The 'obscure' verses in the Quran are not obscure to everyone

19-12-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Aslamaulakaum How to we relate the verse where Allah calls the whole Quran clear to 3:7. i have seen some good answrs. But please could you expand as they are breif.

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

There is no doubt that the Quran is a clear divine scripture as described by Allaah, The Knowing, The Wise, Who revealed it. He says (what means): {and this Quran is [in] a clear Arabic language} [Quran 16:103], meaning that Allaah, The Exalted, clarified in it the Truth to all people and showed them the way to guidance. Allaah, who described it as such, also informed us that some of its verses are Mutashaabih (obscure). This means that there cannot be any contradiction in the Quran; Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Then do they not reflect upon the Quran? If it had been from [any] other than Allaah, they would have found within it much contradiction.} [Quran 4:82] If there is any seeming contradiction, then it is due to our limited apprehension and understanding.

The soundest scholarly opinion regarding verse 3:7 is that the Mutashaabih verses refers to those whose indications are not clear to other than the scholars. Only the scholars understand them clearly. Hence, there are no Quranic verses whose meaning is unknown to all people.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him says in his Commentary on Al-‘Aqeedah As-Saffaareeniyyah:

Is it possible that there are verses in the Quran whose meaning is unclear to all people? No, there is no such thing in the Quran. This is evidenced by the verses that read (what means):

• {And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things.} [Quran 16:89]

• {O mankind, there has come to you a conclusive proof from your Lord, and We have sent down to you a clear light.} [Quran 4:174]

There is no verse or word in the Quran that is incomprehensible. However, what is meant by the obscure is the true nature of the indication of the verses, such as what Allaah has informed of about Himself and about the Last Day – we do not know the true nature of it.

Someone may say: What you are saying is refutable because of the disconnected letters in the opening of some Quranic chapters – no one knows their real meaning or exact indication. Someone may ask: What is the meaning of Noon in the verse (which means), {Noon. By the pen and what they inscribe.} [Quran 68:1]?

We answer: It does not have a meaning because these are disconnected letters. The Quran was revealed in the Arabic language and the Arabic language requires that these standalone letters do not have a meaning; however, they have a purpose, which is to demonstrate the miraculous nature of the Quran to those people who claimed that it was fabricated and that it was the speech of a human being. This is supported by the fact that whenever these disconnected letters are at the opening of a Soorah, they are followed by the mention of the Quran.

Allaah Knows best.

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