or because it has a single shared meaning in its basic usage, but what is intended is one of two types or one of two things, as with the pronouns in His words:

“Then he drew near and came down,
until he was two bow-lengths away or nearer.”

And likewise His words:

“By the dawn,
and ten nights,
and the even and the odd,”

and similar expressions.

In such cases, all the meanings mentioned by the early generations may be intended, or this may not be possible. The former possibility may arise because the verse was revealed twice, with one meaning intended on one occasion and another on the other; or because a word with distinct meanings may be intended to convey both meanings—as most jurists, including the Mālikīs, Shāfiʿīs and Hanbalīs, and many speculative theologians have allowed; or because the term has a shared meaning and therefore applies generally unless there is a reason to restrict its scope. When both interpretations of this kind are valid, it belongs to the second category.

Among the statements transmitted from them that some people regard as disagreements are explanations expressed in words that are close in meaning but not synonymous. True synonymy is uncommon in language; in the wording of the Quran, it is either rare or nonexistent. Seldom can a single word be explained by another single word that conveys its entire meaning. Rather, the explanation only approximates its meaning. This is one of the reasons for the Quran’s inimitability. Thus, if someone explains His words:

“On the Day the sky will sway to and fro,”

by saying that mawr (swaying) means movement, this is only an approximation, for mawr is light, rapid movement.