is therefore lost to anyone who neither understands the Qur’an nor heeds its admonition.

For this reason, disagreements among the Companions over the Qur’an’s interpretation were exceedingly rare. Although such differences were somewhat more numerous among the Successors, they were still few in comparison with those who came afterward. The more honored the era, the greater its unity, concord, learning, and clarity.

Explanation

The scarcity of conflicting interpretations among the Companions goes back to two factors:

First: The Qur’an was revealed in their own language, which had not yet changed. They therefore understood its meanings better than anyone else and were naturally inclined toward it. After their time, dialects began to shift.

Second: They were largely free of personal whims and their intentions were pure. You would not see a man among them championing his own desire or opinion; each one sought only the truth, and whenever he found it, he accepted it—even if that truth reached him from an ordinary woman. A caliph would defer to what she reminded him of and never say, “I am the caliph; no one may correct me,” nor, “I possess the authority.”

For these two reasons, may Allah be pleased with them, the Companions disagreed far less over the interpretation of Allah’s words.

When the Successors came, a deficiency appeared—not only in the first factor but also in the second. During their era the Islamic conquests expanded, Arabs mingled with non-Arabs, and dialects changed. It is even said that the first treatise on Arabic grammar was compiled in the time of ʿAli ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him.