and His saying: “Do they not, then, ponder the Quran? Had it been from anyone other than Allah, they would surely have found in it many inconsistencies” (Q 4:82).

It is plain that such a negation of contradiction can be established only by reflecting upon the whole of the Quran; examining merely a portion of it cannot justify declaring that what has not been examined does not contradict what has.

ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, was once asked, “Did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, leave anything with you?” He replied, “No, by Him who splits the grain and brings forth the soul—nothing except an understanding that Allah grants to a servant concerning His Book, and what is written on this scroll.”

He thus indicated that the degree of understanding of the Quran varies within the community, and that understanding (fahm) is more specific than either knowledge (ʿilm) or judgment (ḥukm). Allah, Exalted is He, says: “So We gave Solomon understanding of it, and to each of them We granted judgment and knowledge” (Q 21:79).

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, also said, “It may be that the one to whom something is conveyed retains it more fully than the one who hears it,” and, “Convey from me, even if it is only a single verse.”