The Obligation to Refer to the Clear Verses of the Qur'an in Meaning

The questioner : The imam of the mosque. What? That the Qur'an is partly clear (muhkam) and partly ambiguous (mutashabih), especially in meaning only. What is the evidence for this specification?

The Shaykh : The evidence is the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Indeed, the Mother of the Book is with Us." This means that the clear (muhkam) is that to which one must refer in meaning. This is clear, and we cannot say anything other than this, because if you said that some of it is clear and some is ambiguous, that would mean, for example, that some of it contradicts some, while the rest does not contradict. This is not permissible. So know that the entire Qur'an is clear (muhkam). Now, with us.

The questioner : No, no, no.

The Shaykh : In the sense of being of the utmost eloquence, clarity, and expression, and free from contradiction and falsehood. Every ambiguous (mutashabih) verse resembles the others; there is no contradiction in meaning. Some is clear (muhkam), meaning its meaning is clear, and some is ambiguous (mutashabih).