Quran Garden

Session 327

Chapter 3

Verse 7

It is He who has sent this Scripture down to you. Some of its verses are definite in meaning- these are the cornerstone of the Scripture- and others are ambiguous. Those with deviation in their hearts eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to foster discord and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only God knows the true meaning; and those firmly grounded in knowledge, they say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’- only those with real perception will take heed- (Chapter 3: Verse 7)

In the previous session, we explained that Allah has absolute power and wisdom in creation.   ‘It is He who fashions you in the wombs however He wishes. There is no god except Him, the All-mighty, the All-wise. (3:6)  But Allah does not only create matter and substance; He also creates values to guard themovement of life and guarantee its purity. 

Allah created you in the womb as He willed and provided you with all the nourishment needed for your body to grow.  More importantly, He did not leave your soul without nourishment.  By revealing the Quran, Allah granted you a system of values for spiritual growth.  That is why, right after speaking about creating you in the womb, Allah says: ‘It is He who has sent this Scripture down to you.’  When you look at religion as nourishment and growth for your soul, you appreciate its wisdom and find everything within it good and beautiful.

What does the phrase ‘Some of its verses are definite in meaning’ mean? We answer that something definite –translated from the Arabic Muhkamat-is clear, precise, and free of confusion.  They are the verses in which people do not differ.  Listen to the following examples.  God says in the 12^th verse of chapter 4:

You inherit half of what your wives leave if they have no children; if they have children, you inherit a quarter. In all cases, the distribution comes after payment of any bequests or debts. If you have no children, your wives’ share is a quarter; if you have children, your wives get an eighth. In all cases, the distribution comes after payment of any bequests or debts.

And in another chapter:

Flog the adulteress and the adulterer one hundred times. Do not let compassion for them keep you from carrying out God’s law––if you believe in God and the Last Day––and ensure that a group of believers witnesses the punishment. (24:02)

Theseclear verses were sent down to make God’s instructions explicit to humanity.  They are easily understood by anyone who reads them.  Why? Because they include orders of what to do and prohibitions of what not to do.  They consist of actions that, if implemented, will result in reward, and if neglected will result in punishment.  Thus, they must be very clear and easy to understand even by the casual reader.  It is of God’s fairness that He made His rulings, and the consequences of these rulings, crystal clear.  No one can claim that he or she did not understand.

What is the purpose of God’s commands? We answer that Allah wants you to curb your whims and desires, so life is orderly and beautiful.  When Allah commands you to do something, He is well aware that you are capable of doing the opposite if you wish.  Likewise, when He prohibits something, He knows that you can follow or ignore His command even if you so desire. 

Take the example of the magnificent gift of eyesight.  Allah granted you eyes to see, yet He, the All-Wise, assigned some duties and put some boundaries to safeguard the movement of life.  God says: 

Say, ‘Look at what is in the heavens and on the earth.’ But what use are signs and warnings to people who will not believe? (10:101)

And in another chapter:

Tell the faithful men to lower their gaze and to guard their private parts. That is more decent for them. Allah is indeed well aware of what they do.  Tell the faithful women that they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts and not display their adornments – except for what normally shows – (from 24:30-31)

The command to ‘lower your gaze’ is God’s teaching that restricts the movement of the eye.

Similarly, Allah commands you not to use your hand to hit others, or ignite a harmful fire and so on.  There is often a struggle between what you desire and what God commands you to do.  For example, you may want to stay in your warm cozy bed at 5 in the morning, but Allah asks you to get up and pray.  Allah’s teachings are the nourishment for your soul and the guarantee of a functional and thriving society.

Here we should take a moment to study the phrase: ‘these are the cornerstone of the Scripture,’ translated from the Arabic origin ‘Ummu Al Kitab.’  The literal translation is ‘‘these are the mother of the Scripture.’  Both translations ‘mother’ or ‘cornerstone’ share the meaning of a foundation or basis.   A basis for what?These verses are out foundation for understating faith and our basis in interpreting other verses. 

Take note that God used the words ‘cornerstone’ and ‘mother’ in the singular form.  He says: “these are the cornerstone of the Book” and did not say ‘these are the cornerstones of the book.’ Why? We answer that not every verse is a foundation or a cornerstone; rather, these verses as a cohesive group are the foundation of the Quran.

Let’s clarify with an example.  God says:

We made the son of Mary and his mother a sign; We gave them shelter on a peaceful hillside with flowing water. (23:50)

God referred to Prophet Jesus and his mother, the Virgin Mary, as a sign, not as signs.  Because Jesus, peace be upon him, was not a sign except by his birth from his mother without a father.  And likewise, Mary did not become a sign until she bore a child while a virgin.  Hence, they together are one single sign. Similarly, “these are the cornerstone of the Book” refers to all the clear Quranic verses together.