the knowledge of its interpretation, so there is no way for them to know that except through the Messenger's, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, explanation of its interpretation to them.

And the third of them: that whose knowledge lies with the people of the language in which the Qurʾān was revealed, which is the knowledge of interpreting its Arabic language and its grammatical analysis; knowledge of that cannot be reached except through them.

Since that is the case, the exegetes most entitled to attaining the truth—regarding the interpretation of the Qurʾān whose knowledge of interpretation is accessible to servants—are those with the clearest proof in what they have interpreted and explained among that whose interpretation belongs to the Messenger of Allāh, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, to the exclusion of the rest of his nation (1), from the established reports of the Messenger of Allāh, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, from him: either by way of well-known, widespread transmission (naql mustafīḍ), regarding that wherein widespread transmission from him is found, or by way of the transmission of trustworthy and reliable narrators, regarding that wherein widespread transmission from him is not found, or by way of (2) evidence set up to prove its authenticity; and those with the soundest proof (3)—in what they have rendered and explained of that—among that whose knowledge is grasped through the language: (4) either through textual evidence from their well-known poetry or from their widespread, recognized speech and dialects, whoever that interpreter and exegete may be, provided that his interpretation and exegesis of what he interpreted and explained does not depart from the views of the predecessors (Salaf) among the Companions and Imams, and the successors (Khalaf) among the Successors (Tabi'un) and the scholars of the nation.