Skip to main content

Q&A: Use of metaphors in Qur'an

Question:
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِ الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
"Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?"
(YaSin, 36:78)
Is the phrase يُحْيِ الْعِظَامَ "give life to bones" in the above verse a metaphor where a part is mentioned to represent the whole?
May Allah reward you goodness, and may He preserve you support and treasure for the great Muslim Ummah. May He سبحانه وتعالى grant you victory.
From: A. Hamza

Answer:
We do not rely on metaphor unless applying the reality is impossible, for example:
يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ مِنَ الصَّوَاعِقِ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ
"They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death"
أصابعهم "their fingers" is a metaphor for the ends of the fingers because the whole finger in reality cannot be put in to the ears. Only the ends of the fingers can be put in the ears.
Another example is:
وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ السِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا
"And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said, "Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] squeezing wine."
Here wine is a metaphor for grapes because wine cannot be squeezed in reality, but grapes are squeezed to form wine.
Whereas if the reality is not impossible, we don't rely on metaphor, so Allah's سبحانه وتعالى saying:
وَضَرَبَ لَنَا مَثَلًا وَنَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِ الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
"And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He says, "Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?"
(YaSin, 36:78)
The reality of giving life to bones is not impossible for Allah سبحانه وتعالى so we say يُحْيِ "Give life" in reality and not metaphorically, and we understood from it that the bones of the dead bodies are dead as well.
Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah
04th Rajab 1434 AH
14/5/2013 CE
Link to the answer from the Ameer's Facebook page:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

An advice to Muslims working in the financial sector

Assalam wa alaikum wa rahmatullah wabarakatahu, Dear Brothers & Sisters, We are saddened to see Muslims today even those who practise many of the rules of Islam are working in jobs which involve haram in the financial sector. They are working in positions which involve usurious (Riba) transactions, insurance, the stock market and the like. Even though many of the clear evidences regarding the severity of the sin of Riba are known, some have justified their job to themselves thinking that they are safe as long as they are not engaged in the actual action of taking or giving Riba. Brothers & Sisters, You should know that the majority of jobs in the financial sector, even the IT jobs in this area are haram (prohibited) as they involve the processing of prohibited contracts. If you work in this sector, do not justify your job to yourself because of the fear of losing your position or having to change your career, fear Allah as he should be feared and consider His law regard

Q&A: Age of separating children in the beds?

Question: Please explain the hukm regarding separation of children in their beds. At what age is separation an obligation upon the parents? Also can a parent sleep in the same bed as their child? Answer: 1- With regards to separating children in their beds, it is clear that the separation which is obligatory is when they reach the age of 7 and not since their birth. This is due to the hadith reported by Daarqutni and al-Hakim from the Messenger (saw) who said: When your children reach the age of 7 then separate their beds and when they reach 10 beat them if they do not pray their salah.’ This is also due to what has been narrated by al-Bazzar on the authority of Abi Rafi’ with the following wording: ‘We found in a sheet near the Messenger of Allah (saw) when he died on which the following was written: Separate the beds of the slave boys and girls and brothers and sisters of 7 years of age.’ The two hadiths are texts on the separation of children when they reach the age of 7. As for the

Q&A: Shari' rule on songs, music, singing & instruments?

The following is a draft translation from the book مسائل فقهية مختارة (Selected fiqhi [jurprudential] issues) by the Mujtahid, Sheikh Abu Iyas Mahmoud Abdul Latif al-Uweida (May Allah protect him) . Please refer to the original Arabic for exact meanings. Question: What is the Shari’ ruling in singing or listening to songs?  What is the hukm of using musical instruments and is its trade allowed? I request you to answer in detail with the evidences? Answer: The Imams ( Mujtahids ) and the jurists have differed on the issue of singing and they have varying opinions such as haraam (prohibited), Makruh (disliked) and Mubah (permissible), the ones who have prohibited it are from the ones who hold the opinion of prohibition of singing as a trade or profession, and a similar opinion has been transmitted from Imam Shafi’i, and from the ones who disliked it is Ahmad Ibn Hanbal who disliked the issue and categorised its performance under disliked acts, a similar opinion has been tran