(7–9) “He is the One who has revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are definitive—they are the foundation of the Book—while others are ambiguous. As for those whose hearts are deviant, they follow what is ambiguous in it, seeking discord and seeking its interpretation. Yet none knows its interpretation except Allah. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it; it is all from our Lord.’ But none takes heed except people of understanding. * Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us. Grant us mercy from Yourself. You are indeed the Bestower. * Our Lord, You will surely gather mankind for a Day about which there is no doubt. Indeed, Allah never fails in His promise.”
The entire glorious Quran is perfected, as Allah Most High says, “This is a Book whose verses have been perfected and then set forth in detail, from One All-Wise, All-Aware.” It thus embodies the utmost perfection, precision, justice, and benevolence: “Who is better than Allah in judgement for people of sure faith?” All of it is also mutually harmonious in beauty and eloquence: its parts confirm one another and correspond in wording and meaning.
As for the definitive and the ambiguous mentioned in this verse, the Quran is as Allah described it: “Some of its verses are definitive,” meaning that their indications are clear and contain no uncertainty or difficulty. “They are the foundation of the Book,” meaning its basis, to which every ambiguous passage is referred. These constitute the greater and larger part of it. It also contains “other verses that are ambiguous,” meaning that their sense is unclear to many minds because their indication is general, or because some minds initially understand from them something other than what is intended.
In short, some of its verses are plain and clear to everyone—and these constitute the greater part to which the rest must be referred—while other verses pose difficulty for some people. In such cases, one must refer the ambiguous to the definitive and the obscure to the clear. In this way, its parts confirm one another, and no contradiction or conflict arises within it.
People, however, are divided into two groups. “As for those whose hearts are deviant,” this means that they incline away from uprightness: their aims have become corrupt, their purpose has become error and misguidance, and their hearts have turned away from the path of guidance and sound judgement. “They follow what is ambiguous in it,” meaning that they abandon what is definitive and clear and pursue what is ambiguous. They reverse the proper order by interpreting the definitive in light of the ambiguous, “seeking discord” among those whom they invite to accept their views. Ambiguous passages can give rise to discord because of the uncertainty surrounding them. By contrast, an explicit, definitive passage leaves no room for discord, because the truth in it is clear to anyone who genuinely seeks to follow it.
Regarding His words, “seeking its interpretation. Yet none knows its interpretation except Allah,” the commentators hold two views on whether to pause after “Allah.” Most of them pause there, while some connect “those firmly grounded in knowledge” to it. Both readings are possible.
If “interpretation” means knowledge of a thing’s true nature and essence, then the correct reading is to pause after “except Allah.” This is because the ambiguous matters whose essence and true nature Allah has reserved to Himself include the realities and modalities of Allah’s attributes, the realities of what is described as occurring on the Last Day, and similar matters. None knows these except Allah, and one must not attempt to ascertain them, for that is an attempt to discover what cannot be known.
Imam Mālik (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the words, “The Most Compassionate [established Himself] over the Throne” (1). The questioner asked, “How did He establish Himself?” Mālik replied, “The establishment is known, its manner is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation.” The same answer is given concerning all the other attributes when someone asks about their modality. One should respond as Imam Mālik did: that attribute is known, its modality is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation. Allah has informed us of the attribute but has not informed us of its modality, so we must stop at the limit He has set for us.
Those with deviant hearts pursue these ambiguous matters, delving into what does not concern them and burdening themselves with seeking knowledge to which they have no access, for none knows it except Allah. Those firmly grounded in knowledge, however, believe in them and entrust their meaning to Allah; thus, they submit and are kept safe.
If, however, “interpretation” means explanation, disclosure, and clarification, then the correct reading is to connect “those firmly grounded in knowledge” to “Allah.” Allah would then be stating that no one knows how to explain the ambiguous passages, refer them to the definitive ones, and remove the uncertainty surrounding them except Him, Exalted is He; those firmly grounded in knowledge also know this. They therefore believe in those passages, refer them to the definitive ones, and say, “All”—both the definitive and the ambiguous—“is from our Lord.” Whatever comes from Him contains neither conflict nor contradiction; rather, it is harmonious, its parts confirming and bearing witness to one another (2).
This points to a fundamental principle: once they know that all of it comes from Allah, if an ambiguous general passage poses difficulty for them, they know with certainty that it must be referred to the definitive passages, even if they do not understand precisely how.
After encouraging submission and faith in His rulings and warning against pursuing the ambiguous, Allah Most High says, “But none takes heed”—that is, none takes admonition from Allah’s exhortations or accepts His counsel and instruction—“except people of understanding.” They are people of sound and composed minds, the core of humanity and the choicest of Adam’s descendants. The reminder reaches their minds, so they remember what benefits them and act upon it, and what harms them and refrain from it. All others are mere husks, containing nothing of substance and yielding no fruit. Warnings and reminders do not benefit them because they lack sound, beneficial understanding.
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Allah Most High then informs us that those firmly grounded in knowledge supplicate, saying, “Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us.” That is: Do not let them incline away from the truth because of ignorance or obstinacy on our part. Rather, make us upright, guiding others and rightly guided. Keep us firm upon Your guidance and spare us from what (3) You have afflicted the deviants with. “Grant us mercy from Yourself”—that is, immense mercy by which You enable us to perform good deeds and protect us from evil deeds. “You are indeed the Bestower,” whose gifts and grants are boundless, whose abundant beneficence and generosity encompass all created beings.
“Our Lord, You will surely gather mankind for a Day about which there is no doubt. You never fail in Your promise.” You will then requite them for their deeds, both good and evil.
Allah Most High has praised those firmly grounded in knowledge for seven qualities that are the hallmarks of a servant’s happiness:
The first is knowledge, which is the path leading to Allah and which makes His rulings and revealed laws clear.
The second is firm grounding in knowledge, which is a rank beyond merely possessing knowledge. One firmly grounded in knowledge must be a thoroughly learned scholar and a discerning, exacting knower. Allah has taught him both the outward and inward dimensions of knowledge, firmly establishing him in the deeper truths of the revealed law in knowledge, spiritual state, and practice.
The third is that He describes them as believing in His entire Book and referring its ambiguous passages to its definitive ones, as expressed in His words, “They say, ‘We believe in it; it is all from our Lord.’”
The fourth is that they ask Allah to pardon and protect them from what has afflicted the deviant and wayward.
The fifth is their acknowledgement of Allah’s favor upon them in guiding them, as expressed in their words, “Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us.”
The sixth is that, despite all this, they ask Him for His mercy, which entails the attainment of every good and the prevention of every evil, and they appeal to Him through His name, the Bestower.
The seventh is that He informs us of their faith in and certainty regarding the Day of Resurrection, as well as their fear of it. This is what impels one to act and restrains one from error. Allah Most High then says: