Source: Fatāwā Amunpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
Is the tafsīr (exegesis) of a Companion رضي الله عنهم considered valid and authoritative?
If a Companion رضي الله عنه explains the meaning of a verse or provides tafsīr of the Qur’an, it is treated as having the ruling of a marfūʿ ḥadīth. This is because they were witnesses to the revelation of the Qur’an, and they directly learned its meanings and explanations from the Prophet ﷺ.
If they had faced any difficulty in understanding the Qur’an, they would have asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Therefore, any tafsīr that contradicts the tafsīr of a Companion رضي الله عنه will be rejected.
✔ Imam al-Ḥākim رحمه الله (405 AH):
“A seeker of this knowledge must know that the tafsīr of a Companion, who witnessed the revelation and descent of the Qur’an, is considered a musnad (marfūʿ) ḥadīth according to the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhārī and Muslim).”
(المستدرك: 2/259)
✔ Hafiz Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله (852 AH):
“According to the majority of the earlier Imams, as quoted by Imam al-Ḥākim, the tafsīr of the Companions رضي الله عنهم is carried as marfūʿ. Some scholars specified that this applies to tafsīr connected to causes of revelation and similar matters. This is clear, and Allah knows best.”
(تغليق التعليق: 2/25)
Conclusion:
The tafsīr of a Companion رضي الله عنه is regarded as authoritative and carries the ruling of a marfūʿ ḥadīth, particularly in matters tied to revelation and its contexts. Any tafsīr opposing it is to be rejected.
◈ Question:
Is the tafsīr (exegesis) of a Companion رضي الله عنهم considered valid and authoritative?
◈ Answer:
If a Companion رضي الله عنه explains the meaning of a verse or provides tafsīr of the Qur’an, it is treated as having the ruling of a marfūʿ ḥadīth. This is because they were witnesses to the revelation of the Qur’an, and they directly learned its meanings and explanations from the Prophet ﷺ.
If they had faced any difficulty in understanding the Qur’an, they would have asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Therefore, any tafsīr that contradicts the tafsīr of a Companion رضي الله عنه will be rejected.
❀ Statements of the Scholars
✔ Imam al-Ḥākim رحمه الله (405 AH):
“A seeker of this knowledge must know that the tafsīr of a Companion, who witnessed the revelation and descent of the Qur’an, is considered a musnad (marfūʿ) ḥadīth according to the two Shaykhs (al-Bukhārī and Muslim).”
(المستدرك: 2/259)
✔ Hafiz Ibn Ḥajar رحمه الله (852 AH):
“According to the majority of the earlier Imams, as quoted by Imam al-Ḥākim, the tafsīr of the Companions رضي الله عنهم is carried as marfūʿ. Some scholars specified that this applies to tafsīr connected to causes of revelation and similar matters. This is clear, and Allah knows best.”
(تغليق التعليق: 2/25)
Conclusion:The tafsīr of a Companion رضي الله عنه is regarded as authoritative and carries the ruling of a marfūʿ ḥadīth, particularly in matters tied to revelation and its contexts. Any tafsīr opposing it is to be rejected.
