The Jurist of the people of Basrah

485. A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from his father, from Muhammad Bin Sinan, from Zayd Al-Shahaam who said: Qatada Bin Da’ama came up to Abu Ja’far (asws), so he (asws) said: ‘O Qatada! Are you a Faqih (Jurist) of the people of Basra?’ He said, ‘That is what they are alleging’. Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘It has reached me (asws) that you are explaining the Quran’. Qatada said to him (asws), ‘Yes’. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said to him: ‘You are explaining it by knowledge or by ignorance?’ He said, ‘No, by knowledge’. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said to him: ‘So if you are explaining by knowledge, so ‘you are’ ‘who you are’ and I (asws) would like to ask you’. Qatada said, ‘Ask’. He (asws) said: ‘Inform me (asws) about the Statement of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic in (the Chapter) Saba: “[34:18] and We apportioned the journey therein: Travel through them nights and days, secure”. Qatada said, ‘That is for the one who goes out from his house with lawful provisions, and camel rented lawfully intending this House (Kabah). He would be safe until he returns back to his family’. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘I (asws) hold you to Allah (azwj), O Qatada! Do you know that if the man comes out from his house with lawful provisions, and a camel rented lawfully, intending this House, he could get cut off (by bandits) on the road, and his provisions would be lost and he could be injured due to that?’ Qatada said, ‘Our Allah (azwj), Yes!’ So Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘Woe be unto you! But rather, you are explaining the Quran from your own free will, so you are destroyed and causing others to be destroyed. And if you have taken it from the men (others), you have been destroyed and so have they. Woe be unto you! (But) that is for the one who comes out from his house with provisions, and lawful means of transportation aspiring for this House while having recognised our (asws) rights, loving us (asws) with his heart, just as Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic has Said: “[14:37] therefore make the hearts of some people yearn towards them” and it does not mean the House, for He (azwj) is Saying ‘towards them’. So we (asws) are, by Allah (azwj), the supplication of Ibrahim (as) towards whom (asws) if one loves with one’s heart, his Pilgrimage would be Accepted, otherwise it will not be, O Qatada! So if it is like that, he would be safe from the Punishment of Hell on the Day of Judgement’. Qatada said, ‘No offence. By Allah (azwj), I will not explain it except like this’. So Abu Ja’far (asws) said: ‘Woe be unto you, O Qatada! But rather, you should understand the Quran from the ones (asws) who have been addressed by it’.

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.