[His saying (the Exalted): "They are the foundation of the Book"]

[The First Aspect]

3172 - My father narrated to us, Sulayman b. Harb reported to us, Hammad b. Zayd reported to us, from Ishaq b. Suwayd that Yahya b. Ya'mar and Abu Fakhitah discussed this verse: "They are the foundation of the Book." Abu Fakhitah said: "The openings of the chapters," while Yahya said: "The prescribed duties, the command, the prohibition, and the lawful."

The Second Aspect:

3173 - Abu Zur'ah narrated to us, Yahya b. 'Abd Allah b. Bukayr reported to us, 'Abd Allah b. Bukayr narrated to me, Ibn Lahi'ah narrated to me, 'Ata' b. Dinar narrated to me, from Sa'id b. Jubayr regarding His saying: "They are the foundation of the Book," he says: "The root of the Book." He only named them the foundation of the Book because they are written in all of the [divine] scriptures.

The Third Aspect:

I read to Muhammad b. al-Fadl b. Musa, Muhammad b. 'Ali b. al-Hasan b. Shaqiq reported to us, Muhammad b. Muzahim reported to us, from Bukayr b. Ma'ruf, from Muqatil b. Hayyan regarding "They are the foundation of the Book": He only said: "They are the foundation of the Book" because there is no follower of any religion who does not accept them.

[His saying (the Exalted): "And others are those that are not entirely clear"]

[The First Aspect]

3174 - My father narrated to us, Abu Salih—the scribe of al-Layth—reported to us, Mu'awiyah b. Salih narrated to me, from 'Ali b. Abi Talhah, from Ibn 'Abbas: "And others are those that are not entirely clear; the not entirely clear [verses] are its abrogated [verses], that which is mentioned first and that which is mentioned last, its parables, its divisions, and what is believed in but not acted upon."

It was narrated from Mujahid that he said: "Some of it confirms others."

Al-Dahhak, al-Rabi' b. Anas, and Qatada said: "It is the abrogated [verse] which is believed in but not acted upon."

The Second Aspect:

3175 - Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Harawi narrated to us, Abu Dawud reported to us, Sufyan reported to us, from Ibn Jurayj, from Mujahid, regarding: "And others are those that are not entirely clear," he said: "Some of it confirms others."