Regarding previous discussions, one can decisively say that reference to the primary sources of Islam i.e. the books of hadith, exegesis and biography for the purpose of writing exegesis or the biography of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and Imams (A.S.) or the story of the Prophets; and expressing views on them or on the origin (of this universe), resurrection and all other Islamic beliefs is like reference to the same books for deriving one divine decree where the person ref erring so should be an expert in the Arabic language, hadith of the Immaculate ones. Since of «Rijal» (biography and criticism of traditionists), contextual study of hadith and fundamentals of jurisprudence. Furthermore, he should have worked for sometime under the guidance of a fully qualified jurist, well-versed in the manner of making use of Quran and the Sunnah in deducing the divine decree. In other words, he should have attended the theological centers studying the seminary lectures (not based on regarding textbooks) of the jurists.
Similarly, a person inexpert in the afore-mentioned sciences, who may not have worked under the guidance of a jurist is highly unlikely to extract a legal decree or pass «Fatwa» (judicial decree) from the primary sources of Islam. An inexpert person in the afore-said sciences who is untrained and lacks the guidance of a jurist too cannot extract information about Islamic beliefs, Quranic exegesis, biography of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) and Imams (A.S.) and relate them to the Islamic society.
This is really similar to an engineer or doctor in Physics, Chemistry or Thermodynamics who does not have the opportunity for referring to the books on medicine which are taught in the medical colleges however much that he wishes to cure himself or the patients by referring to those books. All the scholars, sages and scientific associations of the world reckon this affair to be perilous. The reference of an inexpert person in the afore-said sciences and the Islamic sources and his writings and opinions too will be perilous for the beliefs of the Muslims.
Such was the condition for reference to the primary sources of Islam and the condition for reference to Quran is as follow:-
To examine the condition for reference to the holy Quran, it is necessary to explain the following:
The holy verses of Quran are divided into two parts:
Definitive and ambigious; and the definitive verses too speak on the topic of fundamentals of belief and all other commandments as well as Islamic gnosis.
All the verses which speak on the topic of fundamentals of Islamic beliefs like:
Tauheed (Monotheism) of the Creator and Tauheed of the Lawmaking God and the verses which speak about resurrection, gathering, reckoning, reward and retribution and the verses which exist with regards to the appointment of the Prophets - right from Hazrat Adam till the last Prophet - and the necessity of their obedience;
and in short, all these fundamentals of beliefs have been explained with such definite and lucid verses that anyone possessing a little knowledge of the Arabic language who wishes to perceive the idea can do so in a very easy manner.
Now we shall explain a few examples of the verses on Tauheed:
[Arabic text] 309
[Arabic text] 312
Anyone familiar with the Arabic language can easily perceive monotheism in Divinity of Lordship from these and hundreds of other verses.
Verses on Ma'ad (resurrection) like:
[Arabic text] 317
[Arabic text] 320
From the previous verses and hundreds of other verses on resurrection, reckoning and reward the matter becomes definite, clear and obvious.
About the Prophets, the verses say:
[Arabic text] 321
About the last of the Prophets, the following verse says:
[Arabic text] 323
About obedience to him, verses says:
[Arabic text] 324
From the entire set of these verses, the idea can be comprehended in the most simplest manner.
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Such verses which have come down with regards to the fundamentals of Islamic beliefs are the definitive verses and anyone familiar with the Arabic language can understand them fully.
Apart from the previous verses, numerous other definitive verses too have come down on such topics as Islamic commandments, ethics and gnosis like:
The verses which have issued commands with the word of [Arabic text] and its derivatives:
[Arabic text] 327
[Arabic text] 328
On with the use of the word and its derivatives like:
[Arabic text] 329
[Arabic text] 330
And many verses which give commands in the form of the verb like:
[Arabic text] 331
[Arabic text] 332
[Arabic text] 333
And those verses which by making use of such words as [Arabic text] and [Arabic text] and their derivatives have forbidden certain acts like:
[Arabic text] 334
[Arabic text] 335
On occasions, certain verses have issued forbidden commands by using the word [Arabic text] like:
[Arabic text]
These and numerous other verses are amongst the decisive verses on the commandments and all the other Islamic gnosis.
However, these definitive Quranic verses which are about lawful, forbidden, permissible, recommendable and undesirable commandments have expressed the general decree like: establish the prayers, give the poor tax, keep fast in the month of Ramadhan and refrain from backbiting.
The manner and condition of these and numerous other Islamic decrees and etiquettes whose general commandments appear in the holy Quran have not been mentioned. In this connection, God Almighty says:
[Arabic text] 337
«And We have revealed unto thee the Reminder that you may make clear to men what has been revealed to them.»
Thus, in order to act upon these set of definitive verses, we should refer to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.A.) as he has been the delegate appointed by God to explain to us the details of the commandments of the Quran.
In order to acquire the detailed account of these commandments from the Holy Prophet, we are helpless in following the very primary sources of Islam and for referring to the original sources of Islam, it is necessary to follow the very conditions which we have mentioned before.
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So far, we mentioned the two classes of definitive verses of the holy Quran. Other than these two classes of definitive verses in the Quran there are the ambigious verses and to understand these ambigious verses it is obvious that one should refer to the one who is well-versed in the Quran and Sunnah.
Otherwise, the following divine saying will apply to him:
[Arabic text]
Therefore, as mentioned before, reference to the definitive verses of the Quran in connection to monotheism of the Creator and the Law-making God; knowledge of the day of resurrection, reckoning, reward and retribution; obedience to the Prophet right to the last of them - is clear and easy for every person who is familiar with the Arabic language.
However, in order to act upon the definitive verses which have pointed out the generalities of the commandments, it is necessary to learn their details and conditions from the Holy Prophet. Similarly, with regards to beliefs - the details of Divine Attributes and the attributes of the Prophets and Imams - the details of the condition of resurrection, paradise, hell, intercession, the fountain of «Kauthar» and other Islamic gnosis; and the manner of creation of the heavens, earth, angels, jinn and men should all be learnt from the Holy Prophet. In other words, one must refer to the original Islamic sources - books of hadith and seerah. Moreover, reference to them too necessitates the same conditions which was mentioned in the first part of our discussion.
Another crucial condition in referring to the holy Quran is that the person doing so must really be desirous of acquiring some knowledge and matter from the Quran and not that he believes in some matters and (then) refers to the holy Quran and other primary Islamic sources so as to set up an evidence for his claims. Such a person will interpret the Quran and hadith according to his own understanding and whim.
It will be like a person who has brought faith in the democracy of capitalism or has become devotedly attracted towards socialism or Darwinian theory or Freud's views and then refers to the Quran and hadith in search of proof for his claims and in this process interprets some of the verses or traditions as per his own views. Such a person has not wished to acquire knowledge from the Quran and hadith. Rather, he has pursued to load his views on the Quran and hadith where this act is unanimously referred to as [Arabic text] (interpretation by personal opinion) by scholars.
In order to understand the negative effects of this act, we shall now set forth a few hadith which reproach and forbid interpretation by personal opinion.
Thereafter, we shall mention some of the interpretations exercised through personal opinion by the exegetists and also by those who had no knowledge of the Arabic language.