The answer to why scholars differed in interpreting the Holy Quran?

 

In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
, and with Him we seek help.

Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:
There was no disagreement among the scholars regarding the interpretation of the entire Qur’an . Rather, they differed regarding the interpretation of some verses. There is no doubt that most of the verses were not disputed regarding their interpretation. Rather, the commentators of the early generations, the later generations, and the scholars agreed on their interpretation. This is something that is clear to everyone who reads the Qur’an and reads books of interpretation. The majority of Muslims continue to read the Qur’an and hear its verses and do not find difficulty in most of them. Rather, they know what is meant by them. This is sufficient to achieve guidance from the Qur’an .
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“As for what is authentically reported from the early generations that they differed in a contradictory manner, this is small in comparison to what they did not differ regarding .” End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (5/162).
Secondly:
Most of the differences that occurred occurred after the best centuries. As for the Companions and Successors, the differences between them regarding the interpretation of the Qur’an were small.

Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“This is why the disputes among the Companions regarding the interpretation of the Qur’an were very few. Although they were more common among the Tabi’een than among the Companions, they were few in comparison to those who came after them. The more noble the era was, the more there was unity, agreement, knowledge and clarification in it.” End quote.
Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa (13/332).
Third:
As for the few verses regarding which there was disagreement, they are also divided into sections:
The first section: The disagreement regarding them is disagreement of diversity and not disagreement of contradiction. It is a verbal disagreement that has no effect. In reality, disagreement of diversity is not disagreement, since one of the conditions of disagreement is the contradiction of the two opinions, and this does not occur in this type of disagreement.
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said, explaining the difference in diversity:
“This is of two types:
One of them is that each one of them - meaning the commentators - expresses what is meant by an expression other than the expression of his companion, indicating a meaning in the named other than the meaning of the other, with the named being the same, as was said about the name of the sword: al-Sarim (the sharp sword) and al-Muhand (the engineer). This is like the beautiful names of Allah, the names of His Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and the names of the Qur’an . All of the names of Allah indicate one named thing, and each of His names indicates the named self and the attribute contained in the name. Likewise the names of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), such as Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Mahi (the annihilator), al-Hashir (the gatherer), and al-‘Aqib (the last). Likewise the names of the Qur’an , such as al- Qur’an, al-Furqan , al-Huda (the annihilator), al-Shifa (the cure), al-Bayan (the statement), and al-Kitab (the book). And the like.
If this is known, then the Salaf often express the named thing with an expression that indicates its essence, even if it contains an attribute that is not in the other name, like someone who says: Ahmad is al-Hashir (the gatherer), al-Mahi (the annihilator), and al-‘Aqib (the last). And al-Quddus is al-Ghafur (the Forgiving) and al-Raheem (the Most Merciful). That is, the named thing is one, not that these two names are the same.” The attribute is this attribute, and it is known that this is not a contradictory difference as some people think.
An example of this is their interpretation of the straight path.
Some of them said: It is “ the Qur’an ”: meaning following it.
Some of them said: It is “Islam.”
These two statements are in agreement, because the religion of Islam is following the Qur’an , but each of them pointed out a description other than the other description.
Just as the word “Sirat” indicates a third description, so too the statement of the one who said: It is “the Sunnah and the Community,” and the statement of the one who said: “It is the path of servitude,” and the statement of the one who said: “It is obedience to Allah and His Messenger,” may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the like. All of these referred to one entity, but each of them described it with one of its attributes.
The second category: That each of them mentions some of the types of the general name by way of example and pointing out the type to the listener, not by way of a definition corresponding to the defined in its generality and specificity.
Like a foreign questioner who asked about the meaning of the word “bread,” and he was shown a loaf, and he was told: This. So the reference is to the type of this, not to this loaf alone.
An example of this is what was transmitted in the words of Allah the Most High: {Then We caused to inherit the Book those We have chosen of Our servants. And among them is he who wrongs himself, and among them is he who is moderate, and among them is he who is foremost in good deeds.}
It is known that (the wrongdoer) to himself includes the one who neglects obligations and violates prohibitions, and (the moderate) includes the one who performs obligations and abandons prohibitions, and (the foremost) includes the one who is foremost and draws near with good deeds along with obligations.
Then each of them - meaning the commentators - mentions this in a type of acts of obedience:
like the saying of the one who says: The foremost is the one who prays at the beginning of the time, and the moderate is the one who prays during it.
And the wrongdoer to himself is the one who delays the afternoon prayer until the sun turns yellow.
Another says:
The foremost, the moderate, and the oppressor are mentioned at the end of Surat Al-Baqarah, for He mentioned the doer of good by giving charity, the oppressor by consuming usury, and the just by selling.
So every statement in which a type is mentioned that is included in the verse is mentioned to inform the listener of the verse’s coverage of it and to alert him to its counterpart; for definition by example may be easier than definition by absolute definition. And the sound mind is aware of the type as it is aware if a loaf of bread is pointed out to it and it is said to it: This is bread. End quote, abbreviated
Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa (13/332-338).
He also said, may Allah have mercy on him:
“It should be known that the difference that occurs among the commentators and others is of two types:
One of them: There is no contradiction or inconsistency in it; Rather, both of them can be true, but it is a difference in variety, or a difference in attributes or expressions. The general difference established by the interpreters of the Salaf from the Companions and the Followers is from this category, for if Allah, the Most High, mentions a name in the Qur’an, such as His saying: (Guide us to the straight path), then each of the interpreters expresses the straight path with a phrase that indicates some of its attributes, and all of that is true... Some of them say: The straight path is the Book of Allah, or following the Book of Allah. Another says: The straight path is Islam, or the religion of Islam. Another says: The straight path is the Sunnah and the Jama’ah. Another says: The straight path is the path of servitude or the path of fear, hope, love, and compliance with what is commanded and avoidance of what is forbidden, or following the Book and the Sunnah, or working in obedience to Allah, or similar to these names and expressions.
It is known that the named is one, even if its attributes are diverse and its names and expressions are multiple.
Another section of it is that the interpreter and translator mentions the meaning of the word in a specific and representative manner, not in a specific and limited manner, such as when a non-Arab says: What is the meaning of bread? It is referred to as a loaf of bread.” End of summary.
“Majmoo’ al-Fatawa” (13/381-384).
The second section: Verses whose interpretations differed in a contradictory and opposing manner. This section is small, its verses are few, and the differences in them are well-known and limited.
Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The differences among the Salaf in interpretation are small, and their differences in rulings are more than their differences in interpretation. Most of what is authentically reported from them regarding differences goes back to differences in variety, not differences in contradiction.” End
of Majmoo’ al-Fatawa (13/178).
There are many reasons for this difference, which are studied by specialist scholars . You can refer to them in the book: “Reasons for the Differences of the Interpreters” by Professor Dr. Muhammad al-Shay’i’, and the book: “The Differences of the Interpreters: Their Causes and Effects” by Professor Dr. Saud al-Funaisan.
Fourth:
It is not permissible for this second section, which is a contradictory difference, to be a source of criticism or doubt in the Noble Qur’an for several reasons:

1- It did not occur in the verses related to the beliefs of Islam or the objectives of legislation, but rather Rather, it occurred in the verses of rulings, such as the scholars’ disagreement in the interpretation of the verse: {Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves three menstrual periods} [Al-Baqarah: 228]. Is the menstrual period the period of purity or the menstruation? Or it occurred in the interpretation of some contexts of the Qur’an related to stories or preaching and the like, such as their disagreement in the interpretation of the verse: {Then he called to her from beneath her, “Do not grieve; your Lord has provided beneath you a stream” [Maryam: 24]. Was the one calling Gabriel or Jesus, peace be upon them? This disagreement – ​​as you can see – is not related to the core of belief and Islamic law, but rather to a jurisprudential matter in which Allah wanted disagreement to occur out of mercy for this ummah, and also as a test, or in a matter in which understanding the context of the verses does not depend on knowing its meaning.
2- This disagreement - despite its smallness - mostly occurred in the later centuries. If we were to return to the interpretation of the predecessors from the Companions and Followers, we would not find most of this disagreement present in the later books of interpretation.
3- Finally, God Almighty has wisdom in concealing the meanings of some verses, so that those who strive may strive, and knowledge may arise in books and minds. And God knows best.