Metaphor in the Qur'an and the Meaning of the Village
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
What is your opinion regarding those who claim there is metaphor in obedience in verses other than those concerning the Names and Attributes? Based on His saying, the Exalted: "And He found therein a wall that was about to collapse, so he repaired it," and His saying, the Exalted: "And means of approach are near."
The Shaykh:
The correct view is that there is no absolute metaphor in the Qur'an, and that it is all literal truth. It is not that "He found therein a wall that was about to collapse" is metaphorical. The will of every thing is according to its nature. The wall has a will according to its nature, the human has a will according to his nature, and the animal has a will according to its nature. So the will of every thing is according to its nature. This is not a matter of metaphor. Does that mean will is specific to humans only? Who said that? We do not think anyone did. Every thing has a will, but the will of every thing is according to its nature. Yes.
The questioner:
Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh:
The "village" refers to the people, because the root of the word is gathering. Originally, "village" is used for people who are gathered together. It is also used for buildings and streets. It is used for people who are gathered together. So it is naming the place by the state of the people in it. The original meaning of the word "village" is for men and people. Similarly, the original meaning of "festival" (Eid) is the people of the caravan. They are called the caravan, not the beasts. Sometimes they do not understand the language. Most of them are non-Arabs who do not understand the language. Most of those who deal in metaphor are non-Arabs who do not know the language. Yes.
What is your opinion regarding those who claim there is metaphor in obedience in verses other than those concerning the Names and Attributes? Based on His saying, the Exalted: "And He found therein a wall that was about to collapse, so he repaired it," and His saying, the Exalted: "And means of approach are near."
The Shaykh:
The correct view is that there is no absolute metaphor in the Qur'an, and that it is all literal truth. It is not that "He found therein a wall that was about to collapse" is metaphorical. The will of every thing is according to its nature. The wall has a will according to its nature, the human has a will according to his nature, and the animal has a will according to its nature. So the will of every thing is according to its nature. This is not a matter of metaphor. Does that mean will is specific to humans only? Who said that? We do not think anyone did. Every thing has a will, but the will of every thing is according to its nature. Yes.
The questioner:
Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh:
The "village" refers to the people, because the root of the word is gathering. Originally, "village" is used for people who are gathered together. It is also used for buildings and streets. It is used for people who are gathered together. So it is naming the place by the state of the people in it. The original meaning of the word "village" is for men and people. Similarly, the original meaning of "festival" (Eid) is the people of the caravan. They are called the caravan, not the beasts. Sometimes they do not understand the language. Most of them are non-Arabs who do not understand the language. Most of those who deal in metaphor are non-Arabs who do not know the language. Yes.
Source
شرح الكافية الشافية في الانتصار للفرقة الناجية [ القصيدة النونية ] [ صالح الفوزان ]، بداية من قوله : وإذا ظننت تعارضا فيها فذا من آفة الأفهام والأذهان — islamhouse.com (32:08)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.