If you see those who follow the ambiguous verses, they are those whom Allah has named; so, beware of them

Explanation

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: {It is He Who has sent down to you the Book. In it are definite verses, which are the foundation of the Book, while others are ambiguous. Those with deviant hearts follow the ambiguous verses, seeking discord and seeking their [false] interpretation. But no one knows their [true] interpretation except Allah. And those who are well-grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it. It is all from our Lord." None will take heed except people of understanding.} Allah Almighty says in this verse that it is He Who sent down the Qur’an to His Prophet and that it contains clear verses that give specific unambiguous rulings; these serve as the foundation and points of reference of the Book, and they are to be referred to when differences arise. And it contains other verses that may give a number of potential meanings, over which people may get confused or they may think there is a contradiction between one of those verses and another verse. Then, Allah points out how people deal with those verses. Those whose hearts are deviated from the truth abandon the definite verses and turn to the ambiguous ones, thereby seeking to create misconceptions and mislead people. On the other hand, those well-grounded in knowledge know these ambiguous verses and refer them to the definite ones, believing in them and that they are from Allah Almighty and that they cannot be confusing or contradictory. But no one remembers this or takes heed from it except the people of sound minds. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told the Mother of the Believers ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that, if she saw those who follow the ambiguous verses, then indeed they are the ones named by Allah in the verse that reads: {Those with deviant hearts}; so, beware of them and do not listen to them.

Benefits

• The definite verses of the Qur’an are those verses whose meanings are apparent and clear; whereas the ambiguous verses are those verses with a number of potential meanings and so they require consideration and understanding.
• The Hadīth warns against associating with the people of deviation and religious innovations and those who raise ambiguous issues with the aim of misleading people and casting doubts into their hearts.
• The concluding part of the verse {None will take heed except people of understanding} is an indirect reference to the deviant people and praise for those well-grounded in knowledge. In other words, he who does not take heed and admonition and follows his vain inclination is not one of the people of understanding.
• Following the ambiguous verses causes deviation of the heart.
• The ambiguous verses whose meanings may not be understood should be referred to the definite verses.
• Allah Almighty has made some of the Qur’an definite and some of it ambiguous as a test for people to distinguish the people of faith from the people of misguidance.
• Part of the wisdom behind making some of the Qur’an's verses ambiguous is to show the superiority of scholars to others and to highlight the limitations of people's minds, so that they may submit to their Creator and acknowledge their own deficiencies.
• The Hadīth highlights the merit of being well-grounded in knowledge and the necessity of steadfastness in it.
• The Qur’an's exegetes have two views on the pause after the word 'Allah' in the verse that reads: {But no one knows their [true] interpretation except Allah. And those who are well-grounded in knowledge.} In the case of those who advocate the pause after the word 'Allah', the 'interpretation' here refers to knowing the reality and essence of it and such matters that cannot be realized like the spirit, the Hour, and other things whose knowledge Allah kept exclusively to Himself. Those well-grounded in knowledge believe in it and leave its realities to Allah, and thus they submit and become safe. On the other hand, those who advocate the continuity of recitation and not taking a pause after the word 'Allah' hold that the 'interpretation' here means explanation and clarification. Thus, Allah Almighty knows it, and so do the people well-grounded in knowledge, who believe in them and refer them to the definite verses.