Is what the questioner and his companions do, in pondering the Quran and extracting meanings that may not have been heard from exegetes, considered speaking about Allah without knowledge, and is it necessary to review these findings with people of knowledge?
There are four levels for understanding and contemplating the Qur’an: the linguistic meaning of the verse, knowing God’s intent from it, which is tafsir (exegesis), knowing the fulfillment of what God has foretold, which is ta’wil (interpretation), and contemplating the verse and taking admonition from it. Tafsir is the clarification of what God Almighty intended by His words, and it is not permissible to speak about it based on opinion or conjecture. Rather, it must be supported by evidence from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, or the tafsir of the Companions. Contemplation (tadabbur) comes after understanding, and it is for reflecting and taking admonition regarding what pertains to the tafsir and the known meaning. It is not permissible to introduce new meanings for verses and attribute them to God’s intent without proof, for this is speaking about God without knowledge.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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