ينقسم القرآن إلى المحكم والمتشابه، كما قال الله تعالى: {هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ} آل عمران: 7. فالمحكم هو ما ظهر معناه وانكشف انكشافًا يرفع احتمال معانٍ أخرى، مثل قوله تعالى: {وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا} البقرة: 275، وقوله تعالى: {وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُوا أَيْدِيَهُمَا} المائدة: 38، وقوله تعالى: {وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ} البقرة: 179، وغير ذلك من الآيات المماثلة. أما المتشابه فهو خلاف المحكم، وفيه احتمال أكثر من معنى، سواء تساوت هذه المعاني أو تفاوتت. ومن أمثلة ما تساوت معانيه قوله تعالى: {وَالْمُطَلَّقَاتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَاثَةَ قُرُوءٍ} البقرة: 228، فلفظ (القروء) يحتمل الحيض أو الطهر. وقوله تعالى: {إِلَّا أَن يَعْفُونَ أَوْ يَعْفُوَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ عُقْدَةُ النِّكَاحِ} البقرة: 237، فالذي بيده عقدة النكاح يحتمل أن يكون الزوج أو الولي. وقوله تعالى: {أَوْ لَامَسْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ} النساء: 43، لتردد لفظ الملامسة بين المس باليد والجماع. مثال على ما جاء معناه غير متساوٍ بعضه مع بعض قولُه تعالى: {وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ} [الرحمن: 27]، و{فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي} [الحجر: 29]، و{مِمَّا عَمِلَتْ أَيْدِينَا} [يس: 71]، و{اللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِي طُغْيَانِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ} [البقرة: 15]، و{وَمَكَرُوا وَمَكَرَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ} [آل عمران: 54]، و{وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ} [الزمر: 67]، وما شابهها، فإن لها احتمالَ عدة معانٍ بحسب فهم اللغة العربية وأساليب العرب، وبحسب المعاني الشرعية، وكل ذلك من المتشابه، إذ سُمّي متشابهًا لعدم وضوح معناه للسامع. والمتشابه ليس ما لا يُفهم معناه، إذ ليس في القرآن شيءٌ لا يُفهم، لأن وجود شيء غير مفهوم فيه يخرجه عن كونه بيانًا للناس، وذلك مخالف لقوله تعالى: {هَٰذَا بَيَانٌ لِّلنَّاسِ وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةٌ لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ} [آل عمران: 138]. أما الحروف الهجائية في أوائل السور فلها معانٍ، لأنها أسماءٌ للسور ومُعَرِّفةٌ بها، فنقول: سورة كذا، وسورة كذا، وسورة كذا وهكذا. وليس في القرآن شيءٌ لا معنى له ولا يمكن فهمه، بل كل ما جاء في القرآن يمكن فهمه، وتعالى الله أن يخاطب الناس بما يستحيل عليهم فهمه.

The Qur'an contains precise (Muhkam) and imprecise verses according :said ala'Ta Allah what to (…some of it are precise verses; they are the foundation of the Book and others are imprecise...) 7 Surat Aali Imraan. The muhkam (precise) is what its meaning appears and exposes an exposure that removes the possibility (of :saying s'ala'Ta His like) meanings different Allah} (… has permitted trade and forbidden usury…)275 Surat Al-Baqarah, And the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands…)38 Surat Al-Ma'idah, of Law the In Equality there is life for you, O you men of understanding; that you may restrain yourselves) 179 Surat Al-Baqarah, and other alike verses. As for the mutashabih (imprecise), it is the contrary of the muhkam, and has the probability of more than one meaning, either equal to each other or not equal. An example for which the meaning came equal is His Ta'ala's saying: Divorced women shall wait concerning themselves for three monthly periods…)228 Surat Al-Baqarah, the word (corou') probably means the menses (hayd) or the purity (Tohr), and His Ta'ala's saying: ِ...) } unless they remit it or (the man's half) is remitted by him in whose hands is the marriage tie…)237 Surat Al-Baqarah, so the one that has the tie of the marriage is probably the husband or the guardian (wali), and His Ta'ala's saying: {or ye have been in contact with women…) 43 Surat Al-Nisaa', for the hesitation of it between the touching by hand and the copulation. An example for what the meaning came as not equal to each other is His Ta'ala's saying:{But will abide (forever) the Face of your Lord, The Full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour) 27 Surat AlRahmaan, {When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My spirit…) 29 Surat Al-Hijr, among other things which Our Hands have fashioned…) 71 Surat ,Yaseen {Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and give them rope in their trespasses; so they will wander like blind ones (to and fro)) 15 Surat A-lBaqarah, plotted) Unbelievers then (And} and planned, and Allah too planned, and the best of planners is Allah) 54 Surat ِ,Imraan Aal in up rolled be will heavens the and} His right hand: Glory to Him and High He is above the Partners they attribute to Him) 67 Surat Al-Zumar, and the like, it has the probability of several meanings according to the understanding of the Arabic language with respect to the Arabs' styles, and according to the shari'ahi meanings, all that is mutashabih (imprecise). Verily it is named mutashabih for the uncertainty of its meaning to the listener. The mutashabih is not what its meaning is not understandable because there's nothing in the Qur'an that is not understandable, because there inclusion of the Qur'an of something not understandable makes it out of being a clarification to the mankind, and that is contrary to His Ta'ala's saying: Here is a plain statement to mankind, a guidance and instruction to those who fear Allah) 138 Surat Aal Imraan. As for the alphabetic letters in the beginning of the chapters (surat); they do have meanings, because they are names for the chapters and definers for them, we say surat: surat and :surat and َsurat and etc. There is nothing in the Qur'an that has no meaning and could not be understood, but all what came in the Qur'an can be understood and exalted be Allah Ta'ala that He addresses mankind by that which is impossible for them to understand.