Al-A'raf 1: Alif. Lam. Meem. Saad.

Verse 1 of Surah Al-A'raf, what does it say? Alif, Lam, Mim, Sad.

These are muqatta verses. Yes, they are muqatta verses. No meaning is given to these verses. Sir, Al Imran, in verse 7 of the Surah Allah Almighty says: It is He who sent down the Book to you, it is He, that is, sir, it is He who sent down the Qur'an. The Holy Qur'an — some of its verses, of the Qur'an, are muhkam; these are the foundation of the Book. That is, these are the rulings of the sharia. What the foundation of the Book is to make known to people: people's duties towards Allah Almighty, and at the same time, from people's manners and conduct as the noblest of creatures, their way of life, what actions they are to take, which He made known to us as the foundation: the rulings of the sharia. Of Allah Almighty.

The others are mutashabih.

Muqatta verses, mutashabih verses. Those with crookedness in their hearts, to stir up strife and to interpret it, pursue its mutashabih verses, it says. Yes. As if they had some special skill. Alif means this, Mim means that, Sad means this, this means that. They talk on and on. Whereas these have no interpretation. Whoever interprets this goes into disbelief. Look what it says anyway. Those with crookedness in their hearts, to stir up strife, that is, to drown everything in (?) and to interpret it, pursue its mutashabih verses. Which people are very curious about. And so-and-so said this, it means such-and-such.

And they (?) as if it were knowledge. That is superstition, the whims of the self, Satan, to man's self — isn't it known? — by saying such secret verses, by making them be said, by making him go beyond the limits Allah set, gives that person's self a whim. So in that person it begins with the whims of the self. Giving meaning, increasing his disbelief. Whereas only Allah knows its interpretation, it says. Look how beautifully it says it. Only Allah knows its interpretation. So if someone gives meaning to such muqatta verses, realise at once that he is misguided and stamp him as misguided. As for those who have reached a high rank in knowledge, that is, those who have entered through the door of ilm al-yaqin, yes, we believe in it, of course — what is it?

What do we say? Since you first started listening to me: the word of Allah Almighty is based on letters. For instance, what meanings — again we say, Allah knows; no meaning is given to these, we say; their secret is in Allah's knowledge. What do such people say? We believe in it. That is, in such muqatta verses we believe that they are from Allah. Only Allah knows what meaning they make. Yes. We believe. All of it is from our Lord. Whatever Allah Almighty created, from the atom to the globe, He gathered it all in the Holy Qur'an, and down to every dot, all the letters, from Allah, in the Qur'an, all of it from Allah — that it is a Book sent to us we believe.

Only those who enter through the door of that knowledge know this subtlety, it says. Here it says, those of sound mind reflect and understand, but it is not so. What does it say in verse 7? Ve mâ yezzekkeru illâ ulü'l-elbâb. Bab is door. It is the way into a place. Those who enter through that door, those who have interpreted that knowledge with Allah's knowledge, understand this and in this way say it is all from Allah. It says. In that case it means no one can give meaning to the muqatta verses. If he gives meaning, if he gives meaning, at once you will give him your mark. How will you give your mark?

This is misguidance, he continues in misguidance. That is, you'll say he has no knowledge of religion at all. If he had knowledge of religion, of the verses, of the verses,

we wouldn't attempt to give this a meaning. Today among non-Muslims too, among non-Muslims, very well, sir, although they know the religion of Islam, although they know the religion of Islam, these, with the whims of the self, Allah's verses they knowingly go on to deny. Knowingly. Not that they know so much.

What did we say here? These verses are called muqatta verses. They are also called mutashabih verses. No meaning is given to these. Such verses exist in the Holy Qur'an at the beginnings of surahs, in several places. For the meanings of such verses, in volume one, page 316, we said: refer to Surah Al Imran, verse, verse 7. In volume one we explained this, more or less as we've said. Yes.