Meezan - Tadabbur-e Quran (Understanding the Quran)
Meezan and Furqan, Muhkam and Mutashaabih. Lecture. 16 A. 03-05-2002
Scholar. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi
[Javed Ahmed Ghamidi] Alhumdulillah All Praise is due to Allah,
Peace and Blessings be upon His Trustworthy Prophet Muhammad.
I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan.
In the name of Allah, Most Beneficent and Ever Merciful.
Ladies and gentlemen,
what is the meaning of muhkam and mutashaabih verses,
and when it is said that some verses of the Quran are muhkam
and some are mutashaabih,
then does this have any affect on the Quran being
a Meezan (scale) and Furqan (separator of truth and falsehood)?
We have discussed about this in detail.
The fundamental position in this was given to two words, as I had said.
One was the meaning of mutashaabih, and the second was the meaning of taweel.
I had said that the source of the mistake occurred precisely in these two words.
What is the correct point of view in this matter,
is also something we have already studied.
There was only one last paragraph in this topic which we had to read still.
After reading that, I will begin with the next discussion.
In the verse of the Quran from which people have mistakenly deduced
that no one can understand the meaning of the mutashabihaat verses,
the Almighty does not say that no one except Him
knows the meaning of the mutashabihaat verses.
On the contrary, He says that no one other than Allah knows the reality
of what is conveyed by these verses.
So the mistake which has been made has come from the word 'taweel'.
Because the word 'taweel' came to be used in the later ages
to mean explanation, commentary, or meaning.
As I had said, this is a meaning adopted in the later ages.
So the word has come to be used in this meaning in the later eras.
The word 'taweel' in reality is not used to mean the things I mentioned.
In the Quran, this word has not been used in just one place.
It has been used in many places.
One of the more prominent usages out of those, I have quoted here.
But we will look at the other places too where it has been used.
Since this is a very fundamental word, and the whole misunderstanding has arisen
from it. And by not understanding it correctly,
the matter has become so complex, which we have already commented upon.
Therefore, we must have a look at the uses of this word in the Quran.
In the Quran, this word has been used
in the mention of the events related to Joseph (AS) quite frequently.
And it has been used exactly in the sense in which we use
the word 'haqeeqat' (reality) or 'taabiir' (interpretation).
When we say that I saw this dream. We often say this right?
And we ask, what is its interpretation?
That does not imply the meaning of the dream.
While narrating a dream, one uses certain words right?
We say that we saw a river, in which a boat was rowing.
I too was sitting in it and the boatman was rowing the boat.
All of a sudden the rain started.
Then I saw that somehow, we had reached the banks of the river.
Now this is the narration of a dream.
Or for instance, the dream of Syedna Abraham.
In which he mentioned before his son, 'Inni ara fil manami anni azbahuka'.
Which means that I see in a dream that I am slaughtering you.
Now the words which have been used of the Arabic language,
'Inni ara fil manaam', there is no issue in understanding them.
These are clear words, 'Inni ara fil manaam', is very clear Arabic.
'I see in a dream'. Just like we say it in Urdu too, that I saw it in a dream.
'Anni azbahuka'. 'I am slaughtering you.'
The word 'slaughtering' too is very intentional, we use it every day
and we are aware of its meaning too.
Understanding this word too was not at all difficult for Ishmael.
And even now when these words are spoken,
there is no doubt about their meaning.
But it is a dream, and when you will relate this dream,
you will say, 'what is its interpretation?'
So its meaning is not a point of debate; meanings belong to the words.
The word or the sentence which we choose to express an issue or a matter,
there the debate is about the meaning.
Meaning implies a discussion about what 'inni' means or what 'ara' means,
what 'manaam' means. This is concerned with their meanings.
But to say that I have seen I am floating down a river,
in this we know the meaning of the words river, floating, and downstream as well.
But what is their reality? What is the implication of what I have seen?
This reality or this interpretation of the dream,
because in Surah Yusuf, as the people who have read the Quran would know,
that dreams were continuously coming under discussion.
A dream was seen by the King, another was seen by Prophet Joseph,
after that his cellmates in the prison also saw some dreams.
So the Surah is talking about a lot of dreams.
You can see that the Quran has used this word again and again.
Surah Yusuf is the twelfth Surah of the Quran.
In its sixth verse, it says 'Wa kazaalika yajtabeeka rabbuka
wa yu'allimuka min ta'weelil ahaadees.'
'Wa yu'allimuka min ta'weelil ahaadees.'
It means that your Lord will teach you how to reach the truth of things.
It does not say that He will tell you the meanings of the sentences.
When a narrative will be presented, then what is the truth behind it,
that is what your Lord will teach you. Or this is what God has taught you,
this is what you have learned from Him.
So 'taweel' is used in the exact same meaning in which we use the word 'reality'
Then at another place, this same word has been used
where the King has narrated his dream and has asked his Courtiers,
what do you have to say about my dream?
So there is no trouble for anyone in understanding the words
which have been used in that dream.
There are seven fat cows who are being eaten, and there are ears of corn.
The dream which has been narrated, there was no trouble in its meaning.
But see what he says in response. He says: wa ma nahnu betaweelil ahlame be'aalameen
We are not scholars of the reality and interpretations of dreams.
So it is that same word which has been used here.
We are not learned in it, we are not aware about the things that are seen in dreams
and what their reality is.
What do those things denote? Or we can borrow the same word
which I had explained in my previous lecture.
That it is not the meaning, but the referent of the dream I have seen.
So what is it for which it stands as a true testament?
What is it that would manifest in reality from it?
So here too this word has been used.
Then there is the famous dream of Prophet Joseph,
which led to the whole incident of Surah Yusuf.
He said, I dreamt of eleven stars, and the sun and the moon, prostrating before me.
This was his dream, right? Now here, the word used for 'eleven', 'ahada 'ashara',
no person fluent in the Arabic language has any issue in grasping its meaning.
In fact even a student of the Arabic language knows its meaning.
Or the statement that I dreamt of eleven stars,
so the word used for stars in it, i.e. 'kawkaba',
this too is understood easily by everyone.
So there is no doubt in its meaning.
The words used for the sun and the moon are also the ones prevalent in Arabic.
'Al shamsa wal qamar'. And after that, 'ra aytuhum lee sajideen',
this too is eloquent Arabic, clear Arabic.
I dreamt that they were prostrating before me.
I dreamt that they are bowing to me.
So there is no difficulty in understanding the meaning of these words.
But when the interpretation of this dream was put before us,
when you read Surah Yusuf, towards the end of it, its interpretation is revealed.
That event really comes true, that his brothers and his parents,
they all bow their heads in reverence to him, seeing his greatness and glory.
This incident has come at the end of the Surah right?
Now at that point, he says to his father,
'qala ya abati haaza taweelu ru'yaaya min qabl.'
'O my dear father! This is the interpretation of that dream of mine.'
He does not say this is the meaning of my dream.
The meaning was clear even earlier.
This is the interpretation of my old dream which has been revealed.
Then at another place too, Quran has used this word.
In Surah Al-Kahf, which is the eighteenth Surah.
In Surah Al-Kahf, that incident has been narrated in which
Prophet Moses was travelling with a young companion of his.
And in that journey, he was faced with some mystifying incidents.
Which people have usually called the story of Moses and Khizr.
So in that, Moses is looking at the situation.
There is a boat going by, and Khizr destroyed it.
When he saw a collapsed wall, even when people of the tribe did not offer him food
he fixed that wall up. He saw a young man, and killed him.
Now these incidents which have been narrated here,
if you convey them in words, there is no difficulty in understanding their meanings
But what is the reality behind them?
So there too, this same word has been used in Surah al-Kahf.
When Prophet Moses kept asking questions of Khizr,
and Khizr commanded him not to ask him anything but only to watch,
but he did not stop asking, then Khizr decided on parting ways with him.
'Haza firaqu bainee wa bainak.' Because you could not be patient,
so we must part ways. At that point he further added,
'sa unabi 'uka bitaweeli ma lam tastati' 'alaihi sabraa.'
Now I will inform you of the interpretation of that
about which you could not have patience.
So the Quran has again used the word 'taweel'.
It means what is the reality of the incidents.
So here again that word was used.
After that, when he had narrated the whole explanation,
he said, 'zalika taaweelu ma lam tastati' 'alaihi sabra.'
This is the reality, or interpretation, about which you could not have patience.
Now I have explained it to you.
Similarly, this word has been used at other places in the Quran as well.
And you will see that it is used each time in this same meaning.
The word 'taweel' came to be used to imply 'meaning' later on.
As I have said before, it happened much later and it is a later meaning.
In the ancient Arabic language, in the language of the Quran,
this word was actually used to mean uncovering the true meaning of something,
to reach back into its source, and from that it has come to be used now
to mean 'truth' and 'example'.
Hence in verses such as these, it is used like 'zaalika ahsanu taaweela'.
There we translate it as, 'this is a beautiful thing for what it led to'.
It means that the conclusion it arrives at, that is its ultimate end.
We use the word in that sense too.
So as I had said, there are actually two words who are fundamental in this case.
The whole error has actually arisen because of these words.
The word 'mutashaabih', when going by its conclusion the meaning that it gives,
and then the meaning which is then ascribed to it,
people have adopted that meaning for that word.
And this word 'taweel', was taken to mean 'meaning'.
So the result of both these errors was that the purport of the verse became,
that in the Quran there are some verses whose meaning is ambiguous.
This was the inference drawn as a result of the first error.
And the second error led to the conclusion that their meaning is known only to Allah.
Naturally if this is the situation, then that third objection is valid.
So I have already discussed about muhkam and mutashaabih.
Now I have told you in what sense the word 'taweel' is used.
In light of this, let us read the following.
In the verse of the Quran from which people have deduced the fact
that no one can understand the meaning of the mutashabihaat verses,
the Almighty does not say that no one except Him knows the meaning
of the mutashabihaat verses. On the contrary, He says that
no one knows the reality of what is conveyed by these verses.
So that is not what Allah said. He says their reality is known only to Him.
When Allah says that in Paradise, you will find such gardens
underneath which streams will be flowing,
then in this we know the meaning of a garden, of streams,
and there is no doubt in this verse in terms of its meaning.
This is eloquent Arabic, clear Arabic.
But what will those streams be like?
What will those gardens be like? The reality of these is known only to Allah.
This stands true even today. Yes, go on.
[Student] Hello.
[Ghamidi] I thought you are going to strangle me.
[Student] These mutashabihaat verses are those verses
which have been conveyed by drawing parallels with some other thing.
But there are some other kinds of verses which are harder.
Like it is said about Sulaiman (as) that a mere body was cast on this throne.
What would we say about these verses?
[Ghamidi] I have understood your question.
What is the meaning of a difficult verse?
It is possible that a scholar might have been mistaken
in determining the intention of a verse, that's all.
What is the meaning of a difficult verse?
[Student] But we do not know their reality.
[Ghamidi] That is dependent on what is understood by the verse.
It is quite possible that a word was used in a verse
which people had misunderstood. The way we just discussed.
One is the mutashabihaat verses
And the other is what the verse itself is conveying.
So here there was an error in determining the meaning of mutashabihaat,
as well as in the meaning of taweel.
So when you will correct and clarify the meanings,
there would be no further difficulty in this verse at all.
The verse there says, 'walqayna 'alaa kursiyyihi jasada',
and when its correct meaning will be conveyed, what its intention is,
what is being said therein, and that will be conveyed based on
those same linguistic principles which are needed to understand any good discourse.
So that verse is not difficult in itself. It has been made difficult because
outwardly the supposed intent of that verse does not make sense.
That difficulty had arisen here as well, but you see it has been resolved.
So it does not mean the verse was ambigious.
The verse in fact was very clear. There was an error in determining its meaning.
And when that error occurred, did we go back fourteen centuries to correct it?
The knowledge we have with us, based on which argumentation is made,
it is based on that only that we have deduced its correct meaning.
We took the word 'mutashaabih', and delved into it to understand what it means
and how did it originate, in which sense is it used?
And even in that we did not have to look outside of the Quran,
for Quran itself has used it at different places with such mastery,
that we have been able to establish its intent and meaning.
The exact same situation you have seen in the word 'taweel'.
We took the word 'taweel', and we pursued it back through history,
so that its correct meaning can be established.
When the meaning was clear, then this verse, which was difficult before, right?
This became easy. So a difficult verse is a relative thing.
One person is unable to understand a verse. It becomes difficult for him.
If you find someone who can explain it, then it would become easy.
This is relative. It is the same as if you were to say,
I cannot understand this couplet by Ghalib at all.
'Qumri kaf-e-khakistar o bulbul qafas-e-rang
ai naala nishan-e-jigar-e-sokhta kya hai?'
You tell me what is it?
'The ring-dove is just a handful of dust, the nightingale merely a cage of colors,
O their mournful lament! Where is the mark of their burning passion?'
So if this is explained to you, you will be very impressed.
The difficulty or ease actually relate to a person's knowledge and understanding,
and not to any complication within the verse itself.
This couplet too is an extremely simple one,
on the condition that one is aware of the style in which Ghalib has written it.
And the words which have been used in it, their correct meanings should be taken.
So do not call any verse difficult. 'Difficulty' is a relative attribute.
A couplet might be difficult for one person,
a linguistic style might be difficult for another,
but when a scholar explains these things to them, it becomes absolutely clear.
So these kinds of verses of the Quran, about which some people think that
they are difficult verses. Such as that verse is there, in which it is said that
now you must put a patch of land on the sky, 'summa li yaqta'.
Now that has become an issue hasn't it?
What does 'summa li yaqta' mean?
But I can explain it to you as per the common Arabic style.
After that you will say, there is no easier verse than this!
But when one struggles with it, he thinks it must be a very difficult one.
When one's liver burns with the pain of separation, and one sighs and cries,
when a person's heart is aflame with passion,
what happens then? He is consumed and pained with love isn't he?
When his liver is consumed with passion, this has happened inside him.
How would it manifest outwardly?
We saw that even the ring-dove is also burning with passion,
as is the nightingale. Both of them lament and sing mournfully.
This has been established, both of them are burning in passion.
But that liver which is aflame, that heart which is burning in anguish,
where is its scar? What is the mark it has given?
There must be an outward mark of it too right?
As we say, when the heart is crying, the eyes reflect it.
So there must be some outward sign of it.
So Ghalib says that I can't understand that when both of them are burning in pain
but when I see them, then 'qumri kaf-e-khakistar'.
It seems that the ring-dove is just a handful of ashes.
If you have ever seen a ring-dove, it is the same ashen color as dust.
'Bulbul qafas-e-rang'. And what is the nightingale?
It appears to be a cage made out of beautiful and colorful sticks.
'Ai naala nishan-e-jigar-e-sokhta kya hai?'
So I can hear the lament, but O lament, let me ask you,
that the liver that is burning inside, is there a visible mark of it too?
And where is it? So there is nothing difficult in the couplet per se.
But when I read it, you see I asked, what is it?
So that 'what' is indicative of the relative difficulty of the couplet.
This is why, thanks be to God there is nothing difficult in this verse.
Why does the difficulty arise sometimes? I will explain it later as we go on,
as to where do people face difficulty in understanding the Quran.
Why do people struggle with it?
There are causes for that difficulty.
For instance, what did we just see right now?
The word was in use in its actual meaning too,
and it was also being used according to the implication it reflected.
But it was the latter meaning which was taken mistakenly.
And the first meaning was not considered.
There was dominance of the latter meaning on the word 'taweel'.
And since that one became dominant, it created some dilemma.
But I have just presented before you many verses,
where you see no dilemma or difficulty.
The moment we see the word 'taweel', we come to know what its true meaning is.
So this is why, put aside the idea of it being difficult.
One thing is difficult for you, another would be hard for me,
but it might not be difficult for a third person, a scholar,
when he would explain it.
In fact it says that their reality is not known to anyone but Allah.
The word used for that in the Quran is 'taweel',
and it is used in the exact same meaning as it has been used in Surah Yusuf.
'Qaala ya abati haaza taweelu ru'yaaya min qablu qad ja'alaha Rabbee haqqa.'
The reason I have chosen this verse is because it conveys the meaning clearly.
Prophet Joseph's dream has been narrated at the beginning of the Surah.
After that comes the event in which his eleven brothers and his parents
prostrate before him in reverence.
At that moment he says, 'Father, this is the meaning of that dream of mine,
my Lord has made it a reality.'
So the dream he had seen was real, but at that time its reality was not clear.
Its interpretation was not known. It was not clear what it really represented.
I think I had mentioned it here before,
about the reality of the dreams.
Dreams are a very good example of this issue,
the problem which is faced in the mutashabihaat verses.
When something is conveyed in an allegorical manner,
then naturally given that it is mentioned in the style similitude,
then before its referent and reality is revealed,
it is hard to say categorically what its reality is.
Just like I had told you about the blessings of the Paradise,
that they have been mentioned in the Quran through similitudes.
So the blessings of our world have been pointed at, and by comparison with them,
the blessings of Paradise have been traced to some extent.
Now when their reality will be revealed to us,
every one of us will say, and may every one have the good fortune of seeing them,
then all of us will say that yes, this is that same thing
the form of which we had been shown in the world here.
In fact, our great esteemed teacher Amin Ahsan Islahi,
took that famous verse 'haaz allazee ruziqnaa min qablu
wa utoo bihee mutashaabihaa'. and interpreted it as this only,
that when those blessings will be revealed,
they will be similar to the picture that is painted of them in this world.
So people will say upon looking at them that haaz allazee ruziqnaa min qablu'.
We have been given a flavor of them earlier itself,
that is, in this world itself.
I am not debating right now about whether this interpretation is correct or not.
But it says that this will be the situation with every human being.
Whether this is what has been said in this verse or not is a separate issue.
But the situation there will be exactly like this.
I think I had told you about the dream of Syeda.
The dream of Syeda Ayesha. She told her father Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA),
that I have seen a beautiful dream. He asked her what it was.
She replied that I saw in a dream that in my room, in my lap,
three moons have descended.
I am sitting in my room, and three moons have come down in my lap.
So her father asked her, what do you think is the interpretation of this dream?
She replied that I think I will bear three sons by the Prophet (pbuh).
Now this is seems a very plausible understanding of the dream.
Three moons have descended.
Syedna Abu Bakr Siddiq heard this, and smiled and remained silent.
When the Prophet (pbuh) died and he was buried in Ayesha's room,
and after the funeral Abu Bakr told her,
this is your first moon that has descended in your room.
So you see what the reality of that dream was.
But from the words, a different conception was being conveyed of that dream.
So this is a very good example of how a reality is conveyed before us
in an allegorical style, and from that we conceive of an idea.
We create an imagination of a blessings of Paradise, right?
If you ever notice, when one reads the Quran, an image in created in our minds.
You may create as glorious an image as you possibly can,
it nevertheless would find resemblance from this world itself.
But when its reality would be unveiled for us,
it is possible ours would be the same condition as happened with Syeda Ayesha.
But you see that soon as the reality of her dream was revealed,
then those words which she said, that three moons have descended in my room,
it is not that those words do not conform to this interpretation.
They would conform to the other assumed meaning and they fulfill this meaning too.
So had the reality been what she imagined, the words would conform to it then too.
Now that this was the reality, even then the words satisfy the interpretation.
So you must understand this. Hence Prophet Joseph had at that point said,
'ya abati haaza taweelu ru'yaaya min qablu qad ja'alaha Rabbee haqqa.'
Everyone knows the meanings of the words in which this dream is stated in the Quran
So the words which the Quran has used to convey this dream,
the dream upon which this comment is being made,
there is no debate about its meanings. Everyone can understand it.
Even an ordinary student of Arabic language understands without any issue
the meaning of the Quranic verse in which this dream is mentioned.
So with regards to its meaning, there is absolutely no difficulty in it.
It is a simple phrase, a straightforward sentence,
if you are taught some preliminary Arabic, and this sentence is put before you,
you yourself will do the correct translation.
So there is nothing difficult in its language or expression.
It is a very simple sentence.
But what was the true manifestation of the sun, the moon and the eleven stars
which Joseph saw bowing before him?
When he was stating this dream, not by any stretch of the imagination
could he have thought that one day the brothers who, right now,
are trying to kill me and my esteemed father, and my beloved mother,
they all would bow their heads before me in reverence.
He could not have imagined this at that time at all.
No person could have ascertained this interpretation
till these words manifested themselves in reality.
Even now if you think about it, Joseph was only a young boy at that time,
he was the apple of his father's eye, his father loved him deeply.
And his brothers envied him a little as well.
But despite all of that, no one could have imagined the way this dream manifested.
No one could have guessed it, that it would come to pass this way.
These are the things the Quran calls mutashaabih.
So the word mutashaabih which has been used in the Quran,
has been used for these kinds of verses.
One world which exists in our past, Allah's world which was there
before this world of ours came into being.
The Quran relates some facts about that too.
And there is the world which is unseen right now,
and then there is a world which would be unveiled in the Hereafter.
The Quran refers to all three by 'mutashaabih'.
It says that when we created Adam, what were the conditions then,
and the Angels bowed to him and so on. And whatever happened after that.
So there is no difficulty in understanding the meanings of these verses.
But what are they referring to in reality?
Those things will be known to us only when we are able to observe them.
We can imagine somewhat about what the Quran says,
that we released all the evil spirits and then asked them, 'alastu birabbikum'.
There is no difficulty in these words is there?
But what is the real referent and manifestation of this,
how did this event come to pass?
At this time, it is not possible for us to even imagine it.
The few recent investigations and discoveries which have happened,
they have made some things possible to imagine to some extent.
But that is true only of a few things.
We cannot say what is the reality of the many things which will manifest.
These are the things the Quran calls mutashaabih,
and as people contend, they do not mean something which is ambiguous and vague.
Thus the mutashabihaat in no way undermine the status of the Quran
as Furqan and Meezan. So the case which I had to argue is this one.
That the Quran is a Meezan and Furqan.
It conveys its intention which complete clarity,
and nothing can make suspect the meaning it wants to convey.
Nothing can have an affect over it.
Some questions had been raised about this aspect,
and one of those questions related to muhkam and mutashaabih.
After discussing about this, I have quoted that verse here.
This is the verse.
'Huwal lazee anzala 'alaikal Kitaaba minhu Aayatum muhkamaatun hunna Ummul Kitaabi
wa ukharu Mutashaabihaat.' 'It is He who has revealed to you the Book.
Some of its verses are muhkam, which are the foundation of the Book.
And others are mutashaabih.' So Allah says that
your focus should be on those verses in which I have given the articles of faith,
the rules of etiquette, My Shariah, or have given warnings,
they form the real foundation of the Book.
The others only represent the outcome of these.
Such as rewards and punishments. Now these in themselves are muhkam.
A judgement will be given, and it will have a Paradise which will have gardens
and streams of milk and honey will flow.
These are the things about which only a vague conception can be formed,
nothing more than that. Now it has further commented on it.
'Fa'ammal lazeena fii quloobihim zaiyghun fa yattabi'oona ma tashaabaha minh'.
Then those whose hearts are warped go after the mutashaabih among them.
So their interest is not in those realities which Quran brings to attention.
The interest of those people is, say, in that Thuhar tree in Hell,
about what would it be like.
And this thing that is being said, that when Judgement Day will come,
Allah will manifest Himself with eight angels who will be carrying His throne.
So why only eight? Why not nine?
You will say, who would ask such a foolish question?
But there are lengthy debates about this in our tradition.
People have filled books with these.
When a person uses his mind focusing on the wrong thing,
that is what the Quran has commented upon.
Then those whose hearts are warped go after the mutashaabih among them.
And the Quran has given two reasons for that.
One is to create dissension, so when one has the wrong intentions.
A person wants to deviate from the true teachings of the book.
He wants to make it a target of ridicule.
He prefers to go towards those aspects from where some discord may be created.
Hence we see that we too read the Quran,
and oftentimes it happens that others are reading too,
but the entire Quranic teaching will be sidelined
and they would suddenly stop at a place where they pick this kind of an issue.
So this is one reason. The second reason is to know their reality.
So the second reason is that human beings have a natural curiosity in them.
The Quran has given an example for this too,
that when people asked about Allah's revelation to His Prophet.
And he was Allah's Messenger. This is among the muhkam things.
One can present evidence for this based on knowledge and reasoning.
The question people asked was, what exactly is this revelation?
Naturally this matter belongs to the unseen world of Allah.
What is revelation?
How is that message communicated and transferred to the Prophet?
Now we understand a lot more, many more things about the Cosmos Allah has created
has been discovered and come into our knowledge.
But this question was raised at the time. 'Yasalunaka 'anir Ruh'.
They ask, what is revelation? The reply was 'Quli l ruhu min amri rabbi.'
That this is a command of your Lord, it is issued by Him.
And after that it reaches the Prophet.
And about that, the Quran has made a beautiful comment.
After stating this and answering the question, the Quran comments further,
'wa ma ooteetum minal 'ilmi illa qaleela'.
Humankind has been given only a little knowledge of it.
It is not as if you have been given the ability to understand every thing.
This is what some enlightened people call 'laa adri nisful ilm'.
Half the wisdom is knowing that you do not know.
This is not an ordinary statement.
It means you know the limits of your knowledge.
You have come to know that I do not know this.
That this is beyond my intellectual capability.
I had briefly referred to it, and this is not the place to get into this debate,
that in our tradition, all the debates about philosophy and theology,
whether it is about free will and determinism,
and many other ones such as the attributes of God,
.... and attributes and their connection with each other,
if put before you, you will wonder what kind of things people wasted their time on
When all those debates are made clear, some complex questions really do emerge.
For example, how do God's omnipotence and omniscience both work at the same time?
Because if you believe in one, then apparently you have to negate the other.
And if you believe the latter attribute, you have to negate the first one.
So this is a complicated matter, isn't it?
Where is the fallacy in this?
The mistake is that from our perspective, if you try to understand this issue,
then we are able to understand both free will and determinism.
But if you try and imagine it from Allah's perspective, about how He works,
then this is something about which Allah will again say
'wa ma ooteetum minal 'ilmi illa qaleela'.
That is, it is very easy for human beings to question things,
they can raise questions about every thing.
But then they must know what their limits are.
And you can see that the journey in human knowledge from philosophy to science,
the fundamental step in it is precisely this.
This was the concern of philosophy for two thousand years,
the question, 'why does anything exist?'
And it could not come up with any answer for this
Ibaaraatuna shaqqa
Whichever way a person turned, he found that the matter just became more complex.
Resolving one problem only created another, and on it went.
After that, there came a great revolution in the world.
And the most intelligent people of the world said that the things we cannot know,
why should we waste our time pursuing them?
We are putting aside the metaphysical concern of 'why',
and we are starting with the question of 'how'.
If you read the classical books of science,
this will be the first sentence you see therein.
Science began its journey when philosophy was concerned with the 'why' of being,
and we realized that that cannot be answered and put it aside,
and now we are looking at the question of 'how' based on observation.
So when you delve into it, what exactly is this first statement saying?
This is an acknowledgement of one's limits.
And along with an admission of humility, it is also a great knowledge discovery.
For now we came to know this is not something that falls within human domain.
And soon as we left it aside, then Allah gave us knowledge of numerous things
that were within our intellectual capabilities.
So this is a turning point in the history of human civilization, which began here.
And this same thing is the cause of error in our understanding here,
for what people do is 'ibtegha alfitnati waibtighaa taweelihi.'
Either their intention is not right, or it is a natural curiosity,
to find out at any cost what the streams of Paradise will look like.
They start pursuing it. 'Wama ya'lamu taweelahu illa Allah'.
Then it says, what is the situation here?
The fact of the matter is that the knowledge of these things
has not been given by Allah even to any Messenger.
Only Allah has the knowledge of these things.
Now after that, the next comment is, 'Warraasikhoona fil 'ilm'.
So those people ... naturally people wanted to know the reality
mistakenly believing that it will increase my knowledge.
The Quran said that no, here knowing and accepting that you cannot know,
this is the purest form of knowledge.
Those people, 'Warraasikhoona fil 'ilm'.
Those people who are sincere in their knowledge, whose intellect is not shallow,
who are aware of the truth of knowledge, who are conscious of their own limitations
and are aware of their intellectual constraints,
what do they say? When they read this verse, 'yaqooloona',
they say, 'aamannaa bihee'. That we believe in these things.
So this is actually a details of the fundamental truths.
It is one of its branches. And this is not our concern.
This has been clear through rational and logical arguments
that the Judgment Day must happen. These are just its details.
Therefore we believe in them. 'Kullum min 'indi Rabbina.'
It is all from our Lord. 'Wa ma yazzakkaru illaa ulul albaab.'
And it says that none will be mindful of this except those Allah has given reason.
So if you see these two words, intellect and knowledge,
and how the Quran has made them a subject of concern and told us that
if a person possesses intellect and reason, then what should be his attitude
about these things. And if he is constant in his pursuit of knowledge,
then what should his disposition be?
So this is what has been conveyed in this verse.
Hence, if you see this you will know, that in the world of religion,
whatever issues and discords have arisen, have come up because of these two reasons.
Which the Quran has mentioned. Either the urge to spread discord,
or to seek the reality behind such things.
It is the most comprehensive commentary on the entire religious life and knowledge
which the Quran has done here.
When religion is on its absolute correct path, what does it do then?
It lays its foundations on categorical and clear principles and rules.
What an eloquent response Imam Malik had given
when he was asked that Allah says in the Quran that He created the Earth and skies,
and after that He ascended His Throne over the skies. He stood firm on it.
So Imam Malik was asked, what does it mean? How did Allah ascend His Throne?
This does create a lot of questions right? Does Allah have a material body?
Does He have a throne over which He sits?
So Imam Malik replied, and it is a very historic statement of his,
'al istawa maloom wal kayf majhool Wal suwaal 'anhu bid'ah.'
The ascending of Allah upon His Throne is known.
The Quran has told me this. What is the nature and state of this? I do not know.
I am not aware. And to become too inquisitive about it and to ask its nature
is akin to an blameworthy innovation in the religion.
So this is the response of one of our early righteous scholars.
But there was no adherence of it.
In our tradition, an entire sect of scholastic philosophers which came up,
if you ever look at Imam Razi's exegesis,
because we study it anyway whenever we have to establish an opinion about a verse
so it seems that it is an entirely different world in which one ventures.
It has these argumentations, these debates.
And in the end there is his confession which he made on his deathbed,
that in this matter, I read that God is ascended upon his Throne.
This is his last sentence before he died right? Which has been recorded.
And I also humbly accepted that there is nothing equivalent to God.
'Laysaka misal'yi shay'.
And O people, testify to this that this is my last confession before my death.
So what is this acknowledgement about? It recognizes that
these are the things which are not concerned with me.
To establish something like what would be the stature or build
of the virgins of Paradise, what would they be made of?
This is not my concern. My concern is that Allah is telling me that
there would be a Judgement Day, and all the blessings you can possibly imagine,
they would be given to you.
So understanding the meaning of a verse is one thing,
and to pursue their real manifestation, that is an entirely separate thing.
Is our time up?
[Student] We have ten minutes. [Ghamidi] Ok ten more minutes.
So we have come to the end of this debate.
And the verse of the Quran given here, I have translated that too,
and I have told you how Allah is bringing our attention to extraordinary things.
He is telling us what attitude we must adopt as we approach the Quran.
Yes? [Shehzad Saleem] My question is that
you said that the word 'taweel' in this verse was taken in its later meaning
which became dominant among the exegetes.
And its real meaning was sidelined. So can we say with certainty that
the four epochs for instance which Khateeb (al-Baghdadi) has listed out,
wherein he says that evidence will be taken from the Arabic poetry.
Has there ever been any change in the latter dominant meaning
after the pre-islamic period? Or through that entire epoch?
[Ghamidi] In the literature of the second and third centuries of Islam,
it began to be used in the sense of 'meaning' and 'commentary'.
And that too with some emphasis. And then its usage increased as well.
In the literature of the second and third centuries,
its usage in its actual meaning started decreasing.
And the latter meaning gained prominence.
[Saleem] The second question was that the literal meaning of 'tashabah',
that is, to be similar to each other, for instance it is used in the Quran,
'Kitaabam mutashabiham masaani'. So does it imply the same meaning?
[Ghamidi] I have written a note here. [Student] Like you have written here,
is it not used in its original meaning? The other meaning, 'ambiguity',
is its necessary meaning. [Ghamidi] It is as per the consequence.
[Student] Yes by virtue of the conclusion it leads to.
This meaning of similarity, the meaning of 'tashabah',
is it also its original meaning? Or is this too a later one?
[Ghamidi] This is the original meaning. To be similar is the actual meaning of it.
[Student] This meaning of being of the same nature.
[Ghamidi] Yes, to be of the same nature or to be similar. It is the same thing.
Being of the same nature is what it means.
Having the same nature or being of the same kind.
Like 'kund ham jins baa ham jins parvaaz' (the birds of a feather flock together).
So to be a similar nature or of the same kind,
all of us human beings are of the same species.
But we still differ from each other.
In our human traits, we are all similar to each other.
This is what it means.
Hence I have written here that the words muhkam and mutashaabih
are used in this verse to refer to those specific technical meanings
which we have already explained above. So what the Quran has done is,
it has taken the words from their actual meanings
and elevated them further.
And it has then used them in their unique shades.
So in this way the words became specific terminologies,
such as the mutashabihaat verses, and muhkam verses.
And at certain places in the Quran, these words have been used
in a different meaning too. The word muhkam has been used
to connote concise and comprehensive verses,
and the word mutashaabih means verses which are similar to
and in harmony with one another.
And since you have raised this question and we have a few minutes left
and we will begin with the next topic in the next session.
Let me also tell you here that the issues faced in understanding the Quran,
like I just mentioned to you, that what happens at times is that
a word is used in its real and literal meaning.
When that word is used with that meaning, it is altered into another meaning.
I had explained this word. I had told you how this word 'tashaboh' was used.
Then, after that, there is an consequence in meaning by virtue of its particular use
and after some time, that word begins to be used as per that new meaning.
So this is how the word goes through these different stages.
If a person is not entirely familiar with that,
then at times he is mistaken in understanding a verse.
Another difficulty with the Quran, like I had referred to it,
that the latter meaning of the word is the one that
becomes dominant in our minds.
That is, the meaning which that word has now donned,
and is now used much more prominently.
So I had given an example of this, that both the kinds of things happen here.
One is that that word is now used by us as a specific terminology.
An example of this is the word 'jihaad'.
Nowhere in the Quran is it used purely in the meaning of 'fighting'.
Not at all. 'fighting' has been called 'jihaad', yes,
but 'jihaad' has not been used to mean 'fighting'.
There is a significant difference between these two things.
For instance, you have gone into the battleground for war.
So the word in Arabic for war is 'qitaal'.
That is the word which will be used for it.
But if you have to convey the spirit of warfare,
if you have to use a word by virtue of its purpose,
then you will say that this person is striving exceptionally hard
to achieve his objective. And that can be done in the arena of the battle too.
So earlier you mentioned a war, and then the people who strive in such a way,
then here the word 'jihaad' has been used for 'fighting (in war)',
but not to mean 'warfare' in itself! This is what happens.
For instance, we had covered this debate in the beginning,
that the word 'kitaab' is used for example,
the word 'kitaab' has multiple meanings.
When we go back to ancient classical Arabic, we know it immediately.
After having gone through this intellectual journey, we know
whether it is being used to mean letters, or law.
And it is was so widely used to mean law,
but now what has happened? The word 'kitaab' has come into our Urdu as well,
and it is there in the Persian vocabulary too.
After its entire journey, today when one reads the word 'kitaab' in the Quran,
he just thinks it means a book.
So the meaning that came in the later era, has become dominant over the word for me.
This is how it happens. Similarly, another difficulty with Quran is,
and this is a whole separate chapter on these difficulties with the Quran.
The issues with the language which are there.
Another thing is that for us, a word has become a terminology.
But in the time of the Quran, it was being used the same way
as the Quran picked it and made it into a specific term.
Look at the word 'Salaat' for instance.
The word salaat is used in the Quran to refer to the prayers we offer.
But it has become a terminology now.
It has a specific referent. But it has been used to mean civility by the Quran,
it has used it is that sense with complete ease.
It has also been used for mercy, blessing, and kindness.
That is because that word does have these meanings. And it is used as such.
Now if someone for instance is unaware of this,
then he would translate it as 'prayer' everywhere he comes across it.
When he will read the verse of the Quran that says,
those people who when faced with tribulations say
'Inna Lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un Ula'ika 'alaihim salawaatun
mir Rabbihim wa rahma.' Allah prays Salaat for them!
The word used here is that very same one.
Similarly the word 'rasool' is there, or 'nabi'.
Some words have become terminologies, but they are common words in Arabic.
You see in contemporary Arabic, the case of Nehru
when he proposed the Panchsheel Agreement (Principles of Peaceful coexistence),
and he came up as a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement.
So when he went to Egypt he said, 'Ya Rasool Assalam'.
An Ambassador of Peace has come.
Arabic language will have no qualms in this.
But when you use this same word in Urdu,
we are actually aware of the word only as a specific term.
In our language, it is not used prominently in its general meaning.
It is not used to mean a messenger or an ambassador.
Arabs will without hesitance call the ambassador of Pakistan as
Rasool ul Pakistan. For it just means the Ambassador of Pakistan.
And in Urdu, if we were to use this to say that these days
the Minister of External Affairs, Abdul Sattar,
is appointing Rasools for various places.
So this is a difficulty with the Quranic language.
You have to rise above the meaning of words as specific terminologies,
and then you approach the text.
It is not like a lot of difficulty is faced,
for the context makes it clear in what sense the word has been used.
So these are some of the difficulties and they will always be there.
Along with these issues, like I had pointed out,
are the difficulties of the linguistic styles.
So for instance a style of expression has become obsolete.
We do not use that way of expression which is used in the Quran.
So you can recall those initial discussions about classical Arabic,
in which I had told you about the issues of Quranic linguistic styles,
what are the things which must be kept in consideration.
So we have come to the end of the debate about muhkam and mutashaabih.
After this, InshaAllah in the next session, we shall discuss about
the mutual relationship between the Hadith and the Quran.
That will be under discussion next. So how much time is there?