Mutasyabihat is NOT VAGUE

Mutasyabihat is NOT Vague

(Date written : 08 May 2015)

1) There are 2 types of verses in The Quran :

a) MUHKAMAAT
b) MUTASYAABIHAAT


Aal-i-Imraan : 7

هُوَ الَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتٰبَ مِنْهُ ءَايٰتٌ مُّحْكَمٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشٰبِهٰتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشٰبَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَآءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَآءَ تَأْوِيلِهِۦ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرّٰسِخُونَ فِى الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُولُوا الْأَلْبٰبِ

● It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise (MUHKAMAAT) - they are the foundation of the Book - and the others are 'unspecific/vague?' (MUTASYAAHIHAAT). As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is 'unspecific?' (MA TASYABAHU), seeking discord and seeking an 'interpretation' (TAKWIL) [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] "interpretation' (TAKWIL) 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. ●

Above is normal translation from the Arab to other languange. Most of the time, MUTASYABIHAAT has always been translated to 'Vague' or 'Unspecific'.

[Muhkamaat is always translated to precise, direct and clear. Refer to other article on this. This article is about Mutasyabihat]

2) Now, before we even delve into the true meaning of Mutasyabihat, let us think a bit - how would Allah guide us through the Quran if what HE SAYS in The Quran is VAGUE and UNCLEAR ? How would we, the one who supposed to Read and Understand The Quran will understand ?

3) NOW, let us look at other verse of Al-Quran that mentions the word Mutasyabihat :

Az-Zumar : 23

اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتٰبًا مُّتَشٰبِهًا مَّثَانِىَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلٰى ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذٰلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِى بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِنْ هَادٍ

● Allah has sent down the best statement: a Book wherein its part is RESEMBLING EACH OTHER (MUTASYAABIHAA) and OFF-REPEATED. The skins shiver therefrom of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts relax at the remembrance of Allah. That is the GUIDANCE of Allah by which He guides whom He wills. And one whom Allah leaves astray - for him there is no guide. ●

4) From the 2 verses above, it is clear that MUTASYAABIHAAT has been INDUCED its interpretation by some Scholars and they would say that MUTASYAABIHAAT means VAGUE or UNCLEAR on UNSPECIFIC.

However, it is clear in verse 23, Az-Zumar that the Actual Meaning of MUTASYAABIHAAT without INDUCED INTERPRETATION is RESEMBLE or ITS MEANING close to each other or Similar or Look alike.

SO, MUTASYABIHAAT means RESEMBLING each other.

5) Now let us look at other verse that use the word Mutasyabihat and we use the real meaning of it :

Al-Baqara : 70

قَالُوا ادْعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشٰبَهَ عَلَيْنَا وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ لَمُهْتَدُونَ

● They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows LOOK ALIKE (TASYABAHA) to us. And indeed we, if Allah wills, will be guided." ●

The above verse is about People of Moses (MUSA) where when commanded to sacrifice a Cow, they asked too many questions leading to a simple command becomes so difficult to be executed.

6) Let us go back to the verse 7, Aali-Imran :

Aal-i-Imraan : 7

هُوَ الَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتٰبَ مِنْهُ ءَايٰتٌ مُّحْكَمٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشٰبِهٰتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشٰبَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَآءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَآءَ تَأْوِيلِهِۦ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرّٰسِخُونَ فِى الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُولُوا الْأَلْبٰبِ

● It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] MUHKAMAT - they are the foundation of the Book - and others RESEMBLING EACH OTHER (MUTASYAAABIHAAT). As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is WHAT RESEMBLING from IT[THE BOOK] (MA TASYABHA MINHU), seeking discord and seeking an INTERPRETATION (TAKWIL) [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] INTERPRETATION (TAKWIL) 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 (ULUL ALBAB). ●

The meaning of Muhkamat is skipped for this scope of article.

It is clear that Mutasyabihat means Resembling each other.

Now, the other word that most translation has done WRONG is the words :

MA TASYABAHA MINHU.

- which also being translated as VAGUE.

That is Wrong.

The real meaning is :

MA = What or Whatever

TASYABAHA = which RESEMBLES

MINHU = from It(the Book)

The whole meaning of the wordings is :

"As for those whose hearts in deviation, they will follow WHAT RESEMBLES AL-QURAN..."

It means PEOPLE whose HEART (QALBU) has been deviated, they DONT FOLLOW AL-QURAN but they FOLLOW what LOOKS LIKE or SIMILAR to Al-Quran.

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