Third: The term al-mutashaabih
can be used with a specific meaning, which is that it something
resembles something else in one way but differs from it in another way.
In the Qur’an there are verses that are mutashaabih in this sense of the word, meaning that they could indicate something which is in conformity with the muhkam verses or they could indicate something which goes against those verses, and so the intended meaning of those mutashaabih verses seem ambiguous to most people. But whoever refers the verses that are this sense of mutashaabih back to those muhkam verses which are clear in-and-of-themselves, then the intended meaning of the mutashaabih verses will become clear to him and indicate the correct way for him to understand them. But those scholars who come across mutashaabih verses and do not refer them back to the clear muhkam
verses fall into falsehood and go astray from the correct path. This is
like the Christians in their protest that ‘Eesaa is the son of Allah
whom Allah described him by saying that he is the word of Allah which He
directed unto Maryam and a soul from Him [see 4:171], but they do not
return back to Allah’s statement concerning ‘Eesaa (peace be upon him):
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا عَبْدٌ أَنْعَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ
He was not but a slave whom be blessed [43:59]
and His statement:
إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ اللَّـهِ كَمَثَلِ آدَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُ مِن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ
Indeed, the example of ‘Eesaa to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, “Be,” and he was. [3:59]
and His statement:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّـهُ أَحَدٌ * اللَّـهُ الصَّمَدُ * لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ * وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
Say: He is Allah, One * Allah is al-Samad * He does not beget nor was He begotten * Nor is there any equivalent to Him [112:1-4]
And there is a statement of Allah’s which has indicated towards this type of mutashaabih in the specific meaning of the word and muhkam
in the specific meaning of the word and has clarified the differences
of the people in their stances towards these, and that statement is:
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّـهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
It is He who has sent the Book down to you; in it are muhkam verses – they are the foundation of the Book – and others which are mutashaabih. As for those in whose hearts is deviation they will follow that the mutashaabih ones, seeking discord and seeking its ta’weel. And no one knows its ta’weel
except Allah. And those firm in knowledge say, “We believe in it. All
of it is from our Lord.” And no one will be reminded except those of
understanding. [3:7]
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