Muhkamat and Mutasyabihat

Part 7: Reflection Within Remembrance and Remembrance Within Reflection

In the previous section, we discussed how the verse مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ stands as the central axis that binds the entire network of meanings within the Qur’an. Yet to understand the secret behind this core, we must first recognize who is worthy and how one should uncover its meanings. It is here that Allah introduces a special group known as Ulul Albab — “those of sound intellect.”

As stated earlier, our original goal was to explain al-Fatihah verse 4,
مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ, “Master of the Day of Judgment”, within the framework of the Muhkamat and Mutasyabihat. However, before delving into that verse, I must first explain who Ulul Albab are.

Allah commands us to become among the Ulul Albab — those who delve into the Qur’an through tadabbur (deep contemplation), not merely reading without understanding. Ulul Albab are those who open both intellect and heart to seek the truth of Allah’s words. Everyone has the right and ability to do this, as long as there is diligence, reason, and a sincere desire within the heart.

Ulul Albab are not people who think with intellect alone. They are those who make thought into remembrance (fikir as zikir) and remembrance into thought (zikir as fikir). They read the creation of the heavens and mankind just as they read the verses of revelation, and they read the verses of revelation just as they read the creation of the heavens and mankind. Both lead them back to their Lord.

First Evidence: Tadabbur as the Path of Ulul Albab

Allah the Exalted says:

كِتَٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَٰرَكٞ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا۟ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

(This is) a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.

(Surah Sad 38:29)

This verse shows that tadabbur is not an optional act for believers, but the very purpose of revelation itself. Allah emphasizes that the blessing of the Qur’an lies in its ability to be understood and deeply pondered upon, not merely memorized or recited without meaning.

The word لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا۟ (li-yaddabbarū) comes from the root دَبَرَ (dabara) which means “to look behind something” or “to examine until one reaches the end of its meaning.” Thus, tadabbur is not simply reading or interpreting at the surface, but penetrating through the layers of wisdom within each verse — network by network — until Allah opens one’s inner sight to the meanings beyond the words.

This is the path that distinguishes ordinary readers from the Ulul Albab. Ordinary readers may stop at the sound of recitation, but Ulul Albab seek the significance that answers the questions of the heart. They do not merely articulate the verses, but allow them to penetrate the intellect, interact with knowledge and science, and guide the course of life.

This verse also teaches that the blessing of the Qur’an does not arise from tilawah alone — meaning to follow, to recite continuously, or to utter its words melodiously — but from tadabbur, which leads to tazakkur. The word tazakkur means to remember, to engrain something into the heart, and to draw lessons from it.

When a person performs tadabbur upon Allah’s verses, the ultimate result is tazakkur — a living awareness within the heart, through which the Lord guides the person’s actions. As Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍۢ

And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?

(Surah al-Qamar 54:17)

In Surah Sad 38:29, Allah mentions these two stages together  لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا۟ (that they may ponder) and وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ (that they may be reminded). This shows that tadabbur is the path, while tazakkur is the result.

Those who do not engage in tadabbur lose the blessing of the Qur’an. Their hearts remain hard even when their tongues are soft in recitation. Tadabbur sharpens the intellect and enriches the mind, while tazakkur refines the heart and enriches the soul — until both unite in remembrance of Allah.

Therefore, anyone who truly wishes to experience the blessing of revelation must approach the Qur’an with an open mind and a humbled heart. Every time a believer opens the Mushaf, he is, in reality, opening a space to converse with his Lord. This is the essence of tadabbur that Allah desires from the Ulul Albab.

Part 2: Ulul Albab and the Signs in Creation

Allah also emphasizes that the nature of Ulul Albab is that they connect His verses with the realities of creation and the journey of human life:

إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.

(Surah Āli ʿImrān 3:190)

This verse teaches that the signs of Allah’s power are not confined within the pages of the Mushaf but are spread throughout the vastness of creation. For the Ulul Albab, the sky is not merely a ceiling of emptiness and the earth is not just a place to walk and live. Both are pages from the Book of Creation written by the same divine wisdom that arranged the verses of the Qur’an.

In Surah Āli ʿImrān 3:190, Allah mentions two main elements, the heavens and the earth and then adds a third: the alternation of night and day. This combination reveals that all existence is structured upon three essential dimensions: space, time, and law. Thus, when the Ulul Albab contemplate creation, they are in truth reading the Qur’an in its living form, the cosmic revelation before their very eyes.

Those of sound intellect do not stop at external observation. They see the heavens and the earth as signs of divine power pointing toward their Creator. Each cycle of night and day reminds them of the rhythm of life and the turning of destiny. For them, every phase of existence is an ayah, a verse awaiting to be read with the eyes of the heart. Hence, Allah describes the true believers as those who remember Him in every state while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides.

ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًۭا سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

(Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting, and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”)

(Surah Āli ʿImrān 3:191)

This verse directly continues from the previous one, portraying that Ulul Albab are not only those who think (yatafakkarūn, يَتَفَكَّرُونَ) but also those who remember (yadhkurūn, يَذْكُرُونَ). Remembrance in the heart and reflection in the mind flow together, creating a consciousness that is both intellectual and spiritual. The Ulul Albab do not separate the pursuit of knowledge from awareness of Allah, for knowledge that does not lead to remembrance is mere information, not wisdom.

This is the distinction between intellect without faith and intellect guided by revelation. The former only measures, while the latter recognizes. The former sees creation, while the latter perceives the Creator behind it.

When a person realizes that all creation is the manifestation of His divine speech, they no longer divide between religion and the universe, or between worship and life. Nature is not an enemy to faith but a witness that strengthens it. It is no wonder that Allah links Ulul Albab with these two qualities yatafakkarūn (those who think) and yadhkurūn (those who remember) for together they form the bridge between knowledge and faith.

The Ulul Albab discern the wisdom written across the sky, understand the language of the stars, read the signs of the wind, and perceive meaning in every transition of night and day. They do not reject science, for to them, knowledge is part of the signs of Allah, waiting to be discovered even when not yet understood. Revelation and knowledge never contradict each other. What contradicts is only the human perspective that has drifted away from tawhid. Whoever fails to contemplate the natural world as they contemplate the Qur’an has, in truth, lost half the path toward gnosis.

Every sunrise and sunset reminds the Ulul Albab of life and death. Every moving cloud is a sign of mercy in motion by His command. Every barren land that revives with rain mirrors the resurrection after death. This is how the Ulul Albab read creation not merely with their eyes, but with hearts awakened by tadabbur, giving rise to tazakkur.

This verse teaches that the signs of Allah come in two forms: the verses that are read and the verses that are seen. Both originate from the same source and lead to the same truth the realization that nothing in existence is without purpose. Hence, there is no separation between the Ulul Albab and the natural world, for both are mirrors reflecting the same reality of divine truth.

Part 3: The Declaration of Tawhid through Zikr and Fikr

Once again, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta‘ala says:

ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَـٰمًۭا وَقُعُودًۭا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَـٰذَا بَـٰطِلًۭا سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

(Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting and lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth saying: “Our Lord You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”)

(Surah Āli ʿImrān 3:191)

This verse represents the culmination of the journey of reflection and remembrance described in the previous verses. After the Ulul Albab contemplate the heavens and the earth, they do not stop at knowledge or admiration. Their thinking reaches its natural end in recognition and worship. From the reasoning of the intellect arises the confession of the tongue, and from that confession flows a prayer from the depths of the heart. This is the point where knowledge meets faith, and intellect meets devotion.

The phrase رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا (“Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly”) is the voice of a heart that has come to know its Rabb through tadabbur. It is not a mere statement of belief but a declaration of tawhid. Whoever utters these words acknowledges two great truths that every creation has a purpose, and that its Creator is free from all falsehood and futility.

Every atom that moves, every star that shines, every heartbeat and gust of wind, all serve within the divine order of wisdom. Nothing is meaningless. Even trials, losses and death itself hold places in the balance of divine justice and mercy. Realizing this produces humility, for a mind that truly contemplates will always bend in submission when it reaches the limits of its understanding.

Then comes the next word: سُبْحَانَكَ — “Exalted are You.”

This is the cry of recognition from one whose intellect has matured into insight. It is not the repetition of a formula but the surge of awareness that everything in existence unfolds by His will and wisdom. Reflection leads to knowledge, remembrance leads to surrender. When the two unite, a human being worships not out of inheritance but out of recognition.

Finally, the plea فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ — “so protect us from the punishment of the Fire” — completes the spiritual journey. After understanding the meaning of existence and declaring Allah’s perfection, the Ulul Albab seek protection. True knowledge never breeds arrogance; it breeds awe. The deeper one understands divine wisdom, the smaller one becomes before it.

This prayer is not only for safety in the Hereafter. It is also a shield against the fires of heedlessness and pride in this world the flames of ego, forgetfulness and misused intellect. Hence, the Ulul Albab keep their souls alive through zikr and fikr, guarding themselves from the arrogance of knowledge and the blindness of desire.

The verse thus shows that the highest outcome of tadabbur is the recognition of tawhid, and the summit of true knowledge is the awareness of one’s own limits. The Ulul Albab are not merely those who know but those who return to Allah in humble confession that nothing in His creation is in vain. This is the ultimate fruit of zikr and fikr — understanding that leads to acknowledgment, acknowledgment that leads to submission, and submission that brings salvation in this life and the next.

When reflection and remembrance meet in the heart, they merge into a single word: سُبْحَانَكَ.
Here the intellect stops searching and the heart begins to worship. Here the seeker realizes that the true path of knowledge ends in rukūʿ and sujūd, and the path of worship begins with knowledge. This is the balance Allah wishes to awaken within the Ulul Albab a harmony between intellect and spirit, between understanding and devotion.

Ulul Albab and Their Connection to the Muhkamat

The essence of this entire discourse is that the Ulul Albab are those who take the muhkamat (verses of clear and firm meaning) as their foundation and connect the mutashabihat (verses of allegory and symbolism) to them through tadabbur. They read the Qur’an not with fear of being led astray, but with certainty that the Word of Allah guides every sincere heart.

Allah Subhanahu Wa Taʿala says:

وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقٗا وَعَدْلٗا لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَٰتِهِۦ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ

And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

(Surah Al-Anʿām 6:115)

This verse declares that the divine Word is perfect in two aspects, truth (ṣidqan) and justice (ʿadlan). It is true in its meaning and just in its rulings. None can alter what Allah has decreed, neither in word nor in reality. Therefore, whoever approaches the Qur’an with a pure heart will never be misled by it. The Book itself is light; only a darkened heart can stumble in its glow.

The Ulul Albab understand that the muhkamat are the axis upon which meaning turns, while the mutashabihat are the branches that cling to it. They do not divide between outer and inner meaning, or between knowledge and wisdom. They take the muhkamat as the measure that distinguishes authentic interpretation from false conjecture. Hence they are never afraid to ponder deeply, for they know that truth cannot lead to deviation.

Allah has promised that His Word is a guidance that leads the open-hearted and blinds only those who reject it. Whoever discourages tadabbur is in fact preventing others from joining the ranks of the Ulul Albab, the very people honored by Allah as the living embodiment of zikrullah.

Now you know that the Ulul Albab are those whose hearts remember while their minds reflect, and whose minds reflect while their hearts remember. They approach the Qur’an not merely to memorize it but to enliven it. They listen to revelation not only with their ears but with the awareness of their whole being. Every time they contemplate a verse, they witness how it returns to the muhkamat the core of meaning from which the entire network of Qur’anic truth is woven.

Therefore, to understand the secret behind مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ one must first possess the heart of an Ulul Albab a heart that knows remembrance within reflection and reflection within remembrance. Without a living heart, this majestic verse remains only words without light, never guiding to the straight path. But for the Ulul Albab, every letter opens a doorway of meaning that leads directly to the Lord, the Sovereign of the Day of Recompense.

In shāʾ Allāh, in the next section we shall explore the deeper meaning of مَٰلِكِ يَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ “The Sovereign of the Day of Recompense” and see how this verse stands as one of the muhkamat that form the central axis of the Qur’an’s vast network of meanings.

To be continued

Every contribution helps us produce more exposés and scholarly materials. Join as a sponsor via the link below.

Click here to sponsor.