Giving another example of the ambiguous in the Qur'an with reconciliation.
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The Shaykh : All right, and another said: [An-Nisa 4:42], and in another verse: [Al-An'am 6:23], so did they conceal it or did they not? [Al-An'am 6:23]. They did not acknowledge their shirk (associating partners with Allah), did they conceal it or did they not?
The student: They concealed it.
The Shaykh : And in the first verse?[An-Nisa 4:42].
A person reads these two verses and says: How did He say:[An-Nisa 4:42], and that they: [Al-An'am 6:23], so it occurs to the person that there is a contradiction in that.
We say: This is from the ambiguous, this is from the mutashabih (ambiguous verses) whose meaning is not clear, but who knows it? Those firmly grounded in knowledge know that there is no contradiction or conflict. How do we reconcile these two verses? The brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, how do we reconcile them?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, between the two verses we mentioned, what are the two verses?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, perhaps he has been asleep for a while, do you know the two verses? Yes.
The student:[An-Nisa 4:42], the first verse is in Surat al-Nisa, the saying of Allah the Exalted: [An-Nisa 4:42].
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And the second verse is in Surat al-An'am, the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-An'am 6:23].
The Shaykh : How is the illusion of contradiction in this?
The student: First, in the first verse, Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:42] and they are now polytheists [Al-An'am 6:23].
The Shaykh : They concealed the shirk, all right, well done.
How do we reconcile these two verses?
We reconcile them by saying that the Day of Resurrection is not a short time, but its duration is fifty thousand years. So in one state they say:[Al-An'am 6:23], and in another state [An-Nisa 4:42], and if they wanted to conceal it, they would not be able to [Ya-Sin 36:65]. Even if they concealed it with their mouths, Allah would seal them and their limbs would testify.
So we say in the reconciliation: The Day of Resurrection is a long day in which conditions differ and statements also differ based on the difference in conditions.
So in this reconciliation, does the Qur'an become muhkam (clear) or not muhkam? The entire Qur'an becomes muhkam, because when we interpret the mutashabih (ambiguous) with the muhkam (clear), the whole becomes muhkam.
And the examples of this are many, we do not lengthen with them.
That 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.
يومئذ يود الذين كفروا وعصوا الرسول لو تسوى بهم الأرض ولا يكتمون الله حديثاThen there will be no [excuse upon] examination except they will say, "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
ثم لم تكن فتنتهم إلا أن قالوا والله ربنا ما كنا مشركينthey will say, "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
قالوا والله ربنا ما كنا مشركينThe student: They concealed it.
The Shaykh : And in the first verse?
And they will not conceal from Allah a [single] statement.
ولا يكتمون الله حديثاA person reads these two verses and says: How did He say:
And they will not conceal from Allah a [single] statement.
ولا يكتمون الله حديثاthey will say, "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
قالوا والله ربنا ما كنا مشركينWe say: This is from the ambiguous, this is from the mutashabih (ambiguous verses) whose meaning is not clear, but who knows it? Those firmly grounded in knowledge know that there is no contradiction or conflict. How do we reconcile these two verses? The brother?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, how do we reconcile them?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, between the two verses we mentioned, what are the two verses?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, perhaps he has been asleep for a while, do you know the two verses? Yes.
The student:
That 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.
يومئذ يود الذين كفروا وعصوا الرسول لو تسوى بهم الأرض ولا يكتمون الله حديثاThat 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.
يومئذ يود الذين كفروا وعصوا الرسول لو تسوى بهم الأرض ولا يكتمون الله حديثاThe Shaykh : Yes.
The student: And the second verse is in Surat al-An'am, the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Then there will be no [excuse upon] examination except they will say, "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
ثم لم تكن فتنتهم إلا أن قالوا والله ربنا ما كنا مشركينThe Shaykh : How is the illusion of contradiction in this?
The student: First, in the first verse, Allah the Exalted said:
And they will not conceal from Allah a [single] statement.
ولا يكتمون الله حديثاthey will say, "By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
وقالوا والله ربنا ما كنا مشركينThe Shaykh : They concealed the shirk, all right, well done.
How do we reconcile these two verses?
We reconcile them by saying that the Day of Resurrection is not a short time, but its duration is fifty thousand years. So in one state they say:
"By Allah, our Lord, we were not those who associated."
والله ربنا ماكنا مشركينAnd they will not conceal from Allah a [single] statement.
لا يكتمون الله حديثاThat Day, We will seal over their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us, and their feet will testify about what they used to earn.
اليوم نختم على أفواههم وتكلمنا أيديهم وتشهد أرجلهم بما كانوا يكسبونSo we say in the reconciliation: The Day of Resurrection is a long day in which conditions differ and statements also differ based on the difference in conditions.
So in this reconciliation, does the Qur'an become muhkam (clear) or not muhkam? The entire Qur'an becomes muhkam, because when we interpret the mutashabih (ambiguous) with the muhkam (clear), the whole becomes muhkam.
And the examples of this are many, we do not lengthen with them.