the pause after His words:

‘except Allah’,

and begin a new sentence with what follows. This is the view of the Companions, Abd Allāh ibn Mas'ūd, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, 'Ā'ishah, and Ibn 'Abbās. They said: Certain kinds of knowledge have been withheld from us, such as knowledge of when the Hour will occur and knowledge of the spirit, as He says:

‘They ask you about the spirit. Say, “The spirit is of my Lord’s command, and you have been given only a little knowledge.”’

Allah Most High also says:

‘Do not ask about things which, if made known to you, would distress you.’

And He says:

‘He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.’”

I say: We have discussed the meaning of the term ta'wīl elsewhere. In the language in which the Quran was revealed, it denotes the reality of a thing, such as the manner of being that Allah alone knows. Thus Mālik said:

“Rising above is known, but how is unknown.”

It also denotes explanation, as in his statement, “Rising above is known”: its explanation and meaning are known. It can also denote distorting words from their proper places, as in the interpretations of the Jahmiyyah—for example, interpreting istawā (“rose above”) as istawlā (“took possession”).

This is what the early generations and the imams unanimously rejected as false, condemning those who espoused it. Of such an interpretation, one does not say, “Allah alone knows it.” Rather, one says that it is falsehood, distortion, and a lie. Of the first category, however, one says, “Allah alone knows it.” As for the second, Allah knows it, and those firmly grounded in knowledge may also know it.