ulum-al-quran

'Say: Nothing will happen to us except what God has decreed for us: He is our Protector ...'
(Al-Qur'an 9: 51).
'Say: O people of the book. Do ye disapprove of us for no other reason than that we believe
in God, and the revelation that has come to us and that which has come before (us) and
perhaps that most of you are rebellious and disobedient' (Al-Qur'an 5: 62).
'They ask thee concerning (things taken as) spoils of war. Say: (Such) spoils are at the
disposal of God and the apostle: for fear God and keep straight the relation between
yourselves: obey God and His apostle, if ye do believe' (Al-Qur'an 8: 1).
Oaths in the Qur’an
In a number of places the Qur'an employs oath-like expressions (aqsdm, sg. qasam). [For a brief discussion see also
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, op. cit., App. XIV, pp. 1784-7.] Their function is to strengthen and support an argument, and to
disperse doubts in the mind of the listener. In the Arabic text these passages are often opened by the word 'wa' or the
phrase 'la uqsimu' (indeed I swear).
Sometimes an oath is taken by Allah himself:
'But no, by thy Lord, they can have no real faith until they make thee judge in all disputes
between them and find in their souls no resistance against thy decisions but accept them
with fullest conviction' (Al-Qur'an 4: 65).
Other oaths are taken by Allah's creation:
'By the sun and his (glorious) splendour, by the moon as she follows him, by the day as it
shows up (the sun's) glory, by the night as it conceals it; by the firmament and its
(wonderful) structure, by the earth and its (wide) expanse, by the soul and the proportion
and order given to it ...' (Al-Qur'an 91: 1-7).
'I do call to witness this city ...' (Al-Qur'an 90: 1).
Man should only take an oath bv Allah the creator. but not by anything created.
MUHKAMAT AND MUTASHABIHAT
The word muhkamat - (sg. muhkama) is derived from the root uhkima which means to decide between two things. It is a
verbal noun in the plural, meaning judgements, decisions and in technical language refers to all clearly decided verses of
the Qur'an, mostly those concerning legal rulings, but also to other clear definitions such as between truth and falsehood
etc. This is what is meant by 'general muhkamat'.
Mutashabihat (sg. mutashabiha) is derived from the root 'ishtabaha' meaning 'to be doubtful'. It is a verbal noun in the
plural, meaning the uncertain or doubtful things. In technical language it refers to those verses of the Qur'an the
meanings of which are not clear or not completely agreed upon, but open to two or more interpretations.
Example of muhkamat:
'O you who believe! When ye deal with each other, in transactions involving future
obligations, in a fixed period of time, reduce them to writing. Let a scribe write down
faithfully as between the parties ...' (Al-Qur'an 2: 282).
Example of mutashabihat:
'(God) Most Gracious is firmly established on the throne (of authority)' (Al-Qur'an 20: 5).
Note that the words in brackets have been added by the translator in an attempt to interpret this aya.
The Qur'an on Muhkamat and Mutashabihat
The Qur'an says of itself that it contains two kinds of ayat, both of which are fundamental components of the book, and
both of which must be accepted: