سُوْرَةُ اٰلِ عِمْرٰنَ
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (3) — Ayah 7
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِنْهُ ءَايَـٰتٌ مُّحْكَمَـٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَـٰبِهَـٰتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَـٰبَهَ مِنْهُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ ٱلْفِتْنَةِ وَٱبْتِغَآءَ تَأْوِيلِهِۦ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿7﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) the Book (this Qur’ân). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkâm (commandments), Al-Fara’id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allâh. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord." And none receive admonition except men of understanding. (Tafsir At-Tabarî).
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
هُوَ
huwa
He
ٱلَّذِىٓ
alladhī
(is) the One Who
أَنزَلَ
anzala
revealed
عَلَيْكَ
ʿalayka
to you
ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ
l-kitāba
the Book
مِنْهُ
min'hu
of it
ءَايَـٰتٌۭ
āyātun
(are) Verses
مُّحْكَمَـٰتٌ
muḥ'kamātun
absolutely clear
هُنَّ
hunna
they (are)
أُمُّ
ummu
the foundation
ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ
l-kitābi
(of) the Book
وَأُخَرُ
wa-ukharu
and others
مُتَشَـٰبِهَـٰتٌۭ ۖ
mutashābihātun
(are) allegorical
فَأَمَّا
fa-ammā
Then as for
ٱلَّذِينَ
alladhīna
those
فِى
fī
in
قُلُوبِهِمْ
qulūbihim
their hearts
زَيْغٌۭ
zayghun
(is) perversity
فَيَتَّبِعُونَ
fayattabiʿūna
[so] they follow
مَا
mā
what
تَشَـٰبَهَ
tashābaha
(is) allegorical
مِنْهُ
min'hu
of it
ٱبْتِغَآءَ
ib'tighāa
seeking
ٱلْفِتْنَةِ
l-fit'nati
[the] discord
وَٱبْتِغَآءَ
wa-ib'tighāa
and seeking
تَأْوِيلِهِۦ ۗ
tawīlihi
its interpretation
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَعْلَمُ
yaʿlamu
knows
تَأْوِيلَهُۥٓ
tawīlahu
its interpretation
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱللَّهُ ۗ
l-lahu
Allah
وَٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ
wal-rāsikhūna
And those firm
فِى
fī
in
ٱلْعِلْمِ
l-ʿil'mi
[the] knowledge
يَقُولُونَ
yaqūlūna
they say
ءَامَنَّا
āmannā
We believe
بِهِۦ
bihi
in it
كُلٌّۭ
kullun
All
مِّنْ
min
(is)
عِندِ
ʿindi
from
رَبِّنَا ۗ
rabbinā
our Lord
وَمَا
wamā
And not
يَذَّكَّرُ
yadhakkaru
will take heed
إِلَّآ
illā
except
أُو۟لُوا۟
ulū
men
ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ
l-albābi
(of) understanding
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
7. 1. Muhkamat refers to those verses in which there are commands and prohibitions, rulings and issues, and stories and narratives whose meaning is clear and definite, and no one faces any difficulty in understanding them. In contrast, there are the Mutashabihat verses, for example, the essence of Allah, the matters of predestination, Paradise and Hell, angels, etc.—that is, realities beyond intellect whose true nature the human mind is incapable of understanding, or in which there is room for interpretation, or at least such ambiguity that it is possible to mislead the common people. That is why it is said further that those in whose hearts is deviation, they pursue the Mutashabihat verses and cause discord through them, like the Christians. The Quran called Isa (Jesus) (AS) the servant of Allah and a prophet—this is a clear and definite matter—but the Christians, leaving this, use what the Quran called Isa (Jesus) (AS) "Ruhullah" and "Kalimatullah" to wrongly argue for their misguided beliefs. The same is the case with the people of innovation: contrary to the clear beliefs of the Quran, the false beliefs that the people of innovation have fabricated are based on these Mutashabihat. And sometimes, they even make the Muhkamat into Mutashabihat through their philosophical arguments and sophistry. May Allah protect us from this. In contrast, a Muslim with correct belief acts upon the Muhkamat and, if there is any confusion in the meaning of the Mutashabihat, tries to understand it in the light of the Muhkamat, because the Quran has declared these as the foundation of the Book. By this, he remains safe from discord and from the misguidance of beliefs. May Allah make us among them.
7. 2. One meaning of "ta'wil" is the true reality of something; in this sense, it is necessary to pause at الْا اللّٰہُ. Because only Allah knows the true reality of everything clearly. The second meaning of "ta'wil" is the interpretation, explanation, and clarification of something; in this sense, instead of pausing at الْا اللّٰہ, one can also pause at (وَالرّٰسِخُوْنَ فِي الْعِلْمِ) 3. Aal Imran:7), because those firmly grounded in knowledge also possess knowledge of the correct interpretation. Both these meanings of "ta'wil" are established from the usage in the Noble Quran (summarized from Ibn Kathir).
7. 2. One meaning of "ta'wil" is the true reality of something; in this sense, it is necessary to pause at الْا اللّٰہُ. Because only Allah knows the true reality of everything clearly. The second meaning of "ta'wil" is the interpretation, explanation, and clarification of something; in this sense, instead of pausing at الْا اللّٰہ, one can also pause at (وَالرّٰسِخُوْنَ فِي الْعِلْمِ) 3. Aal Imran:7), because those firmly grounded in knowledge also possess knowledge of the correct interpretation. Both these meanings of "ta'wil" are established from the usage in the Noble Quran (summarized from Ibn Kathir).
