The third issue is his presuming to speak about the Qur’an without knowledge. He claimed that Allah’s words about the People of the Cave—“Had you looked at them, you would have turned and fled from them, and you would have been filled with terror” (18:18)—refer to their frightening appearance, saying that their beards had covered their faces and their fingernails had grown until they touched the ground. Such is the baseless assertion of this writer: that the People of the Cave’s beards veiled their faces and their nails reached the earth. Yet no proof for this exists in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah, nor has it been related from any Companion, Successor, or imam of knowledge and guidance after them.

It is authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever speaks about the Qur’an without knowledge, let him take his seat in the Fire.” This was narrated by Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Jarir, and al-Baghawi on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbas—may Allah be pleased with him. Al-Tirmidhi graded it sound and authentic. In another wording he transmitted: “Whoever interprets the Qur’an according to his own opinion, let him take his seat in the Fire,” and he again said, “This is a sound hadith.” Al-Tirmidhi added: “A number of scholars from among the Prophet’s Companions and others were severe on this matter, forbidding the Qur’an to be interpreted without knowledge.”

Ibn Jarir, in his commentary on Allah’s statement, “Had you looked at them, you would have turned and fled from them” (18:18), said: “If you had seen them as they lay asleep in their cave, you would have turned your back and run away in flight….”