Muhammad Ibn Isa At-Tirmidhi writes:

باب: ما جاء في الذي يفسر القرآن برأيه

Chapter: What has been narrated about the one who interprets the Qur’an according to his own opinion

٢٩٥٠ – حدثنا محمود بن غيلان أخبرنا بشر بن السري أخبرنا سفيان عن عبد الاعلى عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من قال في القرآن بغير علم فليتبوأ مقعده من النار هذا حديث حسن

2950 – We were told by Mahmud ibn Ghailan: To us reported Bishr ibn Sarri: To us reported Sufyan, from Abd-ul-A’la, from Sa’id ibn Jubair, from Abdullah ibn Abbas, that the Messenger of God (s.) said: “Whoever spoke about the Qur’an without knowledge, let him take his place in the Fire.”This is a saying that is good (Hasan).

٢٩٥١ – حدثنا سفيان بن وكيع أخبرنا سويد بن عمرو الكلبي أخبرنا أبو عوانة عن عبد الاعلى عن سعيد بن جبير عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: اتقوا الحديث عني الا ما علمتم فمن كذب علي متعمدا فليتبوأ مقعده من النار ومن قال في القرآن برأيه فليتبوأ مقعده من النار هذا حديث حسن

2951 – We were told by Sufyan Ibn Waki’: To us reported Suwaid Ibn Amr Al-Kalbi: To us reported Abu Awanah, from Abd-ul-A’la, from Sa’id Ibn Jubair, from Abdullah Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (s.) said: “Beware of the statement from me. Except that, which you knew. For whoever deliberately lied about me, he shall take his place in the Fire, and whoever spoke about the Qur’an according to his own opinion, he shall take his place in the Fire.” This is a saying that is good (Hasan).

٢٩٥٢ – حدثنا عبد بن حميد حدثني حبان بن هلال أخبرنا سهيل بن عبد الله وهو ابن أبي حزم أخو حزم القطعي حدثنا أبو عمران الجوني عن جندب بن عبد الله قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من قال في القرآن برأيه فأصاب فقد أخطأ هذا حديث غريب

2952 – We were told by Abd Ibn Humaid: I was told by Habban Ibn Hilal: To us reported Suhail Ibn Abdillah, who is Ibn Abi Hazm, the brother of Hazm Al-Qat’i: To us reported Abu Imran Al-Jawni, from Jundub Ibn Abdillah, that the Messenger of God (s.) said: “Whoever spoke about the Qur’an according to his own opinion, in which he was right, he has made a mistake.” This is a strange saying.

وقد تكلم بعض أهل الحديث في سهيل ابن أبي حزم وهكذا روي عن بعض أهل العلم من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وغيرهم أنهم شددوا في هذا في أن يفسر القرآن بغير علم وأما الذي روي عن مجاهد، وقتادة وغيرهما من أهل العلم إنهم فسروا القرآن فليس الظن بهم أنهم قالوا في القرآن أو فسروه بغير علم أو من قبل أنفسهم وقد روي عنهم ما يدل على ما قلنا إنهم لم يقولوا من قبل أنفسهم بغير علم

And some traditionalists have made a comment about Suhail Ibn Abi Hazm and so it was transmitted by some knowledgeable ones from the companions of the Prophet (s. ) and others that they were strictly against interpreting the Qur’an without knowledge and as for that which was transmitted from Mujahid, Qatadah and others from the knowledgeable and that is, that they interpreted the Qur’an, one does not suspect about them that they spoke about the Qur’an without knowledge or interpreted it or according to their own discretion and from them that has been transmitted which indicates what we said and that is, that they did not speak about it without knowledge according to their own discretion.

٢٩٥٢ (م١) – حدثنا الحسين بن مهدي البصري قال أخبرنا عبد الرزاق عن معمر عن قتادة قال: ما في القرآن آية إلا وقد سمعت فيها شيئا

2952 (1m) – We were told by Husain Ibn Mahdi Al-Basri, who said: To us reported Abd-ur-Razzaq, from Ma’mar, that Qatadah said: “There is no verse in the Qur’an except that I heard something about it.”

٢٩٥٢ (م٢) – حدثنا ابن أبي عمر قال حدثنا سفيان بن عيينة عن الأعمش قال قال مجاهد: لو كنت قرأت قراءة ابن مسعود لم أحتج أن أسأل ابن عباس عن كثير من القرآن مما سألت

2952 (2m) – We were told by Ibn Abi Umar who said: we were told by Sufyan Ibn Uyaynah, from A’mash, that Mujahid said: “If I read the reading of Ibn Mas’ud, I would not have to ask Ibn Abbas about much of the Qur’an, about which I would inquire.” [Sunan-ut-Tirmidhi, volume 5, page 65 – 67]

Comment:

The statements of Mujahid and Qatadah are vague and do not provide certainty that their interpretations are always made with knowledge and without their own opinions. Nor do they claim infallibility. Caution is advised.