I say: These two views rest on the two views concerning the meaning of tafsīr (explanation). Whoever holds that its interpretation means its explanation holds that those firmly grounded in knowledge know its explanation. Whoever holds that its interpretation means its awaited outcome holds that none but Allah knows it.

In discussing this verse, Abū al-Faraj did not mention the view he presented at the beginning of his book: that interpretation means shifting a statement from its proper sense to another meaning whose establishment requires evidence, without which the apparent meaning of the wording would not have been abandoned. He did well not to mention this meaning in connection with Allah’s words, “And none knows its interpretation except Allah.” None of the early generations mentioned this meaning in connection with this verse; only some later scholars did so.

The early generations, however, had two readings and two views. Some said that none but Allah knows its interpretation. By this, they did not mean its explanation. Indeed, they explained the entire Quran—as did Ibn al-Anbārī, al-Farrā’ and others—and discussed its difficult passages. Rather, they meant what Allah has reserved to His own knowledge concerning its ultimate outcome. Scholars know its interpretation in the sense of explanation. There is no contradiction between the two readings or the two views.

None of the early generations said that all the ambiguous passages are diverted from their apparent meaning to a meaning contrary to it, and that none but Allah knows that alternative meaning. Rather, this is false on many grounds, as has been explained at length elsewhere.