The dispute comes from the expression “None knows the true meaning thereof except God and those well founded in knowledge.” The question is where should the period occur? The two possible readings are:
“None knows the true meaning thereof except God and those well founded in knowledge. They say, “”We believe in this…”
“None knows the true meaning thereof except God. And those well founded in knowledge, they say, “”We believe in this…”
Can we apply the approach of coming up with an understanding that eliminates contradictions towards the conundrum in this verse to figure out the truth? So let’s assume that only God knows the true meaning, and no one else. What would this imply?
That the messenger did not know the meaning of the verses of the Quran.
That God sent a book to mankind that they would be incapable of understanding.
So how should we understand verse 3:7? That the Quran the direct and straightforward verses are the axioms of our understanding. Yet there are verses that can be twisted to extricate a certain meaning, and the way to detect such manipulations is that it contradicts the axioms of the message of the Quran then such interpretations should be discarded.
For instance, the opening statement of the Quran is that God is Most Gracious, Most Merciful. If someone wants to twist a verse to try to claim God is not Most Gracious, Most Merciful such understanding can be discarded. Or the Quran is very clear that God is One. If someone is going to try to make an argument from the Quran that God is plural then we know that such an understanding should be discarded.
The True Self
So let’s say we have narrowed down our axioms that the only source of our religious law will be derived only from the Quran. That the straightforward verses of the Quran will be our axiom for religious understanding and any understanding that we derive that creates a contradiction with a verse of the Quran will need to be abandoned or refined. This all sounds like a winning strategy, but there is one last item that needs to be addressed.
In semiconductor manufacturing, the chips are created in a cleanroom. This is a room that pending on the sensitivity of products being produced will have different ratings indicating how clean the air quality is in the room. Air is constantly being filtered in this room to remove any particles that might be in the air that could destroy the products being manufactured. The biggest contaminant in these rooms is always the human workers. That is why before entering these rooms the humans have to go through numerous steps to reduce their impact on the space. They put on bunny suits, latex gloves, goggles, hair nets, shoe coverings, seal any openings with tape, get blasted with air before entering, and numerous other precautions so that they can enter the facility and reduce their impact on the space.
The same goes for the Quran. The Quran is perfect, but it is the human who is the contaminant that can distort the words and understandings of the Quran to extricate something never authorized by God. This is why God commands us to seek refuge in God before we read the Quran.
16:98 When you read the Quran, you shall seek refuge in GOD from Satan the rejected.
This is to protect ourselves from any potential hidden evil that we may have inside ourselves that we may be oblivious to.
40:56 Surely, those who argue against GOD’s revelations without proof are exposing the arrogance that is hidden inside their chests, and they are not even aware of it. Therefore, seek refuge in GOD; He is the Hearer, the Seer.
This is why it is critical that we apply the same principle to our own lives when assessing to see if we are consistent with the words of God in the Quran?
18:103 Say, “Shall I tell you who the worst losers are?
18:104 “They are the ones whose works in this life are totally astray, but they think that they are doing good.”
If we see in ourselves values that do not correspond with the values that God set in the Quran or catch ourselves acting in ways that contradict the verses of God in the Quran, then it is time to reflect, repent, and reform.
18:49 The record will be shown, and you will see the guilty fearful of its contents. They will say, “Woe to us. How come this book leaves nothing, small or large, without counting it?” They will find everything they had done brought forth. Your Lord is never unjust towards anyone.
69:18 On that day, you will be exposed, nothing of you can be hidden. 69:19 As for the one who receives his record with his right hand, he will say, “Come read my record. 69:20 “I did believe that I was going to be held accountable.” 69:21 He has deserved a happy life. 69:22 In an exalted Paradise. 69:23 Its fruits are within reach. 69:24 Eat and drink happily in return for your works in days past. 69:25 As for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, “Oh, I wish I never received my record. 69:26 “I wish I never knew my account. 69:27 “I wish my death was eternal. 69:28 “My money cannot help me. 69:29 “All my power is gone.”
Conclusion
As believers, we must love the truth, and constantly be in the pursuit to refine our understanding to get closer and closer to the truth which we seek. God is the Truth, God’s words are true, and God’s words are the Quran that we are required to uphold. God could have made the religion immensely more complicated and the Quran volumes and volumes long, but out of His mercy He reduced it down to these 6346 verses.
18:109 Say, “If the ocean were ink for the words of my Lord, the ocean would run out, before the words of my Lord run out, even if we double the ink supply.”
In these roughly 600 pages of text God provided us with all the answers we need in order to obtain salvation.
31:27 If all the trees on earth were made into pens, and the ocean supplied the ink, augmented by seven more oceans, the words of GOD would not run out. GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.
God’s words are available to the sincere seekers and readily accessible to those who are devoted exclusively to God alone.
56:75 I swear by the positions of the stars. 56:76 This is an oath, if you only knew, that is awesome. 56:77 This is an honorable Quran. 56:78 In a protected book. 56:79 None can grasp it except the sincere.*
Over these, the devil has no power.
15:40 “Except those among Your worshipers who are devoted absolutely to You alone.” 15:41 He said, “This is a law that is inviolable. 15:42 “You have no power over My servants. You only have power over the strayers who follow you.
The straightforward verses of the Quran form our axiom of truth for our religion, while our objective to grow in understanding requires us to remove any contradictions that we may form when they are pointed out to us.
18:54 We have cited in this Quran every kind of example, but the human being is the most argumentative creature.