GENERAL MISCONCEPTIONS-3:7

Mohkimaat & Mutashabihaat (Quran 3:7)

Surah Aal-e-Imran Ayah #7 (3:07)

QURANIC AYAH 3:07

٧  هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

MOST COMMON TRANSLATIONS

Sahih International: It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise – they are the foundation of the Book – and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah. But those firm in knowledge say, “We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord.” And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.

Yusuf Ali: He it is Who has sent down to thee the Book: In it are verses basic or fundamental (of established meaning); they are the foundation of the Book: others are allegorical. But those in whose hearts is perversity follow the part thereof that is allegorical, seeking discord, and searching for its hidden meanings, but no one knows its hidden meanings except Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in the Book; the whole of it is from our Lord:” and none will grasp the Message except men of understanding.

Shakir: He it is Who has revealed the Book to you; some of its verses are decisive, they are the basis of the Book, and others are allegorical; then as for those in whose hearts there is perversity, they follow the part of it which is allegorical, seeking to mislead and seeking to give it (their own) interpretation. but none knows its interpretation except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge say: We believe in it, it is all from our Lord; and none do mind except those having understanding.

Muhammad Sarwar: It is God who has revealed the Book to you in which some verses are clear statements (which accept no interpretation) and these are the fundamental ideas of the Book, while other verses may have several possibilities. Those whose hearts are perverse, follow the unclear statements in pursuit of their own mischievous goals by interpreting them in a way that will suit their own purpose. No one knows its true interpretations except God and those who have a firm grounding in knowledge say, “We believe in it. All its verses are from our Lord.” No one can grasp this fact except the people of reason.

GENERAL MISCONCEPTIONS- LED BY THESE TRANSLATIONS

The Ayah 3:07 is one of the most mistranslated ayahs of the Quran, wherein the word Mohkimaat has been mistranslated as clear Ayaat and Motashabihat as doubtful or unclear Ayaat. On the basis of this, the scholars advise Muslims not to pursue any Motashabihaa Ayaat, and by explicit instructions by them, not to follow such Ayaat. Since there is no agreement among the scholars as to which exactly the Motashabihaat Ayaat are, it is left to scholars and Muslim’s choices, which ever one they consider as doubtful and hence should not be pursued. These wrong interpretations have not only caused people to ignore any ayah of their whims and wishes, but also any ayah considered Mutashibiha, is not to pursued, or to be understood, let alone be followed and obeyed. These misconceptions and practices are directly in conflict with Quranic commandments which advise us that “Quran has been made farz/obligatory on us, as Muslims”. It’s not just one or few ayahs of the Quran that is compulsory to be understood, obeyed and followed, but each and every ayah of Quran has been made Farz on us as Muslims by Allah. Thus by saying that such and such Ayaah is one of the Mohtashabihat, we are actually going against the Allah’s commandants.

LOGICAL TRANSLATION

 

[Quran 3:7] Allah is the one who has revelated to you the Kitaab, of it are Mohkimaat (مُحْكَمَاتٌ) Ayaat (آيَاتٌ)- they are the Ummu (أُمُّ) of the Kitaab, and others are Motashabihaat (مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ). Then as for those who have Zai’ghu (زَيْغٌ) in their Qalobohum (قُلُوبِهِمْ), they follow what is Tashabiha (تَشَابَهَ) of it, seeking Fitna (الْفِتْنَةِ), and seeking Taawelihi (تَأْوِيلِهِ). And no one know Taweelahu (تَأْوِيلَهُ) except Allah. And those firmly rooted in the knowledge say, “We have Emaan (آمَنَّا) in it; all is from our Rabb.” And none does its Zikaru (يَذَّكَّرُ) except those with understanding.

 

THE ACTUAL CONCEPT BEHIND THIS AYAH

 

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ

IF we logically approach this ayah, the translation would be “Allah is the one who has revelated to you the Kitaab (الْكِتَابَ), of it are Ayaat Mohkimaat (مُحْكَمَاتٌ) – they are the Ummu (أُمُّ) of the Kitaab,..”  As we know the Mohkimaat are those Ayahs that give us laws, regulations, decree, rulings, verdicts of Deen, which has been made Bayyan, clear and obvious in the Quran. These Ayaat are Umm – meaning the foundations, the basics of the Kitaab – the Hidayah.

 

وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ

When Allah says in the next phrase “…and others are Motashabihaat (مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ)….” Allah is not saying that the other Ayaat are doubtful or unclear, as is normally mistranslated. In fact, Allah is saying that other Ayaat are Motashabihaat, it means look-alike, similar, resemble to the Mohkimaat Ayaat. The term Mohtashabihaat Ayaat means the Ayaat that are similar, look-alike. In another ayah in Quran Ayah 39:23 Allah says “Allah has revealed to you the Ahsan (the best) Hadith – a kitaab Motashibhan often repeated (Mathani)…”  It means that the Kitaab, the Quran, has look-alike, similar ayahs, that resemble each other and are often repeated throughout the Quran. In Quran we find many ayahs that look-alike, similar to each other and are often repeated which is what the term Mohtishabihaat refers to.  Therefore, the Ayah 3:07 and 39:23 is not contradictory to each other but supportive of each other in telling us that All the Ayaat of Quran are Mutashabihaat, i.e., similar-look alike, often repeated and similar-look alike to All the Mohkimaat Ayaat.

 

فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ

The next phrase is again mistranslated as saying that those who have Zaighu in their Qaloboob, they follow the Motashabihaat. This is a wrong translated. The correct phrase is “…Then as for those who have Zai’ghu (زَيْغٌ) in their Qalobohum (قُلُوبِهِمْ), they follow what is Tashabiha (تَشَابَهَ) of it.…” Notice the phrase at the beginning of this ayah 3:07 as Alkitaab, Minho الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ – i.e., the Kitab, “of it”. Therefore, here the same phrase is used “Maa Tashabahu Minho i.e., what is similar, look-alike to or resemble it – i.e., the kitaab. Thus, here Allah is not talking about them following the Mutashabihaat Ayaat but following something which is look alike, resemble or similar to ‘the Kitaab’. Here Allah is talking about such people who have Zai’ghu in their Qaloob, that is those who have misled from Allah’s Path, who got diverted and deviated from the Kitaab, they follow books similar to the Kitaab. Therefore, as far as Quran and the Kitaab is concerned, each and every Ayah is Farz/obligatory, Kutub on us, hence there is no possibility that Allah would ask us not to follow any of the ayah of the Kitaab. Here Allah is talking about such people who have lost their way, who got misled from the Hidayah, deviated and started following other books, which they considered look-alike, similar, resemble to the Kitaab, but these books are not the Kitaab- the Quran. If we look around the Muslim world, there are many books considered as similar to the Kitaab and they have been followed, like Quran, the Kitaab.

 

وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ

The next phrase is telling us the intentions of such people who follow the look-alike similar books, “…seeking Fitna (الْفِتْنَةِ), and seeking Taawelihi (تَأْوِيلِهِ). And no one know Taweelahu (تَأْوِيلَهُ) except Allah…” As we know the word Fitna is also used in Quran in the meanings of tempting away from, diverting away from or misleading others from the path of Allah or from Haqq. They seek Fitna through seeking Taweelah. The word Tawelihi does not mean interpretation, as is normally mistranslation. The word means the end results, the final destination, the result of the accountability. Hence, they seek Fitna by tempting people through the fear/temptations of the end/final results. Thus, those who follow the look-alike similar books, their intention is to seek Fitna (misled others from the path of Allah) by seeking Taawelihi, the end/final result (on the day of judgment). This ayah is telling us in clear explicit manner, that no one knows about the final/end result except Allah, since Allah is the only Hikm, the judge in matters of Deen. Therefore, rather than following anything or anyone for the sake of being in a better place on the day of accountability, the best way is to follow what Allah says in the Kitaab by following Allah’s commandments as Allah is the only one who knows the Taweela, the end/final result. Because of this fact we must follow Kitaab only and nothing which may be look-alike or similar to it.

 

وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا

The next phrase “…And those firmly rooted in the knowledge say, “We have Emaan (آمَنَّا) in it” Is telling us very clearly that those who are firm and deeply rooted in the knowledge, they have Emaan in the Kitaab, they are the true Momineen, because of their firm Emaan on the Kitaab only and not on anything else which may look alike to it.

 

 وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

The next phrase and the ayahs are basically continuation of the statement of these people who are firmly rooted in knowledge of Allah and Have Emaan on the Kitaab. “…all is from our Rabb (رَبِّنَا).” And none does its Zikaru (يَذَّكَّرُ) except those with understanding” here the word Zikr is used in the meanings of reading, understanding, practically following the Ayaat of Allah, taking Ibrat/lesson from previously narrated stories and remembering and doing Shukar of All of Allah’s blessings. Hence only people with deep knowledge have Emaan on Allah and people with intelligence and understanding will do Zikr of the Kitaab.

CONCLUSION:

Allah has given us the Hidayah in the shape of the Kitaab – the Quran as Haqq from Allah, absolute truth and absolute justice as per Allah’s solid judicial principals.  It is the same Kitaab, the same Hidayah that was revealed on All the Anbiya and Rasool. Each and every Ayaat of this Kitaab is Kutub, made Farz/obligatory on us as Muslims, to have Emaan on it, to follow it and to practically apply the divine instructions. It is the Hidayah, the Furqan, the ultimate criteria of right and wrong.  Quran is an Embodiment of Mohkimaat, the laws, regulations and commandments of Allah, and these ayahs are often repeated in the form of Motashabihaat – the look alike, similar Ayaahs. Each and every Ayah of the Kitab is to be understood, followed and pursued.  The criteria of those who got misled is that they follow other books which they considered look alike and similar to the Kitaab, seeking to mislead others from the Haqq – the Quran, as well as seeking and projecting this as if these other books would help in the end/final result, whereas the end/final result is only known to Allah. Only those with knowledge, deep conviction and understanding, would have Emaan on the Kitaab being from their Rabb, and Only those with intelligence and understanding would do Zikr of it, read, understand and follow.

wqt@syedraf