Our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
“O ‘Aishah, beware of them.”
Today, the world speaks about protecting women from men,
claiming that men are the ones who dominate women’s freedom.
They have issued laws and international conventions
that exclude the role of men from women’s lives,
and have compelled nations to sign them,
under the pretext that they protect women from male domination
and provide them with their stolen rights.
Such calls have been answered in Muslim lands
by those in whose hearts is a disease,
those ignorant of the greatness of this Islamic religion.
They have been supported in this by some who are deluded,
among those who claim to possess religious knowledge.
They have misinterpreted the texts to align with the desires of the enemies of Islam,
and have confused people regarding their religion.
Herein lies the true protection for women:
protection from such ideas,
and from such deluded individuals.
One must be warned against them and refute them,
and their schemes against women must be exposed,
so that she does not fall into their traps.
This warning against such people
was established by the Prophet, peace be upon him,
in his upbringing of ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
and for the Ummah in general.
‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, recited this verse:
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
“...in it are verses [that are] precise –
they are the foundation of the Book –
they are the foundation of the Book –
and others unspecific.”
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
“...seeking discord...”
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
“...seeking discord...”
“...and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them].”
“And no one knows its [true] interpretation
except Allah.”
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
“And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.”
Then he said:
“O ‘Aishah,
if you see those who argue about it,
they are the ones whom Allah has meant,
so beware of them.”
Al-Sindi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
He called out to ‘Aishah
because of her presence at that time,
and he shifted the pronoun of address to the plural
to alert us that this knowledge is not exclusive to ‘Aishah,
but encompasses her and others.
This is a directive from the Prophet, peace be upon him, to the entire Ummah
to be wary of those who argue about the verses of Allah,
for they are the ones who argue about the Qur’an
by attempting to invalidate the precise verses with the unspecific ones.
The intent of this argumentation
is to dispute with falsehood and to strike the truth with it,
and to strike one part of the truth against another,
by feigning contradiction and conflict.
Al-Sa‘di, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
The Great Qur’an is entirely precise,
as the Almighty said:
“A Book whose verses are perfected,
then presented in detail from [one who is] Wise and Acquainted.”
It is characterized by the utmost perfection, precision, justice, and excellence.
“Is it a judgment of the time of (pagan) ignorance that they are seeking? Who is better than Allah for judgment to a people who have certainty (in their belief)?” (5:50)
It is all uniform in beauty and eloquence,
with each part confirming the other,
and consistent in both wording and meaning.
As for the precision and ambiguity mentioned in this verse,
the Qur’an, as Allah described it,
contains “precise verses,”
meaning they are clear in their indication,
having no ambiguity or confusion.
“They are the foundation of the Book,”
meaning the source to which every unspecific verse is referred.
They constitute the majority and the bulk of it.
“And others unspecific,”
meaning their meaning is obscure to many minds,
because their indication is general,
or because some understandings might grasp something other than what is intended.
The conclusion is that there are verses clear and evident to everyone,
and these are the majority to which one must refer.
There are also verses that are obscure to some people.
The obligation in this case is to refer the unspecific back to the precise,
and the hidden back to the manifest.
In this way, one part confirms the other,
and no contradiction or conflict occurs.
However, people have divided into two groups.
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
This refers to a deviation from uprightness,
where their intentions have become corrupt,
and their aim has become error and misguidance,
and their hearts have strayed from the path of guidance and righteousness.
“He it is Who hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations - they are the substance of the Book - and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking to explain it. None knoweth its explanation save Allah. And those who are of sound instruction say: We believe therein; the whole is from our Lord; but only men of understanding really heed.” (3:7)
They abandon the clear, precise verses,
and turn to the unspecific ones,
reversing the matter
by interpreting the precise through the lens of the unspecific,
“seeking discord” for those they invite to their views.
For the unspecific verses are a source of discord
due to the confusion that occurs within them.
Otherwise, the clear, precise text is not a place for discord,
because the truth within it is clear to those who intend to follow it.
Those whom Allah meant in this verse
are numerous today.
They broadcast their poisons through media channels
and social media platforms,
claiming they are searching for the truth,
or claiming they have brought a new Tafsir of the Holy Qur’an,
or of the religious texts,
that aligns with the requirements of the age and the spirit of the Shari‘ah.
Their discourse is dominated by casting doubt on the religious constants and the foundations of Islam.
Therefore, we find their war is manifest in interpreting the Qur’an against its intended meaning,
and in attacking the books of the Sunnah,
such as Sahih al-Bukhari and others.
Women are the most influenced by them,
because they frequently address women’s issues,
into which they inject their doubts,
by playing upon women’s emotions,
and claiming they are defending women’s rights.
Thus, they erode the foundations of Islam from the hearts of women
through these doubts they raise regarding issues that trouble women,
such as polygyny, the Islamic dress code,
interaction with men and mixing with them,
the alleged oppression of women by society,
and other such issues.
The Prophet, peace be upon him,
warned ‘Aishah against this group,
and it is a warning for every woman who wishes to preserve her religion and creed,
and to protect her heart from doubts.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“So beware of them.”
The stance toward this group
is what the Prophet, peace be upon him, commanded:
to be wary of them,
and not to listen to them.
Al-Sindi, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
His saying, “So beware of them,”
means: O Muslims,
do not sit with them and do not speak to them,
for they are people of innovation,
and they deserve to be shunned,
as a precaution against falling into their creed.
So be careful, my Muslim sister, of these warriors against the religion,
who have no concern other than casting doubts upon the general Muslim population,
and taking the lead in making Muslims doubt their own religion.
They do all of this in the name of Islam.
We will continue in a future meeting, if Allah wills.
And praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Our Mother ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her.