Ali 'Imran 66: You are the people who argue on matters that you have some knowledge about; yet, why do you argue about the things which you have no knowledge? Indeed, Allah knows, but you don’t!

We can continue our lesson. We'll come to Surah Al Imran, verse 66.

Yes, earlier we had prepared to find this verse. Of course we did, er, we changed its place. Let's find it again, verse 66.

62, 66. What does it say? So you are such people. To whom does it say this? About Abraham — the Jews saying Abraham was a Jew.

And the Christians saying of Abraham (peace be upon him): He was a Christian. Yet in the previous verse Allah Almighty says he was neither a Jew nor a Christian. Do you not think at all? Abraham came before Moses and before Jesus, it says. How beautifully Allah Almighty says it. So you are such people. That is, go on, argue about a matter you have knowledge of, it says.

Do not argue about matters you do not know, it says. But why do you argue about a matter you have no knowledge of? Why? Do you argue. What does He mean here? I created man honorable. If you argue about matters you do not know, you make assumptions. Within these assumptions you tell lies. Yet We created man honorable. We will that man, free of lies, adorned with upright, good character, act upon what he knows, it says. If you act upon what you know, We will teach you what you do not know, it says. That too is a verse. A verse. So you are such people. That is, on matters you have no knowledge of, you speak falsely and wrongly.

To justify what you say, bringing made-up witnesses and proofs, you forget human honor.

Go on, argue about a matter you have knowledge of. But as for the verse, why do you argue about a matter you have no knowledge of, set against it: on a matter you have knowledge of, perhaps people, as teachers of people, you can argue. You have knowledge. With small gaps in knowledge, you can educate yourselves through discussion. And during this discussion those listening to you may benefit from you, learn the truth, learn the right matters. You may argue, it says. There is permission in this. Yes.

You can pass your knowledge on to people. But if you enter into argument on matters you have no knowledge of, surely you will lie and mislead the other side. In this respect, you become sinners without realizing it. Sinners. If, lying knowingly, you take Allah lightly, you will have satisfied your own desires of the nafs, so that unknowingly you will have fallen into shirk. Have you not seen? The one who deifies his nafs — that is, saying what I say is this, it is right, man desiring with his nafs and satisfying his nafs.

(?) the meanings.

It's no short logic, is it?

Yes.

Laying claim to Abraham, gaining his closeness, comes by following his religion. Gaining his closeness comes by following his religion. How do you gain the closeness of Abraham? You gain it if you walk the way he walked. What was the way he walked? It was a hanif way. What does hanif mean? One who since childhood believed in a single God and did not worship idols.

If you too take such a way, you gain the closeness of Abraham.

No, Abraham was a Christian. No, Abraham was a Jew. Besides that: Ezra was the son of Allah. We are their relatives. No torment, no torment of Hell will touch us for more than three days. No. Jesus was the son of Allah. Sir, Mary was His wife. Saying Allah is three — a way Abraham did not take, and a way he opposed — if you make that your motto, how is this laying claim to Abraham?

Yes. Laying claim to Abraham, gaining his closeness, comes by following his religion. He knew Allah as One. You, however, are a people who, to cover your disbelief, lay claim to him and want to get under his wing. You are a community that thinks, in your own mind, that by taking refuge in him you will be cleansed of your sins. Rather than laying claim to Abraham, if you broke the pride and arrogance in your own nafs and surrendered to Allah, bowed to Allah's commands, you would become people who gain Abraham's closeness. But rather than doing what Allah says — because such ways, which associate partners with Allah, tell lies and increase one's disbelief, look more pleasing to people — straying from the straight way, you are taking dark dead-end ways as your friends. What a fine slap, isn't it? Is there another commentary like this, written in this way? The truth and the exact meaning of the verses, from crisscrossing ways, from tricky ways.

From words that will (?) to you too.

Either you will be their friends. Or you will write what you know. You will write what you know to be true. Or else you will take this in hand and not become a sinner.

When you argue about matters you do not know, in Allah's presence can you not grasp that you are lying? Because Allah Almighty is present and watching everywhere. If you argue on a subject you do not know and bring proof for it, does Allah not see you?

Whereas Allah knows everything. In the verse. But you cannot know. That is, why these matters we argued over were argued, what passes through people's hearts — does Allah not know it? The question. Does Allah not also know what will become of us in the end? Then, not knowing what kind of reward I will attain with Allah in return for speaking unknowingly or with the whims of my nafs, why should I, arguing over a matter I do not know, become a sinful servant in Allah's sight?

Since Allah knows everything, and we do not know, is it not best to surrender to Allah and put our trust in Him?

So if man uses his reason, he finds the truth in this way. For reason is a proof upon man that knows his Lord. From where do we say this? At Kalû Belâ, in the address Elestü bi Rabbiküm, they said yes. They said: I was created by a Lord. What was it? Is it not best to surrender to Allah and put one's trust in Him? So if man uses his reason, he finds the truth. For reason is a proof upon man that knows his Lord. If man shows his helplessness before his Lord, turns his face to Him and pleads to Allah, he is joined to those who attain salvation. May Allah make us all servants to Himself and the community of His Beloved.

Yes.