the two meanings have something in common by virtue of which their individual instances resemble one another. As for calling it a metaphor, it is well known that they did not borrow the word itself. Rather, they combined the word “blazed” with “head” in a construction they have never used, or intended, in any other sense.

For this reason, one cannot say in such a case, “The head has not blazed with grey hair.” Rather, one says, “The blazing of the head is not like the blazing of firewood, even though it resembles it in certain respects.”

He said: “And what of His words,

‘And lower to them the wing of humility,’

when humility has no wing?”

The answer is: There is no doubt that humility has no wing like a bird’s wing, just as a bird has no wing like the wings of the angels. Nor is the wing of humility like the wing of travel. Yet a person’s wing is his side, just as a bird’s wing is its side. A child is commanded to lower his side before his parents, doing so in humble submission to them, not merely lowering it without humility. He also said to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“And lower your wing to those of the believers who follow you.”

He did not say, “the wing of humility.” Thus, the Messenger was commanded to lower his wing, which is his side, whereas the child was commanded to lower his wing in humility. Along with lowering his wing, he must therefore humble himself before his parents, unlike the Messenger, who was not commanded to humble himself. Thus, the way the words of the Quran are combined indicates how their meanings are combined, with each meaning given its due.