The decisive verses of the Quran do not need interpretation; because if they did, it would lead to a cycle or an infinite regress, which is impossible. However, its allegorical verses, meaning the concepts of its metaphors and the examples of its generalities, need interpretation. To interpret them, one must refer to Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ﴾[1]; “He is the One Who sent down the Book to you, from which there are decisive verses, which are the foundation of the Book, and others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is deviation follow the allegorical part, seeking discord and seeking its hidden meaning, while none knows its hidden meaning but Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge.” Therefore, to know their hidden meanings, one must refer to Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge. Referring to Allah is done by referring to the decisive verses of His Book, and referring to those firmly grounded in knowledge is done by referring to His caliphs on Earth, who are certainly among those firmly grounded in knowledge.

It is understood from here that referring to any of the interpretations of interpreters regarding the Book of Allah is not obligatory and does not eliminate the need to refer to Allah and His caliph on Earth. However, referring to some of them, despite all their shortcomings and flaws, can be very beneficial. This applies if a person does not treat the opinions of interpreters as revelation from Allah; rather, he should present them to the decisive verses of the Quran and the established Sunnah of the Prophet and his rightly guided caliphs, in light of sound intellect, accepting what agrees with them and rejecting what contradicts them. Among the most beneficial books of Quranic interpretation are Jami‘ al-Bayan An Ta’wil Ay al-Quran by al-Tabari (d. 310 AH), Ahkam al-Quran by al-Tahawi (d. 321 AH), Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim by ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi (d. 327 AH), al-Nasikh Wa al-Mansukh by al-Nahhas (d. 338 AH), al-Taysir Fi al-Qira’at al-Sab‘ by Abu Amr al-Dani (d. 444 AH), Asbab al-Nuzul by al-Wahidi (d. 468 AH), al-Mufradat Fi Gharib al-Quran by al-Raghib al-Asbahani (d. 502 AH), al-Kashshaf An Haqa’iq Ghawamid al-Tanzil by al-Zamakhshari (d. 538 AH), Zad al-Masir Fi Ilm al-Tafsir and Nawasikh al-Quran by ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH), al-Tafsir al-Kabir by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606 AH), al-Jami‘ Li Ahkam al-Quran by al-Qurtubi (d. 671 AH), Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim by ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH), and al-Itqan Fi Ulum al-Quran by al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH), from the Sunnis; and al-Tibyan Fi Tafsir al-Quran by Muhammad ibn Ja‘far al-Tusi (d. 460 AH), Majma‘ al-Bayan Fi Tafsir al-Quran by al-Fadl ibn Hasan al-Tabarsi (d. 548 AH), Tafsir Gharib al-Quran by Fakhr al-Din al-Turayhi (d. 1085 AH), al-Mizan Fi Tafsir al-Quran by Muhammad Husain al-Tabataba’i (d. 1403 AH), and al-Bayan Fi Tafsir al-Quran by Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei (d. 1413 AH), from the Shias.