go astray.” And He says:

“Say: I stand upon clear evidence from my Lord”—the verse continues.

And He says:

“Is one who stands upon clear evidence from his Lord”

And He says:

“And We have certainly sent down to you clarifying verses.”

And He says:

“Allah makes the verses clear to you so that you may understand.”

As for elaborating on things already known, when this adds nothing but verbosity, bombast, affected eloquence and arrogance, and explicitly mentioning things whose mention is indecent—such conduct is prohibited. As the hadith states:

“Indeed, Allah hates the eloquent man who rolls his tongue as a cow rolls hers.”

Another hadith states:

“Modesty and inarticulacy are two branches of faith, while obscenity and eloquence are two branches of hypocrisy.”

For this reason, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“A man’s lengthy prayer and brief sermon are a sign of his understanding.”

In the report of Sa'd:

“When he heard his son—or when he found his son—supplicating, saying, ‘O Allah, I ask You for Paradise, its bliss, its joy, and such-and-such; and I seek refuge in You from the Fire, its chains, its shackles, and such-and-such,’ he said: ‘My son, I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: “There will be people who overstep the bounds in supplication.” Beware of being one of them. If you are granted Paradise, you will be granted it and all the good it contains; and if you are given refuge from the Fire, you will be given refuge from it and all the evil it contains.’”

Most logical definitions fall into this category: a mass of verbiage with which they explain things that were clearer before their explanations than afterward. Despite the considerable time they waste and the strain they place upon the mind and tongue, they produce nothing but blindness and error and open the door to