Al-Iklīl fī al-Mutashābih wa-al-Taʾwīl - Ibn Taimiya - (12)

in his very understanding, as when Allah says,

“He sent down water from the sky and the valleys flowed each according to its measure…” (13:17).

It is evident that when someone hears a text whose ruling—or the indication that once pointed to that ruling—has already been lifted, Satan insinuates during that recitation a tendency to follow what has been abrogated. Allah, however, renders His verses definitive through the abrogating passage, by which the former ruling is removed and the intended meaning made clear.

On this basis one may rightly say that, in this respect, the abrogated verse counts as “ambiguous.” Allah knows best.

At other times, though, ihkām (definitiveness) pertains to interpretation and meaning: it is the process of distinguishing the intended reality from everything else so that it is no longer liable to be confused with other possibilities. Standing opposite to these definitive passages are the ambiguous ones that resemble this meaning and that, remaining open to two readings.

Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal said, “The muhkam (definitive) is that in which there is no divergence, while the mutashābih (ambiguous) is what appears one way in one place and another way elsewhere.”

He did not say of the ambiguous verses that no one knows their explanation and meaning except Allah; rather, he cited the statement, “None knows its interpretation except Allah” (3:7).

That is the decisive word that settles the dispute in this matter, for Allah Himself has informed us that none knows its ultimate interpretation but He. The pause in recitation, supported by many evidences, stops here, and this is the position of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—the majority of the Successors, and the vast body of the ummah.

Yet Allah did not deny them knowledge of the verse’s meaning and explanation. Instead He said, “A blessed Book We have sent down to you so that they may reflect upon its verses” (38:29), and that includes both the definitive and the ambiguous passages; whatever carries no intelligible meaning cannot be pondered. He likewise said, “Do they not then reflect upon the Quran?” (4:82), without excluding any part of it from reflection.

في فهمه كما قال: {أنزل من السماء ماء فسالت أودية بقدرها} الآية. ومعلوم أن من سمع النص الذي قد رفع حكمه أو دلالة له فإنه يلقي الشيطان في تلك التلاوة اتباع ذلك المنسوخ فيحكم الله آياته بالناسخ الذي به يحصل رفع الحكم وبيان المراد. وعلى هذا التقدير فيصح أن يقال: المتشابه المنسوخ بهذا الاعتبار والله أعلم. وتارة يكون " الإحكام " في التأويل والمعنى وهو تمييز الحقيقة المقصودة من غيرها حتى لا تشتبه بغيرها. وفي مقابلة المحكمات الآيات المتشابهات التي تشبه هذا وتشبه هذا فتكون محتملة للمعنيين. قال أحمد بن حنبل " المحكم " الذي ليس فيه اختلاف والمتشابه الذي يكون في موضع كذا وفي موضع كذا. ولم يقل في المتشابه لا يعلم تفسيره ومعناه إلا الله وإنما قال: {وما يعلم تأويله إلا الله} وهذا هو فصل الخطاب بين المتنازعين في هذا الموضع فإن الله أخبر أنه لا يعلم تأويله إلا هو. والوقف هنا على ما دل عليه أدلة كثيرة وعليه أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وجمهور التابعين وجماهير الأمة. ولكن لم ينف علمهم بمعناه وتفسيره بل قال: {كتاب أنزلناه إليك مبارك ليدبروا آياته} وهذا يعم الآيات المحكمات والآيات المتشابهات وما لا يعقل له معنى لا يتدبر: وقال: {أفلا يتدبرون القرآن} ولم يستثن شيئا منه نهى عن تدبره.