Principle 29: The benefits a servant reaps from knowing and understanding the diverse sciences of the Quran

This principle is virtually the foremost objective of Qur’anic exegesis, for the Quran encompasses many branches and lofty kinds of knowledge. The servant, therefore, must discern the purpose of each of these branches, act in accordance with it, trace the verses that address it, and extract from them the intended outcome—in knowledge, conviction, spiritual state, and practice.

The most exalted of all Qur’anic sciences is the science of tawḥīd (the doctrine of divine oneness) and of Allah’s attributes of perfection. Whenever verses concerning the oneness of Allah, His names, and His attributes come before him, he should turn to them attentively; once he understands them and grasps their intent, he affirms them for Allah in a manner that in no way resembles the creation. He realizes that just as none resembles Allah in His essence, none resembles Him in His attributes. His heart then fills—with knowledge of his Lord and with love for Him—in proportion to his awareness of Allah’s perfection and majesty. Hearts are naturally disposed to love perfection; how, then, could they not love the One who possesses every perfection and from whom all abundant blessings flow?

He also understands that the foundation of all foundations is faith in Allah, and that this foundation grows stronger and more complete according to the servant’s knowledge of his Lord, his comprehension of the meanings of His attributes and qualities, and the heart’s being filled with awareness and love of them. Moreover, he realizes that by perfecting this knowledge, all his other sciences and deeds are perfected as well, for this is the root of knowledge and the root of worship.

Among the sciences of the Quran, too, are the descriptions of the messengers—their states, what befell them and what they did, those who supported them and those who opposed them, and the comprehensive qualities they possessed. Whenever these