What is the Muhkam and the Mutashabih in the Qur'an
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Question : What is the Muhkam and the Mutashabih in the Noble Qur'an? I ask the Honorable Shaykh for a rewardable answer.
Answer :[Al-Fatihah 1:2] And I pray and send peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. The clear (muhkam) and the ambiguous (mutashabih) verses are mentioned by Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, paired together in Surat al-Imran. He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said: [Ali 'Imran 3:7] in [Ali 'Imran 3:7]. [Ali 'Imran 3:7] So the clear (muhkam) in this verse is the obvious and distinct, containing no ambiguity or shared meaning; rather, it is clear and distinct, understood by every person. For example, His saying, the Exalted: [Ar-Ra'd 13:17]. This water is known, and it is the rain; the sky is known, and it is the height; and the valleys are known, and their flowing is according to their size, meaning the large one has much water and the small one has little water. This is a known matter that every person knows. This is the clear (muhkam). There are verses that are ambiguous (mutashabih), meaning their meaning is hidden and not understood by many people. Then the deviants, who have deviation in their extremism, take this ambiguous (mutashabih) material and strike some of it against some, saying, "This Qur'an is contradictory; this Qur'an denies some of itself," and they make people doubt it in order to mislead them. An example of this is the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, regarding the criminals: [Al-An'am 6:27]. And He, the Exalted, said: [Al-An'am 6:23] Here they spoke and denied being polytheists. In another verse, He, Mighty and Majestic, says: [An-Nisa 4:42]. This verse indicates that they do not conceal from Allah any speech. Then some people come and say, "This Qur'an is contradictory," because there is deviation in their hearts.
As for those firmly grounded in knowledge, they say there is no contradiction in the Book of Allah. And there is no conflict between the two verses that cannot be reconciled.
And that is because the Day of Resurrection is a long day, its measure being fifty thousand years. So at one time they say:[Al-An'am 6:23], concealing from Allah. And at another time, they do not conceal from Allah any speech.
And thus, there is no conflict between the two verses. So the Muhkam is that whose meaning is clear, understood by everyone and not hidden from people. As for the Mutashabih, it is that which is hidden from many people and known by those firmly grounded in knowledge. May Allah bless you.
Answer :
[All] praise is [due] to Allah, Lord of the worlds -
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَIt is He who has sent down to you
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَthe Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation
الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِAnd no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah. But 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.
وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِHe sends down from the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to their capacity
أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَسَالَتْ أَوْدِيَةٌ بِقَدَرِهَاIf you could but see when they are made to stand before the Fire and will say, "Oh, would that we could be returned [to life on earth] and not deny the signs of our Lord and be among the believers."
وَلَوْ تَرَىٰ إِذْ وُقِفُوا عَلَى النَّارِ فَقَالُوا يَا لَيْتَنَا نُرَدُّ وَلَا نُكَذِّبَ بِآيَاتِ رَبِّنَا وَنَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَThen there will be no [excuse upon] examination except they will say, "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
ثُمَّ لَمْ تَكُن فِتْنَتُهُمْ إِلَّا أَن قَالُوا وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَThat Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish they could be covered by the earth. And they will not conceal from Allah a [single] statement.
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوَدُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَعَصَوُا الرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّىٰ بِهِمُ الْأَرْضُ وَلَا يَكْتُمُونَ اللَّهَ حَدِيثًاAs for those firmly grounded in knowledge, they say there is no contradiction in the Book of Allah. And there is no conflict between the two verses that cannot be reconciled.
And that is because the Day of Resurrection is a long day, its measure being fifty thousand years. So at one time they say:
"By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
وَاللَّهِ رَبِّنَا مَا كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَAnd thus, there is no conflict between the two verses. So the Muhkam is that whose meaning is clear, understood by everyone and not hidden from people. As for the Mutashabih, it is that which is hidden from many people and known by those firmly grounded in knowledge. May Allah bless you.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 99- ما هو المحكم والمتشابه في القرآن /سؤال على الهاتف /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.