Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The Quran was revealed in seven modes. Each verse among them has an outward and an inward, and each limit has a horizon.”
Abu Ja’far said, “We contemplated this tradition and the best of possible interpretations to come is that there is the outward of it, the meaning of which is obvious, and the inward of it, the meaning of which is subtle. This shows that people must seek its inward meanings just as they seek its outward meanings.”
Source: Sharḥ Mushkil al-Āthār 3095
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بن مسعود قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أُنْزِلَ الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ لِكُلِّ آيَةٍ مِنْهَا ظَهْرٌ وَبَطْنٌ وَلِكُلِّ حَدٍّ مَطْلَعٌ
قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ فَتَأَمَّلْنَا هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فَكَانَ أَحْسَنَ مَا جَاءَ فِيهِ مِنَ التَّأْوِيلِ الَّذِي يَحْتَمِلُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الظَّهْرُ مِنْهَا هُوَ مَا يَظْهَرُ مِنْ مَعْنَاهَا وَالْبَطْنُ مِنْهَا هُوَ مَا يُبْطَنُ مِنْ مَعْنَاهَا وَدَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ طَلَبَ بَاطِنِهَا كَمَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَلَبُ ظَاهِرِهَا
3095 شرح مشكل الآثار
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