If we concede the use of metaphor in His saying: {And ask the town} and His saying: {The hand of Allah is over their hands}, would we still need it? The mind understands the meaning without it.

The questioner : If we concede to them the use of metaphor, what prevents us from saying that in the Qur'an ... for example, in the saying of Allah the Exalted: Is it correct to say that they did not ask the town, meaning its walls, but rather they asked its people? And likewise, in His saying: we say that the intended meaning is the hand of the Messenger ...?

The Shaykh : We discussed this yesterday or the day before yesterday. We said that the word in its context is literal. "Ask the town"—everyone knows that Ya'qub did not intend to go to the walls and ask them. So it is literal in asking the people of the town. We know that the intended meaning is the people of the town. And this is what we mentioned to you so that you may understand the explanation of the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, even regarding , which is more ambiguous than "ask the town." This is also literal in its place. The meaning is humility toward them, because the origin of the wing is for flight, and flight is elevation and rising high. So He says: "This pride by which you rise, lower for them the wing of humility from mercy." That is, the wing of the humble one from mercy. If you take this, it becomes very easy for you to get out of what those who claim that there is metaphor in the Qur'an or in the Arabic language bring up.
"When death has sheathed its claws, *** you will find that every amulet is of no avail"
Does anyone imagine that the intended meaning is that death is a lion? No one knows this. No one believes this. They know the intended meaning, yes.
The student: ... .

The Shaykh : It is, in reality.