معرفة تأويل المتشابه

Abstract EN

This paper clarifies the following issues; (1) the meaning of '‘ambiguity” in Arabic, (2) the use of ' ambiguity” in the Holy Qura'an, (3) the oppositness between “ambiguity” and literality, and (4) the intelectual factors relating three types of versis in the Qura’an: verses asserting the ambiguity of the Qura’anic text, verses declaring its literality, and verses stating that the Qura'an is partly ambiguoussand partly literal.

The paper also attempts to answer the following questions: Does the Qura’an include inherently ambiguous and inherently literal verses? Is “Literality” in theQura’an the norm while^ambiguity” the exception? The paper further discusses the dispute between those who believe that the Quralanic ambiguity can be disambiguated only by God, and those who say that sophisticated scholars may also perform this.

Finally, the paper discusses the sources of “ambiguity” and the attitudes of those who emphasize this issue in the Qura’anic studies.

It also clarifies tne malicious intent involved in these attitudes.