Are the Mutashabihat [unclear] verses in the Quran unknown to us in meaning?
In this thread I will discuss
1. What Taweel means
2. What is the correct understanding of verse 7 in Surah Aal-Imran relating to the meanings of Taweel
3. How point 1 and 2 applies to Allah.
1) We will look at two meanings of Taweel.
The first meaning is Tafseer, to explain the words by stating the intended meaning
An example of this in the Quran is when the man saw a vision and asked Yusuf AS to do tafseer if it
نبئنا بتأويله
"inform us of its interpretation"
The second meaning is to return the word to it's reality.
If it is information, then it's interpretation will be the reality of the informed thing. This meaning of Taweel is used for Allah's being, essence and attributes, which no one knows it's true reality except Allah.
An example of this in the Quran
هل ينظرون إلا تأويله يوم يأتي تأويله
"Await they just for the final fulfillment of the event, the day it's fulfillment comes"
It means that they’re only waiting for the actualization and reality of the resurrection not that they don’t know it.
2) Now that we understand what Taweel means we will look at verse 7 in Aal-Imran and understand what Taweel means here in regards to the Mutashabihat [unclear] verses.
As mentioned Taweel can mean tafseer and knowing the reality of something.
وما يعلم تأويله إلا الله والراسخون في العلم
"But none knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge"
There are two Qira'at tajweed techniques with regards to this verse, to stop the recitation at "except Allah" or..............
...........to continue on as "except Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge"
One may think this is a contradiction, does only Allah know the meanings or is it both Allah and the people firmly grounded in knowledge.
Keep in mind the two meanings of Taweel.
Based on the stop or continuity tajweed techniques along with the meanings of Taweel, there is a correct understanding without contradiction.
When we stop at "except Allah" the Taweel will be according to the second meaning, which is "returning the word to it's reality".
This is because no one knows the reality, as in the kayfiyyah of what Allah has informed us about himself and about the Hereafter except Allah himself.
However, if we continue the recitation, then the Taweel will be according to the first meaning which is Tafseer........
......... because those who are firmly grounded in knowledge know it's interpretation as well, and it is not specific to Allah.
The way to reconcile the two readings of the verse is that Mutashabihat [unclear] is subjective, what might be unclear to one person will be clear to another person, and when a verse is unclear to a person they should ask the scholars who knows the meaning.
This indicates that the meanings of the verses may be unknown to the majority of the people which is why they're called Mutashabihat [unclear] verses, but are known by the scholars, and that some verses in the Quran in their reality and essence cannot be known except by Allah
3) How does verse 7 of Surah Aal-Imran apply to the Names and Attributes of Allah.
We know the meaning of what Allah has informed us about his names and attributes, and we can differentiate among these meanings. We know the meaning of life, knowledge, power, hearing, seeing etc.
However, although we know the meaning of these verse we do not know the reality and essence of these meanings with regards to Allah.
This is because we don't know the essence of Allah therefore, we don't know the reality and kayfiyyah of his names and attributes but we know the meanings of these names and attributes which we refer back to those firmly grounded in knowledge for Tafseer.
The verse does not indicate that there are verses in the Quran whose meanings we don't know such as the meanings of the names and attributes of Allah just that the reality and essence of it is unknown
These two meanings of Taweel are known from the Quran, sunnah and the Salaf
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When does doing Ijtihad become a sin or disbelief and the scholar or judge isn’t rewarded?
The Imams of the Salaf and those who followed them explained this in detail, I will explain this issue and share their statements
Continue 🧵
As mentioned in a Hadith
"When a judge rules, and makes ijtihad and he is correct, then he has two rewards. And when he rules, and makes ijtihad and he is incorrect, then he has one reward."
This reward is only when Ijtihad is done in subsidiary matters of the religion
When a judge/scholar is doing Ijtihad on an issue, it has to first be a place in which it is permitted to do Ijtihad in. If it isn’t then the scholar has fallen into sin and depending on the severity it can be disbelief.
Ashari Imams believe the Salaf were wrong for making Takfir of the Mu’tazilah
It is well known that the Salaf considered those who said the Quran is created and rejected the attributes of Allah to have committed Major disbelief but the likes of Al-Juwayni and Al-Ghazali disagree
Al-Juwayni says:
“And the Iraqi scholars transmitted that Ash-Shafi’i excommunicated the one who said the Qur’an is created, and this is a least of innovation innovated by the Mu’tazilah.”
Al-Juwayni disagrees with the Takfir of Imam Shafi’i since he considers it a small innovation.
He says “There is no way to excommunicate the Mu'tazilah and those who follow their path from the people of desires”
Scholars before Muhammad Ibn Abdulwahab who did not permit making dua to other than Allah
First of all what is Istighatha?
Istighatha: Seeking help, which is deliverance from hardship and affliction, and aid in being released from adversities.
Ibn Al-Hubayrah mentions
Imam Al Shafi’i said:
He described what necessitates disbelief, such as what the people of Babylon believed regarding drawing near to the seven planets and that they do what is sought from them. So whoever believes this is a disbeliever.
الإشراف
Sulayman Al-Khattabi mentions
Ahmad ibn Hanbal used to infer from the words "the perfect words of Allah" that the Quran is uncreated. This is because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) does not seek refuge in something created
This caption is lie, he’s making a bigger point that you missed, nowhere did he personally express support of that state rather he is simply saying that from a Shari perspective there’s no valid reason to reject it.
especially considering these same people approve of the validity of modern day secular nation states that rose to power and authority in similar fashion.
These so called Muslim countries that are full of clear cut Kufr are valid to you even though they’re worse than Khawarij.
These Madkhalis recognise the validity of Kafir states and their leaders such as MBZ and SISI saying if you merely speak out against them you are a Khariji and funnily enough would do the same for the Ibaadi Khariji State of Oman, so If it’s an Aqeedah issue then be consistent.
Requesting from the Prophet to make Dua to Allah for you after his death.
I will mention the three main types it comes in and what their rulings are.
First of all this is separate issue to making Dua directly to the Prophet for him to fulfil your request, this is commonly known as Istighatha and is clear shirk.
In this attached thread you can see what scholars have said regarding this and the different forms it comes in.
Requesting dua from the Prophet after his death, with the belief that it must go through an intermediary between the Prophet and Allah, and that you can’t ask Allah directly without going through an intermediary or it won’t be correct.
Can a layman give Fatwa regarding an issue whose evidence he knows?
Ibn Qayyim in إعلام الموقعين عن رب العالمين 4/152
1. It is permissible If the laymen has knowledge of the ruling as it happened with its evidence like that of a scholar. And the scholar is better than the laymen because of ability to prove it’s evidence and defend it, that is an extra in knowing the truth with its evidence.
2. It is impermissible for the laymen in all cases due to inability to extract the ruling, no knowledge of its conditions and what goes against it, and perhaps the laymen thinks something is an evidence when it isn’t an evidence.