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Originally Posted by IbnMardhiyah

There are individuals in Muslim history who could truly, with a straight face, say that they had a better understanding of the Qur'an that anyone else [except the Prophet]. One example was Ibn Mas'oud who was a servant in the household of the Prophet from a very young and was always with the Prophet up until his death. He once made a claim that he knew where, when, why, and about what, each and every single verse was revealed for. When the 2nd Caliph [Umar] heard this claim from third-party sources, he became extremely upset until it was told to him that Ibn Mas'oud was the one who made the claim, and upon hearing that Umar calmed down - because he knew it was true.

So because he said it... that's how we know it's true?

There were also less than a handful of other mufassireen who could make a similar claim. It is their exegetical works that are taken as the top authority in Islam when it comes to the Qur'an [after the Prophet's own comments, if any] for obvious reasons.

Of course some verses are open to different understandings - many of the Companions had differing yet valid views on a wide variety of subjects - but the views of those top-ranked exegetists are taken as a base anchor.

The real danger is ignorant or uneducated laypersons coming along and claiming all sorts of stuff about this verse or that hadith or that event, and people actually believing him or her.

That is why in Islam, we've always been taught that Satan fears the lone educated servant of God far more than a thousand uneducated zealots. Not without reason was our first command the command to read.

Then who are these guys and what do they say on wife beating?