Question :
What is the Islamic ruling on interpreting the Quran without meeting the required knowledge through using certain verses as evidence on corona virus and circulating that via social media where some use the word "Trumpt" as a name to the virus while others use "Over it are Nineteen" in reference to it?
The Answer :
Praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds.
Interpreting the texts of the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah is a type of Ijtihad*(1), which is done to understand these texts and derive rulings from them. In order to practice Ijtihad, one must meet certain requirements including a strong knowledge of the Qur'an, Sunna, and Arabic, as well as a deep understanding of legal theory and the precedent; all of which allows them to be considered fully qualified to practice ijtihad. Other requirements are piety, righteousness and prudence, in addition to asking Allah for help and guidance. Kindly refer to al-Ibhaaj fi Shareh al-Menhaaj, Vol.1: P.8.
Therefore, it is forbidden for the one who hasn`t met all the requirements of Ijtihad to interpret the texts of the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah. The evidence on this is that Allah says{What means}, "When there comes to them some matter touching (Public) safety or fear, they divulge it. If they had only referred it to the Apostle, or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have Tested it from them (direct). Were it not for the Grace and Mercy of God unto you, all but a few of you would have fallen into the clutches of Satan."{An-Nisa`, 83}. Moreover, eminent scholars from amongst the companions of the Prophet used to avoid assertion when it comes to interpreting verses of the Quran. Abu Baker(RA) used to say{What means}, "'What sky would shade me and what land would shelter me if I said about the Book of Allah that which I don`t know."{Reported in Musannaf Abi Shaibah}.
Scholars have warned against Batini*(2){ Interpreting religious texts exclusively on the basis of their hidden, or inner, meanings}. interpretations of the Quran, which have no roots in Arabic nor the Sharia principles of understanding texts. Those interpretations are meant to deceive Muslims and corrupt their beliefs. Warning against interpreting Sharia texts according to personal whims and desires, al-Qortobi said, "The Batini group could use those false interpretations to deceive Muslims and make them follow their false Madhab in understanding the texts of Sharia." Tafsir al-Qurtobi, Vol.1: P.34.
In conclusion, it is forbidden to follow these false interpretations , apply them to current pandemics and afflictions or circulate them via social media. Rather, people should be warned against them and shown that they are false and meant to cause trials and tribulations in both religion and reason. And Allah the Almighty knows best.
1-*"Process of legal reasoning and hermeneutics through which the jurist-mujtahid derives or rationalizes law on the basis of the Qur'an and the Sunna".
2-*Bāṭinīyah, Muslim sects—the Ismailis (Arabic: Ismāʿīlīyah), in particular—that interpreted religious texts exclusively on the basis of their hidden, or inner, meanings (Arabic: bāṭin) rather than their literal meanings (ẓāhir).
