Al-Qur'an mengandungi ayat-ayat yang muhkam (tegas/jelas) dan ayat-ayat yang mutashabih (samar), menurut firman Allah Ta'ala: "Antara ayat-ayatnya ada yang muhkam (jelas maknanya), itulah dasar-dasar Kitab, dan yang lain mutashabih (samar)..." (Surah Aali 'Imraan, 7). Ayat muhkam ialah ayat yang maknanya jelas dan nyata, yang menghilangkan kemungkinan makna lain. Contohnya firman Allah Ta'ala: "...Allah telah menghalalkan jual beli dan mengharamkan riba..." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 275); "Dan pencuri lelaki mahupun perempuan, potonglah tangan mereka..." (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 38); dan "Dalam hukum qisas, ada kehidupan bagi kamu, wahai orang-orang yang berakal, supaya kamu bertakwa" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 179), serta ayat-ayat lain yang serupa dengannya. Adapun ayat mutashabih ialah lawan kepada muhkam, iaitu ayat yang mempunyai kemungkinan lebih daripada satu makna, sama ada makna-maknanya setara atau tidak setara. Contoh yang maknanya setara ialah firman Allah Ta'ala: "Wanita-wanita yang dicerai hendaklah menunggu (dengan menahan diri) selama tiga kali quru'..." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 228). Perkataan (quru') itu mungkin bermakna haid atau suci (tuhr). Contoh lain ialah firman Allah Ta'ala: "...kecuali jika mereka memaafkan, atau dimaafkan oleh orang yang memegang ikatan nikah..." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 237). Orang yang memegang ikatan nikah itu mungkin suami atau wali. Begitu juga firman Allah Ta'ala: "...atau kamu telah menyentuh perempuan..." (Surah An-Nisaa', 43), kerana keraguan maknanya antara sentuhan dengan tangan dan persetubuhan. Contoh bagi makna yang tidak sama antara satu sama lain ialah firman Allah Ta'ala:{Tetapi kekal abadi Wajah Tuhanmu, Yang Mempunyai Kebesaran dan Kemuliaan} 27 Surah Ar-Rahman, {Apabila Aku telah menyempurnakan kejadiannya (dalam bentuk yang sebaik-baiknya) dan Aku tiupkan padanya dari roh-Ku…} 29 Surah Al-Hijr, {antara yang telah Tangan Kami ciptakan…} 71 Surah Yasin, {Allah akan membalas ejekan mereka dan membiarkan mereka dalam kesesatan mereka, sehingga mereka terumbang-ambing dalam keadaan buta} 15 Surah Al-Baqarah, {Orang-orang kafir itu membuat tipu daya, dan Allah pun membalas tipu daya mereka, dan Allah sebaik-baik pembalas tipu daya} 54 Surah Ali Imran, dan {langit akan digulung dengan tangan kanan-Nya. Maha Suci Dia dan Maha Tinggi Dia dari apa yang mereka sekutukan} 67 Surah Az-Zumar, dan seumpamanya, ia mempunyai kemungkinan beberapa makna menurut pemahaman bahasa Arab mengikut gaya-gaya orang Arab, dan menurut makna-makna syarak; semua itu adalah mutashabih (samar). Sesungguhnya ia dinamakan mutashabih kerana ketidakpastian maknanya bagi pendengar. Mutashabih bukanlah yang maknanya tidak dapat difahami, kerana tiada sesuatu dalam Al-Qur'an yang tidak dapat difahami, sebab jika Al-Qur'an memuatkan sesuatu yang tidak dapat difahami, ia akan terkeluar daripada menjadi penjelasan bagi manusia, dan itu bertentangan dengan firman Allah Ta'ala: {Ini adalah penerangan yang jelas bagi manusia, serta petunjuk dan pengajaran bagi orang-orang yang bertakwa kepada Allah} 138 Surah Ali Imran. Adapun huruf-huruf abjad di permulaan surah-surah, ia mempunyai makna, kerana ia adalah nama bagi surah-surah itu dan penentu bagi mereka; kami katakan surah: surah, dan surah, dan surah, dan seterusnya. Tiada dalam Al-Qur'an sesuatu yang tidak bermakna dan tidak dapat difahami, tetapi semua yang datang dalam Al-Qur'an boleh difahami; Maha Tinggi Allah Ta'ala bahawa Dia menyeru manusia dengan sesuatu yang mustahil bagi mereka untuk memahaminya.

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.