Allah the Exalted said: << و تلك الأمثال نضربها للناس وما يعقلهآ إلا العالمون >

in the Qur'an We make them that is, We make them understood by those who reflect "

Those parables

تلك الأمثال

It used

Those

تلك

that which indicates distance rather than proximity? It indicates distance because it did not say: "And that parable," so that we might say that it turned the speech away from its apparent meaning or from what its context implies, because the parable being struck now is near, not far? It is near, but it said: "Those parables," and the other parables, other than the parable of those who take idols, are far in relation to this location? Yes, because they are scattered throughout the Qur'an. Therefore, the verse came with

Those parables

تلك الأمثال

and did not say "this parable," so it is comprehensive of all the parables mentioned in the Qur'an. The parables mentioned in the Qur'an are numerous and varied, and some of the scholars have written independent books on them. Al-Suyuti devoted an independent chapter to them in *Al-Itqan* and explained the benefits of the parables for which the parable is struck. The tangible, very close benefit is making the rational concept accessible to the minds, for the parable is striking a rational thing, whose conception may be distant for a person, with a tangible thing whose conception is easy. He said:

And these examples We present to the people

تلك الأمثال نضربُها للناس

[Al-'Ankabut 29:43]

If I say: "He struck that as a parable," the meaning is "He made"

He presents to you an example from yourselves

ضرب لكم مثلا من أنفسكم

[Ar-Rum 30:28]

that is, He made for you. So "striking" comes to mean "making" when added to "parable." Whenever you find

Allah strikes a parable

ضرب الله مثلا

and the like, know that the intended meaning of "striking" here is "making." So the root

struck

ضرَب

is not specific to striking with the hand; it includes striking in the sense of making, and includes striking in the sense of converting currency from one coin to another, and so on, according to the context that clarifies it. And His saying:

We strike them for people

نضربها للناس

that is, We make them parables for people in general. So Allah the Exalted struck the parable for all people in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an. Yes? But who understands them and benefits from them? The scholars.

but none will understand them except those of knowledge.

وما يعقلُها إلا العالمون

[Al-'Ankabut 29:43]

Now, "the scholars" means those possessing knowledge and understanding who benefit from their understanding and knowledge. Therefore, the author said: "those who reflect." And there is a consideration regarding this interpretation, for knowledge comes after reflection. But since knowledge is not attained except through it, the author interpreted it with it. In reality, what is intended by "the scholars" are those possessing knowledge and understanding who comprehend things and understand them, as a precaution against the people of ignorance who turn away, who do not benefit from what Allah the Exalted has given them of understanding, for they do not comprehend these parables. And if they do not comprehend them, do they benefit from them or not? They do not benefit from them. Now, is it possible to enumerate the parables present in the Qur'an? It is not possible in this location. So do we take it as a research topic or not?
The student: ... the book ... Ibn al-Qayyim enumerated ...

The Shaykh : I do not want you to quote from the book. First, this is between you and Allah. You yourselves reflect on the Qur'an. All of us are in Ramadan, praise be to Allah, we read the Qur'an. Whenever a parable passes by a person, he notes it down. Then, after noting these parables, he sees if he should return to the written books to see if anything is missing or not. Or, it is known that I do not wish that you taught the brothers, but if a person can go to any book written on this and quote from it, then...
The student: ....

The Shaykh : No, I see that a person should first start with himself, beginning in the Qur'an, noting the parables, and then returning to the book. There is no harm in that. Allah the Exalted said: So He generalized in striking the parable and specified in understanding the parable. Where is the generalization in striking the parable?
The student:

The Shaykh : and the specification is And this is a common style in the Qur'an: generalization followed by specification. [Yunus: 25] So He generalized in the call and specified in guidance.