Section: The Two Categories of Disagreement in Qur’anic Exegesis

First Category: Disagreement that stems from transmitted reports

Differences in tafsir fall into two kinds. One kind rests solely on transmission, while the other is known through means other than transmission; for knowledge is gained either by verified report or by sound demonstration. The transmitted material may come from one who is protected from error or from one who is not. What concerns us here is the entire class of transmitted reports—whether from an infallible source or not. Within this class are reports whose soundness or weakness we can ascertain, and reports about which such determination is impossible. This latter subset of transmitted material, for which we have no means to be certain of its truth, is in large part devoid of benefit, and discussing it is mere superfluous speech.

As for matters that Muslims need to know, God has set up clear evidence for the truth of them. An example of what yields no benefit and for which no proof exists is their dispute over the color of the dog that accompanied the Companions of the Cave, or over the particular part of the cow with which Moses struck the slain man,