Subtleties and Allusions

1) A Story About the People of the Village

Fakhr Rāzī relates in his Tafsīr Kabīr that the people of the village who refused to host Moses and Khiḍr came to the Prophet (s.a.w.) during his time, after the revelation of the verse in question, carrying a load of gold. They said to him, “Take this load of gold and change the letter ‘bā’ in ‘fa-abaw’ to ‘tā’ in the phrase ‘And they refused to host them both,’ so that it would read ‘fa-ataw an yuḍayyifūhumā.’” Through this change, they wanted to remove the shame of their ancestors from their village, as this altered reading would mean “the people of the village came to host them.” However, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said that changing even a single dot in the Qur’an would allow falsehood to enter divine speech, and this was not possible.(336)

It should be noted that including such stories in books of exegesis (tafsīr) diminishes their dignity and reduces their reliability. Ālūsī has related this same story from Nīshābūrī and others, referring to it as “something that makes the wise laugh.”(337)

2) The Consciousness of All Existents

Some consider attributing will to a wall as metaphorical(338), but the Qur’an has its own specific language and unique culture.(339) The Qur’an considers both the beginning and end of the universe, meaning all phenomena in existence, to be conscious. According to certain verses, everything in the heavens and earth glorifies, praises, submits to, obeys, and prostrates to the Truth:

“And there is not a thing except that it exalts [God] with praise, but you do not understand their exaltation.”(340) This verse is the most comprehensive regarding the consciousness of creation.

“Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth exalts God.”(341)

“And to Him submits whoever is in the heavens and earth.”(342)

“And to God prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth.”(343)

“Then He said to it and to the earth, ‘Come willingly or by compulsion.’ They said, ‘We have come willingly’.”(344)

In these verses, some using the past tense, some the present tense, and others mentioning the verbal noun, glorification is attributed to all beings. According to certain traditions, some lands give testimony(345) or complain(346), and these attributions should not be interpreted as metaphor, simile, allegory, or allusion. According to Imam Ṣādiq (a.s.), every day the grave calls out saying “I am the house of estrangement, terror, and worms”: “Indeed the grave has speech every day saying: I am the house of estrangement! I am the house of terror! I am the house of worms! I am the grave.”(347)

It is not correct to interpret these numerous verses and traditions as metaphorical. The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) also said there was a stone that would greet him whenever he passed by it before his prophethood, and he still recognized that stone: “I know a stone in Mecca that used to greet me before I was sent as a prophet; I still recognize it now.”(348) Another example is the words of Imam Bāqir’s mother who, passing by a wall that was about to collapse, pointed to it with her hand and said “No, by the right of al-Muṣṭafā” and the wall remained standing until she passed by; then it collapsed.(349)

Based on this, numerous verses and traditions indicate the consciousness of all existents, and one cannot interpret all these instances as metaphorical. Therefore, attributing will to the wall in the verse under discussion can be a literal attribution, and it is not necessary to interpret it as metaphorical.

Note: Just as one cannot interpret all the mentioned verses as metaphorical, one cannot completely deny metaphor; therefore, some instances may be metaphorical and others literal.

3) Metaphor in the Qur’an

According to Abū Isḥāq al-Isfarāʾinī(350), Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Dāwūd al-Iṣfahānī(351), and their like-minded colleagues, there is no metaphor in the Qur’an(352); otherwise, we would have to consider as metaphorical the numerous verses that speak of the testimony of bodily organs and limbs (skin, hands, feet, and tongue)(353), or those that attribute sight and anger to fire.(354)

These scholars have rejected the existence of this form of speech in the Qur’an. However, metaphor is not only not a defect, but it is, in fact, one of the literary beauties found in speech, and their denial of it in the divine revelation is inappropriate. However, one must determine the place of literal and metaphorical meanings through rational or textual evidence.

Explanation: Metaphor is of two types:

Linguistic metaphor (majāz lughawī), which involves using a word for something other than what it was originally designated for (mā wuḍiʿa lah).

Rational metaphor (majāz ʿaqlī), which attributes a predicate to something other than its proper subject.

Determining the correct predicate for each subject is not the domain of literature but falls within the rational sciences. Thus, the claim made by those who reject metaphor—that accepting metaphor necessitates interpreting numerous verses metaphorically—is invalid. This conclusion does not necessarily follow from the premise, nor is the premise required for the conclusion. It has already been established that things possess perception, supported by both rational and textual evidence. Therefore, the mentioned verses are not metaphorical.

Yes! In any case where there is no rational or textual evidence, it is interpreted as metaphorical and literary refinement. However, for the mentioned verses, there is rational evidence supporting their meaning. Additionally, a group of literary scholars and traditionists benefited from his presence.(355) Furthermore, as discussed, five categories of verses from the Qur’an also indicate the consciousness and perception of all beings.

Conclusion: Denying the existence of metaphor in the Qur’an is incorrect. However, for a verse to be interpreted metaphorically, there must be no rational or textual evidence to the contrary. A materialist who denies the divine origin considers the attribution of growth (inbāt) to the spring in the phrase “the spring grew the herbs” as literal. In contrast, a monotheist, who understands the unity of actions and believes that God is the true grower while the spring is merely a vessel for plant growth, regards this attribution as metaphorical.

Thus, wherever evidence exists, supposed metaphors should be understood literally. Since there is evidence that things possess consciousness and perceive divine commands, the attribution of sight to fire in the verse “When it sees them from a distant place…”,(356) will to the wall in “wanting to collapse”, testimony to skins in “Until, when they reach it, their hearing and their sight and their skins will testify against them”,(357) and testimony to organs and limbs in “On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will testify against them”(358) should all be taken as literal attributions, each in accordance with its nature.

4) The Necessary Condition for Attaining the Knowledge of Inner Meaning

The necessary condition for attaining the knowledge of inner meaning (taʾwīl) (in Qur’anic terms) or esoteric knowledge (bāṭin) (in terms of traditions) is preserving the religious law and continuous adherence to jurisprudential rulings and religious commandments. Acquiring knowledge requires a path, and there is no straight path except through religious law. However, not everyone who follows religious law attains divine knowledge, and while preserving religious law and the straight path is necessary, it is not sufficient. Undoubtedly, those who benefit from divine mercy and knowledge, as a universal affirmative proposition, preserve the straight path; however, the Qur’an does not universally promise that all who practice religious law will attain inner meaning and esoteric knowledge. It is stated in a tradition that “Knowledge is a light that God casts into the heart of whomever He wills”(359), not “into the heart of every believing man and woman.” The Glorious God has made a universal promise regarding paradise and the rewards of the hereafter that He will grant happiness to the believer who performs righteous deeds in the Day of Resurrection; however, divine knowledge and that divine light are superior to paradise and something else entirely. The expression “whomever He wills” (man yashāʾ) is a promise in the form of a particular affirmative proposition. Of course, divine will is also based on wisdom.