In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful
The Definitive and the Metaphorical and the Generation of Knowledge
A Developmental Model for the Sciences of the Qurʾan*
Mahmoud Al-Mosawi
(1)
The Definitive and the Metaphorical as a Mechanism for Understanding the Text
The importance of studying the topics of the sciences of the Noble Qurʾan, among them (the definitive and the metaphorical: al-muḥkam wa al-mutashābih), follows from the importance of the Qurʾan itself, since the Noble Qurʾan is the everlasting and final message to humankind, directed to humanity from its Creator. It is guidance, light and the Criterion, and in it are rulings and diverse branches of knowledge connected with the human being in his faith and his movement in life. The Qurʾan and its verses are not meant to be confined and restricted to a time or to particular nations; otherwise the verses would die and their effect would end. It is the light that must steal into all hearts and minds, so as to take its way toward action and movement, realizing the truth and empowering the divine values, with the harbors of human happiness they contain, which guarantee peace, justice and dignity.
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The entrances to understanding the Noble Qurʾan are its sciences, among them the science of the definitive and the metaphorical, this topic which has come on the tongue of many narrations, indicating the necessity of knowing it in order to arrive at knowledge of the realities of the sacred Qurʾanic text; otherwise the fate of whoever is ignorant of it, if he speaks about the Qurʾan and its exegesis, is to perish and to cause others to perish. Knowledge gushes forth from the Qurʾanic text through applying the rules that the Ahl al-Bayt (a) mentioned, which are like legal headings through which one can enter to understand the Qurʾanic text and penetrate into the world of epistemic vision, not only in the verses of the Qurʾan but also in the signs of the universe and life, as the Exalted said: “Soon We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in their own souls until it becomes clear to them that He is the Real. Is it not sufficient that your Lord is witness to all things?” (Qurʾan 41:53)[1].
We will set this out in detail through our treatment of (the definitive and the metaphorical) as a generative model of knowledge that is renewed with the renewal of life.
(2)
The Concept of the Definitive and the Metaphorical
We will not go into the details of the definitions that the scholars have given for the definitive and the metaphorical; however, we point to an important fact about many of the definitions they set down in technical terms, which is that many of them lacked the aspect of producing knowledge and the aspect of uncovering realities and penetrating with insight from the outward appearances of matters to their inner dimensions and their outcomes.
This, in my view, is the most important observation made against the many definitions that the scholars put forward to define (the definitive and the metaphorical). This fact .. the fact of disclosure and productivity, ought to be among the most important distinguishing features of the definition; if it is lost, the definition loses its spirit and its wheel stops, and consequently it becomes devoid of correctness, even if the definition contains one of the aspects of the meaning. But the constitutive part, if we may say so, is the dimension of productivity and the generation of knowledge. That is because we observe in the context of the narrations that spoke about the topics of the sciences of the Qurʾan, among them (the definitive and the metaphorical), that they point to the connection of knowing them with knowing the realities of the Book and the indications of the text, and its outpourings upon every reality contemporary with it. From that we discern a contemporary, ever-renewed horizon from His saying, the Exalted: “Say, ‘If the sea were ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would be spent before the words of my Lord are finished, though We replenish it with another like it.’” (Qurʾan 18:109)[2].
This dimension was noted by al-Fayd al-Kashani in his exegesis, where he said: (Verifying the discussion of the metaphorical and its interpretation requires presenting an extended discourse of the choicest kind, and opening a door of knowledge from which a thousand doors open for its people)[3].
Many definitions have been put forward for the definitive and the metaphorical. Some said that the definitive is that which, by its revelation, has no need of its interpretation, and the metaphorical is that whose wording is one and whose meaning differs[4]. Some of them said that the definitive is that whose indication is clear and apparent, which does not admit of abrogation, and the metaphorical is the hidden, whose meaning is grasped neither by reason nor by transmission. It was said that the definitive is that to which no difficulty attaches, and the metaphorical is its opposite[5]. Some of them counted the metaphorical verses as not exceeding two hundred verses only[6], and other such definitions.
A Look at the Language
Linguistically[7], al-muhkam (the definitive) is taken from al-ihkam, which is perfecting; ahkamahu means he made it firm. It is also prevention: when he ahkama the horse, he restrained it and turned it back. Al-mutashabih (the metaphorical) is the resemblance between two or more things, and from it al-ishtibah (confusion) is taken; shabbaha ʿalayhi al-amr means he made the matter obscure to him, and it became confused for him; and al-shubha is that which is confused between truth and falsehood.
So the definitive is that which is perfected and made firm, and therefore it can be relied upon and referred to.
As for the metaphorical, it is the resembling that leads to confusion between what is true and what is false.
Guidance from the Narrations
In order to verify the meaning and arrive at the concept intended Qurʾanically as a technical term, one that can be acted upon and relied upon, we must seek illumination by the light of the narrations reported from the Ahl al-Bayt (a), so that we read them within the givens of the Qurʾanic verses.
1. From Abu Muhammad al-Hamdani, from a man, from Abu ʿAbd Allah (a), who said, after he was asked..(.. The definitive is that which is acted upon, and the metaphorical is that whose parts resemble one another)[8].
2. From Abu Basir, who said: I heard Abu ʿAbd Allah (a) say: The Qurʾan contains the definitive and the metaphorical. As for the definitive, we believe in it, act upon it and hold it as our religion; and as for the metaphorical, we believe in it but do not act upon it).
3. From Masʿada ibn Sadaqa, who said: I asked Abu ʿAbd Allah (a).. (And the metaphorical is that which is confusing to one who is ignorant of it).
Clarifying the Meaning
The narrations give us indications and criteria through which we come to know the concept of the definitive and the metaphorical. The definitive is that which has reached a degree of reliability, so it turns into the practical, applied level; whereas the metaphorical is the confused, which has not moved into the domain of application because it is still unknown. The metaphorical is a relative matter that varies from one person to another according to how the meaning is disclosed to him, as Grand Ayatollah Sayed Muhammad Taqi al-Modarresi says: (People are not equal in regard to the definitive and the metaphorical, since the definitive that seems clear to one individual, because it is at the level of his understanding, is metaphorical to another individual, because it is above his level).[9]
(3)
The Aim of the Definitive Is Rendering the Metaphorical Definitive
The metaphorical is the areas of ignorance generated by intellectual confusion, and the definitive is the process of reaching knowledge and perfecting judgment; it is the scholarly reference resorted to in a state of uncertainty and confusion. Practicing the process of rendering the metaphorical definitive is a process of generating knowledge and discovering diverse realities. In other words, the definitive ones are the constants of the Qurʾan and the religion in one of their aspects, and the metaphorical ones are the variables among the emergent and confused events.
The Exalted says: “It is He who has sent down to you the Book. Parts of it are definitive verses, which are the mother of the Book, while others are metaphorical. As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they pursue what is metaphorical in it, courting temptation, and seeking its interpretation. But no one knows its interpretation except Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge; they say, ‘We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord.’ And none takes admonition except those who possess intellect.” (Qurʾan 3:7)[10].
So the definitive verses are the (mother) of the Book; the mother in the sense of the origin, and the mother is the one who gives birth. Drawing on the guidance of the previous narrations, we understand that the definitive ones are the verses that are clear to the human intellect in one of their aspects, and they are acted upon; and the domain of acting upon them is resolving the uncertainty and confusion that arises in the intellect as a result of its ignorance.
So the metaphorical ones must be referred back to their mothers so that the vision becomes clear to us, and the process takes place as follows:
(The definitive) is directed toward (the metaphorical), and so produces (a definitive).
Or (the metaphorical) is referred back to (the definitive) so that it renders it definitive. The process is one and the same.
Therefore, when we face the metaphorical, we must strive to find the verses that render it definitive and bring out its meaning.
And this is exactly the movement of truth and falsehood that the Qurʾan has likened..
“Indeed, We hurl the truth against falsehood, and it crushes its head, and behold, falsehood vanishes!” (Qurʾan 21:18)[11].
“And say, ‘The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed falsehood is bound to vanish.’” (Qurʾan 17:81)[12].
So the definitive is a manifest (truth) that is hurled against confusion so that the truth appears.
For following the metaphorical is following confusion, and it is (falsehood); and none follow the metaphorical except those in whose hearts is a sickness, seeking temptation thereby, as in His saying, the Exalted:
“As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they pursue what is metaphorical in it, courting temptation, and seeking its interpretation” (Qurʾan 3:7)[13].
So those in whose hearts is deviance follow (the metaphorical), intending thereby to bring about (temptation), which is falsehood. It is what creates confusion in society, that is, it creates (the metaphorical in society), so that whoever follows it goes astray.
And those firmly grounded in knowledge (who know the definitive ones) are the ones who know the interpretation of the Book, arriving at the truth.
It has come in describing the definitive that it is a criterion (furqan). From Abu Sinan, who said: I asked Abu ʿAbd Allah about the Qurʾan and the Criterion. He said: The Qurʾan is the whole of the Book and the reports of what will be, and the Criterion is the definitive that is acted upon; and every definitive is a criterion)[14].
The Criterion is that by which a distinction is made between truth and falsehood, as in His saying, the Exalted: “The month of Ramadan is one in which the Quran was sent down as guidance to mankind, with manifest proofs of guidance and the Criterion” (Qurʾan 2:185)[15].
So the definitive distinguishes between truth and falsehood, and that is exactly what it does in removing ambiguity in the human intellect. It has been narrated from Imam al-Rida (a): (Whoever refers the metaphorical of the Qurʾan back to its definitive has been guided to a straight path. Then he said: In our reports there is the definitive like the definitive of the Qurʾan and the metaphorical like the metaphorical of the Qurʾan; so refer their metaphorical back to their definitive, and do not follow their metaphorical without their definitive, lest you go astray)[16].
Here we cite verses from Surat al-Hajj that show the movement of removing (falsehood) by rendering the signs definitive (whether the signs of life and the universe or the verses of the Qurʾan). By a methodical process, which the human intellect ought to emulate on the path of searching for knowledge and for the truth.
Let us read together His saying, the Exalted, then reflect on it:
“We did not send any apostle or prophet before you but that when he recited [the scripture] Satan interjected [something] in his recitation. Thereat Allah nullifies whatever Satan has interjected, and then Allah confirms His signs, and Allah is All-knowing, All-wise. That He may make what Satan has thrown in a test for those in whose hearts is a sickness and those whose hearts have hardened. Indeed the wrongdoers are steeped in extreme defiance. [And also for the reason] that those who have been given knowledge may know that it is the truth from your Lord, and so they may have faith in it, and their hearts may be humbled before Him. Indeed Allah guides those who have faith to a straight path.” (Qurʾan 22:52–54)[17].
The first stage: the occurrence of resemblance, which is (the interjections of Satan).
The second stage: the process of removing the resemblance, “Thereat Allah nullifies whatever Satan has interjected” (Qurʾan 22:52); for Allah is the reference authority.
The third stage: the clear manifestation of the truth, “and then Allah confirms His signs” (yuḥkimu) (Qurʾan 22:52). Through knowledge and wisdom.
After the process of rendering definitive is completed, the results come as follows:
The first result: the interjections of Satan (the metaphorical or the confused) are a test (fitna) that “those in whose hearts is a sickness” (Qurʾan 22:53) follow, and this is the very same result that came in verse 7 of Surat Al ʿImran: “As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they pursue what is metaphorical in it, courting temptation” (Qurʾan 3:7).
The second result: those who follow knowledge (through rendering definitive) are guided to the truth, and so their hearts arrive at faith.
Among the plans of Satan, his helpers and the sick of heart is to cause resemblance and confusion between truth and falsehood, so that people follow falsehood, or to justify their deeds. The Exalted says: “Do not mix the truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know.” (Qurʾan 2:42)[18].
It is worth pointing out that the existence of the metaphorical in the Noble Qurʾan is not a negative matter, according to what we presented earlier, and it cannot be presented from this angle, as some have tried to belittle the metaphorical and to explain its existence (as being due to the nature of the language of the Arabs, since it consists of conventions that are not adequate to convey lofty concepts as wide as the horizons, so the Qurʾanic expressions came—in such meanings—in figurative usage, and by way of simile and representation, so that the one of limited understanding takes the outward expression—and perhaps disregards the reality of what is meant)[19]. This explanation, mentioned by Shaykh Hadi Maʿrifa (rh), tried to show that the existence of resemblance is only due to a defect in the language, not a defect in the author of the discourse; indeed, he confined the metaphorical verses to a specific number, namely two hundred verses only, and to specific subjects. This view, besides having no proof, presents resemblance in a negative light, whereas the Noble Qurʾan explicitly points to the existence of the metaphorical in the Noble Qurʾan, to the point of describing the entire Qurʾan as mutashabih in the context of description and praise, in His saying, the Exalted: “Allah has sent down the best of discourses, a scripture [composed] of similar motifs, whereat shiver the skins of those who fear their Lord, then their skins and hearts relax at Allah’s remembrance. That is Allah’s guidance, by which He guides whomever He wishes; and whomever Allah leads astray, has no guide.” (Qurʾan 39:23) [20].
(4)
The Relationship of the Definitive and the Metaphorical to Reality
The metaphorical is a state that befalls the intellect with respect to the text or with respect to the reality reflected upon the text; its locus is the human intellect.. and its subject is (the text and reality). To clarify this, we will go through the elements of this statement.
Contemplating the Book of Life
The Noble Qurʾan guides the human being to the necessity of contemplating the universe and the daily life that he lives, so that he is not isolated from it and from its course of events. We find it, in many verses, referring the human being back to studying the universe and paying attention to the beings he lives alongside, or to the circumstances and practices that surround him, or to the innate states and feelings that come over the human being, such as sadness, joy, alarm, illness, birth, racing ahead, fear, regret and the like.. All of that is to give life and its course of events an importance through which realities can be discovered. The laws (sunan) of Allah in the universe and life cannot change from one time to another.. Whoever loses his son, dear to his heart, is wrung with grief and sheds tears over him; that innate feeling has existed since Allah created human beings and will remain until the last day of their life.
All that cosmic creation, with the creatures it contains, Allah the Exalted brought into being according to a precise order and a balance that matches the balance of truth. The Exalted says: “We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them except with consummate wisdom” (bi-l-ḥaqq) (Qurʾan 15:85)[21].
Among those clear realities is that Allah the Exalted set the times of acts of worship according to the measures of the universe and the movement of the sun and the moon, and He said: “Maintain the prayer [during the period] from the sun’s decline till the darkness of the night, and [observe particularly] the dawn recital. Indeed the dawn recital is attended [by angels].” (Qurʾan 17:78)[22].
So the dawn recital is witnessed by all and sensed by every rational person; likewise the signs of the heavens and the earth are signs for a people who exercise their reason.
The Exalted said: “Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, and the ships that sail at sea with profit to men, and the water that Allah sends down from the sky—with which He revives the earth after its death, and scatters therein every kind of animal—and the changing of the winds, and the clouds disposed between the sky and the earth, there are surely signs for a people who exercise their reason.” (Qurʾan 2:164)[23].
Those signs are laws (sunan) that admit no alteration or change..
Therefore the knowledgeable (al-ʿulamaʾ) are the ones who reach the degree of fearing Allah, because of what they have come to know of the realities and signs of the universe, in His saying, the Exalted: “And of humans and beasts and cattle there are likewise diverse hues. Only those of Allah’s servants having knowledge fear Him. Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-forgiving.” (Qurʾan 35:28)[24]. The attribute of knowledge came in the context of speaking about the multiplicity of creatures and their attributes, which indicates that the knowledgeable are those who know nature and the universe and who contemplate them, since that knowledge leads to the light of guidance by way of fearing Allah the Exalted, if the process of connecting this knowledge with the light of truth and following the evidences of power, greatness and wisdom is accomplished.
From here a shining truth dawns before us, namely that the realities of the universe, which rational people witness, are definitive signs to which the human being refers in regulating understanding, bringing meanings closer, and producing knowledge.
When Allah the Exalted wants to make the human being feel the weakness of a civilization that relies on the formal material dimension and lags behind in the dimension of the unseen and the content of values, He likens it to the house of the spider, so that there comes first to mind that house, orderly in form and pattern, which nonetheless flies apart when it meets a simple puff from a person's mouth, so that he may sense the extent of the weakness and the danger of the fall and collapse of civilizations that have distanced themselves from the values of heaven. The Exalted says:
“The parable of those who take guardians instead of Allah is that of the spider that takes a home, and indeed the frailest of homes is the home of a spider, had they known!” (Qurʾan 29:41)[25].
In contrast, the Noble Qurʾan diminishes all the efforts of the disbelievers to bury the message and its values alive, and describes them as being like blowing with mouths, which has no effect at all on the divine project of completing the message.. where the Exalted says:
“They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light though the faithless should be averse.” (Qurʾan 61:8)[26].
Here reality explains and clarifies the purposes of the text, so that the human intellect may comprehend it with a definitive comprehension.
In an example indicating the harmony of the verses of the Qurʾan and the signs of the universe, Allah draws parables for us so that a retentive ear may retain them, and the Exalted says:
“He sends down water from the sky whereat the valleys are flooded to [the extent of] their capacity, and the flood carries along a swelling scum. And from what they smelt in the fire for the purpose of [making] ornaments or wares, [there arises] a similar scum. That is how Allah compares truth and falsehood. As for the scum, it leaves as dross, and that which profits the people stays in the earth. That is how Allah draws comparisons.” (Qurʾan 13:17)[27].
Thus Allah draws parables: the water of the sky in relation to the earth is like the light of knowledge in relation to hearts; each takes in according to its capacity. The waters flow in the valleys of the earth according to their capacity, and knowledge flows into the vessels of the hearts that receive knowledge, each according to its measure; and the best of them is the most retentive, as in the hadith.
The creation of Allah the Exalted is a matter clear, known and witnessed by all people; therefore it is a reference by which the argument is made against them, as in His saying, the Exalted:
“Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ Say, ‘Allah!’ Say, ‘Have you then taken others besides Him for guardians, who have no control over their own benefit or harm?’ Say, ‘Are the blind one and the seer equal? Are darkness and light equal?’ Have they set up for Allah partners who have created like His creation, so that the creations seemed confusable to them? Say, ‘Allah is the creator of all things, and He is the One and the All-paramount.’” (Qurʾan 13:16)[28].
Creation is clear and not confusable; rather, it is the human being who may lose insight, and the blind one and the seer are not equal. The metaphorical ones arise in reality as a result of following desire and temptations and yielding to states of weakness, and as a result of the challenges arising from human rivalry and conflict.. as we mentioned earlier regarding mixing truth with falsehood in external reality. Indeed, resemblance arises in reality as a result of need, through asking about rulings, the best ways, the most beneficial good deeds and the like.. The religious authority (marjaʿ) Sayed al-Modarresi expressed this state of referring (the metaphorical in reality back to the definitive) as referring the branches back to the roots in order to know the rulings[29].
The Concept of Grief
In addition to the examples we have mentioned, we include here an example concerning the concept of grief in the Qurʾan and how the innate life of the human being is drawn upon in crystallizing the concept. The Marjaʿ al-Modarresi mentions this statement in an interview with him, saying:
“I give you an example concerning (grief), in the case that among the virtues is the absence of grief and fear at death, “they will have no fear, nor will they grieve”. So what is the meaning of the grief that does not befall a person in that state: is it depression, or dejection, or regret, or what? How do we understand from the legal point of view whether this state is grief or not, and what is the source of this understanding?
I imagine that we can know that through the blessed verse on the tongue of the Prophet Jacob (a): “He said, ‘It really upsets me that you should take him away, and I fear the wolf may eat him while you are oblivious of him.’” (Qurʾan 12:13) — This life is full of fathers who have sons, and if these sons are absent from their fathers or are lost, a state befalls them that the Qurʾan expressed as grief (ḥuzn). Although grief is not an obscure concept but rather one of the clear concepts, in the Qurʾan there is always that from which meanings can be derived, even in clear matters. The relationship of a person with his son is an innate relationship, and the son's absence from his father causes something in his soul; this thing the Qurʾan calls (grief). From here we understand that this state, which occurs to the father here, does not befall the faithful on the day they meet their Lord, since “Those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah,’ and then remain steadfast, they will have no fear, nor will they grieve.” (Qurʾan 46:13) — This is the way of the Qurʾan with many words: it clarifies them in the daily life matters that people live so that we may understand them in complex matters”[30].
The Mistaken Understanding of Reality
It is not hidden that what we mean by the connection of reality with understanding the religious text, and vice versa, is through the mechanism that we presented earlier and provided evidence for. What is meant is not what is put forward in some contemporary research about the governing authority of a reality based on approval by personal preference (istihsan), or of a cultural reality relying on preconceived values; nor is it the reality that relies on a superficial understanding of matters, as some claim that reality has governing authority and a bearing on understanding the discourse and the text, without any criteria worth mentioning. So he cites His saying, the Exalted: “destroying everything by its Lord’s command” (Qurʾan 46:25)[31], and says: “since it is observed, from the standpoint of reality, that the wind cannot destroy everything in the world of existence and creation, and what it destroys are simple things compared with what exists on the face of the earth”[32].
Here, even if the result is that the wind in question did not actually smash everything, the angle of understanding ought not to rely on a deficient understanding of realities. He relied in this on the wind's inability to do that, neglecting His saying, the Exalted, “by its Lord’s command” (Qurʾan 46:25), and “Indeed Allah has power over all things”; so the inference fails here at the level of reality in itself (maqam al-thubut), since Allah the Exalted is able to do everything. From here, in the example of the verse, (everything) ought to be [regarded as] metaphorical, whose origin and definitive ones ought to be searched for; that is, one ought to search for the object of the generality that the destruction encompassed. Observing the context of the verse, the Exalted says about the results of that destruction: “So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings. Thus do We requite the guilty lot.” (Qurʾan 46:25). So if one looked at their reality, one would see nothing but the dwellings, empty, without people or other belongings; so everything (that is, their selves and their property, except the dwellings, so as to point to their trace).. Making the areas of ignorance the arbiter is the very problem that the Qurʾan spoke about in following the metaphorical ones, which leads to deviation.
At the conclusion of this discussion we relate an important narration that directs toward returning to the Book of Allah when matters become confused in reality.
Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad ibn Masʿud narrated from his father, from Abu ʿAbd Allah Jaʿfar ibn Muhammad (a), from his father, from his forefathers (a), who said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: O people, you are in a time of truce, and you are on the back of a journey, and the journey is moving you swiftly. You have seen the night and the day, the sun and the moon, wearing out every new thing, bringing near every distant thing, and bringing every promised thing; so prepare the provisions for the distance of the crossing.
Then al-Miqdad stood up and said: O Messenger of Allah, what is the abode of truce?
He said: An abode of affliction and severance. So when trials become confused for you like patches of the dark night, then hold to the Qurʾan, for it is an intercessor whose intercession is accepted and an accuser who is believed. Whoever puts it before him, it leads him to Paradise, and whoever puts it behind him, it drives him to the Fire. It is the guide that guides to the best path. It is [a book in which there is] detailing, explanation and attainment, and it is the decisive word, not a jest. It has an outward and an inward: its outward is wisdom and its inward is knowledge; its outward is elegant and its inward is deep. It has boundaries, and beyond its boundaries are boundaries; its wonders cannot be counted and its marvels do not wear out. In it are the lamps of guidance and the stations of wisdom, and a guide to what is right for whoever recognizes it)[33].
(5)
Rendering Definitive between the Text and Reality
The process of rendering definitive that we mentioned, which is referring the metaphorical back to the definitive in the Qurʾanic text, is not confined to the limits of the text. Its operation may take place within the text for the sake of understanding the text, and sometimes it takes place within the text for the sake of understanding reality; here it is a process of pouring the definitive ones of the Qurʾanic text onto the metaphorical ones of the Qurʾanic text and onto the metaphorical ones of reality. Likewise, the definitive ones of reality are also drawn upon in knowing the metaphorical ones of the text. As for the effect of the definitive ones of reality on the metaphorical ones of reality, we leave discussing it, since it is not connected with knowing the text, which is the axis of our discussion, even though discussing it would be of benefit.
On the basis of the foregoing, a scheme of the equations of the process of rendering definitive can be set out as follows:
· The metaphorical text — is referred back to — the definitive text — produces — (truth, knowledge).
· The metaphorical text — is referred back to — definitive reality — produces — (truth, knowledge).
· Metaphorical reality — is referred back to — the definitive text — produces — (truth, knowledge).
The Mechanism for Rendering the Metaphorical Definitive
In order to apply the process of rendering the metaphorical definitive, we need general rules through which we enter the applied horizon of practicing and producing knowledge, moving out of conceptual research into applied research. The process of rule-formulation is the process that enables us to transfer the concept from the theoretical world to the world of application. For that purpose we take up a Qurʾanic rule in our research, which we hope will open for us the horizon of the text onto reality and the horizon of reality onto the text. We present it as an example, and we ask Allah that we be granted success to do more.
The rule is like the guide that points to limits and concepts, as in a narration from ʿAmr ibn Qays from Abu Jaʿfar (a): I heard him say: Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, did not leave anything that the Umma needs until the Day of Resurrection but that He sent it down in His Book and made it clear to His Messenger; and He set for everything a limit, and set a guide that points to it..)[34].
Wilāyah (the Model): The Axis of the Definitive Verses
Wilayah (as a model) has a great effect on knowing the definitive in the Noble Qurʾan, so that the metaphorical ones can be referred back to it. The wilayah we mean is that derived from the wilayah of Allah the Exalted by way of designation, as in His saying, the Exalted: “Your guardian is only Allah, His Apostle, and the faithful who maintain the prayer and give the zakat while bowing down.” (Qurʾan 5:55)[35].
So the wilayah is that of Allah and of the faithful, who in the context of this verse are his Ahl al-Bayt, from whom He removed impurity and whom He purified with a thorough purification.
Allah Almighty did not limit Himself to sending the heavenly books to humankind to call them to guidance; rather, He raised among them messengers from among themselves, and after the messengers He appointed Imams who guide by His command, so that they embody the reality of the Book on earth and become speaking Qurʾans that voice its clear proofs and its guidance, as the Exalted said: “O People of the Book! Certainly Our Apostle has come to you, clarifying for you much of what you used to hide of the Book, and excusing many [an offense of yours]. Certainly, there has come to you a light from Allah, and a manifest Book.” (Qurʾan 5:15)[36].
Therefore, knowing the true guardians is like arming oneself with light and with the lamps of guidance before the text of the Noble Qurʾan, that manifest Book; so light unites with light, and it becomes an instance of the noble verse:
“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp—the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star—lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not touch it. Light upon light. Allah guides to His Light whomever He wishes. Allah draws parables for mankind, and Allah has knowledge of all things.” (Qurʾan 24:35)[37].
Through knowing the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and knowing their mass-transmitted general biography, important realities can be recognized, closed doors can open before us, obscure matters become clear, and the dense clouds dissipate from the sky of the intellect and the heart, so that it touches the realities.
From here the connection is formed between wilayah and (the definitive and the metaphorical) in the Qurʾanic text. The wilayah of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) is definitive and constant, and it has a basic connection with the definitive ones of the Noble Qurʾan, which, if known, remove ambiguity and keep one far from deviance. Here we cite some narrations that indicate this great epistemic fact.
· From Abu ʿAbd Allah (a): Allah has made our wilayah, the Ahl al-Bayt, the pivot of the Qurʾan and the pivot of all the Books; around it the definitive of the Qurʾan revolves, the Books have extolled it, and through it faith becomes manifest. The Messenger of Allah (s) commanded that the Qurʾan and the family of Muhammad be followed, and that is where he said in the last sermon he delivered: I am leaving among you the two weighty things: the greater weighty thing and the lesser weighty thing. As for the greater, it is the Book of my Lord, and as for the lesser, it is my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt. So be mindful of me regarding them, for you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them[38].
· From Abu ʿAbd Allah (a), from his father, from his grandfather (a), who said: The Commander of the Faithful (a) delivered a sermon to us, in which he said: We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, One, without partner, and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. He sent him with a Book that He set out in detail, rendered definitive and made mighty, preserved by His knowledge, rendered definitive by His light, and supported with His authority)[39].
The Rule of (the Loftiest Exemplar)
Through the aforementioned introduction we can discover an applied rule that is drawn upon in knowing the definitive ones in order to refer the metaphorical ones back to them, and we call it the rule of (the loftiest exemplar: al-mathal al-aʿla).
Allah the Exalted brought into being the most ideal, loftiest, best and most perfect model in the Noble Qurʾan, as opposed to the lowly exemplars and the evil exemplars. The loftiest and best exemplar is the model that ought to be emulated, and from it the applied realities are disclosed. This is the difference between purely theoretical realities and practical realities that carry out the task of clarification and definition as a realistic approach for the intellect.
The Noble Qurʾan does not put forward an abstract theoretical issue only; rather, it puts it forward from a practical or real aspect, and in its active context in life. “For the Wise Qurʾan does not speak to us about an issue in its theoretical aspect without also touching on its practical aspect; it does not leave theories without practical programs, just as it does not leave practical methods without theoretical roots.
The responsibility of the human being in the life of this world is related to the methods that the verses brought; therefore some exegetes said that the (such-and-such) sura has been devoted to practical programs, while some of them said that it deals with theoretical issues. Both are truthful in their exegesis, because the sura speaks to us about reality as reality, whether theoretical or practical”[40].
The rule of (the loftiest exemplar), or the ideal model, we find at the level of human movement and as a description of it, in His saying, the Exalted: “There is an evil description for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, and the loftiest description belongs to Allah, and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.” (Qurʾan 16:60)[41].
We also find it in the movement of nature and as a description of it, as a fixed and shared law, where the Exalted says: “It is He who originates the creation, and then He will bring it back—and that is more simple for Him. His is the loftiest description in the heavens and the earth, and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.” (Qurʾan 30:27)[42].
• In human beings, the loftiest exemplar shows the ideal conduct through the most perfect model.
• In the universe, the loftiest exemplar is the manifestations of wisdom, beauty and giving, all of them from Allah the Exalted.
• Hence the effects of evil in human life come from the evil of human action, and the effects of disorder in nature and in the system of life are also borne by the human being, because he has deviated from upright conduct and the straight path.
The Ahl al-Bayt (a), who derived their wilayah from Allah the Exalted, were given by their Lord the governing and definitive attributes that constitute (the loftiest exemplar) as an applied case. From here came the expression (the speaking Qurʾan), as an indication of the practical movement embodying the values of Allah on earth. In contrast, (the evil exemplar) belongs to their enemies, who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day and who embodied vices in all their forms.
Here we mention a group of hadiths that confirm this fact and this rule.
• From Masʿada ibn Sadaqa, from Abu Jaʿfar (a), from his father, from his grandfather, who said: The Commander of the Faithful (a) said: Name them with the best of the Qurʾan's exemplars—meaning the progeny of the Prophet (s)—this is sweet and agreeable, so drink; and this is briny and bitter, so avoid)[43].
• From Abu al-Jarud, who said: I heard Abu Jaʿfar (a) say: (The Qurʾan was revealed in four quarters: a quarter about us, a quarter about our enemy, a quarter about obligations and rulings, and a quarter is laws and exemplars; and to us belong the noblest parts of the Qurʾan)[44].. And in a narration: (The Qurʾan was revealed in thirds: a third about us and about our enemy..). And in a narration: (a third about us and our loved ones..).
• From Muhammad ibn Muslim, who said: Abu Jaʿfar (a) said: O Muhammad, if you hear Allah mention anyone of this Umma with good, then we are they; and if you hear Allah mention with evil a people among those who have passed, then they are our enemy”[45].
A Prominent Example
· The Exalted said: “The faithless say, ‘You have not been sent [by Allah].’ Say, ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you, and he who possesses the knowledge of the Book.’” (Qurʾan 13:43)[46].
The Messenger (s) calls Allah to witness the truthfulness of his prophethood before the People of the Book, and what is apparent from the verse is that he called other people, of the human kind, to witness, namely “he who possesses the knowledge of the Book” (Qurʾan 13:43). So who are these?
The apparent Qurʾanic sense indicates that there was a group of scholars who had knowledge of the Book in which they believed, so they had the proofs of prophethood, and whoever denies it can refer to them. This meaning is one of the aspects of the verse; however, there is another aspect that can be relied upon through the rule of (the loftiest exemplar): those who possess the knowledge of the Book are the Ahl al-Bayt (a), so their testimony to the message is a lasting, uninterrupted testimony. We have singled them out because they have been pointed to as a reference for testimony and as those knowledgeable of the Book.
(Many narrations have come from the Infallibles (a) confirming that the one meant by this phrase is the Commander of the Faithful (a) and the infallible Imams of his progeny (a). There is no doubt that the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) are the most prominent instances of “and he who possesses the knowledge of the Book” (Qurʾan 13:43). Imam al-Baqir (a) was asked about this verse, and he said: (He meant us, and ʿAli is the first of us, the most excellent of us and the best of us after the Prophet (s))[47].
In a narration that expresses explicitly what we are concerned with, it has come from ʿUmar ibn Hanzala, from Abu ʿAbd Allah (a), regarding the saying of Allah “Say, ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you, and he who possesses the knowledge of the Book’” (Qurʾan 13:43): when he saw me pursuing this and things like it in the Book, he said: Enough for you; everything in the Book, from its opening to its close, like this, is about the Imams; it is they who are meant by it)[48].
After a subtle discussion of this hadith, al-Fayd al-Kashani said: (This hadith has opened a door of knowledge from which a thousand doors have opened)[49].
· From Imam Abu ʿAbd Allah al-Sadiq (a): (Whoever wants to know our state and the state of our enemies, let him read Surat Muhammad (s), for he will see it a verse about us and a verse about them)[50].
· In applying the rule of (the loftiest exemplar), we can with every ease deal with the verse “He frowned and turned away when the blind man approached him” (Qurʾan 80:1–2), about which the exegetes differed. Whoever said that it was revealed about the Messenger of Allah (s) has fallen into grave confusion, for frowning is a repellent act, and it does not accord with the “great character” (Qurʾan 68:4) that the Noble Qurʾan spoke of, attributing it to the Messenger (s). So applying the rule of the loftiest exemplar requires turning it away from the Messenger (s). And even if some said that the address in the sura came directed to him (s), the Noble Qurʾan (was revealed on the basis of “It is you I mean, so listen, O neighbor”), as Imam al-Sadiq (a) said. So with any blame, rebuke or negative act in the Noble Qurʾan, it must be known whom it concerns, for these are instances of (the evil exemplar), which are among the attributes of the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).
What Are the Benefits of This Rule?
1/ Knowing the manner of applying the rulings from the human side. (His character was the Qurʾan) and (Adopt the character traits of Allah).
2/ Knowing hidden dimensions in the verses and other horizons beyond what is derived from the apparent meaning. (The speaking Qurʾan).
3/ Knowing historical realities that can be referred to and made the arbiter when disagreement arises.
4/ Knowing doctrinal realities through knowing the stations of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and their merit.
The Comprehensiveness of the Rule of (the Loftiest Exemplar)
The rule of the loftiest exemplar is not limited to knowing the ideal conduct through the Ahl al-Bayt (a); rather, it is a general rule that includes all Qurʾanic ideas, branches of knowledge and systems, as opposed to misguided human ideas or innovated systems that deviate from the Qurʾanic system, as the Exalted said: “They do not bring you any representation but that We bring you the truth [in reply to them] and the best exposition.” (Qurʾan 25:33)[51].
And His saying, the Exalted: “We have certainly interspersed this Quran with every kind of parable for the people. But man is the most disputatious of creatures.” (Qurʾan 18:54)[52].
The rule of the loftiest exemplar here opens up another aspect of the generation of knowledge, connected with referring human models and systems in all aspects of social, political and economic life back to the Qurʾanic models and exemplars, so that these render them definitive. It is of the kind of (referring the metaphorical of reality back) to the Qurʾanic definitive.
In this context we relate words of the Marjaʿ al-Modarresi in the exegesis (Min Huda al-Qurʾan), without addition or omission, since we saw that they fulfill what is required..
(Our Lord, the All-beneficent, healed with the Qurʾan the diseases of human society represented in the cultures of ignorance (jahiliyya). Whenever an obscure idea of ignorance was put forward, revelation came with the manifest truth:
“They do not bring you any representation but that We bring you the truth [in reply to them] and the best exposition.” (Qurʾan 25:33)[53].
What Is the Mathal?
It seems that every intellectual cluster is expressed by a mathal (or, in our expression today, by a slogan), and such sayings among people condense a coherent mass of ideas and express an interwoven intellectual chain.
To clarify that, let us give an example:
A: Tribalism is a social approach and an intellectual value whose slogan was “I and my brother against my cousin, and I, my brother and my cousin against the stranger”
But the Qurʾan says: “Be maintainers of justice and witnesses for the sake of Allah, even if it should be against yourselves or [your] parents and near relatives” (Qurʾan 4:135)[54]; this is the truth confronting that prevalent mathal.
B: Nationalism is a political framework expressed by the mathal, which the Qurʾan negates by its saying: “What! A non-Arabian [scripture] and an Arabian [prophet]!?” (Qurʾan 41:44)[55]; and opposed to it is Islamic universalism, of which the Lord says: “Indeed this community of yours is one community, and I am your Lord. So worship Me.” (Qurʾan 21:92)[56]
C: Likewise, the worship of idols is a political approach that Quraysh expressed with their slogan at the Battle of Uhud: Abu Sufyan said: (Be exalted, Hubal!), and the Messenger countered it with the truth, saying—: Allah is Most High and Most Majestic”.
Thus in all the other fields, revelation came in installments in order to confront the cultures of ignorance, a mathal with a better mathal, and a false idea with a clear truth having a good and eloquent exposition”[57].
From here Sayed al-Modarresi finds that (the occasions of revelation) is an imprecise expression regarding the revelation of the Qurʾan in installments: the events were not a cause of the revelation of the verses, but rather instances and interpretations (taʾwilat) of them[58]. This concept is consistent with understanding the rule of (the loftiest exemplar) and what stands opposite it, (the evil exemplar).
Conclusion
When we affirm that the dimension of generating knowledge is the most important dimension, and indeed that it is the secret of the existence of the Qurʾanic metaphorical, so that rulings and branches of knowledge may branch out from it, then our research on the definitive and the metaphorical can take forms different from what prevails in dealing with the sciences of the Noble Qurʾan. Therefore the researcher's eye will be directed toward discovering more generative rules from which many doors open. On this basis we point to the necessity of the following:
· Viewing the sciences of the Noble Qurʾan as epistemic tools for producing knowledge.
· Moving from conceptual research to instrumental research (research into practical and legal rules).
· The necessity of searching for the definitive ones as roots to which the metaphorical branches are referred back.
· Broadening research between (the text and reality) to discover the relationship of (definitiveness and resemblance) between them.
All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, and blessings and peace be upon the master of the messengers, Muhammad (s), and upon his family, the blessed guides (a), and his chosen companions.
v A paper presented to the Conference of Return to the Noble Qurʾan, held in Syria under the sponsorship of (the Hawza of al-Qaʾim (aj)), on 2-4/2008 CE — the general title of the conference: Understanding the Text between the Present and the Dominance of Heritage.
[1] / Surat Fussilat: 53
[2] / Surat al-Kahf: 109
[3] / Tafsir al-Safi, by al-Fayd al-Kashani, vol. 1, p. 31.
[4] / See Tafsir al-Qummi, ʿAli ibn Ibrahim, vol. 1.
[5] / See “Manahil al-ʿIrfan fi ʿUlum al-Qurʾan”, Shaykh Muhammad ʿAbd al-ʿAzim al-Zamani, “in accordance with what the Council of al-Azhar decided for the specialized study of the Azhar colleges”, second volume.
[6] / The view of Shaykh Muhammad Hadi Maʿrifa in the book (al-Taʾwil fi Mukhtalif al-Madhahib wa al-Araʾ), p. 14
[7] / See Lisan al-ʿArab, al-Muhit and al-Munjid.
[8] / The narrations cited here came in Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi, Tafsir al-Safi, al-Bihar, al-Wasaʾil and other reliable books./ See Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi, vol. 1, p. 10.
[9] / See the exegesis (Min Huda al-Qurʾan) by the Marjaʿ al-Modarresi, vol. 1, p. 77 — new edition.
[10]/ Surat Al ʿImran: 7
[11]/ Surat al-Anbiyaʾ: 18.
[12] / Surat al-Israʾ: 81
[13] / Al ʿImran: 7
[14] / Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi, vol. 1, p. 9
[15] / Surat al-Baqara: 185
[16]/ Wasaʾil al-Shiʿa, al-Hurr al-ʿAmili, vol. 27, p. 115
[17] / Surat al-Hajj: 52 - 54
[18] / Surat al-Baqara: 42
[19]/ al-Taʾwil fi Mukhtalif al-Madhahib wa al-Araʾ, the scholar Shaykh Muhammad Hadi Maʿrifa, p. 15.
[20]/ Surat al-Zumar: 23
[21]/ Surat al-Hijr: 85
[22] / Surat al-Israʾ: 78
[23] / Surat al-Baqara: 164
[24] / Surat Fatir: 28
[25] / Surat al-ʿAnkabut: 41
[26] / Surat al-Saff: 8
[27]/ Surat al-Raʿd: 17
[28] / Surat al-Raʿd: 16
[29] / See al-Tashriʿ al-Islami, vol. 2, p. 172.
[30] / The studies journal al-Basaʾir.
[31] / Surat al-Ahqaf: 25
[32] / Jadaliyyat al-Khitab wa al-Waqiʿ, Yahya Muhammad, p. 44
[33]/ Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi - Muhammad ibn Masʿud al-ʿAyyashi - vol. 1 - pp. 2–3
[34] / Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi/ vol. 1, p. 6.
[35] / Surat al-Maʾida: 55
[36]/ Surat al-Maʾida: 15
[37] / Surat al-Nur: 35.
[38] / Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi - Muhammad ibn Masʿud al-ʿAyyashi - vol. 1 - p. 5.
[39] / Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi - Muhammad ibn Masʿud al-ʿAyyashi - vol. 1 - pp. 7–8
[40] / Tafsir Min Huda al-Qurʾan, the Marjaʿ al-Modarresi, vol. 4/p. 429 — new edition.
[41] / Surat al-Nahl: 60.
[42] / Surat al-Rum: 27
[43] / Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi, Muhammad ibn Masʿud al-ʿAyyashi, vol. 1, p. 13.
[44] / al-ʿAyyashi, vol. 1, p. 9
[45] / Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi - Muhammad ibn Masʿud al-ʿAyyashi - vol. 1 - p. 13
[46] / Surat al-Raʿd: 43
[47] / The exegesis (Min Huda al-Qurʾan), the Marjaʿ al-Modarresi, vol. 4, p. 222
[48] / Tafsir al-ʿAyyashi/vol. 1/p. 13.
[49] / Tafsir al-Safi/vol. 1/p. 28
[50] / (Min Huda al-Qurʾan) from Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 25
[51] / Surat al-Furqan: 33
[52] / Surat al-Kahf: 54
[53] / Surat al-Furqan: 33
[54] /al-Nisaʾ: 135
[55] / Fussilat: 44
[56] / al-Anbiyaʾ: 92
[57] / Tafsir Min Huda al-Qurʾan, the Marjaʿ al-Modarresi, vol. 6, p. 124.
[58] / See Tafsir Min Huda al-Qurʾan, vol. 12, p. 29.
