Ayyub, Ibn ʿAwn, and Hisham al-Dustuwaʾi transmitted from Muhammad ibn Sirin, who said: “I once asked ʿUbaydah al-Salmani about a verse of the Quran, and he replied, ‘Those who truly knew what was revealed of the Quran have passed away; so fear Allah and keep to what is right.’”

Abu ʿUbayd said: Muʿadh narrated to us, from Ibn ʿAwn, from ʿUbayd Allah ibn Muslim ibn Yasar, from his father, who said, “When you speak about Allah, pause until you consider what precedes and what follows.”

Hushaym narrated to us, from Mughira, from Ibrahim, who said, “Our companions used to avoid interpreting the Quran and held it in awe.”

Shuʿbah related, from ʿAbd Allah ibn Abi al-Safar, who said that al-Shaʿbi declared, “By Allah, there is not a single verse that I have not asked about, yet it is narration on behalf of Allah.”

Abu ʿUbayd also said: Hushaym narrated to us; he said: ʿUmar ibn Abi Zāʾidah informed us, from al-Shaʿbi, from Masruq, who said, “Beware of tafsir, for it is reporting from Allah.”

These sound reports and similar statements from the early Imams reflect their scrupulousness in refraining from commenting on the Quran without knowledge. As for anyone who speaks on the basis of knowledge—whether linguistic or legal—there is no blame upon him.

For this reason, explanations of the Quran have indeed been transmitted from these same scholars and from others, and there is no contradiction: they spoke about what they knew and remained silent about what they did not. This is incumbent upon everyone, for just as one must keep silent regarding matters of which he has no knowledge, he must likewise speak when asked about something he does know. Allah, Exalted is He, has said, “You must surely make it clear to the people and not conceal it” (Quran 3:187), and the hadith reported through several chains states, “Whoever is asked about knowledge and withholds it will be bridled on the Day of Resurrection with a bridle….”