✦ Who Determines the True Intent of a Statement? A Discussion on Interpretation and Consensus ✦
In ancient Athens, a painter created a masterpiece of grapes so realistic that birds mistook them for real and pecked at them. While people praised the art, a critic pointed out a flaw — the painter's depiction of the hand was weak, as the birds recognized it as fake.
This sparked ongoing debate, and multiple interpretations emerged:
① Contrasting Perceptions:
One critic said the contrast was the artist's brilliance — birds could distinguish the fake hand, but humans were fooled; while birds accepted the fake grapes as real.
② Artistic Perfection:
Another said there was no flaw — grapes of such beauty had never existed in Greece, so birds risked danger just to taste them.
③ A Revenge Theory:
Some speculated the birds were avenging a perceived deception, feeling tricked by the painter.
④ Selective Realism:
Others reasoned that since the hand seemed lifeless, the birds attacked only the grapes, not the painter’s hand.
These varying interpretations of the same image raise an essential question:
Can anyone derive any meaning from a statement, or does the original speaker determine its true intent?
When it comes to divine speech (the Qur’an) or the words of the Prophet ﷺ, can just anyone interpret it as they see fit?
Certainly not.
Religious interpretation must rest with those who are deeply grounded in knowledge, that is:
❖ Pious scholars, devout jurists, and the righteous of the Ummah.
✔ While human reasoning is inevitably involved in interpretation, it also opens the possibility of error.
✔ To safeguard against misinterpretation, Islam established the concept of Ijmā‘ (consensus) — the united agreement of qualified scholars.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"My Ummah will never agree upon error."
This means that when the experts of the Ummah unanimously agree on a matter, their consensus cannot be wrong.
Sayyidunā ʿAlī رضي الله عنه once asked the Prophet ﷺ what to do when a new issue arises and there is no clear ruling in the Qur’an or Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Take counsel from the devout jurists and do not issue a ruling based solely on your own opinion.”
(Majma‘ al-Zawā’id, 1781)
Whenever the Ummah ignored collective scholarly understanding, it suffered harm.
Even today, misinterpretations in concepts like "Islamic science", "Islamic democracy", or "Islamic economics" cause confusion due to personal and unqualified interpretations.
✔ Interpretation must be guided by qualified scholars, not personal reasoning.
✔ Consensus (Ijmā‘) is a protective measure against misguidance.
✔ The Ummah must learn from the past and avoid falling into the trap of subjective interpretations.
✔ The key is to depend on authentic scholarship for understanding Islam correctly.
❖ Introduction: The Painter and the Grapes – A Parable of Interpretation
In ancient Athens, a painter created a masterpiece of grapes so realistic that birds mistook them for real and pecked at them. While people praised the art, a critic pointed out a flaw — the painter's depiction of the hand was weak, as the birds recognized it as fake.
This sparked ongoing debate, and multiple interpretations emerged:
✦ Diverse Interpretations of a Single Masterpiece
① Contrasting Perceptions:
One critic said the contrast was the artist's brilliance — birds could distinguish the fake hand, but humans were fooled; while birds accepted the fake grapes as real.
② Artistic Perfection:
Another said there was no flaw — grapes of such beauty had never existed in Greece, so birds risked danger just to taste them.
③ A Revenge Theory:
Some speculated the birds were avenging a perceived deception, feeling tricked by the painter.
④ Selective Realism:
Others reasoned that since the hand seemed lifeless, the birds attacked only the grapes, not the painter’s hand.
✦ The Central Question: Who Determines the True Meaning?
These varying interpretations of the same image raise an essential question:
Can anyone derive any meaning from a statement, or does the original speaker determine its true intent?
✦ Interpretation in Religion: The Limits of Personal Reasoning
When it comes to divine speech (the Qur’an) or the words of the Prophet ﷺ, can just anyone interpret it as they see fit?
Certainly not.
Religious interpretation must rest with those who are deeply grounded in knowledge, that is:
❖ Pious scholars, devout jurists, and the righteous of the Ummah.
✦ The Role of Reason and the Safeguard of Consensus (Ijmā‘)
✔ While human reasoning is inevitably involved in interpretation, it also opens the possibility of error.
✔ To safeguard against misinterpretation, Islam established the concept of Ijmā‘ (consensus) — the united agreement of qualified scholars.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"My Ummah will never agree upon error."
This means that when the experts of the Ummah unanimously agree on a matter, their consensus cannot be wrong.
✦ Example from the Companions
Sayyidunā ʿAlī رضي الله عنه once asked the Prophet ﷺ what to do when a new issue arises and there is no clear ruling in the Qur’an or Sunnah.
The Prophet ﷺ replied:
“Take counsel from the devout jurists and do not issue a ruling based solely on your own opinion.”
(Majma‘ al-Zawā’id, 1781)
✦ Learning from Historical Mistakes
Whenever the Ummah ignored collective scholarly understanding, it suffered harm.
Even today, misinterpretations in concepts like "Islamic science", "Islamic democracy", or "Islamic economics" cause confusion due to personal and unqualified interpretations.
✦ Conclusion
✔ The original speaker determines the intent of any statement — and in the case of religion, that is Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.✔ Interpretation must be guided by qualified scholars, not personal reasoning.
✔ Consensus (Ijmā‘) is a protective measure against misguidance.
✔ The Ummah must learn from the past and avoid falling into the trap of subjective interpretations.
✔ The key is to depend on authentic scholarship for understanding Islam correctly.
