First Point: An answer to those who say, “The Quran’s mysteries are not known; the commentators have not understood its realities.”

FIRST POINT

There are two aspects to the idea expressed as: “The All-Wise Qur’an’s mysteries are not known; the Qur’anic commentators have not understood its reality.” And those who say this are of two groups.

The First are the people of truth and the exacting scholars. They say: “The Qur’an is an unending, inexhaustible treasury. In addition to submitting to and accepting its established and incontestible matters, each age also receives its share of its hidden truths, in the form of a supplement; it cannot trespass on the share of another which is concealed.” Yes, that is to say, as time passes more of the All-Wise Qur’an’s truths are unfolded. Not, God forbid! causing doubt concerning the outer Qur’anic truths which previous generations have expounded. For belief in them is necessary; they are established, definite, fundamental, and basic. Through the decree, A perspicuous Arabic Qur’an, it states that its meaning is clear. From beginning to end, the Divine address revolves around those meanings, corroborating them and making them self-evident. Not to accept those authoritative meanings suggests, God forbid!, denying Almighty Allah and insulting the Prophet’s understanding. That is to say, those authoritative meanings have been taken successively from the source of Prophethood. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari wrote his great commentary relating all the meanings of the Qur’an through chains of authentic transmission to the source of Prophethood.

The Second Group are either foolish friends who cause harm and make matters worse, or they are enemies cunning as the Devil who want to oppose the ordinances of Islam and truths of belief. They want to find a way into the fortified Suras of the All-Wise Qur’an, which, in your words, are each like steel strongholds. People like that spread about ideas like the above in order, God forbid!, to create doubts about the truths of belief and the Qur’an.