This wording belongs to the “ambiguous” passages which, as mentioned, the Christians invoked before the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as evidence for the Trinity when they found in the Quran such expressions as:

“Indeed, We have granted you victory.”

Allah condemned them for abandoning the Quran’s unequivocal teaching that God is One and clinging instead to ambiguous wording that could signify either someone accompanied by a peer or someone accompanied by helpers who are his servants and creatures. They followed the ambiguous passages, seeking thereby discord—unsettling hearts by suggesting the existence of multiple gods—and seeking their interpretation. Regarding “None knows its interpretation except Allah” and “those firmly grounded in knowledge,” the early generations held two views, both of which are true.

Those who say that people firmly grounded in knowledge do not know its interpretation explain that its interpretation is the reality to which it ultimately refers. What the Quran speaks of through the expressions “Indeed, We” and “We” refers to the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful and through whom He directs the affairs of heaven and earth. None but Allah knows their number; none other than Him knows their attributes; and He alone knows how He commands them to act. Allah Most High says:

“None knows the hosts of your Lord except Him.”

Although each angel knows his own condition and that of others, he does not know all the angels or everything Allah has created in this regard.

Those who say that people firmly grounded in knowledge know its interpretation explain that “interpretation” means explanation: making the meaning of the discourse known to people. Those firmly grounded in knowledge therefore know the explanation of the entire Quran and the meanings Allah has made clear, as is abundantly reported from the early generations.

Thus, those firmly grounded in knowledge know that His words: