What is your opinion regarding those who strain to establish connections between the verses and chapters of the Qur'an?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. Some scholars have authored books of tafsir (exegesis) dealing with what is called the connection between verses and chapters, and they have written works dedicated solely to this. Some of them have strained in this connection, even though, as we know, the verses were revealed at different times and in response to different events. They may be far apart in time, and this connection may involve straining and distant linking. So, what is the ruling on this?

The Shaykh : The ruling on this is that the matter is as you said. You will find that those who spoke about this strain to find a suitability between a verse and the one following it, and this is undoubtedly a form of straining. We say that the arrangement of the verses was by the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), so it is a matter of divine legislation. Do we know the meaning and wisdom of everything that the Shari'ah has brought? No. Look at His saying: How did it come between the verses regarding the waiting periods? Most people do not understand its meaning. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is Wise. A verse may be so distant in suitability from the one before it that a person should be cautious. What we see is that a person should say regarding the arrangement of the words of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), "We hear and we obey," and not strain to mention the connections. However, there are clear cases, for example, when Allah (Mighty and Majestic) mentioned the story of the three who were left behind and He was truthful to them, He said afterwards: Some verses have clear connections, while others involve straining, and one should refrain from the latter.