that no one knows the explanation of the ambiguous passages—whose meaning remains elusive to most people—except Allah and, in addition, the people of knowledge; they are the ones who grasp its interpretation in this sense.

• al-ghāfil (the heedless):
  • In the Qur’an it sometimes means “ignorant,” as in: “so that you may warn a people whose fathers were not warned, and hence they are ghāfilūn” (Yā Sīn 6).
  • It can also denote neglecting the remembrance of Allah and forgetting to obey Him, as in: “And remember your Lord within yourself, in humility and awe, and without raising your voice, morning and evening; and do not be among the ghāfilīn” (al-Aʿrāf 205); and: “Do not obey the one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance” (al-Kahf 28).

• A point of benefit: Allah’s statement that He is “with” His servants appears in the Qur’an with two distinct meanings:
  • First, the general companionship (maʿiyyah ʿāmmah), as in: “No private conversation of three takes place but that He is their fourth, nor of five but that He is their sixth; nor fewer than that nor more but that He is with them” (al-Mujādilah 7)—meaning He is with them through His knowledge and all-encompassing awareness.
  • Second, the special companionship (maʿiyyah khāssah), which occurs more frequently. Its hallmark is that Allah links it to qualities He loves and deeds He approves, such as: “Indeed Allah is with the God-fearing,” “with the doers of good,” “with the patient,” “Do not grieve; Allah is certainly with us” (al-Tawbah 40), and: “Do not fear; I am indeed with you two, hearing and seeing” (Tā Hā 46). This special companionship entails Allah’s care, victory, support, and guidance, in proportion to the servant’s embodiment of the quality to which the companionship is attached.