood from the Arabic language, that explicit Prophetic exegesis takes precedence over linguistic exegesis, and that the best method of exegesis is interpreting the Qur’an by the Qur’an, which is what the Companions adopted.

Among the sources the Companions relied upon for exegesis were: the Holy Qur’an, the Prophetic Sunnah, the Arabic language, the knowledge of the People of the Book, and understanding and ijtihad (independent reasoning).

Correct exegesis is that which is based on knowledge and evidence. And whoever speaks about the Qur’an by his own opinion, let him take his seat in the Fire.

The Companions are considered a source for those who came after them in exegesis, due to what they witnessed regarding the circumstances of the Qur’an’s revelation and their complete understanding and correct knowledge.

It is worth mentioning that the science of exegesis is divided into two parts: Usul al-Tafsir (principles of exegesis), which are the methods of clarifying the intended meanings of the Qur’an and how to derive meanings from it, and Matn al-Tafsir (the body of exegesis), which are the intended Qur’anic meanings arrived at by applying the principles of exegesis.

The Companions did not interpret the entire Qur’an as we understand it today; rather, they limited themselves to interpreting the meanings of some verses in a general way, as they interpreted what people needed.