Al-Imran: 7
"It is He who has sent down..."
"Muhkamat" (Precise/Decisive):
Their phrasing has been perfected by being protected from ambiguity and doubt.
"Mutashabihat" (Allegorical/Ambiguous):
Those that are ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations.
"They are the Mother of the Book":
Meaning the foundation of the Book, upon which the ambiguous verses are carried and to which they are referred back. Examples of this include:
- "Vision perceives Him not" (Al-An'am: 103) vs. "Looking at their Lord" (Al-Qiyamah: 23).
- "He does not command immorality" (Al-A'raf: 27) vs. "We commanded its affluent ones" (Al-Isra: 16).
If you ask: Why is the entire Quran not Muhkam (decisive)?
I reply: If it were all decisive, people would cling to it due to the ease of grasping it, and they would turn away from what requires investigation, contemplation, reasoning, and deduction. If they did that, they would abandon the path that is the only way to reach the knowledge of God and His Oneness.
Furthermore, the Mutashabih (ambiguous) serves as a trial to distinguish between those who are firm in the truth and those who are wavering. It also provides the immense benefits and vast knowledge gained from scholars debating and exerting their intellects to extract meanings and reconcile them with the Muhkam.
Moreover, when a believer—who is convinced that there is no contradiction or discrepancy in the Word of God—sees something that appears contradictory on the surface, they are driven to seek a way to reconcile it. They reflect, consult themselves and others, and God opens their understanding. When the correspondence between the Mutashabih and the Muhkam becomes clear to them, their tranquility in their belief and the strength of their certainty increase.
"Those in whose hearts is deviation":
They are the people of innovation (Ahl al-Bid'ah).
"So they follow that which is ambiguous of it":
They cling to the ambiguous verses that are susceptible to the interpretations of the innovator—which do not align with the Muhkam—while also being susceptible to the interpretations of the people of truth.
"Seeking discord":
Seeking to tempt people away from their religion and lead them astray.
"And seeking its interpretation":
Seeking to interpret it according to their own desires.
"But no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah and those firm in knowledge":
Meaning, no one is guided to the true interpretation—upon which it must be understood—except Allah and His servants who are "firm in knowledge," meaning they are established, grounded, and have grasped it with a firm hold.
Some stop at the words "except Allah" and begin a new sentence with "And those firm in knowledge say..." interpreting the Mutashabih as that which Allah has reserved for His own knowledge, such as the number of the guardians of Hell and the like. However, the first view [that they do know] is the correct one.
"And they say":
This is a new sentence, serving as a state (hal) for those firm in knowledge, meaning: "These are the ones who know the interpretation."
"We believe in it":
Meaning, in the Mutashabih.
"All [of it] is from our Lord":
Meaning, each part of it—both the Mutashabih and the Muhkam—is from Him, or that the entire Book, in both its ambiguous and decisive parts, is from Allah the Wise, whose speech does not contradict itself and whose Book does not differ.
"And no one will be reminded except those of understanding":
This is a praise for those firm in knowledge for their presence of mind and excellent contemplation. It is also possible that "they say" is a state (hal) describing those firm in knowledge.
Note: Abdullah [Ibn Mas'ud] read it as "Its interpretation is only with Allah," and Ubayy [ibn Ka'b] read it as "And those firm in knowledge say..."
"Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. Our Lord, surely You will gather the people for a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah does not fail in His promise." (8-9)
